So I guess I've been in a funk lately and haven't really been feeling like doing anything. I'm trying to get out of that funk, but some days are harder than others.
One of the things that has been on my mind lately is having our emergency preparedness things in order. It seems like General Conference in April was chock full of admonitions and warnings to be prepared. Nothing new there. We have been hearing that forever, right? But it has been weighing on my mind heavily lately. The fact that Jed lost his job recently, does not make me feel any more comfortable with our circumstances either. One thing we do have going for us is that our pantry is stocked and we do have a pretty good start on bulk food storage items like wheat, flour, rice etc. Yet I still feel so unorganized when it comes to knowing what we have and how much.
We went to see the movie Contagion last weekend and my mind just kept going back to emergency preparedness. What would we do if we were faced with a real live event like in that movie? We would do OK. But, there is so much more we could do to prepare. Also, as I was watching the news the other night, a rare occurrence for me. They had a news story on about a fire that broke out in the foothills of northern Utah and that there were several homes in danger. People living closest to the mountainside where the fire was were being asked to evacuate voluntarily and others who lived in the area but not in immediate danger were getting reverse 911 calls to notify them of the possibility of evacuation if the fire did not get contained. It got me thinking...if we had to evacuate immediately, would we be prepared to do so, with anything other than the clothes on our backs. The answer is NO. We have food storage, but we do not have any emergency backpacks ready to go in case we had to evacuate. No 72 hour kits we can grab on the go. If it happened to us it could be disastrous!
So yes, this is something I've been thinking about and really trying to figure out how to at least put some things together on the limited budget we have right now. So with some "shopping" around the house to see what we do have and then some shopping at the dollar store to fill in the holes and we should be able to put together a few 72 hr. kits for a pretty reasonable price.
Our ward has put together an emergency preparedness binder for every family. It holds all kinds of information pages that you fill out. Things like doctors information, prescription information, financial information etc. This is to take with you in an emergency so you have what you need on hand. I am in the process of getting these pages filled out for our family and our needs. But I also have other things I want to add to the binder. While I was surfing on pinterest today I came across this website called life...your way. They have hundreds of free pdf printables for just about anything you can imagine. Mostly things related to home management. Click on over and check it out. I love that they have so many things already created and all I need to do is fill them out and print them for my binder. That is going to be my focus in the next few days. Get more prepared for potential emergencies so that when something does happen I will be better able to handle whatever is thrown our way.
I just found this article which explains what I am aiming for in a emergency preparedness/family life binder. Some great information and ideas...
Showing posts with label Emergency Preparedness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Emergency Preparedness. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
We're Getting Prepared
Like many others, our stake has been very vocal about getting your food storage in order. Jed and I on a personal level have also felt very strongly this is something we should be doing. We even had our parents give us food storage as christmas gifts. I have been doing some research on the internet to find ideas and suggestions on how other people are preparing. One of the really good things I have found and will be working on in the next few weeks comes from Food Storage Made Easy. (http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/) They have an Emergency Preparedness Plan that you can easily download to your own computer and update as needed. I will definately be putting that into place in our home.
I also found the following story below from Emergency Essentials (http://beprepared.com/), along with a ton of information on what to do in specific emergency situations. I am compiling this information to put in my Emergency Prepardnes Plan binder. So, if you want a copy, I will be happy to forward this on to you.
Sleep When The Wind Blows
"A farmer needed an extra hand to help on his farm. One young man came to interview for the job. "What are your qualifications?" the farmer asked. "I can sleep when the wind blows," the young man said. This simple reply confused the farmer, but he was desperate for help and the young man was hired.
The young man was a diligent worker through the harvest season, but the farmer still questioned his answer.
Autumn ended and the first cold storm of winter came late one night. The farmer panicked as the winds began to blow. Calling the young man for help, the farmer grabbed his coat and pulled heavy boots on his feet. He was disappointed to find the young man asleep in bed at a time like this. Grudgingly he ventured out alone planning to shuffle all of the animals in the barn and then fix that last hole in the roof. He mumbled about the young man sleeping and was sure all the farm equipment was left standing in the field, collecting rust from the snow.
However, when the farmer reached the barn all the animals were tucked safely inside. In fact, clean hay had already been set out for the new day. Not a single hole could be found in the roof, and the tractor was parked perfectly in the shed.
"Who could have done it?" the farmer wondered. And then, he realized what the young man's answer meant, "I can sleep when the wind blows."
Recently, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and U.S. Fire Administrator David Paulison published the following:
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?"
"Have on hand three days’ worth of water and food, an emergency supply kit for both home and automobile, radios with extra batteries..."
"Make a plan for contacting family members in an emergency..." (CNN, February 11, 2003)
We are also instructed by FEMA and other preparedness organizations to prepare for 72 hours (or three days). Why three days? In most crisis situations, much of the real suffering occurs immediately following the disaster. Generally, it takes three days for disaster relief agencies to assist those in need. That is why it is recommended to have at least a 72 hour kit.
Your 72 hour kit should meet the needs of your family.
By preparing yourself and your family for an emergency, you can feel confident that you are better able to handle the unexpected. Just like this young farmhand, you too can sleep when the wind blows.
The young man was a diligent worker through the harvest season, but the farmer still questioned his answer.
Autumn ended and the first cold storm of winter came late one night. The farmer panicked as the winds began to blow. Calling the young man for help, the farmer grabbed his coat and pulled heavy boots on his feet. He was disappointed to find the young man asleep in bed at a time like this. Grudgingly he ventured out alone planning to shuffle all of the animals in the barn and then fix that last hole in the roof. He mumbled about the young man sleeping and was sure all the farm equipment was left standing in the field, collecting rust from the snow.
However, when the farmer reached the barn all the animals were tucked safely inside. In fact, clean hay had already been set out for the new day. Not a single hole could be found in the roof, and the tractor was parked perfectly in the shed.
"Who could have done it?" the farmer wondered. And then, he realized what the young man's answer meant, "I can sleep when the wind blows."
Recently, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and U.S. Fire Administrator David Paulison published the following:
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?"
"Have on hand three days’ worth of water and food, an emergency supply kit for both home and automobile, radios with extra batteries..."
"Make a plan for contacting family members in an emergency..." (CNN, February 11, 2003)
We are also instructed by FEMA and other preparedness organizations to prepare for 72 hours (or three days). Why three days? In most crisis situations, much of the real suffering occurs immediately following the disaster. Generally, it takes three days for disaster relief agencies to assist those in need. That is why it is recommended to have at least a 72 hour kit.
Your 72 hour kit should meet the needs of your family.
By preparing yourself and your family for an emergency, you can feel confident that you are better able to handle the unexpected. Just like this young farmhand, you too can sleep when the wind blows.
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