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Preparing Your Kids For An Emergency

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It’s scary to think you might be separated from your child in an emergency. All the fires we are having here are making me think about our family emergency plan. When I got divorced one of my biggest fears was that there would be some sort of disaster and I wouldn’t be able to get to Hailey. She went to school on the other side of town from where I worked so if there was an earthquake I probably would not be able to get to her. Once she got a little older and had a cell phone I took … Continue reading →

Developing an Emergency Action Plan

When you work in a traditional setting, such as an office, if you experience an emergency you can usually call into work. Or you might have the number to your boss. That was the situation our family faced a couple of weeks ago when my sister, who works in an office building, was involved in a car accident. Her husband just had to pick up the phone and leave a message with her boss that she had been injured and wouldn’t be into work the next day but they would keep her informed. But last week I learned that when … Continue reading →

The Importance of Cash in an Emergency Kit

Why do you need cash in your emergency kit, and how much should you have available? Where should that cash be stored? These are all questions that should be answered if you want to be prepared. In an emergency situation, cash can come in handy if there is no access to electronic transactions and you need supplies. In most emergencies, you will probably not need cash, since either stores will be closed or inaccessible. There are some instance where having cash would be invaluable. You might need cash for tolls or campground fees if you need to evacuate to another … Continue reading →

How Many Towels and Blankets Do You Need in Your Emergency Kit?

While we often talk a lot about the amount of food and water that we need to have in an emergency kit, there often aren’t a lot of guidelines around other items, such as linen, blankets, towels, etc. How many of these items should you make sure that you have? Here are some guidelines to help you be prepared. In general, you should pack one blanket, one towel and one sleeping bag per person in your family for your emergency kit. However, if you live in a cold climate or on a climate where it gets cold in the winter, … Continue reading →

How to Pick an Emergency Contact

Designating an emergency contact is a very important part in the plan to disaster proof your home and your family. This step can take as little as five minutes, although it is easy to overlook, and most people ignore it. Here is what you need to know in order to pick an emergency contact. Get this step done, if you want to be really prepared for potential emergencies and disaster. What will you do if an emergency strikes and you can’t get any information about what is happening? What will you do if your family members are in different locations, … Continue reading →

Having Somewhere to Go in an Emergency

If you are ordered to evacuate your home it is extremely important that you do not delay but leave as quickly as possible. If possible, evacuate before the official order is made. Not only will a quick escape increase your chances of rescue and survival in an emergency, but it will often shorten your travel time. Families and individuals who wait until the last moment often experience traffic congestion that delays getting to the right destination. Having an emergency to go kit can help you just pick up and get to safety, but assuming that you are prepared with supplies, … Continue reading →

5 Ways For Your Child to Help Prepare an Emergency Kit

If you have not already prepared an emergency kit for your children, you may want to enlist their help as you do so. This will help your children be comfortable with what is inside their kits. It will also give them something familiar to help them a scary situation. In a small child’s kit you may not put as much food (you would put in yours instead), but rather comfort items and activities. In an older child’s kit you would make it nearly as complete as your own. Here are five steps to having your child help you prepare the … Continue reading →

Creating a Family Disaster Plan

Whether they’re earthquakes on the West Coast or hurricanes on the East Coast, disasters are getting a lot of air time these days, and for good reason. They’re scary, they cause damage and death, and they cause a lot of stress on families. A few days ago I wrote about items you can have on hand to get ready for a disaster. However, disaster preparedness is a lot more than stuff. A good disaster plan also involves thinking about how you’ll keep your family safe and connected during and after a disaster. Think about your typical day. If you’re in … Continue reading →

Off to the Races

If you’ve waited this long to go back-to-school shopping, may the force be with you. Be prepared to dig through Halloween candy and costumes to get to the pencils, notebooks and binders featured on your child’s school supply list. Retailers have no mercy on procrastinating parents. Most erected their school supply displays at 12:01 a.m. on July 5th. Heaven forbid you dared to actually savor the season outside with your family at that time instead of huddling around shelves covered with highlighters and glue sticks. Tardy shoppers are now being forced to employ a GPS to find pink erasers and … Continue reading →

Bath Safety

There are so many accidents that occur in the bath, so it makes sense to prepare your home in such a way as to avoid these accidents, which in some cases can be really tragic. Bath safety is especially important in home with children or seniors, the two groups that are often affected by accidents in the bath. Here are some ways that you can be prepared to keep everyone safe. Install grab bars in bathtubs and showers to provide solid support. This will help prevent falls. People often grab for towel racks and soap dishes, either to get in … Continue reading →