For the last couple of weeks we have talked about how much I love September! There are so many fun things that happen in September – I love football, changing leaves, so many things about September rank among my favorites. September is also National Preparedness Month. I love to talk/think/do things about preparedness. When talking about things like National Preparedness Month, I think it is really easy to become overwhelmed by preparedness. There are so many topics and so many things to do. You can listen to lectures and read articles and find dozens of ways you are not prepared. It is really easy to look at the big picture of being prepared and begin to feel panic set in, which is not good at all. Now is the time to stop being overwhelmed by preparedness and to get organized and make a plan. Like anything else, if we break National Preparedness Month up into smaller topics we tend to be able to process it better and make more progress with preparedness. As September draws to an end we still need to talk about a very important topic – 72 hour kits.

Did you find or create your preparedness binder, label it and dedicate it to emergency preparedness? Did you find a place to keep it that is handy and easy to access when you have a note to write or a plan to make? Did you put the binder in that place? Go get it and we’ll work on the 72 hour kit section. This section could end up containing a lot of important information so let’s get started.

You should prepare a portable kit for each member of your family. Consider preparing a smaller kit for your place of work and one for the car but we will talk about that later. Let’s first look at the list for 72-hr kits for the home. This is the list of suggested items to include in a 72 hour kit from Utah.gov. Print it out and put it in your binder. We’ll look at this list and some other important points tomorrow.

72-Hour Kit Checklist

• WATER. Store 1 gallon of water per person per day. Keep at least a three day supply of water.
• FOOD and UTENSILS. At least one to three-day supply of nonperishable food that could include ready-to-eat meats, juices, high-energy foods such as granola or power bars.
• NOAA WEATHER ALERT RADIO, either hand crank or battery powered, extra batteries
• BLANKETS/PILLOWS/SLEEPING BAG
• FLASHLIGHT and extra batteries or hand crank, or light sticks. Do not use candles/open flame during an emergency.
• WHISTLE for emergency signal.
• DUST or FILTER MASKS, N95 mask recommended for preventing inhalation of airborne particles.
• MOIST TOWELETTES or baby wipes for sanitation
• TOOLS – Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities, broom, shovel, Hammer and Working Gloves.
• CAN OPENER for for food (if kit contains canned items).
• PLASTIC SHEETING and DUCT TAPE to “seal the room” for sheltering in place.
• MEDICATIONS to include prescription and non-prescription medications such as pain relievers, stomach remedies and etc.
• FIRST AID SUPPLIES. An assortment of bandages, ointments, gauze pads, cold/hot packs, tweezers, scissors and sanitizer.
• PERSONAL HYGIENE ITEMS to include at least one change of clothing/shoes/outerware.
• GARBAGE BAGS and plastic ties for personal sanitation.
• PAPER SUPPLIES. Note pads, markers, pens, pencils, plates, napkins, paper towels and etc.
• CAMERA. Disposable camera to record damage.
• CASH/ATM AND CREDIT CARD. Keep enough cash for immediate needs in small denominations.
• EMERGENCY CONTACT PHONE LIST.
• MAPS. Local road and area maps.
• MEDICAL HISTORY LISTS. For every family member in your home make a list of medical history, all medications (by name) and dosages.