How to Be Prepared for Emergency Situations

When you are doing outdoor activities, or even just at home, it is always good to anticipate
emergency situations. For a good start to help you get the correct supplies and organize them, we will
be discussing a few concepts to put focus on when preparing for emergency situations: how to store
your emergency supplies for easy retrieval, food and equipment for survival, photocopy of important
paper-works, and equipment maintenance.

How To Store Emergency Supplies

Any kind of disaster can strike at any time, therefore it is crucial that you keep all your supplies together,
make sure they can be retrieved easily, and sheltered from all the surrounding conditions. It is important
that your emergency supplies are kept in a way that they can be easily obtained, as in an emergency
situation, the last thing you want is to hassle around your compound trying to get them. Some
suggestions to store these supplies are like:

• Store them in plastic containers or your backpack in a tightly enclosed clean garbage bag.
• Keep the container in basements, a shack for storage, or the garage.
• Ensure family members know its location and how to access it.

Food And Equipment For Survival

Some basic emergency tools include:

• 3 days’ supply of water, about 4 liters of water for each person each day, for both drinking and hygienic purposes.
• 3 days’ supply of food that can be stored for long period of time
• Functioning radio
• Torchlight and additional batteries
• Maps
• Mobile phone with its complementary equipment to power up
• Can opener
• Whistle
• First-aid tool kit
• A face mask
• Wet tissues, disposal bags and rubber/plastic ties
• Hardware tools like pliers and wrench

You can think about adding some of these too:

• Needed medicines and spectacles
• Baby necessities like diapers and food
• Extra cash
• Matches
• Pen and paper
• Entertainment like books and games for the children
• Pet necessities
• Blankets or sleeping bag for every person
• Extra clothing
• Feminine products
• First-aid reference book
• Fire extinguisher
• Disposable plates, cups, and utensils

The first-aid tool kit is an essential item to have at every places, from your home to your workplace.
Essential first-aid items should be placed neatly in a container or a pouch. Here are some must-have
first-aid items:

• Two sets of rubber gloves
• Antibiotic and burn balms
• Thermometer
• Medical equipment such as blood pressure monitoring device
• Needed prescription medication
• Bandages
• Sterilized wound dressings
• Soap
• Eye wash

Other general medications:

• Painkillers
• Diarrhea reliever
• Antacid and laxative

Other miscellaneous items:

• Scissors and pincers
• Lubricants like petroleum jelly

Photocopy Of Important Paper-works

Keep your essential documents like the photocopy of all your family member’s identification, insurance
certificates, and bank documents in a watertight seal bag or container. A suggestion is to put those
documents in a seal bag and then into a water bottle, in that way, you get an extra water container as
well!

Equipment Maintenance

Emergency equipment should be inspected every 6 months. Water and food that are expired should be
replaced with new ones, and any items which are deemed needed can be added. These new items can
be a result of different needs of the family members. Use the below points as a guide as you check
through your supplies:

• Cans should be stored away from direct sunlight and kept in a dry place.
• Cans that are expired or damaged should be disposed.
• To not waste, keep in mind when the food will expire and consume them before that.
• Other food should be kept in air-tight containers.
• While adding new items, place them behind the older items.
• After changing new items, note down the date you store them.
• Before going through everything, think about whether you or your family members have changed needs.

As the old saying goes, “better safe than sorry”, it is always best to be prepared for any situations.
With just a little time and effort, you can at least have a peace of mind when it comes to survival
supplies.