subject: Take the First Step towards Emergency Preparedness [print this page] Take the First Step towards Emergency Preparedness
Disasters happen more than we think with an increase in the number of natural disasters and terrorist attacks. no wonder emergency preparedness is being talked about more and more. However, people still know very little about emergency preparedness. This article aims to help you with your emergency preparedness efforts.
Preparing for emergencies is not a one-time affair. It is an ongoing process that should be reflected in your lifestyle and mindset. Being prepared will help you keep control of the situation when a disaster attacks. Maintaining control will then increase the likelihood of your survival. You can't do much the moment a disastrous event like an earthquake or tornado occurs. Therefore, the preparation begins right now.
The first and the most important step for emergency preparedness is making or buying an emergency preparedness kit. An emergency preparedness kit is basically a disaster kit that contains all the necessary items that you will need for survival during disasters. According to researchers, it generally takes a maximum of 72 hours for help to arrive in case of extreme emergency conditions. Therefore, the disaster kit should contain the basic emergency items supply to last for 72 hours.
Once you have the emergency preparedness kit ready, the next step is to familiarize yourself with it. Go through each item in the kit and learn how to use them. Also, if you have older people or kids in your family, then add special items specific to them in your disaster kit.
Decide a place suitable to store emergency preparedness kit. The place selected should be easily approachable (keeping the emergency scenario in mind) and should be free from dirt, heat, and moisture. Every member in the family should be aware about the location of the disaster kit. You should also decide upon the person, who will carry the emergency preparedness kit in case evacuation is required.
These few steps are just the beginning towards emergency preparedness. Emergency preparedness is a vast topic that needs planning, training and education. However, these are the starting steps that will motivate you towards developing a mindset for emergency preparedness and kits.
