Getting Your Emergency Kit Organized

Procrastination.  We’ve all been guilty of this obstacle to organization at one point or time in our lives.  My husband is a prime example. Yesterday morning as he was making toast I noticed that there was a ton of bread crumbs under our toaster which shouldn’t have been there.  I mentioned to him that perhaps the crumb tray was not inserted properly.  He said he’d take at a look at it later. I dislike the word “later” and I encourage everyone to remove it from your vocabulary.  The reason is that “later” often doesn’t come and can often be an obstacle to getting organized.  For the record, my husband still has not gotten around to checking that crumb tray and at this point in time has likely forgotten.

One thing no one should procrastinate about is emergency preparedness. Although living in Canada we are relatively free of hurricane’s, earthquakes and floods, we do have our share of snowstorms, ice storms and have experienced tornadoes in the past couple of years that resulted in devastation and families stranded.

With winter almost upon us, there’s no time better than the present to get your home emergency kits ready for whatever hits. I’m sure many of you haven’t even put one together but it’s relatively easy to do.

First you’ll need to get yourselves a couple of easy to carry, air tight bins in which to store the emergency items needed.  It’s also a good idea to have a large knapsack or duffel bag kept with your bins in which you keep a sleeping bags, coat, pants, long sleeve shirt, hat, mittens, scarves and blanket (one per person).

FEMA has put together a great list that should be in your emergency kit and I have replicated it below for your reference:

1.            Three day supply of non-perishable food and water.  One gallon of water per person per day is required.

2.            Portable battery-powered radio or television with extra batteries.

3.            First aid kit and a first aid manual.

4.            Hygiene and sanitation items such as moist toilettes and toilet paper.

5.            Matches in a water proof container.

6.            Extra clothing.

7.            Whistle.

8.            Small kitchen accessories and utensils, including a can opener.

9.            Copies of identification and credit cards.

10.         Cash and coins.

11.         Prescriptions if needed.

12.         Eyeglasses, contact lens and hearing aids.

13.         Infant items such as diapers, formula and bottles.

14.         Non-perishable food items your family typically eats such as cans of tuna, peanut butter, protein bars, canned beans, canned soup and pasta.

Another tip to keep your emergency kit well-organized is to label all food containers with the date you stored them and every January revisit and rethink your kit in case your unique needs have changed. It may never happen to you but if an emergency does hit, at least you’ll be prepared.  Don’t let the word “later” take over your life.  Take action now, avoid procrastination and get your kit organized.