Preparing for Disaster, Planning for Survival | Building the Car Kit

The children were outside playing and the adults were indoors cooking.

The evening sun was setting over a spectacular view of snow-capped mountains.

And someone was pounding on the door screaming:

 “Fire! Get out now!”

We called the kids inside, turned off the stove, grabbed our purses and car keys, and headed for the door.

We were vacationing on a ranch in the high desert of Oregon. Forest fires were somewhat common, and we figured one had sparked up nearby.

But it wasn’t a forest fire.

The Actual Fire. Photo by Flickr - ChinaRoadWarrior 

We walked out the door – me, my sister, our mother and our five tiny children – to flames reaching twenty or thirty feet into the sky. A vacation condo, two condos really, as well as a soaring fir tree, were completely engulfed in flames – just feet from where we stood. The heat was intense and the smell was intense and the sense of danger was very, very intense.

Wikimedia Commons

Are you prepared for tragedy?

What if you were away from home – on a road trip or a day trip or even just a trip to the store? Do you have what you need in your car to prevent an inconvenience from turning into a full-blown emergency?

Wikimedia Commons

September is National Preparedness Month and this is the second in a four part series of posts on Emergency Kits. Last week I wrote about a simple Under Bed Kit in case emergency strikes during the night. Being as woefully underprepared as reportedly 60% of Americans, I’m building my kits alongside you.

THE CAR KIT

This week we are building a Car Kit.

Some call it a Go Kit or a Grab-n-Go Kit, but I like to think of it as permanently in the car.

Basically you want to prepare for car trouble, especially during inclement weather or late night hours; sudden but extraordinary traffic jams, medical emergencies, or even a home evacuation. 

Plan for several hours to a couple days. Be prepared to walk.

THE CAR KIT
CONTAINER	Backpack   Box, Bin or Crate
SUPPLIES	Roadside Kit          Jumper Cables          Flares          Flashlight (preferably wind-up)       Reflective Signs         Basic Tools          Small Fire Extinguisher          Knife          Matches          Seat Belt Cutter/Escape Tool (awesome!)          A ready-made kit can be purchased at       any hardware or variety store
	Communication          Mobile Phone          Phone Charger          Whistle          Walkie Talkies          Quarters
	Winter Weather          Cat Litter or Sand          Folding Shovel          Ice Scraper          Space Blankets          Stocking Hat          Warm Gloves          Foldable Jacket          Tire Chains          Tarp
	Medical         Small First Aid Kit         Sunscreen         Bug Repellant         Emergency Medications         Ready-made First Aid Kits are available at         any variety store
	Food & Water          Pop Top Canned Goods          Power Bars          Nuts       Peanut Butter Crackers          Bottled Water
	Important Documents          Driver’s License          Auto Insurance Card          Auto Registration       Cash & Credit Cards
	Personal Care          Sunglasses          Corrective Glasses          Contact Case & Saline          Toilet Paper          Toothbrush          Toothpaste          Wet wipes          Hand Sanitizer
	Baby          Formula          Baby Food          Kid Food/Snacks          Diapers & Wipes          Change of Clothes          Blanket(s)          Comfort Item
	Pet         Collar with Tags & Leash         Food         Folding Water Bowl
	Just for Fun         Playing Cards         Pen & Paper
PLAN	Restock/rotate items twice a year   Keep car in good working order   Keep gas tank at least  ½ full   Agree on a communication plan with family   members   Always check weather reports before road   trips.

If this seems like a lot, make it easy on yourself. The American Red Cross sells complete kits, from the very basic to the very deluxe – backpack and all.

GO GET ONE NOW!

This summer I stocked a backpack for hiking, and since it contains many of the items on this list, I tossed it in the car and am letting it double as my Car Kit. 

Here’s a photo of it – along with some of the contents.

The fire I mentioned earlier was brought under control in a couple hours. There were no injuries but the condos did suffer significant damage.

 The rest of our vacation was particularly enjoyable. The fire was one of those reminders that we can’t take anything for granted. 

And to be prepared, of course.

Come back next week for the STAY AT HOME KIT.

The following week will be the very important IDENTITY KIT.

By the way, the following websites have loads of information about disaster preparedness:

The American Red Cross

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (the CDC)

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

Ready.gov (a part of FEMA)

EmergencyKits.com

Survival Supply

Preparing for Disaster, Planning for Survival | Building the Under Bed Kit

Are you ready?

For the “big one?” The big earthquake, the epic hurricane, the flu pandemic?

By Marvin Nauman/FEMA (This image is from the FEMA Photo Library.) via Wikimedia Commons

A recent Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) survey found that nearly 60% of American adults have not practiced what to do in a disaster and only 39% have developed an emergency plan. This despite a study by Environment America that claims 80% of Americans live in counties that have suffered a weather-related disaster since 2007.

And what about something smaller – like a three day ice storm or a twelve hour traffic jam – are you ready for that?

By Nathan McCord, U.S. Marine Corps, via Wikimedia Commons

A couple months ago we lost power during a wind storm. My son described our two hours of life without the internet as “living like cavemen.” Clearly his concept of a disaster is limited.

September is National Preparedness Month, and once again we are hearing about the importance of creating an Emergency Kit and Plan. I’ve written about this before, even hosted a neighborhood readiness meeting; but truth be told, I’m as woefully underprepared as most.

By Red Cross (This image is from the FEMA Photo Library.), via Wikimedia Commons

So here’s my thought. What if we created our Emergency Kits together? I’ll discuss one type of kit every week this month, with easy step-by-step instructions, and by the end of the month we'll all be ready.

By Tony Webster from Portland, Oregon (House Fire), via Wikimedia Commons

THE UNDER BED KIT

We spend about 30% of our time in bed, so there’s a good chance of encountering an emergency while sleeping. It might be a benign power outage, but could be a fire, earthquake, or tree falling through your roof.

Plan for broken glass and outdoor conditions.

This is what you will need for a very simple Under Bed Kit:

THE UNDER BED KIT
CONTAINER	Box, Bin or nearby Drawer
SUPPLIES	Shoes Flashlight or Headlamp Gloves Clothes (for nude sleepers) Bonus Items (hard hat & escape ladder)
PLAN	Exit (ID two exits from each bedroom) Meeting Place (an outside location) Pets (consider them in your plan)

Here’s a picture of one of our kits:

It was so easy!

I found most of this stuff lying around the house.

 It took me less than 30 minutes to prepare four of them.

GO BUILD ONE NOW!

Come back next week and we’ll build THE CAR KIT.

 The next one will be the STAY AT HOME KIT.

And finally, we will build the very important IDENTITY KIT.

By the way, the following websites have loads of information about disaster preparedness:

The American Red Cross

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (the CDC)

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

Ready.gov (a part of FEMA)

June 26th | Take Your Dog to Work Day

With tomorrow being take your dog to work day. I thought it would be nice to share with you my pup. His name is Dasher. Mark your calendar and make your plans.

A Swing Set With a Purpose

My daughter at 14. Swing sets are her "happy place."

 My daughter turned 15 last week and for her birthday we built a swing set. An unusual gift for a teen? Probably - but it was in sync with my mission statement – and though I didn’t know it at the time – it turned out to be the perfect gift.

My son at 17. Apparently teenage boys like swings, too.

Do you have a Mission Statement?

A personal one – not just a business one?  I keep reading about people who write strategic plans and they wonder why they didn’t do it sooner. Because apparently when we operate from a clear purpose, everything else falls into place – or so I’ve heard.

I recently created a strategic plan for my business and simultaneously sketched one out for my personal life, too. It’s been the ultimate in project management, stretching my brain from big pictures to tiny details.

Strategic Plan Basics

Vision

Mission & Purpose

Core Values

Strategies & Tactics

Goals & Objectives

I spent hours trying to differentiate Mission from Purpose. This article from the Disney Institute proved extremely helpful, as does this Simon Sinek Ted Talk. But don’t get tangled up in definitions (like I did) – just get some basic thoughts on paper and you’ll be on your way.   

Here It Is

My “purpose statement” is shaping up to be something super simple and stripped down – like:

JOY

Not the happiness that comes from a nice house or a good meal, but the deep down JOY that comes from living life abundantly.

My husband adds the finishing touches.

And this is where the Swing Set enters the Picture

I was thinking about my daughter and what brings her JOY, and images of her smiling and swinging came to mind. My husband and I agreed life was too short to worry about dead spots in the lawn and went to work on this swing set. It was completed just hours before her party.

A simple swing set with a simple purpose.

 Now it gets really Exciting!

This is what my new 15 year old has since been doing while on her swing:

Laughing with her brother

Playing outside

Singing

Studying

Talking with me

Jumping

Chatting with Grandpa

Enjoying a slice of birthday cake on her very own swing set.

I knew the swing set would bring her JOY. But I didn’t know the swing set would simultaneously address many of my other objectives: decreasing “screen” time, for example. 

If you’ve never considered a strategic plan for your personal life, give it a try. I can certainly attest that when you operate from purpose, things do fall into place.