QC Newsletter December 2009 - Home Emergency Kit

Preparing a Home Emergency Kit

General Guidelines for Preparing Your Kit

Your Kit should enable you to take care of yourself and your family for a minimum of 3 full days (72 hours) but preferably for 7 full days. Your kit should be packed in a storage container that is easy for you to find and take with you should you be forced to leave home if an emergency occurs. You may or may not be able to drive your vehicle in an emergency, so consider using a container (a bin or duffel bag) that has wheels so you can pull it behind you, because your kit will likely be quite heavy.

Think in terms of the basic of survival - food, clothing, and shelter when putting your kit together. Of course, it’s difficult to take shelter with you but if you have a very light and compact tent, then you can certainly include it.

Basic Supply List - Must have items

• Drinking Water (min of 2 liters per person per day)
• Washing/Cooking Water ( 2 liters per person per day)
• Food - Pack foods that require little or no water to prepare and that require no refrigeration or cooking. Good choices are packages of dried fruits and nuts and canned foods that can be eaten right out of the cans. Think lightweight because if you are forced to leave your home, you must take your emergency kit with you. You may of course be stranded or confined to your home in an emergency, so in your pantry or basement you can store several days or even weeks worth of canned and freeze dried items. Since you’re not packing them in your “to go” kit, the weight doesn’t matter.
• Portable Cooking Appliance and Fuel
• Plates, Cups and Cooking/Eating Utensils including a Can Opener
• Garbage Bags
• Paper Products (toilet paper, paper towels, etc)
• Personal Care Items (soap, shampoo, brush or comb, toothbrush, toothpaste, antibacterial hand sanitizer, etc)
• First Aid Kit
• Flashlight and Extra Batteries
• Matches and Candles
• Extra Clothing (including rain gear)
• Walking Shoes
• Blankets or Sleeping Bags
• Emergency Cash
• Maps (of your city and state)
• Paper and Pens
• Copies of Important Documents/Phone Number and Addresses - If you must abandon your home and don’t have time to gather the originals, have copies packed in your emergency kit.

As the boy scout saying goes..... Be Prepared!