I
woke up this morning to the news of a 4.5 magnitude earthquake about an hour
north of us. This has been the 4th
earthquake in the past month in that general area.
I
had to ask myself that if the 'big one' were to hit or any other type of
disaster, would me and my family be prepared, and to be honest, the
answer would be no. After doing some research, I am not the only
one who is not prepared. According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, more than half of Americans aren’t prepared. That's a scarey thought! I thought
I would take a moment and remind everyone, including myself, about how important it is to have a
Family Disaster Plan and Kit.
Being
the handyman that I am I want to stress how important it is to make sure that
your home and its contents are safe. Some
important items to include in your plan/kit are:
Make sure to have an evacuation plan with your family including a designated safe place to meet.
Appoint a family member to turn off electricity, gas and water, if needed.
Have copies of important family documents such as insurance policies, ID’s, passports, bank account records. Store these in a waterproof, portable container.
It’s estimated that 42% of phone owners do not know all their immediate family members’ telephone number. Make sure to write down everyone’s phone numbers as well as other emergency contacts such as a neighbor, family doctor or an out of town friend or relative. Don’t count on your cell phone to work during a disaster.
Identify potential hazards around your home and get them fixed. This should include making sure that all furniture, TV's appliances, bookshelves, items on shelves, lamps etc…are securely fastened to the wall or shelf using safety straps. This is an easy and inexpensive fix that I highly recommend.
Make sure your water heater is securely attached to wall studs.
If you have gas appliances, it’s a good idea to bolt them down as a broken gas line can become a fire hazard.
Make sure all CO and smoke alarms are in working order. Batteries should be replaced at least once a year at the minimum. I recommend doing this on January 1st of each year, and then it’s easy to remember when it was done.
It’s always a good idea to have a fire extinguisher on hand and that everyone in your household knows how to operate it.
Store hazardous liquids, paint, cleaners on lower shelves to help reduce the risk of spilling. This is also a good idea for breakable items.
Make sure to have a disaster kit that includes water, non-perishable food including canned (don’t forget the can opener), portable radio, flashlights, extra batteries, a first aid kit, medications, etc. Having a generator is very important as well. Make sure your disaster kit includes all necessities for your pets including water, food, leashes, etc.
Besides whats listed above, this kit should also include items such as matches, duct tape, rope, emergency blankets, gloves, and change of clothes, hard soled shoes and candles.
I would also include a cell phone charger in your kit as well. I read that they have emergency crank or battery operated cell phone chargers too, which I plan on looking into.
Another tip that I have been trying to do on a regular basis is keeping our vehicles fueled up. Get in the habit of filling up as soon as your tank reaches the half way point.
And finally, have cash on hand. If there is a disaster of any kind and the power goes down, stores, gas stations, etc. will not be able to take debit and credit cards; ATM's will not work Having some cash stashed away for emergency use only is always a good idea.
Make sure to have an evacuation plan with your family including a designated safe place to meet.
Appoint a family member to turn off electricity, gas and water, if needed.
Have copies of important family documents such as insurance policies, ID’s, passports, bank account records. Store these in a waterproof, portable container.
It’s estimated that 42% of phone owners do not know all their immediate family members’ telephone number. Make sure to write down everyone’s phone numbers as well as other emergency contacts such as a neighbor, family doctor or an out of town friend or relative. Don’t count on your cell phone to work during a disaster.
Identify potential hazards around your home and get them fixed. This should include making sure that all furniture, TV's appliances, bookshelves, items on shelves, lamps etc…are securely fastened to the wall or shelf using safety straps. This is an easy and inexpensive fix that I highly recommend.
Make sure your water heater is securely attached to wall studs.
If you have gas appliances, it’s a good idea to bolt them down as a broken gas line can become a fire hazard.
Make sure all CO and smoke alarms are in working order. Batteries should be replaced at least once a year at the minimum. I recommend doing this on January 1st of each year, and then it’s easy to remember when it was done.
It’s always a good idea to have a fire extinguisher on hand and that everyone in your household knows how to operate it.
Store hazardous liquids, paint, cleaners on lower shelves to help reduce the risk of spilling. This is also a good idea for breakable items.
Make sure to have a disaster kit that includes water, non-perishable food including canned (don’t forget the can opener), portable radio, flashlights, extra batteries, a first aid kit, medications, etc. Having a generator is very important as well. Make sure your disaster kit includes all necessities for your pets including water, food, leashes, etc.
Besides whats listed above, this kit should also include items such as matches, duct tape, rope, emergency blankets, gloves, and change of clothes, hard soled shoes and candles.
I would also include a cell phone charger in your kit as well. I read that they have emergency crank or battery operated cell phone chargers too, which I plan on looking into.
Another tip that I have been trying to do on a regular basis is keeping our vehicles fueled up. Get in the habit of filling up as soon as your tank reaches the half way point.
And finally, have cash on hand. If there is a disaster of any kind and the power goes down, stores, gas stations, etc. will not be able to take debit and credit cards; ATM's will not work Having some cash stashed away for emergency use only is always a good idea.
Being prepared is the key to survival. Do everything you can to prepare for any type
of emergency before it’s too late and don’t forget to call your local handyman
to help with some of the items on the list if you find that you just don't have time.
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