How to Build an Emergency Preparedness Kit

7/17/2019 (Permalink)

Essentials for your emergency preparedness kit.

Disasters don’t happen every day, but when they do, you need to be prepared. Every household should have an emergency plan in place to make sure they are ready when disaster strikes.

The best way to be ready for a disaster is to make an emergency preparedness kit. This kit is full of essential items that are needed for you to survive for at least 72 hours. Some important items to consider adding to your kit include the following:

Water

Hydration is key to survival! Ideally, you want 1 gallon of water per person, per day for at least 3 days.

Food

Along with water, you need food to survive! When packing your food be sure to pack non-perishable items in your kit. You should have at least enough food for 3 days, but more is ideal.

Can opener

Packing a can opener might seem random, but with all of the non-perishables you’re packing, you’ll be happy you packed one!

Flashlight & Batteries

If the powers out, the lights are out. Having a flashlight and extra batteries will help brighten up those dark nights.

Hand Crank Radio or Battery Powered Radio

Having one of these on deck will help keep you informed and updated during the disaster.

First-Aid Kit

Having this in your kit will help you be prepared if someone gets injured. Items such as Neosporin, ban-aids, and gauze will be incredibly helpful.

Whistle

This is intended to be a signal for help; 3 blasts from a whistle is an international distress signal. The best place to keep it is on your keychain or taped under a table in your home for easy access.

Matches

Packing matches and emergency slow-burning candles are a great alternative to flashlights. Having a candle burning gives you an additional light source during the disaster.

Dust Mask

Whether you’re dealing with smoke, pollution, or viruses, having a dust mask on hand and decrease your risk of inhaling contaminated air.

Cell Phone with Chargers and a Backup Battery

In this day and age, we heavily rely on our cell phones to communicate with our family and friends. Having a backup battery reassures you that even if the power goes out, you can still use your phone. 

All of these items are essential to your survival during a disaster. Every household should have their emergency preparedness kit ready to go. Make sure that these items are placed in easy-to-carry containers and are labeled, so they are easily identified. Place your kit in a convenient and easy to reach location in your home.

In addition to these items, it’s also important to think about the area in which you live and other items specifically for your needs. For example: prescription medications, infant formula, diapers, wipes, bottles, and pet food/water.

Remember, it’s never too early to buy emergency supplies and prepare for disaster. Natural disasters can happen at any time and affect people all around the world. With this in mind, you should prepare your home just like you are preparing your emergency kit. Here at SERVPRO of Bath, we have unlimited licensed builders with over 40 years of experience repairing damage to buildings just like yours. When disaster strikes, your focus should be on safety. We’ll take care of the repair.