Emergency Disaster Planning: Building a Bug-Out Kit

Article by: Soni Pitts

Report after report comes in about how many people couldn't or didn't escape the wrath of Hurricane Katrina. More reports come in about the disorganized relief effort, the communications problems they're having and the difficulty in getting survivors to safety , Building healthy homes: Want to secure the health and life of your family at home? even when they are reachable by rescue personnel.

Hopefully, few of us will ever be caught in such a widespread and devastating disaster , Tropical Depression and Storm Gordon is Growing as Hurricane Katrina. But should a natural , Hurricane Shutters or man-made disaster , Tropical Storm Nadine threaten your family or force an evacuation, having a fully-stocked and easily-reached emergency , Home Security - How You Can Help the Police Before Your Property is Stolen "bug-out" bag could help save , Building healthy homes: Want to secure the health and life of your family at home? your life during the first stages, and help make rescue, recovery and a return to normalcy easier and more successful.

A bug-out bag is basically a duffle bag or other easy to carry luggage piece stocked with the following items:

Photocopies of important documents such as birth certificates, drivers' licenses and so on for the entire family. Note: keep the originals in a safe , Hurricane Shutters deposit box or other safe place , What Everyone Should Know About Reducing the Risk of Identity Theft - non-notarized photocopies cannot generally be used for official actions like getting a drivers license, but are more than fine for temporary ID in emergency , Tropical Storm Nadine situations. And don't forget insurance papers and other items you might need to begin rebuilding.

A small sum of cash ($20-50) for immediate emergency , How To Improve Your Home's Security And Privacy use.

A temporary supply of prescription drugs in their originally-labeled containers, regularly rotated for freshness. This is easily done by buying one refill ahead. As you finish your current package or bottle, take the next one out of the bag and replace with a newly purchased refill.

A supply of meal replacement and energy , Home Safety Tips bars. Look for items that are designed more for calorie and nutrient density, such as protein bars and hikers' meal bars, rather than those sold as snack products , Alarm Controls are the Brain of your Security System, Use Yours When Choosing One or candy bar substitutes. You can also include dried foods , Alarms - What Do We Do? or hiking meals and other lightweight, easy to prepare and eat items such as nuts, small candies and oatmeal packs.

A water , How To Improve Your Home's Security And Privacy purification kit or hiker's filter system. Bottled water , Keeping Your Home Safe While on Vacation is bulky, heavy and goes stale quickly. Dirty water, , Home Security: Do You Have The Right Door? while distasteful, can often be easily found, roughly filtered through cloth to remove large particulate matter and then sterilized for safe , Estate and Mega-Yacht Security Systems and Rooms drinking. In a worst-case scenario, boiling dirty water , Home Security - How Safe is Your Home and What Can You Do to Make it Safer? for 15 minutes will serve until alternatives can be found.

A pre-paid phone , How To Successfully Use Home Security Cameras card and a list of relatives, friends and emergency , Is Your Home an Easy Prey to Burglars? numbers. Check for expiration date and rotate out or renew as needed.

A non-battery-dependent, rechargeable flashlight, radio and cell phone , Hurricane Shutters charger, if you have a phone , How To Successfully Use Home Security Cameras (alternatives include solar, , Keep Your Family Safe from Home and Holiday Fire Hazards squeeze-charge or kinetically charged options). Even when phone , Abatement Programs for Fire Season service was available, many Katrina survivors could not call , Building healthy homes: Want to secure the health and life of your family at home? out to get help or update relatives because their phones , Alarm System Industry Changes Will Effect All Security Alarm Users in 2006 were dead and there was no power. , CCTV Keep in mind also that even when phone , A Step-by-Step Guide for Choosing a Home Security System service is spotty, small text messages can sometime get through.

A multi-tool (the kind with blades, pliers, screwdrivers and so on) for taking care of small but sometimes life-or-death repairs , Wireless Home Security Systems and jury-rigs.

A small first aid , Building healthy homes: Want to secure the health and life of your family at home? kit containing at least bandages of various sizes, antiseptic ointment, sunscreen, a bottle of contact lens saline solution (good for cleaning injuries and flushing eyes) and OTC pain relievers.

A safety , Gas Scootersav lighter and a few small candles. Never light , Where Does Safety & Security Begin? Security Expert Explains these unless you are sure that there is no chance of an explosion from natural , Abatement Programs for Fire Season gas, propane or other leaking fuels. For safety, , Gas Scootersav use your flashlight for your primary light , How to Protect with Home Security, Security Window Bars, Security Windows, Security Window Laminates source. Save , Alarm System: Wireless Remotes the lighter and candles for starting cooking or heating fires. , CCTV

An indelible, waterproof black permanent marker (buy new and keep in package until needed, to maintain freshness). Useful for many things including leaving notes for rescuers or others on whatever is at hand, marking your gear at a shelter, and writing ID and medical info on the arms of kids, the elderly, the ill or anyone who may become separated or are unable to speak for themselves. (There are also white , Home Security - How You Can Help the Police Before Your Property is Stolen markers that can be used for darker-skinned individuals, or simply write on a lighter area of their body). Sturdy hospital or nightclub-style ID bracelets are also handy for this purpose. Note: there is always danger in having children's ID plainly visible to strangers. Use your best judgment in each situation to weigh the various benefits and concerns.

Don't forget the pets! Keep their carriers handy, clean and ready to go. Your kit should have any food, , Home Security Tips To Help Prevent Crime medications, leashes and important papers necessary for them, as well. Not all evacuation shelters will take animals. If you have pets, it is important that you know ahead of time where they can go and how you will take care of them in an emergency. , International Terrorist 911 Style Cyber Attack

The bag should be checked and the edibles or expirables rotated at least every 6 months or as needed (schedule a regular check during daylight savings changeovers, when you also check your smoke alarm , System: Wireless Remotes batteries and do other seasonal activities). Although this will cover most survival situations, you should customize it to fit your needs (toiletries, special gear, food , The Importance Of Location additives, small paperback books, etc). Just keep in mind the weight and size of the final kit and that in an emergency , Home Security: Do You Have The Right Door? situation you may have to carry it for a long time over rough terrain while tired, hungry or even injured.

Your bug-out kit should be placed near the main entrance and exit, or in an easy-to-reach central location. , Tropical Depression and Tropical Storm Nadine Every member of the family should know where it is and to make sure it is part of any emergency , How To Improve Your Home's Security And Privacy evacuation. (It is important to stress, however, that no one ever go after any item, even the emergency , Insurance In The Form Of A Swimming Pool Safety Fence bag, in the case of a house fire. , What Everyone Should Know About Reducing the Risk of Identity Theft In that case, focus only on getting out as soon as you can.) Smaller versions of this bag can also be kept in offices and vehicles.

Although having a bug-out kit cannot guarantee your safety, , Tropical Depression and Storm Gordon is Growing it goes a long way toward ensuring that you and your family have the best chance possible of making it through any unforeseen emergency , Hurricane Preparedness as healthy , Document Shredding: Destroying The Things That You Value and safe , Where Does ty & Security Begin? Security Expert Explains as possible.

About the author

Soni Pitts is a professional freelance writer who provides copywriting, editing and related services in addition to her regular freelance work. She also covers the Networking beat as an associate writer for http://www.wordbrains.com>Wordbrains. Need copy? Email Soni at writer@sonipitts.com for more information. , Home Safety Tips

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