(EEM) Preparing Your Emergency Response Lesson
Preparing Your Emergency Response Lesson
By now you are probably realizing there are things you need to stock up on or at least have access to before the a disaster. At this point you need to decide what level of preparedness you plan to engage. I suggest you phase in your acquisition of resources.
How much is too much? That is a difficult question. Some people seem fanatical and there are plenty of TV shows showing people who are spending a great deal of time and energy preparing for the worst.
While I can assure you there will probably not be a zombie apocalypse in our lifetime, I have seen people get nasty buying milk and bread on just the threat of snow. I suggest using the FEMA guidelines. I have included, however, some of the more thorough recommendations as well.
Don't forget your CERT Participant Manual Unit 1. It has many resources that will help you with this lesson.
Preparing a 3 Day Kit
At a minimum, all households need 3 days of supplies prepared. I remember the 1972 Atlanta Ice Storm. We had no power for four days. As a kid it was fun living like the pioneers, but many years later I found out that my parents were stressed out as our supplies ran low.
- Try to assemble your kit well in advance of an emergency. You may have to evacuate at a moment's notice and take essentials with you. You will probably not have time to search for the supplies you need or shop for them.
- You may need to survive on your own after an emergency. This means having your own food, water and other supplies in sufficient quantity to last for at least 72 hours. Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster but they cannot reach everyone immediately. You could get help in hours or it might take days.
- Additionally, basic services such as electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment and telephones may be cut off for days or even a week, or longer. Your supplies kit should contain items to help you manage during these outages.
What is in a Minimal Kit?
Watch the presentation below to learn more:
Long Term Preparation
We are advised to be prepared for TWO WEEKS of sheltering in place in the event of a pandemic. That would be the amount of time for a deadly disease to flare up and begin to pass. In those two weeks you could not be in contact with others. No trips to the store, nothing. Even once it begins to pass there would still be dangers.
There are numerous other scenarios that may require months and even up to a year of being self-reliant. While these are far more unlikely, having long term preparation is not as radical an idea as you think. I suggest everyone would benefit from having 2 weeks of preparation.
The key to this level of preparation is building up over time. There are some changes you can make to your home - such as a safe room - that are reasonable. You will also need to establish a network of support in case your primary shelter location (usually your home) is not accessible. Another thing about this level of preparation is that you will need to eventually cycle out your supplies and refresh them.
Looking at the items listed below, which should be in your preparedness "bucket" and which wouldn't be that helpful?
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