At 2:00AM, this coming Sunday, March 14th, most of the US will “Spring Forward” and set clocks ahead one hour.  Be forward thinking in your preparedness, by taking on as many of the following as you can:

• Check and refresh your fire extinguishers, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
• Examine and cycle your food and water. Consume anything about to expire, and replenish your supplies.
• Check any stored medications; you can take expired prescriptions to your local pharmacy for safe disposal.
• Use that handy Sharpie marker to clearly mark the expiration dates on all of your supplies.

Tip: Use online reminder systems to nudge you to do these and other preparedness tasks, especially if your clocks automatically reset the time for you!

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March 8th, 2010 | Tags: fire extinguisher, Preparedness, reminder, spring, spring forward, supplies | Category: 2010, STAT, STAT 5MM | Leave a comment

Now is the time (when calendars are still uncrowded) to make sure planning and preparedness activities are woven into 2010.

Some tips to make your calendar a structure for your success:

• Look at last year’s calendar for recurring items, and copy them to your current calendar. Include annual preparedness conferences, monthly emergency manager’s meetings, and other events where you share your preparedness efforts.
• Weeks before Daylight Saving Time, remind yourself to create and send action steps (e.g. rotating disaster supplies) out to your community.
• Note both major events targeting the larger community and small events targeting niche audiences, and see if your preparedness offerings can be included in the program.

Successful preparedness efforts take a bit of planning, so start the year with small manageable bits of preparedness prominently threaded throughout your calendar.

~~~ Save the Date: September 14th -17th 2010,  CESA Conference, Monterey California  ~~~

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January 4th, 2010 | Tags: Calendar, Daylight Saving Time, Planning, Preparedness, reminders, supplies, supply | Category: 2010, STAT 5MM | Leave a comment

Part of keeping yourself or others healthy, safe and well in emergencies, disasters and stressful situations is taking care of emotional well-being.  Consider the small things you can keep with you, or put in a kit, that will help you stay emotionally calm, positive and best able to handle stressful situations.

Possible items to boost emotional preparedness: photos of loved ones and pets; inspirational quotes, writings or prayers; physically comforting items such as small stuffed animals, tee-shirts or family heirlooms; scented oils or perfumes; religious objects; or song lyrics and music. Any small item with personal emotional significance –  whether a gemstone, a lucky charm of sorts, or simply a written reminder of your beliefs, values and commitments – can provide great emotional comfort.

Add emotional preparedness kits to your repertoire of suggested actions for your friends, family and staff.

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August 31st, 2009 | Tags: emotional preparedness, supplies | Category: STAT 5MM | Leave a comment

In every disaster, some people will evacuate with their pets, stay behind because of livestock or animals, or risk their lives and disobey orders to go back for animals.  Animals are clearly linked with human safety, wellness and well-being.   See how many of the items below you can pull together for yourself or an animal lover in your life.

Kit contents:  food, water, feeding dish, medications, leash or restraint, toy, medical info, date/ place where animal was micro chipped, pictures of pet with owners, description of animal with identifying marks, carrying/transport case, list of animal caregivers, and a map to where animals can be taken in an emergency.

Make sure neighbors and friends know what to do in an emergency for your pets. Consider posting animal rescue signs on your door.

Bonus: Check for a local animal ambulance service!

http://www.animalmedics.com/

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August 24th, 2009 | Tags: animals, supplies | Category: STAT 5MM | Leave a comment

We all have loved ones — friends, family members, clients we serve — for whom preparedness is not a reality.  When it’s simply an inability to assemble the supplies, you can help. Start with the items that are free and unique to each person: personal contact information, medical needs, and personal preferences.  Move up toward helping people to have this information on them in some way. For anyone unable to be fully responsible for their own preparedness, help build a circle of informed and prepared care-providers around them.

Start small, remember to think sustainable, not just attainable, and remember: helping the people we love to be prepared, is one of the most loving things you can do, and you are building your own capacity to remain calm and focused in an emergency.

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August 17th, 2009 | Tags: Family, supplies | Category: STAT 5MM | Leave a comment

A SKIP (Safety Kept In Place) Kit is much smaller than a Go-Kit.  It’s just a few simple items in a ziptop bag, stashed wherever you spend time. Under your desk (where you would Drop, Cover and Hold On); in a glove compartment; in the couch cushions; or in a purse/backpack, etc.  Customize and make your SKIP Kit your own.  Any small item that that will help you stay safe, calm and comfortable in those first moments after something happens can go in your SKIP Kit.  Some ideas:

- whistle
- flashlight/glowstick
- marker
- bandana
- tissues
- mylar blanket
- hand sanitizer
- water pouch & medicine
- paper & pen – for reminders, information or inspiration

Wherever you are, have a little safety kept in place!

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August 10th, 2009 | Tags: personal, SKIP Kits, supplies | Category: STAT 5MM | Leave a comment

Packing an emergency Go Kit with basic preparedness supplies is good advice.  But while lists of contents are easy to find, details about the kit itself are often overlooked.

To be practical and usable in an emergency, a Go Kit should be the right size, weight and design for the person who will use it. Some of the best Go Kits are lightweight and flexible. For example: a backpack with roller wheels can be pulled or worn, and a tote bag with long handles can be carried, worn like a backpack, or tied to a wheelchair.  For people with limited strength, mobility or ability, emergency supplies can be divided into several smaller kits or stashed in the pockets of a safari-type vest or jacket.

Everyone should have at least a small kit, with some critical preparedness or comfort items.

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August 3rd, 2009 | Tags: diversity, go-kits, supplies | Category: STAT 5MM | Leave a comment

Many preparedness items that will prove valuable to you could be tempting for others, too. Storing a few key items in secret places can help you feel doubly safe – you’ll have access to what you need and won’t have to fear losing it.

This could be something as simple as putting some money inside the sole of your shoe! Paper, cash or spare keys can be stored in tiny spaces: inside seat cushions; sewn into fabric lining; or taped under or behind innocuous objects.

One piece of paper can hold much valuable information: contacts; medical needs; financial accounts; and even passcodes. That single sheet can then be rolled, folded or stashed where no one would ever think to look.

Look for secret spaces in your life. Feel safer by knowing others won’t find your secret safety places!

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June 29th, 2009 | Tags: Information, space, supplies | Category: STAT 5MM | Leave a comment

This weekend is Daylight Savings Time again! On Sunday, March 8, most people in the United States will set their clocks FORWARD one hour (officially, at 2:00AM).  Because this happens twice a year, it is an excellent time to remind your community to update their preparedness supplies in several simple ways:

• Check and refresh your smoke detectors and fire extinguishers.
• Check the expiration date on your food and water. If needed, cycle it out and replace it.
• Check the expiration date on your medication(s).  Be sure your saved medications are for your current prescriptions and conditions.
• Use markers or stickers to note expiration dates on items, so updating is quick and easy.

Remember: when you set your clocks FORWARD, be FORWARD-thinking and check on items that can help you stay safe and healthy!

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March 2nd, 2009 | Tags: DST, reminders, supplies | Category: STAT 5MM | Comments (1)