Putting together emergency kits, your goal is to ensure you have the items you need to survive the disaster! COVID19 has shone a bright light on some new items we need to add to our Disaster Kits to keep us safe when facing a disaster. The following 3 Essential Items will help you stay safe and be better prepared for Disaster.
As a quick refresher, your family’s two main disaster kits are:
Grab & Go Kits:
- Designed to be used in the short term with basic supplies you will need (medications, snacks, clothing, ID etc.)
- Must be able to be carried by the person it is created for
- Are easily accessible when fleeing your home to safety
- Grab & Go Kits are used to evacuate your home quickly for a fire, gas leak etc.
- In more significant events, your Grab & Go Kit can support your Home Kit.
Home Kits:
- Your Stay and Survive-it Kit.
- Has adequate supplies for you, your family and pets to stay at home and Survive-It.
- Rubber Maid type bins are great for storing your Home Kit supplies
Now we need to add…..
Eighteen months ago, none of us thought COVID19 would still be keeping us from living the lives we used to live. COVID19 has impacted us in so many ways. As we maneuver our way through the 4th wave of COVID19, we must ensure we have the necessary supplies in our Disaster Kits to keep us safe. Consider adding the following supplies to your Disaster Kits to keep you and your family safe.
- Face Masks – before COVID19; we recommended masks to protect us from dust following a disaster. Now, face masks have become our new normal, an item we wear daily to keep ourselves and others safe. Include masks for your family members in your disaster kits.
- Hand Sanitizer – Make sure you have hand sanitizer or wipes in your Grab & Go Kits. If you are using liquid sanitizer, make sure the lid is on tight and won’t leak.
- Vaccination Passports – when writing this post, when we turn on the news, we hear about how we are moving to Vaccination Passports/cards being a requirement to enter many locations. Be sure to include a copy of your vaccination record in your kit with other necessary paperwork.
Final Thoughts
Preparedness and Safety are a top priority when it comes to being prepared for disasters. You are good to go once you have purchased or created your kits, but it doesn’t stop there. Make sure you keep your disaster kits updated. There would be nothing worse than facing a disaster to find out the items in your kit have expired.
Stay Safe!