Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency (CRESA): 12weeks

Showing posts with label 12weeks. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Disaster Shopping List: All Items

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For the past 12 weeks, we have posted a few things to add to your weekly shopping list so that you are more fully prepared for emergencies; however, we know that some of you like to shop "all at once" or have a checklist to work from that is all inclusive.

Here is what we've posted to put together a great starter preparedness kit:

2 boxes of large, plastic zip bags
2 rolls of aluminum foil
2 boxes of heavy duty garbage bags
Large, portable plastic tote or garbage can with lid (for storing your items)
Water (one gallon, per person, per day...extra for pets)
Granola bars with a long shelf life
Cereal
Canned fruit
Canned vegetables
4-5 cans of meat
1 jar of jam or jelly
1 jar of peanut butter
Box(es) of saltine crackers
Bags of beef jerky
Cans of juice
Manual can opener
Instant coffee/tea/powdered drinks
2 packages of eating utensils, paper cups & paper plates
Tissues
2 rolls of paper towels
4 rolls of toilet paper
Liquid dish soap
Matches (waterproof is best)
Latex or Nitrile gloves
Unscented liquid bleach
Hand Sanitizer
Toothpaste & toothbrushes
First aid tape, gauze & bandages
First aid guide
Hydrogen peroxide
Deodorant
Shampoo
NOAA Weather Radio
Pain reliever pills
Anti-diarrhea medicine
Prescription (even if you can't get extra, make it a practice to fill on the first date possible, not the last)
Scissors
Safety glasses
Utility knife or multi-purpose tool
Battery operated, hand-crank radio (and not the super cheap kind that are worthless)
Extra batteries
Flashlights
Heavy work gloves
Disposable dust mask
Fire extinguisher
Handsaw or chainsaw with fuel
Tarp or large canvas
Crowbar
Hammer & nails
Battery powered camping lantern
Extra batteries (including cell phone batteries)
Portable grill or stove with fuel
Disposable camera
Special food needs (for allergies, religion or diabetes)
Baby food, bottle or infant formula (if you have young children in your house)
Diapers, as needed
Pet food, as needed
Leash & pet carrier, as needed
Spare eyeglasses or contact supplies, as needed
Items for denture care, as needed
Feminine hygiene products, as needed
Any other medical or mobility supplies, as needed
Games or activities
Books
Set of paper maps of your area
Duct Tape

We realize that this list is not perfect and likely missing a few key things. Remember, preparedness kits have to be adjusted to meet the needs of your household and adjusted each year based on how your family changes. Remember, everything you do for preparedness can be helpful in a variety of other circumstances. You just never know when having these items on hand could be a real life saver.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Disaster Shopping List: Week 12

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This is the last week of our Emergency Preparedness Shopping List. We hope the past 12 weeks have inspired you to consider how you may start or boost your family preparedness kit.

So, what do you need to round out your disaster supply kit? Here are some things to consider adding:

Games & activities to pass the time
Books to read
Paper-based road maps in case you need to make an alternate evacuation route from your home
Duct Tape (which is the answer to every emergency, right?)

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Disaster Shopping List: Week 11

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We're almost to the end of our 12-week emergency preparedness shopping extravaganza. It's hard to believe that a mere 11 weeks ago, you were totally unprepared for disaster, but look at you now, right?

Hopefully, you have followed each of the blog posts and now have an awesome start to a preparedness kit. This week, we are going to focus on "Special Items As Needed" based on your needs and the needs of those in your household. So, you may need some of these items, but not all.

Here is the list to consider for Week 11:

Food for special diets (like food allergies, religious preferences or for medical conditions)
Baby food, bottles or infant formula
Diapers (be sure to update sizes as your child grows as a size 1 diaper may be tough to use on your size 5 baby!)
Pet food (your animal is going to look very sad if he or she runs out of food before you do)
Leash and pet carrier
Spare eyeglasses or contact supplies
Items for denture care
Extra hearing aids and batteries
Feminine hygiene supplies
Any other medical or mobility supplies you or your household may require

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Disaster Shopping List: Week 10

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We're coming to the home stretch of our preparedness shopping list with only four items to get this week and you may even already have them! But before you strain your arm patting yourself on the back, you still need to know right where these items are and check to see if they are in operable condition.

So, what are these mystery items?

Battery powered camping lantern (handy for longer term power outages)
Extra batteries (especially for your lantern and your mobile phone!)
Portable grill or stove with fuel (which should NEVER be used inside your house!)
Disposable camera (to document losses for insurance purposes)

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Disaster Shopping List: Week 9

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Last week, we focused on smaller tools and this week, we're stepping it up a notch. Hopefully, many of you will have these items already in your garage, but if not, consider adding them to a trip to your local hardware store.

Handsaw or chainsaw with fuel (if you live in a wooded area, you probably already get good use out of these with trees that go down in local windstorms)
Tarp or large canvas (it's a good idea to store one of these in your vehicle for tasks as simple as changing your tire!)
Crowbar
Hammer and nails

These items are particularly handy to have following an earthquake. You may find yourself needing to remove rubble or do a quick repair job to make an area safe. And, if you are a member of a local Zombie Squad or just interested in preparing for the possibility of a zombie attack, these tools should already be on your list.

If you have missed the previous week's posts, here is a list. Never fear, we will post a summary at the end of our 12-week guide for the full shopping list.

Week #1: http://cresa911.blogspot.com/2011/07/shopping-list-week-1.html
Week #2: http://cresa911.blogspot.com/2011/07/shopping-list-week-2.html
Week #3: http://cresa911.blogspot.com/2011/07/disaster-shopping-list-week-3.html
Week #4: http://cresa911.blogspot.com/2011/07/disaster-shopping-list-week-4.html
Week #5: http://cresa911.blogspot.com/2011/08/disaster-shopping-list-week-5.html
Week #6: http://cresa911.blogspot.com/2011/08/disaster-shopping-list-week-6.html
Week #7: http://cresa911.blogspot.com/2011/08/disaster-shopping-list-week-7.html
Week #8: http://cresa911.blogspot.com/2011/08/disaster-shopping-list-week-8.html

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Disaster Shopping List: Week 8

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Welcome to Wednesday and our midweek wander into what items should be in all of our emergency kits. If these items aren't there yet, add them to a shopping trip in your near future so that you are better prepared when you find you really need to use these items.

Today, it's Tool Time for your Preparedness Shopping List

Scissors
Safety Glasses or Goggles
Utility Knife or multi-tool
Battery-operated hand-crank radio (Hint: Don't skimp on this item. Cheap versions of these radios are often useless and don't work well enough to really be reliable during an emergency.)
Extra batteries
Flashlights (Again, buy a decent flashlight. Don't rely on the freebie one that you received when you signed up for your checking account. You will need a good flashlight more than you realize in any emergency.)
Heavy duty work gloves
Disposable dust mask (these are pretty cheap, but can be handy in any dust, ash or severe weather situation
Fire extinguisher (you should have one of these on every floor of your house and a small one in your kit. You should also know how to use it!)

This week is a little harder on the wallet, but seriously, it will be a lot cheaper to have these items on hand now rather than trying to chase these items down when the shelves are empty after a major emergency.

If you missed the previous weeks' of shopping lists, see the links below. At week 12, we will publish all of these items in one easy post for you!

Week #1: http://cresa911.blogspot.com/2011/07/shopping-list-week-1.html
Week #2: http://cresa911.blogspot.com/2011/07/shopping-list-week-2.html
Week #3: http://cresa911.blogspot.com/2011/07/disaster-shopping-list-week-3.html
Week #4: http://cresa911.blogspot.com/2011/07/disaster-shopping-list-week-4.html
Week #5: http://cresa911.blogspot.com/2011/08/disaster-shopping-list-week-5.html
Week #6: http://cresa911.blogspot.com/2011/08/disaster-shopping-list-week-6.html
Week #7: http://cresa911.blogspot.com/2011/08/disaster-shopping-list-week-7.html

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Disaster Shopping List: Week 7

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This week, we're going to focus on some medications you should add to your emergency preparedness kit. Considering adding the following items to your kit so that they are available in times of crisis:

Pain Relievers
Fever Reducers
Anti-Gas & Anti-diarrhea medication
Extra personal prescription medication......now this always poses a concern for folks because pharmacies are often restricted from giving out extras of certain types of medications.

We recommend that you share your desire to "be prepared" with your doctor and be mindful of keeping at least a 3-day extra supply on-hand. Even if your prescriptions won't allow for an early refill, get in the habit of not waiting until the last day. Complete your refills on the first allowable day so that if you are caught by surprise by an emergency, your medical prescriptions don't complicate an already crisis-oriented day.

If you missed the previous weeks' of shopping lists, see the links below. At week 12, we will publish all of these items in one easy post for you!

Week #1: http://cresa911.blogspot.com/2011/07/shopping-list-week-1.html

Week #2: http://cresa911.blogspot.com/2011/07/shopping-list-week-2.html

Week #3: http://cresa911.blogspot.com/2011/07/disaster-shopping-list-week-3.html

Week #4: http://cresa911.blogspot.com/2011/07/disaster-shopping-list-week-4.html

Week #5: http://cresa911.blogspot.com/2011/08/disaster-shopping-list-week-5.html

Week #6: http://cresa911.blogspot.com/2011/08/disaster-shopping-list-week-6.html

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Disaster Shopping List: Week 5

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It's time again to start putting together your weekly shopping list. We are now in Week #5 of this 12-week shopping series about things that you can buy to better enhance your personal preparedness.

This week, we focus on Health & First Aid, a must in any emergency situation.

Here are your Week #5 Shopping Items:

Hand Sanitizer (great for killing germs and can also be a good fire starter)
Toothpaste and toothbrushes for each member of your family
First aid tape, gauze and bandages
First aid manual (or if you use a smart phone, download an application that shows how to apply first aid)

So, if you've been following along so far, you should have containers, food, water, utensils and now you can kill germs, start fires and perform some basic first aid, all with minty fresh breath! You are on your way to having supplies on hand to help you in many types of emergencies.

If you missed the previous weeks of shopping lists, here are the links:

Week #1: http://cresa911.blogspot.com/2011/07/shopping-list-week-1.html
Week #2: http://cresa911.blogspot.com/2011/07/shopping-list-week-2.html
Week #3: http://cresa911.blogspot.com/2011/07/disaster-shopping-list-week-3.html
Week #4: http://cresa911.blogspot.com/2011/07/disaster-shopping-list-week-4.html

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Disaster Shopping List: Week 4

Happy Wednesday to everyone! If you subscribe to the newspaper, Tuesdays often bring some additional store coupons which can be clipped to help you better prepare for emergencies.

For the past 3 weeks, you've been given a few items to buy to better enhance your family's readiness to encounter crisis. If you've been following these posts, you should already have containers, water, and some food.

Now, it's time to add in some helpful tools and utensils that will be necessary to your kit.

Here are your Week #4 Shopping List items:

2 packages of eating utensils, paper cups and paper plates
Tissues
2 rolls of paper towels
4 rolls of toilet paper
Liquid dish soap
Matches (waterproof, preferably)
Latex or Nitrile gloves
Unscented liquid bleach (for cleaning and/or water purification)

If you missed our previous week shopping lists, here are the links to:

Week #1: http://cresa911.blogspot.com/2011/07/shopping-list-week-1.html
Week #2: http://cresa911.blogspot.com/2011/07/shopping-list-week-2.html
Week #3: http://cresa911.blogspot.com/2011/07/disaster-shopping-list-week-3.html

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Disaster Shopping List, Week 3

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It's Wednesday and time for your Week 3 shopping list mission! If you've been faithfully reading and following the advice of our good friends at Cowlitz Emergency Management, you should now have containers, water, food and other sundry tems.

Now , it's time for more food to keep your family nourished in case of an emergency. As you roam the aisles in search of bargains this week, throw in these extra items for your emergency kit:

1 jar of jam or jelly
1 jar of peanut butter
Box(es) of saltine crackers
Bag(s) of beef jerky
Large can(s) of juice and a manual can opener
Instant coffee, tea and powder drinks
Consider keeping a few loaves of bread in the freezer and rotating them every few months.

These items shouldn't cost a fortune and will keep you fed when the lights are out. Remember to scale the food you store to the family size you have! If you have a larger family, keep more food on hand.

Keep it easy.....just doing one thing each day to better prepare yourself will help you keep a keen eye towards the safety of you and your family.

If you missed our previous week shopping lists, here are the links to:
Week #1: http://cresa911.blogspot.com/2011/07/shopping-list-week-1.html
Week #2: http://cresa911.blogspot.com/2011/07/shopping-list-week-2.html

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Shopping List: Week 2

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It's Wednesday again and time to share about several things that you can add to your weekly shopping list to enhance your personal preparedness. Thanks again to our friends at Cowlitz County Emergency Management for sharing their creativity with us for this blog series!

Remember this motto: The only difference between adventure and disaster is preparedness!

Here is "Week 2" of your 12-week shopping guide:

Water (one gallon per person, per day for at least 3 days and more if you have pets)
Granola Bars with a long shelf life
Cereal
Canned fruit (enough for each person in your family for 3 days)
Canned vegetables (something you and your family will actually eat, no need to torture yourself with lima beans if you know you'd rather starve than eat them!)
4-5 cans of meat (this doesn't have to be unidentifiable mystery meat, there are some very tasty varieties of chicken or tuna available these days)

And that is it for this week! Put all of these new treasures into the large plastic tote that you bought last week and you're on your way.

Now, you may be tempted to grab some cheap canned food at an outlet or liquidator, but remember to consider the reason for why those canned foods are discounted. Often, it is because their "use-by" date is rapidly approaching, which is counter-productive for long-term storage. Take a minute to look at the expiration date and be sure you can store it for 6 months to a year.

Check us out next Wednesday to receive your next shopping mission!

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Shopping List: Week 1

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Our friends at Cowlitz County Emergency Management put together a great 12-week guide to shopping to enhance your emergency preparedness kits.

Over the next 12 weeks on Wednesdays, CRESA will share their 12 posts so that you can consider whether you have these items already in your home or whether you might put them on your weekend grocery list.

Remember this motto: The only difference between adventure and disaster is preparedness!

Here is "Week 1" of your 12-week shopping guide:

2 boxes of large plastic zip bags to keep things organized and waterproof
2 rolls of aluminum foil for emergency cooking
2 boxes of heavy duty garbage bags for sanitation, garbage, shelter-buidling or other fun uses
Large portable plastic tote or box with a lid to store everything in

Check us out next Wednesday to receive your next shopping mission!