Category: Resources

Were authorities crying “Wolf?”

Tragically, there were deaths as a result of the weekend’s blizzard – mostly from car wrecks, some from heart attack. And the flooding in New Jersey apparently took some people by surprise.

The clean-up is just starting. According to the Wall Street Journal, it costs $1.8 million per inch for snow removal alone!

But by and large, it sounds as though millions of people (60 million under blizzard, winter storm or freezing rain warnings Saturday!) did a pretty good job of getting through. Here’s what it looked like from my desk, here in California.

What worked well?

• The weather reports were accurate and timely. And they were updated. Maybe reporters learned something a year ago when they forecast the Mighty Blizzard of 2015. That one fizzled!We have all now learned that there are different weather models. The European model looks at the big, long-range picture. The National Weather Service uses its own, short-range models. Not one model is perfect, but taking input from each, and being willing to make a change as things develop, seems to have added credibility to this forecast.

• Authorities took prompt action. In at least 11 states, Governors declared states of emergency. This helped position resources (over 2,200 members of the National Guard) before the snow actually hit. Schools closed in New York as of Thursday. City government offices closed as of Friday noon. Travel bans were declared – and enforced – up and down the whole Eastern Corridor.

• Political leaders repeatedly got on T.V. to emphasize city actions and the need for citizen responsibility. Whatever the party, political leaders’ words and actions draw attention. NY Mayor De Blasio was warning people of the storm as early as Wednesday morning. By Saturday, Chris Christie had cut short his campaigning in New Hampshire to return to New Jersey because of the blizzard. People noticed.

• Citizens got the message and were smart. On Thursday evening I got a call from my friend Teri in Maryland. She was laughing– weakly–as she reported how hard it had been to get home and that “There was absolutely no meat left in the grocery store!” People either had what they needed or got it by Thursday. Then they prepared to hunker down.

Did preparedness pay off?

Cities and politicians are pretty much required to promote preparedness. You and I promote preparedness because we believe in it as a lifestyle.

Nowhere, however, have we found a formula that shows just how much our investment is worth.

But the Boston Consulting Group’s 2015 study for Unicef and the World Food Programme (WFP) added more understanding to why to prepare.

Their study of 49 activities aimed at cutting costs and reducing response times during emergencies showed that an investment of $5.6 million is expected to deliver $12 million in savings.

To be clear, the study analyzed actions in the countries of Chad, Pakistan and Madagascar. I’m not sure what the ROI would be for actions taken in the U.S. – but it surely wouldn’t be worse!

If you want to read the whole report, here’s the link: https://www.bcgperspectives.com/content/articles/development-business-social-sector-big-payback-emergency-preparedness/

What next for Storm Jonas?

It will be interesting to watch for the follow-up reports on the East Coast Blizzard/Storm Jonas – on its costs and hopefully on the value of everything that went into getting ready for it.

I’ll let you know what I find out. In the meanwhile, if you are in the blizzard area, let us know what you experienced and how well you fared. For example, are you among the thousands without power right now? (Which means you are reading this on some portable battery-driven device!?)

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide Team

P.S. As you know, we’re waiting here in California for the next storm to roll in from El Nino . We’ve had only one. Do you think OUR weather forecasters have cried wolf?

A Gift for a Lifetime

I got my first Swiss Army knife when I was about 8 years old, a gift from a friend of my mother’s. (A boyfriend? We’ll never know!) I don’t think I’ve been without one in my pocket since.

When I say without “one” I should really be saying “without several” since there are so many different models, each with some special feature, that you want to own one of each! (Well, maybe not every one. Read on . . .)

Real Swiss Army knives, brand name Victorinox, last nearly forever if you don’t lose them.

If a part breaks or goes missing, you can fix it!

Replace scissors spring on Swiss Army knife

Here’s what got me started on this Advisory. I had to . . .

Replace the broken scissors spring

in one of my favorite small knives.

I use these scissors a LOT, for cutting everything from paper to fingernails to packaging tape.

(Once I even used the scissors to give myself a quick haircut when a posh restaurant thought my hair was too long to let me in.)

Where to find the spring

In years past I have found the scissors spring at hardware or sporting goods stores, but for the last three years I’ve had no luck. (Maybe people prefer to sell a whole new knife rather than a $2 set of springs!) I( knew I could get them from Victorinox, but that involved more shipping that I wanted to fool with.)

This time, I went to Amazon to get what I needed. Here’s the link to the purchase, for a grand total of $2.95. Victorinox Scissor Spring, Small

How to replace the spring

Replacing the spring takes four things: a new spring (image 1 shows the package), some sort of round file or punch (image 2) , a pair of needle-nose pliers (3) and a little dexterity.

And here are the steps to replacement.

• Open the knife so that the scissors extend at a 90% angle.
• See the round hole near the base of the scissors? One side of the hole has sharp edges; on the other side, the edges have been rounded.
• Use the pliers or a punch to push/pull the old spring out so it comes out the rounded side of the hole. I found that the tip of a small round file worked perfectly for me.
• Use the pliers to press the new spring into place from the rounded side of the hole.
• Be patient and persistent. You may need to flex the spring slightly to get it into the hole.

Knife like new, back in my pocket for another day!

What about other models of the Swiss Army knife?

Victorinox (and competitor, now partner Wenger) has produced many different models since the company started in the late 1800s. All have a main blade plus various auxiliary tools – as many as 30 in various combinations! Most also have the familiar red handle with white cross logo.

Most practical multi-tool

While it’s great to have different tools all in one, the largest Swiss Army Knife that I find practical is the Swiss Champ. It costs $73.49, and its holster adds another $8.34.  (Yes, I own both.)
Victorinox Swiss Army Swiss Champ Pocket Knife (Red)

If you want more tools, of course, you can get more. In 2006 Guinness World Records recognized a knife (made by Wenger) that had 87 tools and 141 different functions and that cost upwards of $1,000!

Best for everyday use

And for everyday use, I carry the “Midnight MiniChamp” version with built-in ball point pen and flashlight . . .

Victorinox Swiss Army Midnite Minichamp, Sapphire

(This picture shows the knife in blue, but of course, it comes in red, too.)

If you’re shopping for yourself or for a gift, take the time to review all the different models to get the exact knife you need. Again, a small convenient pocket knife is one thing, and a versatile multi-tool for your survival kit and/or emergency kit for the car serves a completely different purpose.

Either way you can rest assured that this will be something to treasure.

And one final note, just for fun. It turns out that the name “Victorinox” is a combination of the original owner’s mother’s name – Victoria – and the French word for stainless steel, “inoxydable“, shortened to Inox. (Stainless steel was invented by an Englishman in 1913.) Oh, and the clever family that named the company still owns it, four generations later.

Joe Krueger
Your Emergency Plan Guide Team

P.S. I’ll bet you have a favorite Swiss Army knife. Which one and why? Your comments may help others decide which one(s) to get!

Top Ten Items For Your Emergency Plan

If you think you are already prepared, use this list as a quick check. If you suspect you’re missing a few things, use the list to fill in the gaps.

Food the Means to Prepare It and Eat It . . .

Water, Food and Medicines – Enough for the entire household including pets, to last for a minimum of 3 days . . . up to one or two weeks if possible. Best to stock up on the canned soups, staples and packaged foods you normally eat, and then rotate to keep supplies fresh. (We have enough sardines and packages of instant latte coffee to survive for a month!) Don’t overlook a 14-day supply of important medications (think customized first aid kit) for you, your children and your pet.

Prescriptions, Medical Devices, etc. – In a serious event, electricity, running water and plumbing facilities may not be available for hours or days. Without power, ATMs, computer systems and electronic cash registers will be inoperative, making the renewal of prescriptions challenging if not impossible. Likewise, life-sustaining devices such as oxygen machines that require power may have to be run on “inverters” (alternative power devices that convert the direct current of a car battery to alternating current). Inverters or small solar panels can also power small appliances, laptop computers, etc. and serve as a recharging source for smart phones, iPods and other electronics. In all these, wattage requirements will determine if the system works for you. Test everything in advance! Note: Power generators are both expensive and unwieldy and are not practical in most residential settings.

Camping Stove, Hand-Held Can Opener & Eating Utensils – Disposable plates & eating utensils may prove satisfactory but keep in mind that if the emergency continues, leaving you without power, water or garbage disposal or pickup, you will need to think outside of the box to survive. We recommend a propane-powered camping stove even if you have an outside barbecue.

Communications Are Your Link to Friends, Family and the Reality of the World Around You.

Emergency Radios that Receive NOAA and Local Government Broadcasts – With TV and internet out, the only sure way you will know what’s happening is via emergency radio transmissions. Have at least one full service radio for the home (two or more for larger, multi-story homes or community residences) and one smaller hand-held model for each family vehicle.

Walkie-Talkies – These hand-held multi-channel, battery-powered communicators will work regardless of a power outage. They are the best way for your CERT Teams to communicate with volunteers and for you to keep in touch with your neighbors following an emergency. We have extra units strategically placed throughout our house and a pair in each car.

Emergency Contact Numbers – When local telephone circuits are down or overloaded, you may be able to use out of state relatives or contacts as a way to relay messages to family members, employees or associates. But this works only if all parties are in on the scheme before a disaster strikes.

You Will Need Light and Heat When There is No Power.

Flashlights and Battery-Powered Lighting – With the widespread availability of LED (light emitting diode) devices, we use far fewer batteries than we used to with incandescent bulbs. Flashlights are cheap; have more than one. Keeping a small 250+ Lumen flashlight in a handy location in each room in the house ensures you can safely navigate in the dark. But you will also want a couple larger, more powerful (500+ Lumens) flashlights and possibly even a headlamp or two that leaves both hands free. And you’ll appreciate some LED table lamps or lanterns for general lighting needs.

Winner in past tests

More on Batteries From Our Experience – We need batteries for everything from radios to flashlights to smart phones and other devices, typically AAA, AA, C & D sizes. Most batteries manufactured under the Duracell and Energizer brands are guaranteed to have a 10-year shelf life. In our experience, this is misleading. Ten years may be possible under ideal conditions . . . whatever those are.

With few exceptions, we have found the batteries to lose some of their power midway through this period, and many start to corrode. The basic “copper top” Duracell batteries seem to deteriorate more rapidly than the standard Energizers – 3 to 1 in our experience – but the new (and more expensive) “red-top” Duracell batteries seem to perform better. We only have a few months experience with them.

The bottom line: Whatever brand batteries you use, don’t leave radios or electronic devices sitting for long periods of non-use with batteries installed. Take the batteries out and look at them carefully before reinstalling. If you have devices with corroded terminals, they can sometimes be rejuvenated by using a cotton swab to apply a water & baking soda paste (which will absorb the corrosion) and removing the resulting dry crust with a wooden toothpick or a single prong of a broken plastic fork. This works about half the time, seemingly depending on how bad the buildup or corrosion was.

Clothing You Can Count On to Keep You Warm – Even in moderate climates nights get cold. Your emergency kit needs to contain at the very least a warm coat and sturdy shoes. It’s easy to add a space blanket and rain slicker. (A large plastic garbage bag is better than nothing.) Blankets in the car will be welcome when you’re stuck trying to get home.

Take Care of Personal Needs. 

Hygiene and Sanitation Items – From brushing your teeth to disposing of trash, garbage and body waste, a world without electricity or running water presents several significant challenges. The bigger the household (including pets), the greater the problem. In addition to trash bags, toilet tissue, cleaning and disinfectant supplies, you’ll want heavy-duty “compactor bags” to insert in toilets for collecting solid human waste. If you’re part of a community that includes elderly or frail residents, you may be faced with managing deceased humans. As distasteful as all this may be, pre-event planning will yield big dividends in comfort.

Who Will Be Turning To You?

Most Important Preparation of All is Your Neighborhood &/or Workplace – Take a moment and think about what a major calamity will mean to your immediate environment. If you are the only one who is prepared, your circumstances will be little better than your neighbors or co-workers. In the Tsunami that caused widespread devastation in Japan, it was neighbors helping each other that saved lives and made community survival possible.

While hard-core, serial “survivalists” devote considerable (often inordinate) resources to building “bug out bags” and even acquiring arsenals of weapons to protect themselves, the reality for most of us is not likely to be something out of Mad Max. Major roadways and potential escape routes will probably be congested, unnavigable or even impassable. Where would you go and how would you carry what you need to survive? For most of us, “survival in place” is the most realistic option. What can you do to help your co-workers and neighbors focus their energies on emergency preparation . . . for their sake and yours as well?

Virginia 
Your Emergency Plan Guide Team

Virginia Nicols, CERT graduate living in Southern California, has helped lead her local neighborhood emergency team for over a decade. Her website, http://EmergencyPlanGuide.org, reflects much of what that award-winning volunteer group has struggled with and accomplished over the years. This month, El Niño tops the preparedness agenda.

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As a pet owner, are you offended at this question:

“Do you consider your pet a part of the family?”

What about this question:

“Are you one of the 28% of pet owners who plan to buy their pet a gift at Christmas?”

I thought so!

With a gift for your pet in mind (!), don’t overlook the same thoughtful step you have taken for your family members – a survival kit.

There’s only one way to protect your pet.

In an emergency, you will surely want your pet near, safe and comfortable. The only way to manage that is to have a complete kit, ready to put into play at a moment’s notice if you must evacuate.

Even if you are sheltering in place at home, your pet’s routine will be interrupted. So having what you need on hand for your pet will allow you to focus on safety and security for the whole family.

Seven basics for your pet’s emergency kit.

Just like a personal survival kit for your 8-year-old daughter or your 81-year-old mother, your pet’s kit needs to be customized.  Still, there are basics that you can start assembling now if you haven’t already.

In fact, any or all of these items make great Christmas presents!

1.The container or kit itself.

Crates and hard-sided carriers work well if you have plenty of space, but a soft-sided carrier that folds flat may be the most practical for an emergency kit. Get the right size for your pet and the right weight for you, since you will have to carry the container with pet and with the other supplies that are part of it.

Look for sturdy handles and a shoulder strap or backpack straps. You may even want a container with wheels or that’s attached to a rolling cart. Here’s one from Amazon:
Snoozer Roll Around 4-in-1 Pet Carrier, Red & Black, Medium

(I saw it at more than one price, so be sure to shop. As always, if you buy through our link, we may receive a commission from Amazon. The price you pay is the same, no matter what.)

2.Food and water supplies.

Water is the most important, and the heaviest item to manage. As you plan for your family’s needs of 1 gallon a day/person, add extra for your pet. You may be able to store a couple of quarts in the carrier itself, along with a collapsible water dish.

As for food, canned wet food is convenient and doesn’t attract any bugs. BUT, be sure you have a can opener and be sure your pet likes the brand! You don’t want an animal with digestive problems on your hands. You could use the same collapsible dish mentioned above for food, or add a second dish.

3.First aid kit.

Every pet should have a first aid kit, again, customized for that pet (medicines, clippers, veterinary instructions) and for your part of the country (ticks, burrs, heat). Get the smallest kit that works, then add personal items. If you don’t already have what you need packed up in a bag, here are a couple of simple pre-built kits to start with.  Reviews of the second kit were particularly positive.

Essential Pet First Aid Kit

Pet First Aid Kit, Large – 50 Pieces

4.Safety items.

In an emergency, your pet needs a collar or harness and SHORT leash so you can protect it. Your dog may need a muzzle. Store these items in the carrier, too.

If you have to walk your pet, it would make sense to have a hands-free leash, since you are likely to be carrying a flashlight, a tool, or a child or holding hand somebody’s hand. You can get a simple hands-free leash for as little as $5. Here’s a more sophisticated and useful one you could use every day:

Outward Hound Kyjen 23003 Hands Free Hipster Dog Leash Storage Accessory 5ft Leash Included, Blue

5.Sanitary items.

IF YOU HAVE TRAINED YOUR PET IN ADVANCE to wear diapers, or to use pee pads, having a supply in your container makes sense. Obviously you’ll also want some of your usual poop bags.

6.Comfort items.

A familiar blanket and/or towel is probably one of the most valuable items to have in your container. You can wrap your pet for carrying, your pet can use it to lie on, or you can throw it over the container for privacy.

Having a source of light might make you both feel more comfortable; consider a couple of light sticks or LED Glow Stick like this one that has several “light modes” (steady, blink) as well as a whistle:

Life Gear Multimode 4N1 Glow Stick, Flashlight, Safety Flasher, Emergency Whistle, RED

A favorite toy also makes sense – but don’t get a fetch toy, or a tugging toy, or a toy that squeaks!  Here’s one that you might try out – according to the manufacturer it has a “protein taste and vanilla smell” and is likely to keep your pet engaged for a long time.

Petmate Dogzilla Rubber Dumbbell Shaped Dog Toy, Small

7.Pet ID

As you probably know, not every shelter allows pets, so you may be separated. Attach a waterproof envelope to the container that clearly identifies its occupant – with photo, name of owner, emergency contact information, history of shots, etc.  Keep copies of all this information for yourself, too.

Disclaimer: Joe and I don’t currently have a pet, though we’ve each owned several. We interviewed many enthusiastic pet owners for items in this blog post and have shopped in local pet stores for ideas and current brands.

We have also discovered in our community that more than half of our senior neighbors have pets. And nationally, while families with children are the most likely to have pets, more younger couples are getting pets, too, as they postpone having children. Who do you know with a pet? Be sure they have this information.

In an emergency, out of control lost animals will create heartbreak and danger for all.

Protect your pets now by putting together emergency kits for each of them.

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide Team

Three reasons for yes.

If you’ve been watching the news lately you no doubt know that our counterterrorism officials’ greatest fear is that terrorists will get their hands on enough nuclear materials to construct “dirty bombs” – bombs that could turn large areas of cities or communities into radioactive cesspools.

1. The dirty bomb threat

Admittedly, the odds are long on any one community becoming a target for this kind of attack. If you happen to live or work in or near a target area, however, having a reliable Geiger counter could be a real asset

2. Nuclear waste storage

While we don’t own one currently, we are considering purchasing a Geiger counter. For us, the decision is prompted by the fact that we are relatively close to a decommissioned nuclear power plant. It was closed a couple of years ago because of numerous equipment failures as well as design and construction flaws.

At first, its closure made us breathe a sigh of relief. Now however, our concern has risen again because levels of security and emergency planning for the decommissioned plant have been allowed to be reduced. And, finally, nuclear waste materials are being stored on the closed site – which is right on the Pacific Ocean and thus an obvious candidate for becoming the victim of storms and tsunamis.

(Why nuclear material is being allowed to be stored in this location is a question to be raised in another post. If you recognize this story as relating to San Onofre, in southern California, and it interests you, read more at: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/nuclear-658213-edison-waste.html)

3. Landfill threatened by fire

You may not have a nuclear power plant nearby, but consider this horror story that came out just last week.

According to St. Louis County (MO) officials, an underground fire at a landfill – a fire that has been burning for 5 years – is now within 1,000 feet of a nuclear waste dump.

Clouds of smoke have already polluted the region. Now it looks as though the fire will reach the decades-old dump filled with nuclear waste from government projects (like the Manhattan Project!) and weapons manufacturing — creating a radioactive smoke plume.

This entire situation became headline news in October when the school district sent out a letter to parents advising them that the school had “an evacuation plan for students” for when the fire reaches the landfill. Apparently, no plans for stopping the fire.

(Again, get more on this story at:  http://thefreethoughtproject.com/st-louis-preparing-nuclear-disaster-landfill-fire-nears-radioactive-waste-site/)

Could you use a Geiger Counter?

If you find yourself in any of these situations, or in similar ones, understanding your exposure to radioactive material may be prudent. If you travel to Japan, or if you are concerned about radiation levels in the food you eat, a Geiger counter could provide you with peace of mind.

In any case, here are two pieces of equipment to consider:

SOEKS 01M Plus Generation 2 Geiger Counter Radiation Detector Dosimeter (NEW Model replaces SOEKS 01M)

GCA-07W Professional Geiger Counter Nuclear Radiation Detection Monitor with Digital Meter and External Wand Probe – NRC Certification Ready- 0.001 mR/hr Resolution — 1000 mR/hr Range

There are less expensive options, including . . .

Smart Geiger Counter Nuclear Radiation Dosimeter “X-Ray” and “Gamma” Detector Smartphone Android iOS with App

The cost for the Smart Lab app (less than $35 when we wrote this) is a no-brainer for people who live and/or work in areas of moderate risk, or for people who just want a backup unit to carry on the road.

We are considering purchasing one of these for testing in our CERT program and, if they work as well as advertised we’ll probably purchase a half dozen for our Special Teams. As for the more expensive instruments, we recommend that you review all of the listed makes and make your decision based on your perceived level of risk and your own personal comfort zone.

UPDATE as of 10/25/2015: When we inquired regarding battery life, we received this email from John at Images Scientific Instruments, Inc., the distributor of the GCA-07W model shown above:

The 9V battery is not rechargeable. You can expect 10-12 hours of Geiger Counter usage per battery. Your battery lifetime time may vary. To extend battery life keep the LCD backlight off. 

The Geiger counter has an external wall transformer power supply for extended monitoring.

Final Note:  If you plan to volunteer as an Investigator with MUFON (Mutual UFO Network) to check out UFO sightings and test for radiation at reported landing sites, you will be required to provide your own Geiger counter. In this case, you will probably want the most sensitive unit  that fits your budget. (!)

Joe Krueger
Your Emergency Plan Guide Team

An earlier Advisory describes other safety concerns and radiation-related items for your survival kit.  Read it here.

Our 16-year-old granddaughter got her first car just a week ago and is nervously practicing her driving. While Joe helps her master reverse gear (one of his favorites), I am putting together an emergency kit for her. Considering her skill and experience level, it needs to be different from the usual “commuter car kit.”

Key features of Emergency Car Kit: simple and unobtrusive.

Assembling the kit for my granddaughter

Our driver’s parents have always had quite new cars, so I doubt she has ever experienced a breakdown or flat tire in the light of day, much less at night! And what if she’s driving when the anticipated earthquake hits, or El Niño (also anticipated) leaves her stranded?

So, first comes the lecture about getting the car to a safe place. Then there’s the phone call to parents and/or AAA or other emergency contact.

Now for the wait for help to arrive.

Here’s where the emergency kit comes in.

So far, I have assembled these 8 simple items, with one not yet decided on.

As always, where it makes sense I am including links to typical products — and usually products that I have bought myself — at Amazon.  Yes, I may get a small commission if you buy through the link. Of course, your price isn’t affected — and if you want to shop more, just use the link to get you to the right departments.

1. Orange Safety Triangles.  If you shop for these, you’ll discover than many come packed individually. Honestly, I don’t think one triangle serves ANY purpose for an inexperienced driver, who will tend to set the triangle too close to the rear of the disabled car. So, while Orion seems to be the leader in this category, I recommend this pack from Deflecto. It has three triangles in a carrying case: Deflecto Early Warning Road Safety Triangle Kit, Reflective, 3-Pack (73-0711-00)

(I would recommend flares for an adult, but they are not simple to light and require THOUGHTFUL decision-making before deciding where to put them. I will be writing about that in another post.)

2. Flashlights. Every car should have more than one flashlight, with extra batteries stored separately. I will have to test my granddaughter to see if she can put batteries in correctly!  (She normally uses her phone as a temporary flashlight . . .)

From a safety/visibility standpoint, inexpensive LED lights seem OK, although a better-quality light (at least 400 lumens) is preferable. This is one of our favorites: Duracell Durabeam Ultra High Intensity Tactical- 500 Lumen Flashlight 2-Pack with 6 C Batteries

3. First Aid Kit.  We have written extensively about first aid kits (See links to other posts, below.) ALL inexpensive pre-built kits are lacking – get the best one you can, then go through it and add more bandages, first-aid cream, moist wipes, etc.

4. Gloves.  She may not wear work gloves very often, and perhaps never has! But in a real emergency, protecting your hands is easy and essential. I prefer leather gloves to the rough fabric ones, and I like these because they adjust to the size of the wrist: Custom Leathercraft 2055M Split Cowhide Work Gloves, Medium

5. Emergency Radio. In the case of an earthquake, storm or other widespread emergency, your driver will need to find out what’s going on  — and cellphones may not work. Our favorite battery-operated emergency radio is the Ambient Weather radio: Ambient Weather WR-090 Emergency Pocket AM/FM/WB Weather Alert Radio with Digital Tuner and Flashlight

And since our granddaughter is pretty enterprising, I might consider the Weather’s larger cousin that operates via batteries, solar or crank: Ambient Weather WR-111B Emergency Solar Hand Crank AM/FM/NOAA Digital Radio, Flashlight, Cell Phone Charger with NOAA Certified Weather Alert & Cables

6. Blanket. My granddaughter seems to have several nice throws associated with various sports teams. If you don’t have any, or think your driver would like a new one, they are relatively inexpensive and easily packable. Here’s a link to where you can pick a fleece of exactly the right color!Super Soft Cozy Fleece Throw Blanket – 50×60 Fleece Blanket (Assorted Colors)

7. Water. Again, my granddaughter has plenty of plastic water bottles, and she can pick out the best one for her kit. However, I would recommend, as an emergency item, a bottle with a filter since we don’t know how long this water will remain untouched and unrefreshed. See the link below to our recent review of water bottle with filters.

8. Food. Teenagers seem to subsist on all kinds of snacks, so check with your driver to find the best combination of energy bars, dried fruit and candy for emergency food supplies. No use putting stuff in the kit that they won’t like or won’t touch.

9. Personal Safety. My granddaughter is tall, athletic and capable. I will discuss with her and her parents whether it makes sense to include any pepper spray in her kit (and it requires written permission). Waiting in the dark could be scary and dangerous; it may give her an added sense of security: SABRE RED Pepper Spray – Police Strength – Compact, Pink Case with Quick Release Key Ring (Max Protection – 25 shots, up to 5X’s more)

What to put everything in? Something unobtrusive.

All my teenaged friends seem to carry a variety of backpacks for school, sports, or just for hanging about. So, for the car emergency kit I selected a simple, inexpensive backpack that will attract no notice on the floor in the backseat or rear compartment.

Next step: Present the kit, take everything out, talk about how and when to use it, and have her repack it.

It will be a fun family activity, one I’m looking forward to!

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide Team

Here are other posts with more info about emergency kits:

• Emergency Bag for the Serious Commuter
• Customize Your First Aid Kit
• Best Personal Water Bottles with Filters

Stop reading right now.

Look up. Look around.

What are TWO WAYS you could get out of the room?

• Will that window open?
• Can you really squeeze through?
• Can you get down outside or do you need a ladder?

Did you have to pause and consider?

I hope not!  These are answers you should know before anything happens.

In fact, everyone in your family should know the answers to these questions BEFORE an emergency happens.

Are you leaving your children defenseless?

Unless you point these exits out, your children will never think of them. In an emergency, they will likely run to try to find YOU, even if evacuating would save them.

Here’s an exercise you can do on a Saturday that will answer questions and give you all a much better sense of security.

Design your Home Evacuation Plan together.

It’s a step by step process that everyone in the family takes part in. You’ll need a pad of paper and some colored pencils. And one BIG piece of paper to assemble everything on.

Step 1.  Sketch a plan of your home.

One sketch for each floor, or, if your young children are part of the exercise, let each child sketch a separate room. Approximate sizes are fine.

Be sure all doors and windows are marked on the plan.

Combine separate pieces into one master plan. (You can redraw or even cut and paste.)

Step 2. Mark at least two exits from each room on your plan.

Plan in hand, take a walk from room to room. Mark potential exits. You may want to use two colors, one for PRIMARY and the other for SECONDARY exits. You may be able to get out, but can all the children? What about grandmother?

If you need special equipment to escape (a ladder), note that on your plan and mark where it is stored.  (Obviously, if you don’t already have the equipment, start a shopping list on a separate piece of paper! More resources below . . .)

Step 3. Note the location of special safety shut-offs for your house.

Keep touring the house. Mark where utility shut-offs are located. Does everyone know when and how to shut off the water? The gas? Again, is a special tool required, like a wrench? Note where it is stored.

Where are the electrical shut-offs? There may be more than one panel. Talk about under what conditions you would shut off the electricity.

Step 4. Where are emergency supplies kept?

In particular, note on your plan the location of fire extinguishers, flashlights and lanterns, and first aid kits.  (You can use icons if your plan is getting crowded.)

Where are your evacuation/survival kits stored?

Step 5. Last step: mark on your plan the family’s emergency meeting place — OUTSIDE of the house.

On the sample plan below, the family has designated a particular tree as the meeting place. Be sure the meeting place is far enough away from the house to keep people safe in case there’s a fire. You may want to label a second meeting place if the first one isn’t reachable, even though the second place may be off the map.

(Thanks to the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, Alberta, Canada for this drawing.)

A few more thoughts to help drive the point home:

• Save and review your plan from time to time, particularly if you add new rooms, new equipment, etc.
• Take a photo of the plan and share it with other family members (or maybe even with students at a show-and-tell session at school) to see if others will be inspired to follow suit.
• If you will be shopping for emergency equipment, you may find more info in some of our special Advisories, listed below.

Can you get this done before the month is over?? Good luck!

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

More Resources  from Emergency Plan Guide:

Escape ladders: Your healthy 12-year-old can get down any type of ladder, but what about others in the family?  We’ve looked at many of the escape ladders and think that the  Werner, 2-story version is a good place to start your shopping. It can carry more than one person at once. Here’s the link to Amazon: Werner ESC220 Fire Escape Ladder, Two Story (Be sure to look at the “product page” and scroll through the images to get a better idea of what the ladder is like.)

Fire extinguishers: We actually experienced a kitchen fire and used the extinguisher we’d just put in place!  Read the story and learn more about the different types of extinguishers. A good all-purpose extinguisher is this one, made by Kidde: Kidde 466227 ABC Pro Multi-Purpose Dry Chemical, Commerical and Industrial Fire Extinguisher, UL Rated 1-A, 10-B:C

First aid kits: Most kits you buy are woefully lacking. But you can start with a purchased one and add your own. We held a neighborhood meeting to discuss first aid kits — read about it here — and my search on Amazon for a good starter yielded this one by AAA: AAA 4180AAA 121-Piece Road Trip First Aid Kit

One of our favorites – find out why.

Is it safe?

“What’s that thumping noise in the back of the car? Oh, it’s that half-empty bottle of water, been in there since last week.”

I know you’re trying to be thrifty, but a half-empty plastic bottle of water is probably NOT something you want to drink from!

Not because it’s a plastic bottle, but because somebody’s lips were on it at some point and lips carry germs (probably bacteria of some sort, depending on what’s on your mouth or on your hands). Germs particularly love the threaded spout of that plastic bottle.

Give those germs a week or so to grow, in a nice warm environment, and . . . not so good!

Is there a difference in plastics?

The above paragraphs assumed a disposable plastic water bottle – the new thin kind, made of PET plastic. By being so thin, these bottles save energy (a lot less heavy to transport) and are recyclable. And they are not supposed to contain BPA, the chemical that created the concern some years ago and has been banned from baby bottles.

However, studies on water stored in PET bottles for a relatively long period of time (several weeks) at high temperatures show that chemicals from the plastic do leach into the water. Remember that the interior of your car, parked in the sun, can reach temperatures as high as 170 degrees!

In other words, pour that left-over water on a house plant, and then toss the bottle in the recycle bin.

A reusable sports bottle is a much better option.

Sports bottles designed for re-use are a much better option. They may be made of different materials — sometimes of steel or steel with a glass liner or of BPA-free plastic.  They are often very stylish, have well-designed shapes, handles and spouts, and the large-mouth ones let you add ice cubes.

Depending on the material, you may pay anywhere from $10-20 for most reusable water bottles.

Refill directly from the tap.  If you don’t like the taste or smell of your tap water, consider a filtered re-usable bottle. Filtered bottles cost very little more than un-filtered ones, but of course the filter may take up room inside the bottle.

For daily use you’ll get sweet-tasting water and probably drink more as a result!

Filtered bottles for survival have a better quality filtration system.

In an emergency, you may be filling your bottle with “questionable” water – from old supplies, from a pipe that may have been compromised, even directly from a lake or stream. In that case, you will be happy to have a high-quality filter between the water and your mouth.

New review on the site — five different survival water bottles, each under $50.

We selected these bottles for their price (As you can imagine, there are others costing far more.) and because each has a particular feature that will help you customize your purchase.

The features you probably want to consider:

• Size of bottle (how many ounces)
• Quality of filter (what does it filter out, what doesn’t it)
• How long will the filter last (how many gallons)
• Can you get a replacement filter
• Can you clean the filter and reuse

Last point. In every case, with every reusable water bottle, hygiene is essential.

Not all bottles are dish-washer safe (That may be something you look for.) but they can all be washed by hand with hot, soapy water, rinsed well (you can even add vinegar to the rinse water), and left to air dry. Experts suggest you clean your bottles – particularly those used by children or by people wearing lipstick or lip gloss – after every use, certainly at least once a week.

For even more info, please check out our new review: Best Personal Survival Water Bottles

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide Team

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Does Your City or Local Police Department Have a Mass Alert System?

Last month we talked about the “Lone Wolf” terrorist and the random nature of such attacks. While there is little, if anything, that authorities can do to predict or prevent these attacks, some cities are instituting a Mass Alert Notification System . . . a message distribution system to get the word out immediately when something does happen.

Basic Level

Actually, most cities have a basic telephone notification system; the most popular one is called Reverse 911®. When an emergency happens or threatens, authorities can automatically send out a recorded phone message to all or some of the phone numbers found in the database within that geographic area. If the line is busy, the phone will redial several times in an attempt to leave its message. The important limitation to Reverse 911 is that it only goes to landlines.

If you do not have a landline, or are not home or at a work number when the call goes out,
you will miss the message.

Enhanced System

How will they reach you?

Our city has enrolled in an enhanced mass messaging system, called “iAlert.” This is an opt-in program; you go online and sign up for the service and the message comes to you three ways, depending on which options you sign up for.

First, it comes by recorded telephone call to the primary or work telephone number you provide. (This can be a landline, a VOIP line, or a cell phone number.)

You will also receive an email to the email address you give, and finally, the message comes as an SMS text message to your smart  or mobile phone. The only cost is the SMS charge is for the standard data cost imposed by your cell phone carrier when you receive a text message.

IAlert messages can also be sent to hearing-impaired receiving devices.

Useful, Targeted Messages

On more than one occasion we have received notifications of missing persons, suspected active shooter situations and alerts to fires in progress. Our CERT team has also received activation alerts.

If your local authorities provide this service, you can likely sign up for it on the city’s website. If not, you may want to inquire at your local Police Department of their interest in providing the service in the future.

Joe Krueger
Your Emergency Plan Guide Team

What about First Responders?

Gated communities are more popular than ever. People seem to agree that the gates are a symbol of security and exclusivity.

That’s all well and good until there’s an emergency and suddenly the gates become not a symbol but an actual barrier to entry for residents and First Responders.

Run a quick search online and you will find, like I did, some outrageous stories of people inside their gates, waiting and waiting for help while police or the fire department waits outside — powerless to get in.  In fact, you’ll find stories of people who died, waiting.

The problem of emergency access to your gated property may never have been discussed because no emergency has ever arisen. But if you live in a gated community,  have gated parking at your workplace, or know someone who does, part of your emergency preparation is to . . .

Get the answers to these 5 questions.

1. Mechanism. How do First Responders open your gates? Is there some sort of lockbox requiring a physical key? An electronic card reader? A punch-in-the-code pad? A remote that requires batteries? A system that responds to light or sound (siren) frequencies?
2. Updates. If you have a key-pad, who reports updates or changes in the code to the authorities? In two of the stories I read, the management company for the community had changed. The new company changed the code. Nobody reported the changes to the local dispatch.
3. Keys. If you have a lock-box system with a unique key, who manages the keys to your community? Does each gated community in your area have a different key, requiring First Responders to have a huge key ring? What assurance do you have that the key has not been compromised or illegally duplicated?
4. Knox Box. A common lock-box system is called the Knox Box. (Open the box to get to a switch that opens the gate or to a key to open a gate, a home, etc.) All boxes in a local area operate off the same key. If you have a Knox Box, how do First Responders keep track of their master key? Is it floating around somewhere in the cab of the fire engine?
5. Power outage. And the most important question of all: What happens to your gates when the power goes out? Do your gates have a fail-safe override mechanism that allows a gate that isn’t working properly to be manually pushed open so that vehicles or people are neither locked in nor locked out?

Some years ago I lived in an apartment building in Northern California that had parking under the building. I drove in through a gate that raised up when I pressed my “clicker.” When the power went off, the gate remained down. It was way too heavy to lift by hand. If I had the key to the “pedestrian gate,” I could park outside the building and get in through a locked gate near the pool. Otherwise, I was stuck standing outside on the street.

Now I live in a gated community in Southern California. (Don’t worry, I’ve lived in other states too!) Several years ago we upgraded our unmanned gates to the Click2Enter system.  Residents get a battery-powered clicker; First Responders open the gates with a click of their mobile or portable radio transceiver (which has to be programmed with specific frequencies).  First Responders enter with no noise and no fuss. (That’s our gate in the photo. You can see the blue and white Click2Enter box attached at the left side of the center column.)

When the power goes out temporarily, our gates can continue to operate on back-up battery power. (We can count on several power outages a year.) In an extended outage, the gates will open and then remain open.  (This has caused our Emergency Response Group’s security committee to make special plans to keep strangers from entering. That’s another post for a later day.) .

Since we’ve had no problems, we had no idea of what to expect until we began to dig into the issue.  I suggest you dig into the details of your own gates before something happens in your community or at your workplace. The fact that there seem to be few if any building standards for gate operation means you may come up with a surprise!

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

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