Preparedness Basics – Taking Inventory, Setting Goals and Planning
When it comes to preparing for an emergency, you need to start with the basics. In this article we will talk about a few simple preparedness steps to get you started.
Take Inventory
One of the first things you should do is take inventory of what you already have and what you still need. Look around your house. What food storage and emergency preparedness supplies do you already have? What items are missing? How long would your current supply last? Keep in mind the people you are responsible for and any special needs they might have. Take into account any allergies or other special needs that people in your family might have, such as a gluten-free diet. Also remember that preparing for a natural or man-made disaster involves more than just food storage – other items such as water, flashlights, sleeping bags, batteries, and portable radios are all supplies that could prove essential in an emergency situation. Make sure you have adequate supplies for each member of your family.
Set Goals
A good way to help improve your emergency preparedness is by setting reasonable goals. These goals could involve how much money you set aside for an emergency reserve fund each month, or how often you make a purchase to build your emergency storage supply. No matter what your goals are, it is important for them to be specific goals that you can start working on immediately. There’s no use setting goals that you will never start or that you will be unable to accomplish. Another way to make more effective goals is by setting different goals for different periods of time. For example, you could set yearly, monthly, or even weekly goals to help build your emergency supply. Choose goals that will work for your family situation and budget, but will still be effective.
Start Small
One of the best ways to begin building your emergency supply is by starting small. You can start by purchasing a one week food storage supply for each person in your family. Or you can make simple emergency preparedness kits for each individual. You can easily make a kit in a backpack for each family member that is easy to grab and take out of the house in case of an emergency in which you need to leave your home immediately. Include items that would be useful in an emergency situation, such as a one week supply of food, a simple first aid kit (including any extra medicine supplies that may be needed), maps, clothes, water, and water filtration devices.
Have a Family Plan
Finally, make sure you have a clear plan for different emergency situations, and that every member of your family is aware of what they need to do in different situations. Plan for a variety of emergencies, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, blizzards, tornadoes, or any other situations that could arise. Practice with your family and be sure that every individual knows what they need to do for these different scenarios. Set a designated meeting area where your family will regroup should a situation arise where you have to leave your home or family members are separated from each other.
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I believe in preparing for emergencies that will hopefully never occur but it is difficult to get my husband on board. I can purchase all the necessary items( as long as he is not involved because he thinks its nuts) but there is no way to make up a plan of action for the possible scenario’s. No one ,including my 3 teenagers is interested in these “ridiculous ideas”. What is even worse is that one of them is at college 11/2 hours away. Any suggestions that you may have would be greatly appreciated.
When I received my supply, I noticed that some of the cans have dents in the top around the rim and some on the sides. Nothing is leaking out but I fear that the 25 year shelf life is compromised. Does anyone have any comments and have you also seen this in your supply?
Trey,
As long as the can hasn’t been punctured, you should be fine. If you think any of the cans have been punctured, or notice they are leaking, please contact our Support Department at 1-866-946-8366 or contact@foodinsurance.com.
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