The recent California earthquakes have had several positive results here where we live, in Southern California.
I already mentioned how our neighborhood emergency response group volunteers jumped into action after the 7.1 quake on July 6. There they were, out in the dark with their walkie-talkies, talking to people, passing along info to our mobile radio command post.
What happened the next day, though, was actually more exciting. Everywhere you could hear the second positive result from the earthquake: ordinary citizens talking and talking about the quakes and how to be more prepared next time!
“How should I be storing water? Do you have a water barrel? What about plastic bottles?”
“What’s the chance of a broken gas line? Should we turn off the gas?”
“What if I am trapped in my house?”
And hooray! Positive result #3 — Two more neighbors decided to join the team!
I am busy assembling the “recruiting” kits – some basic info and instructions, plus the two most important items for team members: a fluorescent vest and a battery-operated walkie-talkie.
If you are figuring out what your next move ought to be for summer – consider getting a couple of walkie-talkies!
They are fun for families camping, hiking or heading to a county fair. Small kids and teens like them. They are essential if you have wandering children or lagging-behind grandparents! And if you are interested in building a neighborhood emergency response team, you’ll want to practice with those walkie-talkies before you decide which ones to buy.
I’ve written reviews of the top 5 or 6 models every year. If you are really interested in more detail, please check out that page. There’s a whole lot of info there to absorb before you make a big buying decision.
Here’s a recommendation for you.
In the meanwhile, here’s information about my favorite model
– and the one we use for our local neighborhood group. Simple, straightforward,
flexible. These use AAA batteries or rechargeables; you
can also recharge by plugging into the wall. A pair costs less that a dinner
out – and will make your summer a whole lot more memorable! (Click on the image
to get details and prices at Amazon.)
If you manage to get a pair of walkie-talkies as a result of the earthquakes and of reading this Advisory, that would be the best positive result of all!
Virginia Your Emergency Plan Guide team
Day 10 of Summer Vacation: A time for some shorter and lighter Advisories as a welcome change-of-pace!
If you are a dedicated spring cleaner, you’ve already taken care of the windows. You may have done some spring cleaning in closets or in the garage, too. And when the time changed a few weeks ago, you undoubtedly checked the batteries in the smoke alarms. (You did, didn’t you?)
With summer coming up quickly, it will be easy to get caught up in end-of-school parties, vacation plans, etc. In the midst of that, your spring cleaning may get interrupted, along with some of your good preparedness habits.
Here are a few quick reminders for your family and your neighborhood team. Click on the images to get more details on these items from Amazon.
Walkie-talkie spring cleaning.
Yesterday we picked up my daughter at the airport. While Joe circled, I hopped out with a walkie-talkie so we could keep in touch. This is one of the most convenient uses for these hand-held radios! No dialing, no busy signals, no dropping of the signal. Just push to talk: “OK, I see her! “OK, we’re at gate 3, right at the crosswalk.”
But the walkie-talkies have to have good batteries! Actually, we have added walkie-talkie battery replacement to our twice-a-year Daylight Savings Time checklist.
Last week we also added 10 more walkie-talkies to our supply for our neighborhood group Block Captains. The Uniden model continues to be our favorite, and prices haven’t gone up much at all. Here’s the model we buy – less than $25 for a set of 2:
If you are building your emergency team, or are planning family outings that will involve keeping track of each other in crowds (like a theme park) or in the woods, consider Walkie-talkies for your own family use. For short-distance communications they really can’t be beat.
Spruce up safety clothing.
Some clothing items seem to find their way into dark corners
and onto the floor of the trunk of the car. I’m referring to sweatshirts,
gloves, hats, etc.
With summer coming, it’s time to clean out and be ready for warmer weather. But don’t forget the safety gear that you KEEP in the car.
For example, we have found that having colored shirts and/or
reflective vests are smart additions to our usual car survival kits.
Heading for Disneyland? If everyone in the family — Mom, Dad, Grandpa, Kid 1, Kid 2, Kid 3, etc.! — is wearing the same bright-colored T-shirt you will be a lot easier to spot!
Being on the street in the dark next to a disabled car is terribly dangerous! A reflective vest becomes an important safety item on the street and a reassurance in a campground at night.
Last week when we put in our order for more walkie-talkies for our team we also bought 10 more reflective vests for our neighborhood group Block Captains. They are amazingly modest in price! (It’s not like we are wearing these every day, so they don’t need to be top of the line.) I chose these because they have pockets, and the package came with an extra vest in child-size!
Click on the link below the imageto get full details.
How many flashlights and emergency radios do you actually
have, when you add up all the ones in the cars and in the house?
Guess what, they probably all use batteries! And have you noticed
the rule that says batteries will whimper and die just when you really need
them?
So, the competent Prepper adds a flashlight check and battery replacement exercise to the spring cleaning list.
Over the years we have tested and tested different
batteries. The best ones one year seem to lose place to another manufacturer
the next year. So we simple buy batteries on a regular basis.
Again, you probably need different sizes. Here’s a convenient pack with the AA and AAA sizes most common for our flashlights and walkie-talkies. Click on the image for exact pricing.
You may want to separate batteries and put a set of extra ones – of the right size – in a plastic baggy that you store alongside the item they belong with. When the power is out you can’t be searching through your battery box . . .!
Here’s an image of one of our flashlights. Note the green batteries in the holder which will be replaced with the gold ones stored in the bag.
Always replace all batteries when you replace one.
Car survival kit spring cleaning.
We’ve spent time before on everything to consider for the survival
kits you carry in your car.
For spring cleaning, it may be enough to simply refresh.
Go through your first aid kits and replace old bandages, anything that has cracked or gotten wet. Recycle old medicines and put in new ones. Add anything you’ll need for summer, including sunscreen and dark glasses.
Replace all your snack food with new packages. Canned stuff may last a while longer, but why not eat it up now and put new things in its place?
Remove kids’ items that they have outgrown, and replace with more appropriate things – we’re talking games, toys, etc.
Consider adding a new battery-chargerfor your devices. As we’ve written before, the “power packs” store enough to charge your phone more than once. (Scroll to the P.S. in that Advisory for an example of a popular power pack.) And solar-powered chargersare now ubiquitous. Both make good gifts, too.
Communications update.
Do all family members have updated phone numbers? Do all response team members have updated phone numbers for their neighbors? Now’s a good time to refresh this info.
And test family members’ memory. Can they recite the phone number of your out-of-town contact? (Make it a contest as you are driving to that vacation spot. . .)
Insurance review.
We see so many ads on TV about saving money by switching
auto insurance. Maybe you have switched, and actually saved money!
When it comes to other insurances, it’s important to shop
and compare, too. Given the past couple of years’ dramatic storms, fires and
floods, you may discover that the coverage you thought you had has changed, or
is going up in cost. Or maybe you thought you were covered and you haven’t been
covered at all! Or you are now required to have coverage that you didn’t have
to have when you bought your house years ago!
Check out these Advisories for important questions to have ready when you talk with your insurance agent.
