Emergency Preparedness

I really loved my previous calling in church as an Emergency Preparedness Specialist. Yes, I store food like a pack-rat (under beds and in closets) and actually drink powdered milk and use my whole wheat *gasp* :)

The most important thing is to rotate and EAT what you store. My grandmother and mother spend a lot of money getting their year supply but hardly ever used it and we ended up throwing it all away this past year. Nobody wants to eat anything 30+ years old.

Always start with a 72 hour food and water kit, then make an emergency kit for your car/work. Next you'll want to store water in your home. 55 gallon barrels are great if you have room to safely store them. Recycled soda bottles work great too. You'll need 1 gallon per person per day. After that you can get non-perishable food items that you already eat like canned soup, vegetables and fruit, PB&J, cereal, etc. Then add basics like wheat, flour, oats, rice, pasta, sugar, and powdered milk stored in #10 sealed cans. The people at the LDS Cannery are so helpful. Visit www.providentliving.org to find one near you. Work yourself up to a year supply. An easy way to figure out what you eat is to write down what you eat for one month then multiply it by 12. Every time you go to the store just buy a few extra cans. Another important thing to store is TP, soap, shampoo and other basic necessities. Some people who have lost their jobs are so thankful they followed the counsel to "get their houses in order." My biggest problem is we're always using our food storage so I have to keep track of what we eat so I know what to buy to replenish.

Items in your 72 hour food kit that will last 1 year if stored in cool, dry place:
(Just remember to eat it every October General Conference. We do this but the kids tend to go thru it in 2 days but I could make it 3 days if we HAD to in an emergency)
Tip: Wrap your gum in aluminum foil to prevent smell from spreading to other foods!

72 Hour Kit Meal Planner (Put this in with the food so you can make it last 3 days)
BREAKFAST 1 breakfast bar (Kelloggs brand is yummy) & 1 hot cocoa packet
LUNCH 2 granola bars, 1 beef jerky, 1 apple cider packet
DINNER 1 protein bar or can of soup (with pull-tab lid), 1 small can of peaches or fruit leather
SNACK 4 pieces of candy, 1 stick of gum
Don't forget your water bottles! All these items you could eat without heating if you had to.
If you want to round it out more you could always add a large can of V8 :)
*When shopping: Multiply all these items by 9 to get 3 meals for 3 days.

My Comprehensive 72 hour kit

¨ BIG backpack or duffel bag to hold everything
¨ mini set of scriptures
¨ compass and map of local area
¨ change of clothing in Ziploc bag and pair of sturdy shoes
¨ 72-Hour Food and Water Supply (at least 2 liters of water per person per day)
(It's best to use non-perishable food that doesn't require cooking)
¨ water sanitation tablets
¨ solar/handcrank radio with flashlight & extra batteries (test it every 6 months and replace batteries as needed)
¨ whistle
¨ 100-hour emergency candle
¨ 12-hour lightstick or flashlight with extra batteries (need 2 sources of light)
¨ multifunction pliers/pocket knife w/ can opener for food
¨ mess kit: plate, utensils, and cup
¨ wool blend blanket
¨ emergency sleeping bag
¨ (3) 20-hour hand and body warmers
¨ poncho with hood
¨ tube tent
¨ waterproof matches
¨ firestarters (need 2 sources of fire)
¨ tri-fold shovel
¨ nylon utility cord
¨ leather gloves
¨ duct tape
¨ memo pad and marking pens
¨ mini-sewing kit
¨ chapstick with sunscreen
¨ toilet paper
¨ soap
¨ 2 washcloths (one for personal use, one for dishes)
¨ toothpaste and toothbrush
¨ baby wipes (no showers unless it rains)
¨ feminine items and/or baby items (diapers, formula)
¨ prescription/medications
¨ first-aid kit
¨ basic first-aid & CPR booklet
¨ antibacterial gel
¨ sunscreen w/ insect repellant
¨ flat-fold stove & sterno can fuel
¨ several large trash bags for various uses
¨ important papers in Ziploc bag: financial documents, photos of family members, driver’s license, etc.

*Have child’s kit contain at least food, water bottle, emergency blanket, flashlight, change of clothes and ID card.

I highly recommend First Aid, CPR, and CERT training as well. When I went to do it they were offering CERT training for free and once you completed the program, you got to go and have First Aid and CPR certification for FREE! Call around to your local Fire Stations to find out.