Organizing For Emergency Preparedness
Nobody enjoys thinking about what can go wrong
, so too often we avoid it.
It's only in a few contexts that we accept the necessity of planning for bad times. We use seat belts because we don't want to pay a fine for getting caught without them. We prefer jobs with health insurance, but most people refuse to do buy it on their own. Too many people don't have a savings account with enough cash to pay bills for three to six months if laid off, as most financial experts advise.
We seem to be so spoiled by affluence and our successes at taming nature that when we hear about people storing food or buying gold in case of financial collapse, we laugh at them for being kooky survivalists.
However, according to a study done for TIME MAGAZINE, 90% of Americans live in an area threatened by terrorism, floods, hurricanes or tornados, fires, and earthquake. And all of us are vulnerable to electrical outages.
Therefore, it's only prudent to make plans to meet possible emergencies, especially the ones you know are most probable in your area.
You won't go from typical apathetic Americans to prepared for anything "kooks" overnight.
It's a good idea to talk it over with your husband or wife or partner (if any), and discuss the possibilities over with them first. Start making priorities. Obviously, if you live in Florida you'll be more concerned about hurricanes than forest fires.
One of your highest priorities must be food. If you do nothing else, get at least one 72 hour emergency preparedness kit for every member of your family.
You must consider medical needs. That could affect food if anybody in your family is on a special diet. It obviously also includes medicines and medical equipment.
You have to consider your resources. If you live in a big city efficiency you have less room than somebody on a farm. If you do live on a farm, you are already better prepared than most, because farmers traditionally have always had to be ready to go through periods of food shortages.
Of course, most modern farmers shop for their groceries at the supermarket just like everybody else, but at least could have room to plant a large vegetable garden next year. Many of us could put a garden in our backyards. Even people in apartments can grow tomatoes in hanging planters.
This can be a good excuse to methodically clean out your home, including garage, attic, basement, and all closets. Get rid of anything and everything you're not using. Raise some extra money by selling stuff on eBay, and the remainder in a garage sale.
Whatever you normally buy that can be stored, start buying more of it. Put the extras away in a pantry or closet. Once you've put away a lot, start rotating through it, so you're always eating the oldest cans.
by: Richard Stooker
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