Most of us are aware that we should have an emergency kit and supplies
for both our car and home and we should supplement these supplies with additional food and water. Enough for at least 7 days for every member of the family.
If you work in an office away from home you should give some thought as to whether you might be stuck there for a while after a serious quake or other emergency.
If you drive to work and you can walk home, a kit in your car should take care of your needs for the first 3 days. If you can’t walk home you may be waiting it out at your office – a good reason to be sure that the office is prepared for that eventuality.
Office kits can be custom-tailored for any size.
An excellent resource is the Earthquake Supply Center in San Rafael, CA (415-459-5500)
Check out their website at http://www.earthquakesupplycenter.com
Michael Skyler is the owner of the Earthquake Supply Center an earthquake preparedness consulting service and emergency preparedness survival kit and supplies center. Contact him at 415.459-5500 or visit http://www.earthquakesupplycenter.com
How Much Food and Water?
If you’re someone who wants to be prepared for the major earthquake in our future, you’ve probably done something about having food and water available for you and your family. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
1. Some disaster preparedness groups recommend having 3 days worth of food and water (1 gallon per person per day). I agree with the ones that say be ready for a full week, 7 days (think Katrina).
2.Except for our “Get Ready” kit which is a 2 person, 7 day kit, I’ve never seen an emergency kit that has enough water. You really need to supplement the kits with extra water.
3. The best plan for water is a food grade water storage container, sizes 2.5 gallons to 55 gallon water barrels with either a siphon or spigot, which you treat with 5 year water preserver so it will last for up to 5 years. Otherwise, you should replace your stored water every 6-7 months to avoid leaching from plastic containers as well as bacterial build up.
4. Have plenty of long term foods on hand like 5 year food bars, MRE’s (5-10 year shelf life) and other similar foods with a 5+ year shelf life.
Remember most canned foods have a 12-24 month shelf life and need to be replaced often. Also most canned foods contain a high level of sodium and are thirst provoking, requiring a larger supply of available water.
Starting off with food and water that have a 5 year shelf life is a lot easier than replacing these items every 6-12 months. However good our intentions are to replace these items once or twice a year.
Michael Skyler is the owner of the Earthquake Supply Center, an earthquake preparedness consulting and survival kit and supplies service. Contact him at 415-459-5500. Visit http://www.earthquakesupplycenter.com to receive more information.
Earthquakes are a given in the SF Bay Area.
How does a family prepare?
There are many things people can do to minimize the trauma of an earthquake.
What’s Under Your Bed?
Here are the four Mandatory “Under the Bed” preparedness items everyone should have.
If a major quake hits while you’re in bed, you’ll be thanking yourself if you have:
1. Pry Bar – To open jammed doors or remove windows to escape.
2. Spare Shoes – Wrap a spare pair of shoes in a plastic bag. Broken glass and debris may be present on the bedroom floor. Cut feet is the most common post-quake injury.
3. Light – Lightsticks or a flashlight with working batteries. Your power will most likely be out. Do not use a flashlight if you smell gas. An explosion could occur.
4. Heavy Duty Gloves – To brush away glass or move debris if necessary
Michael Skyler is the owner of the Earthquake Supply Center, an earthquake consulting, preparedness, and emergency supplies service in the SF bay area. www.earthquakesupplycenter.com
