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Preparedness Kit and Information
Water
Food
Clean air
First aid kit
Unique family needs
Seniors
Additional supplies and documents
Disabled with special needs
Pets
Make A Plan
Water
- One gallon if water one person per day, for drinking and sanitation.
- Children, nursing mothers and sick people may need more water.
- If you live in a warm weather climate more water may be necessary.
- Store water tightly in clean plastic containers such as soft drink bottles.
Food
- Store at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food.
- Select foods that require no refrigeration, preparation or cooking and little or no water.
- Pack a manual can opener and eating utensils.
- Avoid salty foods, as they will make you thirsty.
- Choose foods your family will eat.
- Ready -to-eat canned meats, fruits and vegetables.
- Protein or fruit bars
- Dry cereal or granola
- Peanut butter
- Dried fruit
- Nuts
- Crackers
- Canned juices
- Non-perishable pasteurized milk
- High energy foods
- Vitamins
- Food for infants
- Comfort/stress foods
Clean air
Some potential emergencies could send tiny microscopic "junk" into the air. For example, flooding could create airborne mold, which could make you sick, an explosion may release very fine debris that can cause lung damage. A biological terrorist attack may release germs that can make you very sick if inhaled or absorbed through open cuts. Many of these agents can only hurt you if they get into your body, so think about creating a barrier between yourself and any contamination.
Nose and mouth protection
Face masks or dense-weave cotton material, which snugly covers your nose and mouth and is specifically fit for each member of the family. Do whatever you can to make the best fit possible for children.
Be prepared to improvise with what you have on hand to protect for nose, mouth, eyes and cuts in your skin. Anything the fits snugly over your nose and mouth, including any dense weave cotton material, can help filter contaminants in an emergency. It is important the most of the air you breath comes through the mask or cloth, not around it.
Do whatever you can to make the best fit possible for children. There are a variety of facemasks readily available in hardware stores that are rated based on how small a particle they can filter in an industrial setting.
Given the different types of emergencies that could occur, there is not one solution for creating a barrier between yourself and any contamination in the air. For instance, simple cloth facemasks can filter some of the airborne "junk" or germs you might breath into your body, but will probably not protect you from chemical gases. Still, something over your mouth and nose in an emergency is better than nothing. Limiting how much junk guts into your body may impact whether or not you get sick or develop a disease.
Other barriers
- Heavyweight plastic garbage bags or plastic sheeting
- Duct tape
- Scissors
There are circumstances when staying put and creating a barrier between yourself and potentially contaminated air outside, a process known as shelter-in-place, is a matter of survival. You can use these things to tape up windows, doors and air vents if you need to seal off a room from outside contamination. Consider precutting and labeling these materials. Anything you can do in advance will save time when it counts.
Use available information to assess the situation. If you see large amounts of debris in the air, or if local authorities say the air is badly contaminated, you can use these things to tape up windows, doors and air vents if you need to seal off a room. Read more: Deciding to Stay or Go.
HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air Filtration) Filter Fans
Once you have sealed off a room with plastic sheeting and duct tape you will have created a better barrier between yourself and any contaminants that may be outside.
However, no seal is perfect and some leakage is likely. In addition to, the fact that you may find yourself in a space that is already contaminated to some degree.
Consider a portable air purifier, with a HEPA filter, to help remove contaminants from the room you are sheltering in. These highly efficient filters have small sieves that can capture very fine particles, including some biological agents. Once trapped within a HEPA filter contaminants cannot get into your body and make you sick. While these filters are excellent at filtering dander, dust, mold, smoke biological agents and other contaminants they will not stop chemical gases.
Some people, particularly those with severe allergies and asthma, use HEPA filters in masks, portable air purifiers as well as I larger home or industrial models to continuously filter the air.
First aid kit
In any emergency situation you or a family member may be cut, burned or suffer other injuries. If you have these basic supplies you are better prepared to help your loved ones when they are hurt. Remember, many injuries can make a difference in an emergency. Consider taking a first aid class, but simply having the following things can help you stop bleeding, prevent infection and assist in decontamination.
Thing you should have:
- Two pairs of latex, or other sterile gloves (if you are allergic to latex)
- Sterile dressings to stop bleeding
- Cleansing agent/soap and antibiotic towelettes to disinfect
- Antibiotic ointment to prevent infection
- Adhesive bandages in a variety of sizes
- Eye wash solution to flush eyes or as a general decontaminant
- Thermometer (read more: Biological Threat)
- Prescription medications you take every day such as insulin, heart medicine and asthma inhalers. You should periodically rotate medicines to account for expiration dates
- Prescribed medical supplies such as glucose and blood pressure monitoring equipment and supplies.
Things it may be good to have:
- Cell phone
- Scissors
- Tweezers
- Tube of petroleum jelly or other lubricant
Non-prescription drugs
- Aspirin or non-aspirin pain reliever
- Anti-diarrhea medication
- Antacid (for upset stomach)
- Laxative
Unique family needs
Remember the unique needs of your family members when making your emergency supply kit and family emergency plan.
For Babies
- Formula
- Diapers
- Bottles
- Powdered milk
- Medications
- Moist towelettes
- Diaper rash ointment
For Adults
- Ask your doctor about storing prescription medications such as heart and high blood pressure medication, insulin and other prescription drugs.
- Denture needs
- Contact lenses and supplies
- Extra eye glasses
Seniors
Each person's needs and abilities are unique, but every individual can take important steps to prepare for all kinds of emergencies and put plans in place. By evaluating your own personal needs and making an emergency plan, you can be better prepared for any situation. Preparing makes sense. Get ready now.
- Consider how a disaster might affect your personal needs.
- Plan to make it on your own, at least for a period of time. It's possible that you will to a medical facility or even a drugstore.
- Identify what kind o resources you use on a daily basis and what you might do if they are limited or unavailable.
- Get an Emergency Supply Kit.
- If you must evacuate, take your pets with you, if possible. However, if you are going to a public shelter, it is important to understand that animals may not be allowed inside.
- Plan in advance for shelter alternatives that will work for both you and your pets; consider loved ones or friends outside your immediate area who would be willing to host you and your pets in an emergency.
Create a support network
- If you anticipate needing assistance during a disaster talk to family, friends and other who will be part of you personal support network.
- Write down and share each aspect of your emergency plan with everyone in you support network
- Make sure everyone knows how you plan to evacuate your home or workplace and where you will go in case of disaster
- Make sure that someone in your local network has an extra key to you home and knows where you keeps your emergency supplies
- Teach those who will help you how to use any lifesaving equipment, administer medicine in case of an emergency
- Practice you plan with those who have agreed to be part of your network
Additional supplies and documents:
Medications and medical supplies
If you take medicine or use a medical treatment on a daily basis, be sure you have what you need to make it on you or for at least a week, maybe longer.
- Make a list of prescription medicines including dosage, treatment and allergy information.
- Talk to your pharmacist or doctor about what else you need to prepare.
- If you undergo routine treatments administered by a clinic or hospital or if you receive regular services such as home health care, treatment or transportation,
Talk to your service provider about their emergency plans. Work with them to identify back-up service providers and incorporate them into your personal support network.
- Consider other personal needs such as eyeglasses, hearing aids and hearing aid batteries, wheelchair batteries and oxygen.
Emergency documents
Include copies of important documents in your emergency supply kits such as family records, medical records, wills, deeds, social security number, charge and bank account information and tax records.
- Have copies of your medical insurance and Medicare cards readily available.
- Keep a list of the style and serial number of medical devices or other life-sustaining devices. Include operating information and instructions.
- Make sure a friend or family member has copies of these documents.
- Include the names and contact information of your support network, as well as your medical providers.
- If you have a communication disability, make sure your emergency information notes the best way to communicate with you.
- Keep these documents in a waterproof container for quick and easy access.
More information
For more information on special needs, see Disaster Preparedness For People With Disabilities from FEMA, and Disaster Preparedness for Seniors from the Red Cross.
Disabled with special needs
For People with Disabilities
- Create a support network to help in an emergency
- Tell these people where you keep your emergency supplies.
- Give one member of your support network a key to your house or apartment.
- Contact your city or county government's information management office. Many local offices keep lists of people with disabilities so they can be located quickly in a sudden emergency.
- Wear medical alert tags or bracelets to help identify your disability.
- If you are dependant on dialysis or other life-sustaining treatment, know the location and availability of more than one facility
- Show others how to operate your wheelchair.
- Know the size and weight of your wheelchair, in addition to whether or not it's collapsible, in case it has to be transported.
- Additional supplies for people with disabilities:
- Prescription medicines, list of medications including dosage, list of any allergies.
- Extra eyeglasses and hearing aid batteries.
- Extra wheelchair batteries, oxygen.
- Keep a list of the style and serial number of medical devices.
- Medical insurance and Medicare cards.
- List of doctors, relatives or friends who should be notified if you are hurt.
More information
For information and tools related to emergency preparedness for persons with disabilities see the Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness for Individuals with Disabilities' Resource Center
Pets
Preparing your pets for emergencies makes sense. Get ready now.
If you are like millions of animal owners nationwide, your pet is an important member of your household the likelihood that you and your animals will survive an emergency such as a fire, flood, tornado or terrorist attack depends largely on emergency planning done today. Some of the things you can do to prepare for the unexpected are the same for any emergency. Whether you decide to stay put in an emergency or evacuate to a safer location, you will need to make plans in advance for your pets. Keep in mind what's best for you is typically best for your pet.
If you must evacuate, take your pets with you if possible. However, if you are going to a public shelter, it is important to understand that animals may not be allowed inside. Plan in advance for shelter alternatives that will work for both you and your pets.
Make a back-up emergency plan in case you can't care for your animals yourself. Develop a buddy system with neighbors, friends and relatives to make sure that someone is available to care for or evacuate your pets if you are unable to do so. Be prepared to improvise and use what you have on hand to make it on your own for at least three days, maybe longer.
Preparing your pets makes sense. Get ready now.
Make A Plan
Family communications plan
Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so plan how you will contact one another and review what you will do in different situations.
- It may be easier to make a long-distance phone call than to call across town, so an out-of-town contact may be in a better position to communicate among separated family members.
- Be sure every member of your family knows the phone number and has coins or a prepaid phone card to call the emergency contact.
- You may have trouble getting through, or the telephone system maybe down altogether, but be patient.
Emergency information
Find out what kinds of disasters, both man made and natural, are most likely to occur in your area and how you will be notified. Methods of getting your attention vary from community to community. One common method is to broadcast via emergency radio and TV broadcasts. You might hear a special siren, or get a telephone call, or emergency workers may go door-to-door.
Emergency plans
You may also want to inquire about emergency plans at places where your family spends time: work, daycare and school. If no plans exist, consider volunteering to help create one. Talk to your neighbors about how you can work together in case of an emergency. You will be better prepared to safely reunite your family and loved ones during an emergency if you think ahead and communicate with others in advance. Read more: School and Workplace
For more information please visit the following websites.
www.redcross.org
www.fema.gov
www.dhs.gov
www.ready.gov
www.dph.state.ct.us
www.cdc.gov
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