Standing Ready - A Community Prepared: Disaster Volunteer Website

The Basics

Preparing a Disaster-Ready Kit

A basic disaster kit and plan should be prepared and discussed by friends and/or family members. The kit should include supplies, recreational materials, meds, and a general plan of action. For more about disaster kits, go to one of the disaster kit links below.

For other links on preparing a disaster kit, we suggest:

What you need for your family’s Disaster Supply Kit. Disaster Supplies Kit." developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the American Red Cross.

In any basic disaster kit, you should have enough for a minimum of 3-7 days. There are six rudimentary survival supplies you need to stock in your home: water (approximately one gallon per day per person), food, first-aid supplies, clothing and bedding, tools and emergency supplies and special items. Keep items that you would most likely need during an evacuation in an easy-to-carry container, such as a large, covered plastic container; a camping backpack, a suitcase or a bag. Other things for your survival kit include:

	Purchase a battery-operated shortwave or AM/FM radio with at least three extra sets of batteries, preferably long-life batteries. Switch out / Rotate your disaster kit’s battery supply every six months.
	Purchase a small portable television, which can be found for as little as $29, so that you can monitor television stations even if the cable goes out.
	Entertainment, sports equipment, games, cards, and/or books/hobby kit or supplies.
	Important family documents: Bank account numbers, passports, Social Security cards, credit card account numbers and companies, family wills, insurance policies, contracts, deeds, stocks and bonds, immunization records, inventory of valuable household goods, important telephone numbers, and the like. Keep records in a waterproof, portable container. A large zipped plastic bag is ideal.
	Medicine: Prescription drugs and a list of all medicines and their prescription numbers. Other medical needs may include denture supplies, contact lenses and supplies and eyeglasses. You should have enough medicine for the kit for a minimum of two weeks. You should also prepare no less than two first-aid kits, one for your home and another for your car.
	Always keep your cell phone battery charged.

Plan in advance how your family will stay in contact if separated by disaster. Pick two meeting places and include one outside your neighborhood in case you can't return home.

This seems like a lot of work, but taking precautions now will help ease the angst if you ever have to piece your normal life back together following a disaster. The most important thing is: Put together a plan!

Other links on preparing a disaster kit you should check out:

http://www.ready.gov/work_school.html

http://www.disastercenter.com/guide/family.htm

www.redcross.org/services/disaster/beprepared/fdpall.pdf

http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/beprepared/evacuation.html

http://www.fema.gov/kids/dzplan.htm

The following links are weblinks to several disaster links:

http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/bytopic/disasters/plans/

http://www.drj.com/new2dr/samples.htm