Be prepared!

My greatest fear in life is something happening to someone that I love.

One way to ease that fear is to be prepared for something unthinkable happening. Government agencies will respond to community disasters but citizens may be on their own for hours or even days after disasters strike.  You should be prepared  to take care of yourself and your family for as least three days. Here is a great list of emergency supplies prepared by the Washington State Department of Health. You can go to the DOH website and find this and many other fact sheets in English as well as Spanish. Many of the sheets are also available in Chinese, Cambodian, Korean, Russian and Vietnamese.

Emergency survival kit:
-Dry or canned food and drinking water for each person.
-Can opener
-First aid supplies and first aid book
-Copies of important documents, such as birth certificates, liscenses and insurance policies
-"Special Needs" Items for family members, such as infant formula, eyeglasses and medication
-A change of clothing
-Sleeping bag or blanket
-Battery powered radio or television
-Flashlight and extra batteries
-Whistle
-Waterproof matches
-Games or books
-Extra house key adn/or car keys
-List of contact names and phone numbers
-Food, water and supplies for pets

Additional Items you can store at home for use durning an emergency:
Cooking Supplies:
-Barbecue or camp stove
-Fuel for cooking, such as charcoal or camp stove fuel
-Plastic knives, forks and spoons
-Paper plates and cups
-Paper towels
-Heavy duty aluminum foil

Sanitation Supplies:
-Large plstic trash bags got trash and water protection
-Large trash cans
-Bar soap and liquid detergent
-Shampoo
-Toothpaste and toothbrushes
-Feminine and infant supplies
-Toilet paper
-Household bleach with no additives and eyedropper (For purifying drinking water)
-Newapaper - to wrap garbage and waste

Comfort:
-Sturdy Shoes
-Gloves for clearing debris
-Tent

Tools:
-Ax, Shovel, broom
-Crescent wrench for turning off gas
-Screwdriver, pliers, hammer
-Coil of one-half inch rope
-Plastic tape and sheeting
-Knife or razor blades
-Garden hose for siphoning and fire fighting

It's a great list but if you have more to add we'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas!

Happy Wednesday!