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.

Tim