Preparedness Month: Think About it Thursday (3 of 4)

September is National Preparedness Month. Cattaraugus County Office of Emergency Services would like to share some ideas and tips that everyone can use to keep themselves and their families safe(er) during and after emergencies.

Think About it Thursday: Week 3

Build Your Emergency Kit

Preparing for an emergency means being ready for the hours or days after the event. Once you've endured the storm, or disaster, that's often when the hard part begins. You could be without power, unable to leave your home, or facing significant repairs and clean-up. What will you do now to prepare yourself and your family to survive and thrive?

Having an actual, assembled emergency kit it is a critical piece of the preparedness puzzle. Your emergency kit will be customized to your needs, available resources, the members of your family (including pets), and sometimes might include different items for varied weather conditions. Below is a list of ideas to get you started:

• Water - at least one gallon per person and pet, per day; water purification supplies and directions
• Non-perishable food - shelf-stable food that your family likes that provides varied nutrients (fruits, vegetables, proteins, healthy carbohydrates, etc.) If your food requires water for preparation (noodle soups, oatmeal, dehydrated meals) then be sure to keep additional water for that purpose.
• First aid kit
• Hand sanitizer
• Extra prescription medications, when possible, and printed photos of prescription labels
• Batteries for emergency devices
• Charging cables and battery power supply for cell phones
• Matches in waterproof container, kept safely away from children
• Toiletries - toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, deodorant, sunscreen, bug spray, feminine hygiene products
• Toilet paper, wipes, emergency toilet supplies
• Extra pair of prescription eye glasses and/ or contacts and solution
• Supplies for special needs or special medical needs (headphones, ear plugs, specialized dietary foods, hearing aid batteries, emergency medical devices such as hand pumps or auxiliary batteries)
• Battery-powered or hand-cranked emergency radio
• Flashlights, lanterns
• Emergency whistle to signal for help
• Manual can opener
• Printed, local maps and emergency routes as needed
• Cash
• Baby supplies (formula, diapers, wipes, diaper creams, medications), if needed
• Pet and service animals supplies (food, additional water, medications, first aid supplies, copies of vaccination records, spare collar/ harness and leash, waste clean-up bags), if needed
• Printed copies of insurance documents, identification - license, birth certificates, passports, emergency contacts - personal contacts, insurance companies, medical offices, utility companies
• Printed communication cards for use with first responders that might not know sign language or non-verbal persons
• Paper, pens, pencils and sharpener
• Waterproof tote or container to store supplies that is easily accessible in case of emergency

Some supplies could be packed in a go-kit bag that could be grabbed in an emergency and taken with you when leaving the house; other items wouldn't be so portable (multiple gallons of water). You might consider keeping your go-kit items in a backpack in your emergency kit tote so that you could grab it and go, if needed.

Resource: Ready.gov