Nashville fire department ambulance
Essential Items To Purchase For An Emergency
In this article we will discuss the bare essential items that you should purchase and have on hand in the event of an emergency in and/or around your home. The emergency could be caused by a natural disaster, human carelessness, an accident or more recently, a supply shortage. And for those that feel extra preparation is only for the extreme. Keep in mind that just about all of us prepare for bad situations one way or the other. An example would be having automobile insurance in case you or your family is involved in an auto accident. Or your car is damaged from vandalism or a natural disaster. Another example would be having jumper cables in your car in case you or someone that you come across needs a boost. In other words preparing is a common behavior. Though some of us may go to farther extreme in doing so.
What the list contains
Below you will find a basic list of items you may need during a light emergency. An emergency such as an unexpected power loss, an issue with the city water supply to your home or a supply shortage at your local grocery stores. This particular list is just a start. And is by no means comprehensive. But it will give most of you a good foundation to start with.
The list will start with what’s considered to be the most important. Things that you can’t survive without for an extended period of time. And what most will rush to the local stores and clear the shelves of at the last minute in an emergency.
And then afterward we’ll discuss the reasons why you should have each particular item in the list.
Your emergency kit should include enough of each item for your family members to last at least 72 hours.
What you need
- Water
- Food
- Flashlights (with extra batteries)
- First Aid Supplies
- Prescription Medication
- A Small Power bank
- Toilet Paper
Why you need each item in the list
1. First, lets talk about water. A good rule of thumb is the average person can go about three days without water. But there are definitely a lot of variables that could affect that. Especially if you’re injured, sick or you’re a diabetic. Or a host of other chronic conditions. So keep that in mind when you’re building up your supplies. Bottled water is fairly cheap. A case of it would average around $5.00 or less. But you could also store tap water as well. But you must store it properly.
2. Next, let’s discuss food. Many medical articles state that the average person can go one to three weeks without food as long as they have an adequate supply of water on hand. But again variables come into play. Such as your health at the time that an emergency takes place. An example would be if you’re a diabetic. And if that is the case you’ll need to watch your blood sugar levels. And eat accordingly based on those levels. With that in mind it would probably be a good idea to have some food on hand. And just in case there is a power loss the food should be non perishable such as can goods, dehydrated fruits and vegetables, freeze dried food or some other non perishable that has a long shelf life. But for the sake of this beginner’s guide, just focus on can goods. Or other inexpensive foods and snacks. And make sure that you purchase food that you like to eat.
3. Next, let’s talk a little about lighting. Having a supply of water and snacks would be fairly useless if you can’t locate them where you are. Or you have to stumble around. And then possibly hurt yourself while doing so, because you fell over something that you couldn’t see in the dark. So, we definitely suggest that you have a good flashlight with some extra batteries in easy reach. And additional flashlights for other members of your family.
4. Next on the list is medical supplies. This is just common sense. You must be prepared for cuts and bruises at the very least. And your first aid kit should have all of the bare essentials such as band aids, gauze, alcohol wipes, Quick clot, some type of pain reliever, peroxide, scissors, a knife and also Neosporin.
5. Next, make sure that you have a supply of any needed medication. And that medication could include medication to control your blood pressure, insulin for diabetics, pain relievers and any other needed medications. Just make sure to monitor the expiration dates on your medication though.
6. And next on the list is a power bank for your smart phones. Communication is an absolute must. And depending on the situation you might not have easy access to a dependable source of electricity. And that’s when a good power bank will come in handy the most. There are countless models, brands and sizes. But we suggest that you purchase a unit that supports fast charging. And one that is at least 10,000 mah.
7. Next, let’s move on to toilet paper. This is self explanatory. But you obviously will need to pay special attention to sanitation during an emergency. But if you don’t have any toilet paper at hand, paper towels will do as an alternative. Or better yet baby wipes. You could also utilize newspaper in a pinch. But we doubt you’ll have any news papers sitting around these days.
Conclusion
This list should get you started with a small budget. Do your research before purchasing those items. Once you have your basic kit then you should move on to the more advanced items at your first opportunity. But we’ll cover that in the next article.
