The celebrations are over and it’s time to think about 2014 and your preparedness for an earthquake, fire or other natural disaster. Listed below are 8 Tips for Disaster Preparedness;
1. Assume that a disaster can and will happen! Survival is 90 percent psychology, so being mentally and emotionally prepared heightens your survival and safety odds.
2. Try not to panic! Yes, you will be scared but the act of preparing for an emergency will help you and your family deal more effectively.
3. Know the limits of those in the household. Unless your family is a group of Special Forces soldiers, they will have specific needs during a disaster. Lack of physical fitness, loss of medications, mobility challenges, just to name a few demands that you custom-create your plans.
4. Keep it simple. Fancy kits and survival gear fail under the pressure of a real life scenario. The less moving parts the better!
5. Know how to do more with less. Ever tried a weekend without a cell phone or computer? How about no television or use of a stove? The simple act of doing without for a short period of time will teach you more about what is required to live simply and be happy versus reading survival books in the comfort of your living room.
6. In addition to the creation of a home emergency kit (water, medications, identification and first aid kits), create a “time to leave” kit that contains mobile supplies should you be forced to evacuate. In addition, don’t forget to rotate certain items in your kit such as medications, batteries and food.
7. Physically prepare and act on your plan. Talk is cheap!
8. Do the neighborhood thing. Do you know their names? Have their contact information? Emergency preparedness is not meant to breed fear and paranoia, it just makes good sense. Our goal in an emergency situation is to be aware and ready to take care of ourselves and loved ones, it is all about self-reliance.
—Jeannie Sticher
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