Introduction

My Blog: This blog is about Emergency Preparedness but I have chosen to call it "Ride Out the Storm." I decided this because a "Storm" is not always necessarily an earthquake, tornado, hurricane, etc. It can also be a decrease of income due to loss of job, medical emergency, etc. An "Emergency" or "Storm" can be caused by many different things. They can happen at any time and the same emergency preparations can assist you during the various storms that may appear in your life. This blog is to help you become prepared for an emergency. I say "help you become prepared" because this is a process and will take some time. It will also evolve as situations arise and you think of new ways you could be more prepared. The question is, "Are you prepared?" Or better yet, "Are you doing something to become better prepared?"

About Me: I am a mom and soon after the birth of my first child there was a very minor earthquake. This caused me to ask what would happen if this was really an emergency? My answer was that I was totally unprepared, which most people are. Before children, I didn't really care. But now, I had a child who would suffer because of my lack of preparation. This is when I decided it was time for me to be prepared for an emergency. In my quest to get prepared, I found a lot of useful information on the web but there was no complete or comprehensive list or website. I had to create my own list of items, tools for getting prepared and staying prepared, and helpful information to have during an emergency situation. I have become more prepared than I ever was! After we became prepared, it was nice the next time there was another minor earthquake. I was relaxed and confident that I could provide some stability and assurance in an emergency. Since then, I realized that these same preparations can be used for many stressful emergency-type situations that can arise in life. I also realized that this is a process and I continue to learn and see more areas in which I can be better prepared. So I continue to prepare and know with confidence that I can handle any situation better than I could the first time I questioned my preparedness. I hope you will follow me on this journey and get better prepared for whatever "storm" may hit you and your family.

My Posts/Pages: The posts below are in a few sections according to the way I present this information to groups. This also allows you to tackle it a little bit at a time and make progress. I will include links to forms/checklists that I have created. Feel free to open and download them. Customize and use them to help you get prepared.

You can be as prepared as you want to be. I have chosen to be very prepared. I have chosen this for two reasons; first my home may not be accessible so I would rather be completely prepared and have peace, second if my home is accessible then I can use my supplies for a family that may find themselves in that situation. How great would that be!!!! But how prepared you are is completely your decision - just get prepared!!!

Start going through the steps to get prepared on the right side of my blog under "Pages" starting with "STEP 1". Once you completed Step 1 the continue on to the next step.

Don't worry - You don't have to do it all today! Take it in chunks, do a little at a time, and become more prepared than you were yesterday. Don't feel like you have not done much because if you have done even two things that is two things that you were not prepared for but now you are. So you are more prepared now than you were before. Be encouraged that you are doing something to prepare your family and they are better off in an "Emergency" or "Storm" than they were before. Every little bit helps!

STEP 2: Important Documents and Information

The second step I recommend is to collect your family's "Important Documents and Information".  Having your important documents is absolutely essential if you need to rebuild your life after being hit by a disaster.  You can enter this information into a Word Document or Excel Spreadsheet and once completed make 2 copies.  

Important Documents and Information Includes:
  • Drivers Licenses (copies front and back)
  • Passports
  • Home & Medical Insurance Information
  • Medical Records Information (including Immunizations)
  • Prescription Medication
  • Bank Account Information and Credit Card Numbers
  • Birth Certificates and SSN Numbers
  • Proof of Ownership of Home, Vehicles, RVs, Boats etc.
  • Birth, Marriage, and Death Certificates
  • Recent Family Photo (with names of family members noted)
Make 2 copies of your important document information for each family member as applicable.  One copy will go into your Emergency Preparedness Supplies containers.  The second one will be given to your Outside Contact or Trusted Family Member or Friend.  You obviously don't want these documents to fall into the wrong hands so it is of primary importance that you can trust the individual and that they will take the necessary precautions to protect your information.  If this is not an option for you then you can lease a Safe Deposit Box to store a copy of these important documents.  If you do opt for this option, get the box at a bank outside your immediate area.  In an emergency it will be important for you to have this information easily accessible.  

Here are a few examples of why having this information is vitally important in an emergency.  In recent disasters, families were not permitted back into their homes unless they could prove their identity and proof of residency at location in question.  Separated children could only be released to the parent or family member if proof of identity could be provided.  Filing homeowners insurance claims due to a disaster becomes very difficult without policy numbers.  These are just a few examples of why you might need this information during a disaster.  

Next, get two Waterproof 10 X 12 Plastic Bags to put both copies of your documents and contact list in to protect).  These can be purchased however, a while ago a news station local to my area was giving these free to viewers who requested them.  I did check and this option is not currently available.  If it becomes available again I will be happy to let you know.

No comments:

Post a Comment