This PSA comes via Catherine Morgan’s post on BlogHer. Click over there for more discussion re: the importance of having “ready kits“ for families to have supplies prepared for both leaving, as well as staying in their home, during an emergency or disaster.
Recently the Home Safety Council did a survey to find out how prepared families “felt” they were for a disaster. What they found was; 64 percent of the children surveyed said they “think” their families are prepared for an emergency situation, but only 27 percent said that their family has a communications plan in place or has assembled readiness kits to use in case of an emergency. That’s a troubling statistic. How prepared is your family?
What you will need for your Ready-to-Go Kit:
- One gallon of water per person
- Food that doesn’t have to be refrigerated a manual can opener
- Plastic/paper plates, cups and silverware
- Flashlight and extra batteries
- Battery-operated radio
- A change of clothes
- A card with your contact information and the number of someone out of state to call
- Pet food and supplies for one or more days
- Small first aid kit
- Personal identification card
- Personal hygiene items, soap and hand sanitizer
- Store medicine you usually take near your Ready-to-Go Kit
What you need for your Ready-to-Stay Kit:
- Three gallons of water for each family member
- Canned food and snacks for at least three days
- Non-electric can opener
- First aid kit
- Medicine you usually take
- Toilet paper
- Clothes set aside for each family member
- Blankets
- Books and games to keep you busy
- Paper and pencils
- Pet food and supplies for three days
- Non-scented bleach
A recent poll by the American Red Cross and Harris Interactive shows that 90% of Americans who have a disaster supply kit feel prepared. The problem is that only a mere 28% of the population actually has one.
In case of emergency…
I’ve always had family in New York. Since June of this year, I’ve had family (my son) in Washington, DC. But six years ago today, I was the mother of a high-school senior in Germantown, Tennessee, and we were watching the news on TV. I’ll leave the remembrances of 9/11 to those who were touched much more directly, although none of us is really left untouched. Somehow, though, the following seems timely…
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Thanks for this. The stuff I have in my basement from six years ago SO needs to be replaced.
PunditMom – You’re welcome! This info really needs circulating, so I’m trying to do my part.
We’re in the 72% that don’t have a supply kit, so we need to get on this one.