September is National Preparedness Month
Today’s tip: To prepare your Family for an emergency, get one or more emergency kits that include enough supplies to meet your Family’s essential needs for at least three days.
When disaster strikes, emergency responders address the most critical needs first and may not be able to access an affected area until it is deemed safe. While responders work on behalf of the entire community, it is your responsibility to ensure your Family’s well-being during times of crisis. Emergency kits are a critical tool for meeting that challenge.
Build a Kit
To prepare your Family for an emergency, get one or more emergency kits that include enough supplies to meet your Family’s essential needs for at least three days. Your emergency kits must include water, food, first aid supplies, medicines and important documents. Collect items specific to each member of your Family, consider special needs and pet supplies. Gather items that you own and supplement with items that can be purchased locally. Think reusable, multi-use and long lasting. For example, a brightly colored poncho can be used as water repellent clothing, a location marker, and two together can create a temporary shelter.
Your emergency kits will be useful for sheltering-in-place, evacuating, or moving to a shelter or designated safe haven. Keep a kit prepared at home, and consider having kits in your car and at work. These kits will enable you and your Family to respond to an emergency more quickly. Make your basic home emergency kit portable or create a second portable emergency kit with lightweight items to aid quick evacuation. Be sure to rotate your items periodically, ensuring nothing is expired when the need comes.
Printer friendly emergency kit checklist can be found here: Emergency_Kit_Fact_Sheet
Ready Army—https://ready.army.mil/is your complete web resource for emergency preparedness information, checklists, helpful resources and children’s activities.