Tip: 1st Aid Kit

I was reading recently in the book Emergency Preparedness and Survival Guide, a publication by the Backwoods Home Magazine people. I'm not familiar much with their website or what else they have, but their book is great because it delineates clearly many simple principles in helping your family lived a preparedness lifestyle.

Some may get tired of hearing that we need to take care of our families in this way. But I think that after seeing the devastation, the despair, and the frustration of the people hurt by Hurricane Katrina, individuals around the world have a better idea of how sudden a disaster can occur...even with warning.

Hey, it wasn't like we didn't know it was coming. Whether it was complacency or some other factor, there were people whose families were torn apart by the tragedy caused by that mighty storm. Some people were NOT able to leave and how frightening for them to have this thing tearing up their surroundings. But for those who could have left and didn't, ouch. Hindsight can be very painful.

That hurricane was out there in the gulf for a few days. Forecasters had been talking about it. It wasn't an eency-weency storm. Yet all along the coast, people were still caught-off guard by its fury--even the natives of the state. Even of the people who COULD leave, some didn't. The "government" cannot be in all times and places, folks. It is unrealistic, numerically impossible, and impractical to think so.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

All this, from a disaster that was public knowledge. What about those sudden disasters that come without warning? That brings me to the first page of the book I have in front of me, Emergency Preparedness and Survival Guide. The author of the first chapter, Gary F. Arnet, D.D.S. points to the complacency of our society. He mentions the people lined up to get bandaids after a California earthquake (Ibid., p. 3) Bandaids!

These weren't the severely injured, but those people who presumably had scratches and bruises. They needed bandaids. One could presume that perhaps these people weren't able to get to their homes to get to the bandaids. But what if it's as the author states, that they simply hadn't bothered ever to purchase a 1st aid kit? Now THAT is being unprepared.

The whole point, folks, is that there really are things we need to take responsibility for. As Dr. Arnet states in his article, these people were impeding the progress of the medical personnel trying to deal with the truly injured.

So do you have a 1st aid kit for your home? It would be wise also to obtain one for each car. It would be even better to have a tiny sandwich bag of at least bandaids and ointment, safety pins, etc. for your purse, backpack, briefcase, or desk.

In the case of Hurricane Katrina, that hurricane's arrival was not a surprise. But in many instances, we have no notice.

Tip: Get your 1st aid kits today. And remember to put one in each of your kid's school backpacks.

Tip: Take Care of Medical Needs

Remember that preparedness is a lifestyle, NOT a one time event. Thus, it influences every facet of our lives.

Therefore, get in the habit of taking care of your medical needs now...and those of your family members. For example, if you need a tooth extraction, call today to set the appointment. If you need to have a physical exam (and you've been putting it off), call the doctor today to set up the appointment.

Be proactive with your medical needs. Learn to think a few months in advance. If your company has a mail-order pharmacy program, take advantage of it. It may be difficult to have a year's supply of medicine, but at least you can have a three-month supply on hand (if your company offers that).

One never knows what kind of upheaval either your personal life might take or perhaps that your community or society might experience. If you are prepared, you will experience less fear. Nothing would be worse than truly needing a root canal and now you can't get one. Or being in pain and not able to get relief.

Tip: Take care of your medical needs now! Today! Make that phone call.

Tip: High Quality Sleeping Bags

Here's a tip. Let's assume you live in upstate New York and the power goes out. And stays out. For days on end--and it's in the heart of winter.

Just think how your family will thank you, because you previously purchased high quality sleeping bags for every family member.

Start watching now for sales on high quality sleeping bags. Not just the cheap Walmart kind, but the kind that are rated to go down in temperature in matching manner to your worst winter storms. That way if your home loses power, you and your little ones can still stay warm while sleeping!

Tip: Get a high quality sleeping bag for each member of the family.

Tip: Prioritize

OK, if you aren't very "emergency prepared," I can relate. I wasn't either for a long time. In fact, I remember standing in a Walmart check out line astonished at the amount of batteries and fuel the guy in front of me was buying. "Wow, he must be planning a big camping trip," I said to the checkout clerk when it was my turn for my purchases.

She looked at me like I had a big hornet on my nose. "Uhhhhh, no." Long pause. Confused look in my direction. "Uh, he's buying that for the hurricane."

"The hurricane," I asked, still cutely bemused.

Now I must have had two hornets on my nose, because I will never forget the look she flashed me. "UH, yeah, the hurricane. Like the category 5 hurricane heading right for us in two days!"

"Wow," was about all I could muster. Sheepishly I paid for my purchases and hurried home. I flipped on the weather channel. Where had I been? With all the evacuations? With all the plywood-purchasing-people scurrying home? How had I missed it all?

Actually I knew how I'd missed it. I rarely watch TV or (during that time) read the newspaper. And somehow I now had a hurricane 5 barreling down, making a beeline for my home town.

The next 36 hours were crazy. I didn't have anything ready. My important papers were scattered in various places, drawers and files and boxes in the garage, etc. I didn't have 72 hour kits ready for my family. I didn't have any of my creative works ready to take in an evacuation, let alone photos, etc.

Fortunately for us (and quite sadly for others) the hurricane suddenly veered, just two hours from striking my area. But I learned my lesson the very-nearly-hard way. Getting prepared slowly and consistently is far better than freaking out and throwing everything in a basket. Definitely NOT the way to do things.

So here's quick tip: Get Prepared Now! Write down the top five or six priorities of what you'd just die if you lost in a storm. (Hint: you might start with your children, husband, and dog. ) Put those priorities on individual index cards. Then place them in order of importance (after your family, of course).

Tape the first card to the fridge. Every time you walk by that card, you'll be reminded that you're working on that priority. Perhaps it's finding all your important papers and putting them in a ziploc/waterproof bag. Perhaps it's finishing that scrapbook with the one of a kind photos (that then goes in the trunk of your car if you needed to evacuate). Perhaps it's rounding up all of your photographic negatives and placing them in a safe deposit box at the bank.

Whatever the priority is, keep on the first one until it's done. Set a deadline so you don't become complacent. Reward yourself when you've accomplished your goal. Then tape the next card to the fridge and begin working on that priority (maybe it's mailing a copy of your important papers to your out-of-state contact or maybe it's creating 72 hours kits for each family member or car or kid's backpack, etc.).

When you've completed all five or so priorities, pat yourself on the back. You'll be in a much better place than I was back in 2004!

Remember: Emergency Preparedness is a lifestyle, not a one time event!

Summary: Prioritize your emergency prep needs and get started today completing each one, one at a time!

Tip: Get to Know Your Neighbors

In case you hadn't heard, four LDS missionaries were reported today as abducted. This occurred in the country of Nigeria. Here is a link to the news report.

The only reason I post this is that it was the neighbors of these missionaries who helped inform the local officials. Through great prayer, I believe these missionaries will be released. And through this, perhaps even greater things can happen to bless the lives of those hurt by this event. The Lord can work amazing miracles.

But the news of this brings up a very important point for those living in challenging times. It would behoove us to get to know our neighbors and to serve them, love them, befriend them. During hard times, then, a community can draw together and be mutually helpful one towards another. But if the seeds haven't previously been planted by examples of kindness and love and service, then relationships could be a completely different matter.

TIP: Start establishing a feeling of camaraderie amongst your neighborhood. Volunteer to coordinate a block party. Periodically surprise your neighbors with homemade cookies. Attend your neighbors' kids basketball games. Do all things in moderation, of course. But a little bit of love can go a long way in building a better local community of individuals. Then if or when something more difficult occurs, you will have shown the way to reach out and support/sustain one another.

Tip: Try-Its

The brownie troup my daughter belonged to had what were called "Try-Its." I loved the concept. Not very threatening, yet exposed the girls to new things.

Emergency preparedness can be like that. Rather than be intimidated by trying to do it ALL, why not "try-it" in different categories. So for example, for one night try living without electricity of any kind. Yep, this means no TV, no computer (ouch...you mean no email?), no electric or gas cooking, no heat, etc.

Just imagine the adventure! And it will expose many thoughts to you. Do you have sufficient blankets? Do you have a hand operated can opener? Can you live without using the faucets for one evening? Can you cook without typical household electricity?

The list goes on, but I'll stop here. Make sure to keep a flashlight, a pencil and a pad of paper at hand. That way as you notice things you need for your emergency preparations, you'll be able to jot them down.

Again, we never know when disaster or difficulty may strike. We of course pray it never does. But IF it does, your family will thank you, thank you, thank you for your foresight in making sure you prepared!

Tip: Try-its are the best. Small chunks of experiences that are manageable yet inspiring to get prepared now!

Tip: Identify local help

Quick tip: How is your city or town set up to handle emergencies? What are their plans?

Lest we think this doesn't matter, we need look no farther than what happened during (or better put, after) Hurricane Katrina. If your officials don't have a solid plan, that places far more responsibility on you.

Some might even argue that regardless of what your community's plans are, you must prepare and be ready for self-sustaining activities for at LEAST 72 hours. Depending on the emergency, some roads are so extensively blocked that aid can't get in. Period.

My husband viewed this when traveling great distances to help hurricane victims in 2004. It was so frustrating to be on one side of a huge morass of trees, knowing that it's impeding people's abilities to get to people on the other side. There are only so many helicopters to go around.

But still, it is essential to learn from your community leaders how you would be warned should there be an emergency.

Find out where they're most likely to station food aid, ice, diapers, etc., after an emergency.

What kind of assistance is there for the elderly? The disabled? Small children?

My son the first two years of life needed electricity, due to his nebulizer and other medical needs. If electricity stopped working, we would have had serious problems.

Thus...

TIP: Call your main county office to find out which individual or office can get you this information. Then call that office and ask at least the above questions. Write them down in a new notebook that will become your emergency notebook. This will be something you'd keep in your 72-hour kit. It will have all your important information.

Ah, but builidng that will be an assignment for another day. If you don't have a 72-hour kits yet for your family, write that down on your calendar for sometime in the next 7 days! At least for today, call your county and learn your community's preparations for disasters. If they have none, volunteer to at least get them started!

Tip: Memorize scriptures

What if your children get stuck somewhere in a frightening situation? How will they comfort themselves until help arrives? Prayer is a wonderful thing and so too is the ability to keep the mind calm and busy.

One of the best ways to help children do this is to teach them fun AND serious poems, in addition to scriptural verses and hymns. Have this become a family activity where your family memorizes one poem or hymn or scripture verse a week.

Certain prisoners of war who had knowledge at their mental disposal were able to keep themselves mentally occupied during very stressful times. Certainly we hope our children never be exposed to such rigors.

But in thinking of the tragedy that happened February 12, 2007 in Salt Lake City, I think it is important our children are not only physically prepared to handle emergencies, but also be mentally prepared.

When that gunman opened fire 2/12/07 on the Trolley Square Mall shoppers, many of them holed up for hours in closets, under stairs and in other hidden places. If my child were there, I would want him or her to be able to focus on something uplifting during such a stressful time.

Thus, I think part of emergency preparedness can be successfully found in "stocking up" on inspirational thoughts, hymns or scriptures to feed a troubled heart until help can arrive.

Tip: Memorize scriptures, etc.

Tip: Medic Alert bracelet

If you have any serious health issues and do not yet have one of these bracelets to alert "first responders", consider getting/ordering one today!

Here is just one sample site I found in less than 15 seconds on the web. Please be advised that when ever making important decisions, you need to carefully and prayerfully make your own decision of who to trust, rely on, and purchase from. Not knowing this company, I don't know their business practices. But it is a starting point for you to begin your research...should you need a Medic Alert bracelet! :0)

One sample Medic Alert site

Tip: If you or a family member needs a medical bracelet or identifying item, get one today!

Tip: Floor Plan

There are many different kinds of emergencies. And no family will experience all. Yet I have known individuals whose homes have burned to the ground. I have known individuals who have been lost in the woods. Etc., etc. I'm sure you know individuals who have had a variety of setbacks or sudden emergencies.

Since we don't know what we might encounter in this life, preparing calmly will help bring peace if and when a tough situation sets in.

One of the fun things a family can do is to practice drawings maps of their house. Do this for a family night and make it fun. Let the kids practice their map making skills and then color and decorate their maps. Display them on the fridge, etc.

But behind the fun, there is a theory. That which we draw out will stay in our mind, even when under great duress.

You might be surprised how stress can stymie a mind. For example, a woman who worked for the Red Cross for 17 years teaching emergency preparedness forgot the number 911 when she discovered her own home was on fire. She'd taught this number for 17 years!

Thus, if your family woke up in the middle of the night to a raging house fire, it might not be surprising to find a family member stymied by the fear and completely forgetting where the exits are to the home. But picturing in their MIND the map they'd drawn previously in a fun activity potentially could help see them through to safety.

Tip: For this week's family night together, draw maps of the home with safe escapes (at least two different ones).

Tip: Out of State Contact

Yeah, I know. It's hard to figure out an emergency plan when you don't know a specific scenario.

But here are the basics. Everyone in your family needs to have memorized or on their possession an out of state contact. That way, when things have calmed down after a disaster such as Hurricane Katrina, even if the family gets separated, each person has the out of state phone number memorized. When they get to a phone eventually, they can call that person. Just think how many separated families in the Katrina disaster could have benefited by having an out of state contact!

Tip: Each family member memorize the phone number for an out-of-state contact. Practice this number at least weekly, writing it down and saying it (especially for the smaller children when possible).

Tip: Verify Schools' Policies

If you have children, do you know what their school's policy is for emergencies?

Tip: Call your childrens' schools today and ask what their emergency preparedness policy is. Each district may vary and it will influence your family's plan.