Family Emergency Preparedness Plan
Disasters Can Happen At Any Time
Do you have a family emergency preparedness plan because no matter where you are, disasters can happen at any time. That means any event, from an earthquake to a hurricane, from a blizzard to a hazardous waste leak, is unpredictable and can put entire communities out of basic services like water and electricity, and out of contact with local government and shelters for extended periods of time. That’s why Eden Valley focuses on being prepared, both by having multiple survival kits (home, car, office) ready, and knowing what to do when disaster strikes. Eden Valley has provided a Family Emergency Preparedness Plan that will help you, your family, your pets, and everyone in your community prevail in the case of an emergency.
The items you’ll need in your survival kit will differ in contents and size according to your personal needs, but every survival kit should be prepared with a few items from these 6 categories:
Emergency Preparedness Plan Survival Kit Contents
Food
Store at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food per person in each disaster survival kit. Nitrogen flushed foods from Eden Valley have extended shelf lives, and ready-to-eat canned foods will also save time and space. Calorie dense foods are also recommended. Most non-perishable foods say they will last years, or even decades before going bad, but we recommend simply rotating new foods every six months, allowing no chance for food to go bad.
Water
FEMA, The Red Cross, and numerous other emergency relief foundations recommend that each person should have access to one gallon of water per day for sanitation, cooking, and drinking. Store water in plastic containers that will not go bad, and try not to store the containers directly on the ground. It is best to change the water out every six months. Water purification tablets, or Eden Valley Foods pumps and filters can easily help provide clean drinkable water.
First Aid
It is much better to have the necessary first aid gear than to need it, and comprehensive medical kits are available in a number of sizes at Eden Valley. This means you can have one in each place you use a supply pack. You will want to be able to help with various medical needs like a burn, a broken bone, open wounds, or even a headache. Don’t forget any personal medical needs like an inhaler or prescription pills.
Clothing & Bedding
Every member of the family should have at least one change of clothes and a sleeping bag in their pack. Depending on where you live this may include long underwear, a down jacket, boots, or gloves.
Tools & Supplies
Preparation starts with choosing where and how to store your supply pack. For example, you can use a larger plastic container with a lid for your home, and a smaller supply pack in a duffle bag can be used in your car. Every emergency survival kit should have a battery operated radio, and preferably a flashlight that uses the same battery, which makes buying extra batteries simple. Make sure to change out the batteries yearly to ensure they work. Small sets of camping gear can be very handy in a disaster. Include extra lighters and matches to go with your small gas stove if you need to heat your water. Power generators and extra gasoline are helpful if you have a safe place to store them.
Specality Items
These are the essential items to any survival kit and part of the foundation to a good emergency preparedness plan. These are the items that don’t fit in the aforementioned sections and some that may be specific to your situation. Use waterproof bags to seal passports and other documents, and be sure to include an emergency contact sheet which includes out of state or out of country relatives, local shelters, and government hotlines. If you enjoy games, you may want to pack away a deck of cards or other small entertainment devices. If you are pet owners, be sure to include the same 3 to 5-day food and water supply, and check with local shelters and make plans for their safety as well. Don’t forget your soap and toothpaste!
Including the items from these six categories will drastically increase your comfort and chance of survival during an emergency. With these supply packs and a proper Emergency Preparedness Plan, Eden Valley thinks this preparedness can serve communities to help each other in times of need.
Practice Your Emergency Preparedness Plan
Practice Your Plan
Having the right supplies in an easily accessed area of your home or car is a great start to being prepared. The second half is having an emergency preparedness plan, and then practicing the plan every six months or year. Practicing for an emergency may feel awkward, but it will save time and lives in the end. Everyone has a unique situation, so here are a few fundamental things we recommend to help yourself be prepared.
• Talk with your family about the location of the general emergency survival kit, and what supplies it contains.
• Discuss how to manage with each type of disaster that may be a risk in your location.
• Establish a meeting place in the nearby neighborhood. Find another meeting place out of the neighborhood in the instance you aren’t able to return to your house. Don’t forget about your pets!
• Instruct how to shut off the power, water, and gas if needed or time permitted.
• Make sure everyone knows when to contact police, fire, and 911, and can use the radio to tune into emergency information.
• It would be great to communicate with neighbors and create meeting points, as well as making sure no one gets left behind.
• CPR classes are an extremely useful part in being prepared for any emergency, and renewing your certificate should be done every year or two.
If you need a reminder to change the food, water, rotate batteries, and change any other items that have an expiration date, as well as refresh your memory and update your plan, make it a yearly or semi-annual event (think something like Spring cleaning) to make sure everyone is prepared!
