| With all the recent natural disasters over the last | | | | use these tools. The tools should be non-sparking, |
| several years I started to think about what would | | | | usually made from brass, so that you do not |
| happen it one of these happened near my home. | | | | cause a fire from a random spark. |
| I looked around my house and soon realized that | | | | You absolutely will have to have access to a fire |
| I was in no way ready to meet one of these | | | | extinguisher included in your emergency |
| emergency situations is they occurred. I stared to | | | | preparedness kit. The type of extinguisher you |
| do some research at the library and on the | | | | get it important and you should get an ABC dry |
| Internet, and found there are a handful of areas | | | | chemical style. With this type of unit you will be |
| you need to be ready for in case of an | | | | able to handle three types of fires around your |
| earthquake, tornado, blizzard, or any other type | | | | home with the usual combustion fires, any type |
| of natural disaster that you may encounter. Here | | | | of flammable liquid, and also an electrical fire. You |
| are some of the things I found out. | | | | need to take a loot at the pressure from time to |
| The very first thing you need to do is put | | | | time and make sure it is adequate and ready to |
| together your own first aid kit. The store bought | | | | go at all times. |
| kids really are not adequate, and you want to | | | | It is critical that you have some water stored up |
| make sure you get high quality components for | | | | for these emergency situations. I should really |
| your kit. If you do not have ready access to | | | | have put this item first, because you can live |
| emergency services you need a much better | | | | many days without food, but not without water. |
| lever of protection. You will have to acquire | | | | The basic rule of thumb is to store up one gallon |
| components such as real trauma dressings, a | | | | person in your household per day for a minimum |
| special CPR barrier type mask, many different | | | | of seven days, but fourteen would be even |
| types dressings, several rolls of gauze, special first | | | | better. You can store this water in specialized |
| aid scissors, a genuine first aid splint. This is just | | | | trash can sized containers and treat them with a |
| the basic level you will need, and you should also | | | | water preserver which will last up to five years. |
| consider adding some burn dressings, bottles of | | | | Also, buy some water purification tables and keep |
| sterilized water, and some specialized solutions to | | | | them as part of your emergency preparedness |
| act as disinfectants like boric acid. | | | | kit. |
| If you encounter an earthquake the very first | | | | One final item to include with your disaster |
| think you want to be able to do is shutoff your | | | | preparedness is a radio so you can tune in to |
| natural gas supply. To do this you will need a | | | | emergency broadcast stations and find some |
| specialized tool or you will not be able to turn it | | | | short wave operators as well. You can find special |
| off. This also includes your water utility, as you | | | | solar crank radios that can run off of batteries, an |
| may have several broken lines spewing out water | | | | included solar panel, and even a hand crank |
| and you need to shut them off as well. You need | | | | generator. The rechargeable batteries are |
| to contact your utility companies and find out | | | | specialized units than can store a ninety percent |
| exactly what type of tool you need. Once you | | | | charge for up to ten years. You will want to have |
| acquire them you need to go outside and look at | | | | the ability to contact the outside world, and these |
| your meters and find out how exactly you will | | | | solar radios are perfect. |