Getting Organized

Through the rest of December focus on getting organized so that come December 30, 2012 you are ready to begin putting together your 72 hour kit.

What to organize right now:
1) Review the 72 hour check list. The template I have created is designed so you can enter how many members you have in your family and it will populate how much you will need per person. There are larger items that are per family (tents, camp stoves, etc) that will be listed per family. You will only need one per family. Unless you would like more. I created a section per pets, but it does not auto populate per pet. It sais the amount needed for 1 animal. You can adjust those easily your self.

Review the list. Gather what items you may all ready have at home at set them aside as you collect and prepare your 72 hour kits. You might be surprised how much you all ready have. On the weeks we touch on those items you can either skip them, gather more of them, or focus on food storage what ever you would like.

2) Create a home inventory. Make a list of every item in your home and the cost to replace those items. Make a photo home inventory.

3) Create ID kits for the family. At least have a photo of all family members, a family photo and indivdual photo. For you pets make sure you have an ID sheet for them including a photo, markings, their chip number, rabies number and vet info.

4) Compile your grab and go folder

5) Develop your family emergency and evacuation plan.

6) Identify where you will store your emergency items. Make sure 72 hour kits are stored where you will have quick and easy access but where they are free from damage from the elements and animals. Make sure you can grab them quickly. Barried in the back of a closet or in the maze of your garage will not help in an emergency.

7) Gather storage containers/bags for your 72 hour kits. I would suggest that your 72 hour kits are kept in a bag so you can grab and go and hike out if needed. I suggest backpacks for the adult kits. Keep the family 72 hour kits in a duffle bag that you can carry with your back packs. If your children are to young to carry their own pack either keep their items in a duffle bag, the family 72 hour bag is a great location, but make sure you can carry their items with yours to. If there are two adults it can get to be a lot to carry. I would make sure that between both parents all 72 hour kits and children can be carried out. If needed break the young childrens items up between the adult and family bags. If your child is old enough to walk on their own and carry their own pack slowly add what they can carry to their packs. For animals buy a pack for them. Amazon and REI sale animal packs. That way your pet can carry out their own items if you have to hike out. If you have a smaller dog their items can be easily stored with yours. Its just more bulk. Make sure your animal is good on a leash though. Emergencies will be stressfull on them too.

Emergency Preparedness...Getting Organized

I was trying hard to post week by week through the getting prepared and organized stage of the 52 weeks to emergency preparedness. But discovered that getting organized takes hours and weeks and way longer then I thought it would. Best part though...after this it really is an easy week by week accomplishement, where each week you collect one item.

That being said I am finally organized and ready to walk us all through this. Where to start....start with the post getting started then each week on Sundays, starting December 30 2012, I will post what item or project we will accomplish that week to get prepared.

As a heads up...I will be posting and working on the items my family doesnt have first. We should be able to get prepared in less then 52 weeks, if thats the case I will schedule posts to see the rest of you through being ready by the end of 2013.

Your Grab and Go Folder

I have to love Pintrest I found a "pin" to this site it was my insperation behind my Grab and Go folder.

I took the items on that list and expanded upon them.

Make sure your Grab and Go Folder is in an easy location. I would suggest keeping it in the kitchen or on the main floor. You will want to refer to it when an emergency hits. The least amount of thinking and scrambling the better.

To begin your Grab and Go folder you will need:
*2 Inch Binder
*Divider tabs
*Protective sleeves
*If your a geek like me a way to laminate items


Sections for your grab and go Folder: (This is the order I have put mine together)

Note on Grab and Go Folder links. I made up many of the documents listed. Ones listed with a * are ones I found on Pintrest or online blogs. Any emergency packet and brochure I found on ready.gov. I only provided to the links to the ones I found pertanent to living in Eagle Mountain Utah. There are many more you might find a use for. I know I left off the links to a few that would be helpful in Utah by total accident, it was hard to remember to save them all.

Some of the terrorist attach related ones may seem a little over board but one day we were driving down Redwood Road when I realized that with in 10 miles of my home we have the National Data Security Center, no clue its real name, and Camp Williams. Kind of decided those could be good terrorist targets so best to be prepared.

Emergency Plan (The most important section and the most time consuming one for me to put together)
- Family Emergency Plan
- Family Evacuation Plan
-What to Take With You *
- Family Emergency Contact List
- Sentimental Items to Pack
-What To Do During an Evacuation *
-What To Do After an Evacuation *

Be Prepared for the Emergency Pamphlets:
-Flooding, After Floods
-Wind
- Biological Attack
-Chemical Attack
-Earth Quakes
-Tornados
-Winter Storms
-Wild Fires

First Add Info:
-Information sheets on basic first add

Family Identification and Documents (Keep a copy of all origionals in your Grab and Go Binder, store origionals in a fire proff safe
- Birth Certificates
-Marriage License
-Adoption Papers
- SS Cards
-Child ID Kits *
-Adult ID Kits *
-Family and Individual Photos

Insurance Information
-Insurance cards
-Isurance policies
-Home inventory
-Copies of deeds/titles
-Copy of car registrations

Pet Information
-Copy of recent vet records
-Copy of Vaccine Info
-Pet ID Kit *
-Home Again or Chip Info
- Shelter ID Kit (A copy of all items listed above, plus a copy of family contact info. Have this ready if you have to leave your pet at a shelter)

Check this list* for any items I may have forgotten to mention.

My Thoughts On Emergency Prepardness

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Emergency Prepardness

I dont know if anyone else has noticed but this year has had lots of disasters. I wont say that there are more then usual, increasing in frequency, if they are just making the news more, closer to homes, the world coming to an end, etc.

I honestly dont believe in spelling out dom and glom. I remember visitng the natural history musuem in New York City of all places and speaking with a scientest there. She made an interesting point...she said "We cant necessarly rightly say that there are more desaisters or that they are growing worse or if there is simply more news and awarness of them in our technology age." (Yea I summerized what she said) Point is from that I promised I would never say this is the worst its ever been...cuase who knews over the coures of hundreds and hundreds of years. I know that the earth has cycles and things are ever changing. I know emergencies happen. I know we cant control nature or people.

What I know is that I have witnessed some amazing events these past coupld of events. Some to close to home, ok truly my soon to be home when they happened, to sit back and do nothing. For example this summer Eagle Mountain had two fires leading to manditory evacuations and Saratoga Springs had a major mud slide.

Eagle Mountain Dump Fire

Southern Utah Flooding

Hurrican Sandy

Hurrican Sandy

Queens New York Hurrican Sandy

Eagle Mountain Dump Fire

Hurrican Sandy

Saratoa Springs Mud Slide...Effects of Dump Fire

Last night as Kyle and I were watching coverage of Hurrican Sandy he turned to me and asked if we are really prepared for an emergecny and we both laughed knowing that we really only have two basic (and who knows what is in the them) 72 hour kits. We realized we have no watter stored, real food stored, or source of fuel or heat or supplies if an emergency hit and we had to make it 72 hours to a week on our own. We dont even have all our documents in order or a plan if we had to evacuate.

Add this conversation to these facts/events:
1) After we went into contract on our house the fires in Eagle Mountain started....Kyle and I said that as soon as we move in we need to start preparing for an emergency
2) We move into a ward/neighboorhood that takes emergency preparedness seriously and each house has a packet to use in case of an emergency.
3) Our ward provides the chance to purchase items for food storage each month
4) Our ward is having an emergecny drill next weekend


Kyle and I feel it is time to take emergency prepardness seriously. 

We decided last night to take a weekly bite out of getting ready for an emergency. In Relief Society we were taught the importance of doing so and that it can be done 1 week at a time. Each week to accomplish one or two items to get your self prepared so that in a year you are better prepared. I look at it this way what is $5 of ones weekly grocery budget put towards emergency prepardness or evenly $10 monthly....compared to finding your self in a real emergency and not being able to fend for your self. If I lived in NYC right now and had no power Im pretty sure that gallon of icecream sacrificed each month compared to no food or water would not be a huge sacrifice.

So all that being said I have decided to tackle this project my goal is that by December 31, 2013 Kyle and I will be able to survive 72+ hours on our own, evacuate with short notice, etc. Of course as our family grows we will need to add to our supply so you can see it is ever evolving but its a start to have us ready.

I will do a weekly project/task to get us to that point and will blog it so that anyone interested in doing so can join in. I promise to do this in the most cost effective way so that we can all do it :)

Each week I will post to keep us all involved.

What this means:
1) Acutally following through and posting each week, creating a plan and doing the research.
2) Getting others involved and participating
3) Not using my 72 hours supply for my daily needs. I once built a good 72 hours kit for myself...but have used it as my main source of bandaids...that wont help me much. Nor will it help to eat ones 72 hour food...my plan there...have storage containers where the 72 hour supply goes that is off limits tell and emergecny...of course eat it if its about to expire but replace it
4) Actually blogging and folowing through...thats the only part that will be hard....I love the research, getting organized learning part.

Welcome aboard...if you are really interested in doing this with me please follow along each week.

Check in each Sunday!!!

Welcome

I am a wife of a very loving husband. Together we strive to provide for our family, our safety and our future.

I have been raised in and am active in the LDS Church (www.lds.org) We are taught the importance of self reliance, provident living and emergency preparedness both spiritually and physically.

As we learn from Noah and the Ark now is the time to prepare, not as the rains and floods descend.

My mantra for my family is “if ye are prepared ye shall not fear.” (D&C 38:30)

I have made it my goal to be dedicated to emergency preparedness and share what I learn along the way.

Each week we will have an emergency preparedness or self reliance project to help us become more prepared.

Together we can all become more prepared to face what may come our way.

". . . set your houses in order. If you have paid your debts, if you have a reserve, even though it be small, then should storms howl about your head, you will have shelter for your wives and children and peace in your hearts." President Gordon B. Hinckley

Each year we will have a new focus and project to becoming more self reliant. I can also say that there may be projects thrown in here and there not related to that years focus but all related to being self reliant.

"When faith replaces doubt, when selfless service eliminates selfish striving, the power of God brings to