Alabama Proposes Sales Tax Holiday for Emergency Preparedness
Many Alabama residents know all too well the aftermath of a disaster, having endured a record breaking tornado season in 2011. Weather forecasters are concerned about the potential for a similar spate of extreme weather this year. In an effort to raise public awareness, Alabama Governor Robert Bentley proclaimed February 19-24 Severe Weather Awareness Week.
Governor Bentley also proposed a sales tax holiday on emergency supplies. This once per year tax reprieve would help Alabama residents stock up on items such as NOAA weather radios, first aid supplies, and emergency kits. The governor warns:
“The key is readiness. When storms strike, it’s too late to prepare. Let’s prepare now.”
The governor’s proposal has not officially been introduced into the Alabama State Legislature, but it is finding support from community leaders. Additionally, regions nationwide are vulnerable to the whims and fury of weather events and should heed Governor Bentley’s warning. The proactive strategies in Alabama should encourage other communities to evaluate the threats they face and prepare for emergencies.
Stores become depleted of emergency supplies soon after disaster strikes. Water supplies can become contaminated and food shortages are a threat. Households and disaster relief agencies can improve emergency preparedness by maintaining disaster supply kits including emergency food, water purification, and first aid supplies.
It is the unfortunate nature of weather related disasters that they are unpredictable. Emergency preparedness is a fundamental necessity of survival. Plan ahead and stock an emergency kit to help you contend with weather related disasters. Consider the shortages you may experience and stock up on supplies to help you survive.
Alabama residents have learned the lesson to prepare a survival kit from experience. Fortunately, many people won’t have to learn this lesson the hard way. The state of Alabama has done a service to the nation in bringing awareness to emergency preparedness. Avoid being caught without food and other emergency supplies by taking proper precautions today.
Read MoreLearning from Tragedy: Maintain a Fire Safety Kit
The devastating scenes and stories emerging in the aftermath of a fire that ripped through an overcrowded prison in Honduras will bring attention to many social and political concerns regarding prison conditions for some time. Other implications highlighted by this tragedy – with an arguably broader relevance – are the need for proper preparations in times of emergency. Specifically, this disaster highlights fire risk and demonstrates the need for fire safety.
A fire safety plan should be utilized by homes, offices and public places. We all remember fire drills from our school days. Practicing and preparing for emergency situations is not something we should graduate from. Evacuation plans, and fire safety kits including first aid supplies should be part of every fire safety plan. Smoke inhalation is a primary concern in a fire, so store a fire escape mask in your office and in each bedroom of your home to minimize this risk.
It’s practical to stash an emergency kit in a shed or vehicle, outside of your home, with first aid supplies, and other practical survival items such as a warm blanket. Plan ahead and have the necessary tools on hand like a multi-purpose fire extinguisher in places such as your laundry room, kitchen, garage, and vehicle to extinguish small fires before they get out of control. Always evacuate a location and promptly contact your local fire department if fire is beyond immediate containment. If anyone has suffered injuries, think quickly to locate your emergency first aid kit, but never re-enter a burning structure.
Many events including car accidents and natural disasters increase the chances for fires to erupt. For example, spilled gas from broken gas lines in an auto accident can exacerbate the risk in an already dangerous situation. Inexperienced homeowners running a generator following a power outage may increase fire risk. Elevated fire risk follows earthquakes, dry weather, electrical storms, and other natural disasters. Regarding all emergency situations, it is best to prepare ahead and maintain a well-stocked emergency supply kit.
Read MorePrepare for Anything: Have a Length of Rope on Hand & Know Your Knots
One essential component of a well thought out survival kit should be a length of rope. It is wise for everyone to build – at the very least – a basic knowledge of the potential uses of rope. Coupled with learning a few practical knots, this knowledge can be life-saving in emergency situations.
Take some time to browse online and you will find numerous applications for rope. In a time of disaster, the potential life-saving capacity of rope is limitless. Rope can be used to hang clothes, as fencing, to lash items together, or to restrain objects, people, and animals. Rope can act as a guide line in times of poor visibility. Additionally, it can keep people safe when negotiating difficult terrain and traversing streams.
A knowledgeable person can turn rope into functional objects such as hammocks and netting. Yo-yos started out as weapons, and in a time of great necessity, a rope can be used with a spear, harpoon, or other implement of violence. When it comes to survival, having rope on hand is critical.
Learning to tie various knots is something everyone should do as part of survival preparedness. Knowing which knots hold for different applications is critical. You may save a floundering swimmer with a lifeline. You may create emergency shelter with rope and a tarp.
A multitude of dangerous scenarios can be alleviated with quick thinking if you have rope with you as part of your emergency supply kit. Planning ahead with supplies and education is the best approach to surviving difficult times. You can’t predict what sort of emergency you may encounter, so it’s vital to plan for numerous possibilities.
On a brighter note, knot and rope knowledge are useful for non-emergency and recreational situations as well. Hiking, boating, and camping are great examples of opportunities to put rope knowledge to fun use. Hoping for the best while planning for the worst is a sensible philosophy, and learning about rope and knots is a shrewd application of this way of thinking.
Read More
Considering Water Storage in Emergency Preparedness
Building up food storage is a significant aspect of emergency preparedness, but beyond freeze-dried food kits and basics, water must be included. Nearly all emergency meals rehydrate with water, and thus, a supply must not only cover food preparation but also drinking and hygiene.
The average citizen uses roughly 110 gallons of water per day. In times of emergency, however, this amount is greatly reduced. As a general rule for emergency preparedness, store 14 gallons per day for an individual and 56 for a family. Multiple approaches, in this regards, can be taken.
Cans of emergency water have a 30-year shelf life. To stay in good condition for several decades, the cans won’t burst from boiling or freezing and, in the rare instance of flooding, actually float. Rather than storing rain in a barrel, building up a water supply, or using a hand pump, cans provide a sufficient and treated supply at once.
Those more inclined to self-sufficiency tend to use rain barrels and water storage tanks. Made out of blue food-grade polyethylene, these emergency water tanks can gather rain for storage or hold any water brought up from a pump. Much like emergency food, water storage tanks should never be kept in sunlight. Water can expand in a tank, however, and in winter, one of these containers should be no more than 90-percent full.
Gathered water has one drawback – it’s not treated. Before use, be it for bathing or cooking, the water must be purified and filtered. Boiling or a few drops of bleach are common methods, but they require too much equipment or can be poisonous, respectively. Filtration and purification systems are far more reliable and are often portable.
Purification removes hazardous microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, cysts, and protozoa, while filtration gets rid of debris, chemicals, and other contaminant. UV purification devices, for instance, sterilize all microorganisms in the water, while a two-part filtration device (ceramic with hard-block carbon or glass fibers for short-term filtration) removes most small particles of dirt, debris, and chemicals.
Read MoreChoosing a Brand of Freeze Dried Food: Wise, Mountain House, or Lindon Farms
Natural disasters come in all types. Some lock you inside your home or leave you isolated for days at a time, while others require swift and unpredictable evacuation. So, shouldn’t your emergency preparedness plan, including food storage, be adapted for the type of natural disaster you potentially may face? In preparing for an emergency, consider the conditions to which your area is most prone, and choose your freeze dried food wisely.
Although starting your food storage with basics is recommended, your emergency supply should require minimal preparation and, in some cases, be able to go along with you. There’s no right emergency kit, so consider the benefits and possible drawbacks of popular brands of freeze-dried foods.
• Mountain House is one of the most well-known. With freeze-dried foods packaged in #10 cans, Mountain House kits have a 25-year or longer shelf life and, with already-prepared meals, provide variety for each meal of the day. With Mountain House, add pasta, proteins, eggs, and vegetables to your diet of grains, beans, and milk. #10 cans, however, contain several servings, so, if you go with Mountain House, additionally have a plan for storing all leftovers, which must be eaten within a year from opening.
• Wise Food Storage is another prominent brand. With a similar variety of entrees and breakfast items, Wise considers easy transport with its kits. Although meals are packaged in airtight mylar pouches, a bucket holds all servings. In the event of an emergency, one or more buckets can be quickly grabbed. Additionally, the two-serving pouches are a solution to the leftovers conundrum.
• Lindon Farms eliminates the need for basics, as kits allow an individual to live off 2,000 calories per day. A full year’s supply can essentially be purchased at once. With mylar pouches holding five to 10 servings of entrees, breakfast times, fruits, or vegetables, Lindon Farms also uses buckets for grab-and-go instances. Because the pouches contain several servings, however, have a plan for storing the leftover freeze-dried food.
Read MorePutting Together Emergency Food Storage
Check your cabinets. How much food is there? And, out of the items, how many require minimal preparation? The average individual has less than a week’s worth of food inside his or her home. If a disaster were to hit, he or she would be unprepared for weeks without electricity and running water. To be ready such a scenario, having an emergency-preparedness plan, one that touches on food and water sources, is crucial for survival.
During times of emergency, ability to function off the grid is a given. For food, this means having a year’s supply of basics available in your home: items that won’t perish and need minimal preparation, with the exception of a bit of water and heat. Food storage typically begins with grains, beans, powdered milk, salt, sugar, and seeds, but because these items, regardless of quantity, allow for little variety, including an emergency food kit is a must.
Mountain House, Wise Foods, and Lindon Farms are popular brands of food kits, and although each uses a different packaging approach through cans or pouches in buckets, all contain essentially the same product: freeze dried foods that, once hydrated, allow you to incorporate fruits, vegetables, other sources of protein, and dairy into your diet. Offering up to a year’s amount for an individual, a food kit can last 25 years or more and allows you to subsist on roughly 1,000 to 2,000 calories per day.
Yet, food storage can’t be just anywhere. After all, you want your supply to last those 25 years. Because freeze-dried foods are affected by light and moisture, choose a place in your home that is dark, dry, and cool (consistently between 50°F to 60°F). Crawlspaces, closets, and dry basements have ideal conditions. Keep in mind, however, that chemicals leach out from plastics and cleaning supplies, so such items must not be stored in the same room as your emergency foods.
Opting for a kit with #10 cans? Already have a storage option for leftovers before the disaster hits. Rather than cook a full can or waste the remaining emergency food, equip yourself with airtight storage container, a freezer, or a commercial re-sealer.
Read MoreStocking up on Emergency Food and Water
If you have an emergency preparedness kit you may have a wide variety of items in it from a first aid kit to an emergency light or radio and everything in between. If you don’t have a ration of emergency food and water in your survival preparedness kit then you may want to consider making these additions next time you are stocking up.
While you likely have plenty of food in your refrigerator and cabinets at the moment have you considered what may happen if you lose power or the ability to travel to your local grocery store? Your perishable foods would likely rot after some time and when you ran out of non-perishables there may not be many other options. By stocking up on dehydrated or freeze dried food now you will be ready if an emergency strikes and prevents you from leaving your home.
But food obviously isn’t the only necessity that you should be adding to your emergency preparedness kit. Water is something that you will need even sooner than food so it is important that you have an additional store. Some may decide to add a water tank to their home while others may go with cases of bottled water; you may want to go with emergency water as it has a longer shelf life than bottled water and can come at a lower cost when bought in bulk. It is also a good idea to have a water filtration system on hand in case you have to utilize rain water or local bodies of water as a last resort.
By adding items to your emergency preparedness kit that will help you sustain yourself and your family you can rest assured that you will be a bit more prepared and safer in the event of an emergency. You will also be able to use these emergency supplies in other situations if you find that you have a surplus of the freeze dried or dehydrated food such as on camping trips. So stock up on food and water for your emergency preparedness kit and be ready for whatever may come next.
Read More