Smart Family Preparedness Ideas Now

Photo of family of 4 in front of their home.

Where will you be when disaster strikes - at the office, at school, in the car or at home? You will need an emergency kit, in each of these places. Every disaster provides its own set of problems; but one thing is constant, you'll need to take action to protect yourself and your family. Natural and man-made disasters cause you to either stay where you are, move to a protective structure, shelter-in-place or evacuate.

Stay where you are - this may be true when you are at home during a blizzard or thunderstorm. Similarly, if you are outdoors during an earthquake and not near anything that could fall on you, stay where you are.
Protective Structure - move to a protective structure (e.g., home, office, storm shelter or building) during a blizzard, hurricane or tornado.
Shelter-in-Place - when hazardous materials (i.e., chemical, biological, or radiological agents) may have been released into the air you'll be advised to shelter-in-place.
Evacuate - when your home, office or building is in immediate danger, local officials will issue an evacuation order. Comply with their request immediately in an orderly fashion.

GetReadyGear survival kits are made with all of these response scenarios in mind. When staying in a building or home, our 5 gallon survival kits can be used as a toilet in case your water is turned off. Should you need to evacuate, these same 5 gallon buckets are easily transported. We also offer several backpack kits to make evacuation (potentially on foot) much easier. Carrying a backpack keeps your arms available to assist others and manage flashlights or signal devices. These soft sided backpacks fit well in car trunks.

At home, you should keep your survival gear in a designated place ready to go if you have to evacuate. Also consider storing extra survival supplies that could be used in addition to your GetReadyGear kit items. A key thing to consider is additional water. Most experts suggest storing a minimum of one gallon per day (3 days minimum) per person. While water is the key to your survival, you would have difficulty carrying 3 gallons of water very far on foot. This is why GetReadyGear 72 hour kits come with sufficient, but not too much water. If you were able to evacuate with your vehicle, carrying more water is possible. See Water Purification and Storage tips for additional information.

Also consider additional food. If you are able to remain at home during an emergency, imagine how a canned ham, dried fruit and drinks could make the event more comfortable. Remember to rotate your canned or dried food supplies to keep them fresh. Your stored water bottles at home could only have a shelf-life of 6 to 24 months depending on the storage container and location. An advantage of the GetReadyGear survival kits is that the food rations and water boxes are storable for up to 5 years! So, take advantage of your home as a shelter and ensure that you have sufficient emergency supplies to keep you safe and healthy.

An often overlooked part of your emergency planning is how to support family members with special needs. Should you or someone in your household have special needs review our special needs guide.

To assist you in your emergency planning, the following forms are provided. The Communications Plan is an important document for your entire family. Consider providing a copy to your relatives, close friends and children's school.

Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view the following PDF files. A free download is available from the Adobe web site.

You can find more safety and emergency planning information for specific events by clicking on any of the Safety Tips links in the left-hand column.


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