Survival 101
Planning...Preparedness...Peace Of Mind.

NOTE: As I am finishing up this article, we had a 5.4 earthquake this morning about 4:30 a.m. with a couple of sizeable aftershocks here in southern Illinois. As I think about it, in the last month we've had numerous flood warnings, tornado watches, a couple of warnings, and now an earthquake. Hmmmm...

Disaster can strike quickly and with little to no warning. It can force you to evacuate your neighborhood or confine you to your home. Families can and do cope with disasters and emergencies with proper planning and preparing in advance while working together as a team. By having a plan for you and your family, it can greatly reduce the stresses caused by disasters and emergencies and increase the odds of survival. In the following pages you will find the basic steps needed to develop a disaster plan and ideas for a disaster supplies kit. Knowing what to do and how to do it is your best protection.

Five Steps to Safety

1 Find out what could happen to you and your family
· Contact your local Emergency Management Services and Red Cross Chapter to learn about the types of disasters and emergencies that can happen in your area.
· Learn about your community's warning signals.
· Don't forget about our four legged friends during an emergency or disaster.
· If you have family members that are elderly or have a disability it is crucial that you remember they may need additional attention and care.
· Find out about the disaster plans at your workplace, children's school, day care centers and other places that your family may spend time.

2 Create a disaster plan
· Meet with your family to discuss the types of emergencies and disasters that can occur in your area.
· Identify an out of state family member or friend to be your family contact that can help in communicating with family members that are separated during an emergency or disaster.
· It is also crucial to identify a secondary location to meet should you be separated from your family and our incapable of meeting at your home.
· Have an in depth discussion of what to do in the event you are forced to evacuate and plan how to take care of the elderly/disabled and your pets.

3 Complete a checklist. Here are some important items to include on your checklist:

· Make sure to post emergency and other important telephone numbers by the phone and also make copies to keep with you at all times.
· Teach children how to dial 911 or the Emergency Management Services number for emergency help.
· Show each family member how and when to turn off the water, gas, and electricity at the main switches.
· Teach each family member how to use the fire extinguisher and where it/they are kept.
· Make sure that you have installed smoke/fire detectors on each level of your home and that the battery in each is kept up to date.
· Conduct a home hazard hunt locating ordinary objects in the home that can cause injury or damage by moving, falling, breaking or causing a fire.
· Enroll you and or your family in a first aid and CPR class.
· Determine the best escape routes in your home including secondary routes in case the initial ones are block or inaccessible.
· Locate and identify the safest spots in your home for each type of disaster.

4 Stock emergency supplies and assemble a Disaster Supplies Kit or "DSK." A disaster supplies kit should contain the following at a minimum.

· A three to seven day supply of water (one gallon per person per day). Again, do not forget about your pets.
· Non-perishable foods that do not require heating are preferred. Along with the foods, do not forget a hand operated can opener, paper plates, and disposable eating utensils.
· One change of clothing and footwear per person.
· Sanitation supplies.
· Blanket and or sleeping bag per person.
· A first aid kit that includes each family member's medication with copies of instructions for dosage requirements.
· Emergency tools including a battery powered radio, flashlight, plenty of extra batteries, screwdriver, scissors, duct tape, waterproof matches, and non-scented household bleach.
· An extra set of car keys, house keys, a credit card, cash, or traveler's checks.
· Special items for infants, elderly, or family members with special needs or disabilities.
· Extra pair of glasses for each family member that requires them.
· Emergency phone numbers.
· Vital family documents in a waterproof container.
Again, just as you prepare a disaster supply kit for your family, it is important to create one for your pets as well, to be kept in the same place with your family kit. Your pets kit should include at a minimum:

· Several days supply of pet food, water and food containers.
· Fresh litter, clean newspapers, or other items for pets needs.
· A crate or carrier for each pet.
· Leashes, collars, and tags for each pet.
· Any medications that your pets require on a regular basis.

5 Revisit your plan at a minimum every six months with your immediate family members.

· Conduct fire and emergency drills.
· Replace your stored water every three months.
· Rotate your stored food every three months.
· Test and recharge your fire extinguishers according to the manufacturer's instructions.
· Test your smoke/fire detectors monthly and make sure to replace the batteries in each at least once a year.

Now...remember, the information above is a basic plan that you should use at a minimum. With nominal time, effort and money you can get started on this plan. It is important also not to procrastinate with getting your plan together. The sooner, the better.

Remember: After the emergency, it's too late to make plans!

Again, at a minimum you should store one gallon of water per person per day. Keep a minimum supply for 3 to 7 days. Not only is it important for you to store water, but how you store it is just as important. The things to keep in mind are types of containers, where you should store your water, what type of water stored and rotating your supplies.

Containers:
Food-grade plastic or glass containers can be used to store water. Food-grade containers are store bought plastic or glass that have contained food or beverages, such as water, soda or juices. However, before using any of these containers, you must make sure to clean and sanitize them thoroughly before storing any water in them. I would suggest not using glass containers if at all possible for the simple reason that they can break. Also, I would recommend not using milk containers for the fact that bacteria can be left behind from the dried milk, and that the plastic used to make the milk containers has a tendency to break down quickly especially if overexposed to heat. PLEASE REMEMBER to use ONLY food-grade containers. You can also purchase storage containers for water at a sporting goods store as well. NOTE: I would recommend, if possible, to use containers that have a darker tint to them to better protect them from sunlight. See below.

Storing your water supply:
You should find an area in your residence that is cool and dry. Sunlight and heat can wreak havoc on your supply. The light and heat can weaken the containers over time and cause leaking. Also, sunlight can cause the growth of bacteria in the water if it has not been sanitized very well. Make sure the containers of water are stored in an upright position to prevent any leaking. Water is also heavy (about 8 pounds per gallon), so be sure to store the containers on a strong shelf or cabinet. I would not recommend storing the containers directly on the floor. If a flood were to occur and come into contact with your containers it could possibly contaminate your supplies. However, if there is no other place to keep the containers, place them on blocks or something else durable and sturdy to keep them off of the floor. Another good place to keep some of your stored water is in the refrigerator and or freezer. If you choose to keep some of your water in the freezer, do not use glass containers as they WILL break. Also, when storing containers in the freezer make sure not to fill them completely full. Make sure to leave about two to three inches of space at the top to prevent the container from bursting as the water freezes. If you happen to lose power, by storing some of your water in the freezer, it will help keep foods frozen for awhile until your power is restored.

Type of Water Stored:
Public Water supplies are a perfectly safe supply (whether city or rural) to gather your water from to begin your storing before a crisis begins. Face it, we use it everyday. The public water supplies are already treated with disinfectants. The only exception to this is if the system has issued a "boil water" order in which you need to do this before drinking. Even though the treated water should have an indefinite shelf life, it is important to replace it with a fresh supply. (this will be discussed below)

Bottled Water is of course another alternative for safe drinking water. Before water can be sold as "bottled water" it must pass several tests in order to make sure it is free of harmful bacteria and other contaminants. UNOPENED bottled water should be safe to store without add precautions such as boiling. Bottle water is not necessarily better or worse than public water supplies, it is just more convenient and attractive as a source of stored water. If you plan to use bottle water as your emergency supply, make sure to get it before a crisis occurs. If you don't, you may not be able to get to a store afterward.

You may need or have no other alternative but to get water from private wells and other untested sources. If the water you are planning to store comes from a private well, spring or other untested source, you should purify it before you store it to kill the bacteria in the water. Boiling the water is one of the best ways to do this.

Keeping your supplies fresh:
I would recommend rotating (replacing) your emergency water stores about every three months. You can wait and replace it every six months. However, for me, I do it every three months just to keep it safe and fresh.

REMEMBER: Planning for a possible emergency will ensure you have drinking water in a real emergency or other crisis.