Guest Post: General Preparedness

You don’t know when an emergency may hit you or when a national emergency might
befall your area. Most people fall short of being prepared whenever something like this
happens and that is exactly what we want to avoid. That’s why even in times when
there’s no imminent danger of being caught in a calamity or any kind of emergency, you
should still be prepared and ready for whatever situation that might come.

Get enough food stored
Stored food for emergencies should be the first thing that you have to think about since
food supply might be scarce during an emergency or a calamity. On the onset of an
emergency, make sure that you have enough supply of ready-to-eat food for your family
(at least a week’s supply) that you will get the nourishment that you need. Also consider
that you need water in the process and having enough portable water jugs ready will
help you carry them faster. If you want to stay nourished with your family, make sure
that you have stored food for emergencies right in your cupboard. It beats having to wait
and depend on dole outs!

Make sure a medical kit is ready
Having injuries and being sick during an emergency may happen and it pays to be
ready with the proper cure than let a little cut cause a sever infection. Your medical kit
should include basic medicines like paracetamol, antibiotic, loperamide and amoxicillin.
You should also include cotton balls, hydrogen peroxide, betadine, forceps, gauze,
medical tape, scissors and some cloth strips for a tourniquet if you can. You would
need those medicines especially when you’re moved to an evacuation center where
everything is for public use: drinking stations, toilets, and even places to sleep. It’s not
really sanitary so you need medical reinforcements if ever you or one of the members of
your family catches a flu, cuts themselves or requires any first aid attention.

Prepare back-ups for communication
If you have your phones, always make sure that they are fully charged so you can
communicate with the outside world when you get stuck. Having a satellite phone would
be better as it won’t rely on local carriers. Stash an extra battery if you can and make
sure that you use your phone only for important and emergency purposes. Keep a
portable radio that may be recharged and battery-powered so that you’ll stay in touch
with the news even when there’s no electricity.

Remember to keep a list of possible evacuation areas. Being prepared a step ahead will
always work to your advantage and knowing exactly what to do in emergency situations
would help you and your family make your way to safety.

About the Author
Adeline is a food preparation expert from Orange County. If you like her articles about
preparing stored food for emergencies, please visit DailyBread.com.

References
American Red Cross: Prepare Your Home and Family;
http://www.redcross.org/prepare/location/home-family

United States Department of Labor: Emergency Preparedness and Response;
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/emergencypreparedness/index.html

72 Hours: Are You Prepared?;
http://72hours.org/