Emergency Disaster Preparedness

Your emergency disaster survival plan should not be based on luck. It is important to be prepared, and a little advanced planning can go a long way to improving your chances for survival.

Your basic emergency survival kit should contain the following items:

* Water - At least 1 gallon per person, per day, for at least 3 days. This will be for both drinking and sanitation
* Food - At least a 3 day supply per person of non-perishable food
* A can opener, if your emergency supply contains canned food
* A battery powered radio or weather radio with extra batteries
* A flashlight or lantern with extra batteries (or fuel)
* A first aid kit
* A whistle to signal for help
* A dust mask, to filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting (like a painters tarp) and duct tape to create a shelter-in-place
* Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for sanitation
* A suitably sized wrench and /or pliers to shut off utilities
* Local maps

It is important to remember that this is not an all inclusive survival kit, but more of a basic emergency preparedness kit. You will also need to account for unique family needs such as prescription medication, eye glasses (or contact lenses), infant formula and diapers, and pet food, just to name a few.

To insure you have the ability to evacuate at a moments notice, your emergency disaster survival kit should be stored in a portable container, and its contents should be reviewed yearly as your family's needs change.

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Your basic emergency survival preparedness kit will contain the most essential items such as water, food, a battery operated radio and flashlight. But it is also important to remember that other factors such as your particular location (flood, tornado or hurricane zone), your local weather, personal/family medical needs, and pets, will also impact what your survival kit should contain.

In an emergency disaster survival situation, you want to try to be as prepared as possible. It is better to have something and not use it, than to need something and not have it. So in addition to your basic survival preparedness kit, here are a few more items to consider when putting together your survival kit.

* Prescription medications for yourself and family members (also note if these are to be taken with food, water, milk, etc)
* Eyeglasses and/or contact lenses
* Infant formula and diapers
* Pet food and extra water for your pet
* Copies of important family documents stored in a portable, waterproof container. These could include insurance policies, birth certificates, identification (passport ID page), bank account records, etc.
* Cash, travelers checks and change
* Emergency first aid reference material
* Sleeping bag or blanket for each person (additional bedding if you live in cold climate)
* Complete change(s) of clothing including long sleeve shirts, pants and shoes (boots). Again, additional clothing as appropriate for cold-weather climates
* Household chlorine bleach (unscented without additives) and an eyedropper. This can be used as a disinfectant (1 part bleach to 9 parts water) or in extreme situations to treat water (16 drops bleach to 1 gal of water)
* A fire extinguisher
* Strike anywhere matches in a waterproof container
* Feminine personal hygiene products
* Mess kits, one per person, including paper cups and plates, plastic utensils, and towels
* Paper and pencil
* Books, games, puzzles or other activities for children

Depending on your personal requirements, your emergency preparedness survival kit may include some, none, all or more of the items listed. Remember, the most important thing is to not just prepare your survival list in advance, but then to assemble it, since it's better to have something and not use it, than to need something and not have it.

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The first item in any emergency survival kit should be water. An adequate supply of clean, drinkable water is a top priority during survival preparedness. The average, active person should drink approximately 2 quarts of water a day. If you live in a hotter climate you will need to drink more, as will children and nursing mothers.

Water may also be a part of your emergency food supplies, since it may be necessary for cooking. Water is also needed for hygiene. As a result, you should store at least a 2 week supply for each member of your family (remember, in case of evacuations, your portable survival kit should contain at least 3 days of water per person).

The safest and most reliable emergency supply of water is commercially bottled water. This water should be kept in its original container, and not opened until needed. Commercially available water should be stored until its expiration date.

If you are preparing your own containers of water, always use food grade water storage containers which are readily available from camping supply stores. If you are reusing containers, only use plastic 2 liter soda bottles. Containers that previously contained milk or fruit juice cannot be adequately cleaned to prevent bacterial growth. Also, cardboard containers are not designed for long term storage and may leak. Glass containers may break.

All containers should be thoroughly cleaned with dishwashing soap and thoroughly rinsed to remove all residual soap. Plastic soft drink bottles should also be sanitized rinsing every interior surface of the bottle (and lid) with a solution of 1 teaspoon non-scented chlorine bleach to 1 qt of water. After sanitizing, thoroughly rinse with clean water.

Each container should be completely filled with tap water. If your tap cater is chlorinated by your local utility company, tightly close the container, write the date on the outside, and store in a cool, dark place. If, however, your water supply is from a well or other untreated source, you will need to add 2 drops of non-scented liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water. You can also use commercially available water treatment (purification) products. These must contain between 5.25 and 6 percent sodium hypochlorite as the only active ingredient, or they should not be used. If you are not using commercially bottled water, replace your supply every 6 months.

Water is a critical resource in an emergency disaster survival situation. A top priority of your emergency preparedness should be to make sure you have an adequate supply for the longest possible time. This means not only having water, but making sure that it is bacteria free (properly chlorinated).

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A safe and secure water source is always a top priority when you are preparing for an emergency disaster situation. Unfortunately, natural disasters and emergency survival situations are not known for being predictable. If you should find yourself in an emergency disaster situation, without a supply of fresh water, you still have several options.

It is critical that you listen to local news reports (on a battery operated radio) to determine your water supply has been contaminated by broken water or sewage lines. If this is the case you must first isolate the water already in your home by shutting the main incoming water valve. You should know where this valve is located beforehand, and keep a suitable wrench nearby if required.

Your house still contains several sources of water such as in the hot water heater, pipes, and ice cubes. Do not use water from toilets, radiators, waterbeds or swimming pools/spas as they will contain chemicals/additives that are harmful to your health. To use the water in your pipes, first vent the pipes by opening a faucet at the highest level of your home. You can then obtain water from the pipes by opening a faucet at the lowest level of your home. Water can be drained from both the hot and cold pipes.

To use the water in your hot water heater, first make sure that the electricity is turned off. Even if there has been a power failure, make sure to shut/trip the appropriate breaker to insure it doesn't start unexpectedly. Open the drain at the bottom of the hot water heater tank. In order to start the water flowing, turn off the water intake valve (plan ahead and label the valve so you know which one it is) on the tank and open a hot-water faucet. Once the disaster is over and all utilities have been restored, remember to refill your hot water tank before restarting it.

The last hidden source of water in your home is the ice in your freezer. In an emergency disaster situation, if power is expected to be out for an extended period of time, it is more important to have water to drink, than food to eat. You can either eat the ice before it melts, or allow it to melt into the cleanest, sealable containers available, such as empty commercial water bottles, if available.

Remember, a normal, healthy adult can survive up to 8 weeks without food, but only ~5 days without water. Knowing where to locate emergency sources of water within your home could be the difference in disaster survival situations.

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Having a disaster kit is only the first step in surviving an emergency situation. In order for your kit to be useful, you need to have a workable and realistic survival plan.

The Perfect Survival Plan should be....

1 Cheap...Survival is NOT a luxury reserved for the rich.
2 Fast To Start Putting Into Place Without a Ton Of Required Training/Classes/Supplies.
3 Compatible with Your Current Living Situation.
4 Easily Usable By Your Family If You Can't Lead Them.
5 Adaptable In Case You Miss Your Window To Relocate
6 Sustainable If The Emergency Is Long Term
7 Reversible If You Jump The Gun.
8 Written Down, So You Aren't Relying On Memory When You're Operating Under Stress and Without Sleep.

Does this sound right to you?
How is your current survival plan stacking up?

Plus, your survival plan should work in real life situations, including:

1 You're 1,000 miles away on a business trip when "it" happens.
2 Your kids are on a school trip when it's time to bug out.
3 Traveling by car is not an option.
4 One of your family is injured and can't travel.
5 You have a baby or have to take care of an elderly parent when "it" happens.
6 The emergency build-up is gradual and there's no clear signal.

Urban Survival will provide you with a simple step-by-step system and expert guidance necessary to create a written survival plan that will stand up to harsh reality.

How will Urban Survival do this?

Every week for the next 3 months (12 weeks) you'll receive an email with a special download link for that week's step-by-step lesson. In addition to the written lesson, many weeks will include audio interviews and/or videos. Included in the lesson is a skill drill for you to complete so you'll make progress every week.

At the end of your 3 month program, you'll be able to sleep more soundly knowing that you have a realistic and completely operational plan that will enable you and your family to survive any emergency disaster situation.

If you live in an area where natural disasters are likely to occur, such as a flood plain, hurricane or tornado region, or a known earthquake zone, you hopefully have an adequate supply of water stored in advance. However, in rare emergency disaster situations, after you have used all of your stored water, or when no reliable sources of water are available, you will need to treat all water of uncertain quality.

Contaminated water will have a bad odor (and taste), but more importantly will contain germs or bacteria which may lead to dysentery, typhoid or hepatitis. All water of uncertain quality should be treated before using it for drinking, food preparation or hygiene.

Although there are many ways to treat water, none are perfect, and the best solution is a combination of methods. Boiling and chlorination are the two easiest methods for killing bacteria and other microorganisms, but they will not remove other contaminants such as heavy metals, salts and other chemicals. For this reason, contaminated water should be pretreated by either letting any suspended particles settle out, or strain the water through a coffee filter, multiple layers of paper towels, or a clean cloth. When filtering, make sure there are no holes in your 'filter' or you are simply wasting your time.

Boiling is the safest method for treating water. In a large pot or kettle, bring the water to a rolling boil for at least 1 minute, then allow to fully cool before drinking. Keep in mind that some water will evaporate during boiling, so depending on the quantity of water available, boil the water just long enough to be safe. The taste of boiled water can be improved by adding oxygen back into the water. This is easily done by pouring the water back and forth between two clean containers.

Chlorination of contaminated water can be performed with either household liquid bleach or pre-purchased sodium hypochlorite. If using sodium hypochlorite, follow the water purification instructions on the package. If using bleach, you must use regular household liquid bleach that contains 5.25 - 6% sodium hypochlorite. Scented, color-safe, or other bleaches with additives should not be used due to the additional chemicals they contain. Add 16 drops (~1/8 teaspoon) of bleach to every gallon of contaminated water, and let stand for ~15 minutes. The water should have a slight bleach odor. If it does not, the water still contains bacterial contaminants and should be treated again. If after 2 treatments, the water still does not have a slight bleach odor, it should be discarded and another source of water located.

Although boiling and chlorination will both kill most microorganisms in contaminated water, only distillation will also remove any heavy metals, salts and other chemicals present. Distillation involves boiling water and collecting the vapor as it condenses back into water. To distill water you will need a large pot, a lid for the pot (with a handle), cup or other small container, and string/wire. Fill the pot ~1/2 full with water. Tie the cup/container to the handle of the lid so it hangs suspended in the center of the pot, above the water. Place the lid upside down on the pot and boil the water for at least 20 minutes. As the water evaporates, it will condense on the lid, and drip into the suspended cup.

In rare emergency disaster situations, survival may depend on your ability to obtain a reliable, uncontaminated source of water. If none is available, knowing how to purify a contaminated water supply could be critical to your survival.

Being prepared for a disaster is the easiest way to improve your chances for survival. Emergency preparedness will also help to reduce the fear, anxiety and losses that are associated with disasters. An important element of any emergency disaster survival kit is a first aid kit.

An emergency first aid kit should contain a variety of basic supplies that will enable you to handle the most typical, non-life threatening injuries. You can either purchase a pre-assembled first aid kit, or create your own. In either case, your first aid kit should contain at least, the following items.

Bandages:
* Adhesive bandages of various sizes
* 5" x 9" sterile dressings
* 3" square sterile gauze pads
* 4" square sterile gauze pads
* Roller gauze bandage
* Triangular bandages
* A roll of 3" cohesive bandage
* 2" wide adhesive tape

Antibacterial Items:
* Germicidal hand wipes or alcohol based hand sanitizer
* Antiseptic wipes
* Antibacterial ointment
* Pairs of medical grade, Non-latex gloves

Miscellaneous:
* Tongue depressor blades (can be used as finger splints)
* Cold packs
* Scissors (small, personal)
* Cotton balls
* Tweezers
* Safety pins, assorted sizes
* Thermometer
* Tube or small jar of petroleum jelly
* Sunscreen
* CPR breathing barrier (face shield)
* First Aid reference manual

This basic list should be customized based on where you live (hot or cold climates) and the most probable type of emergency disaster situation you expect to encounter (do you live in a flood plain, a hurricane or tornado region, earthquake zone, or an area prone to wildfires, to name a few. Additionally, if you or your family members have any special medical needs (such as prescription medication) these should also be included in your emergency first aid kit.

In an emergency disaster situation, there are basic supplies that will greatly improve your chances of survival and an adequate first aid kit is one of them.

Image by Mat Honan