Emergency Supplies Blog

For those leading a faster paced life, personal safety and personal security is a serious matter to think upon.  A threatening situation or a criminal act can victimize you or your family members anywhere and anytime, but risks can be reduced by assuming more responsibility for your own security.  Personal safety and security is applicable in almost every aspect of normal life.  There are different forms of personal security including residential security, security while traveling, security measures for children, surveillance and deterring or repulsing an assault.

Residential Security: Let’s begin and cover residential security which is a major cause of concern.  Below is a guideine that should be followed, which includes:

- While you move out, check that all entrances including the service doors and gates are properly closed and have quality locks installed with deadbolts.

- Make sure that while leaving, the front door, rear entrance, service doors, garage doors, gate, patio entrance, entrance to the swimming pool, sliding glass door and the guest house doors are all shut and locked properly.

- Provide an extra key to a close neighbor and try keeping the doors shut even when you are with your family members inside the house.

- If the windows at your home have bars and grills make sure that they have proper fire safety measures. – Try to keep a fire extinguisher on every floor of your house. Having one in the kitchen is essentially required.

- Check the smoke detectors at regular intervals and replace batteries immediately when required.

- Emergency lights or flash lights are frequently available in the market, keep at least two in your home.

- Know your neighbors and try to develop a cordial relation with them.

- While at home practice safety drills and make yourself and other family members aware of the safety measure that can spontaneously be used while in any kind of emergency.

- Last but not the least, always reside in a location that offers the most security.

Establish an emergency preparedness plan and buy a good emergency kits with some extra emergency  supplies:

Selecting the emergency supplies for your emergency kit is a matter of your unique situation. However there are certain essential supplies that should be kept and used. These include:

- Fire extinguisher

- Fresh water

- A 3-day supply of food – Flashlight

- Extra batteries for flashlight and radio

- Bedding

- Sterno stove, fuel

- Candles, matches, flashlight

- Solar radio or shortwave radio

- Medical or first aid kits

- Toilet facilities and supplies

Note that all the above discussed personal safety and security measures are not only applicable at home, but these preventive measures should be followed while you are away from home. In spite of being acquainted with all the above discussed safety measures, you should always be prepared for the unexpected and remain alert during your daily routine and avoiding flirting with danger.

#1.  Why do you want a gun in your emergency kit?  Do you want the gun for personal protection or hunting?  Often times a large can of bear pepper spray is your best home and personal defense.

#2.  You should consider the safety of having a gun in your home.  If you do decide to keep a gun in your house it should be locked up or use a trigger lock.  You should keep your

#2.  You should consider the safety of having a gun in your home.  If you do decide to keep a gun in your house it should be locked up or use a trigger lock.  You should keep your keep your gun away from children and not store the bullets in the gun.

#3. If you purchase a gun you should know how to use the gun properly.  You should take a gun safety class and you should go to the firing range to hone your firearm skills. 

#4.  Also, you must be willing to take on the added responsibility that comes with owning a gun.  There are liability issues that come with owning a gun and you need to make sure you are taking every precation and are willing to accept the risks.

In conclusion, it is a personal choice for each family, but once you make the choice to own a gun or personal safety product, you need to be responsible for the safety of those around you.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), more than 1.6 million fires were reported in the United States of America in 2005, and they caused about 3,700 civilian deaths and 18,000 injuries. In addition, for years from 2002-2004 an estimated yearly average of 166 deaths from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning exposure that had nothing to do with fires.I think one of the most important emergency preparedness ideas is to get a good carbon monoxide detector combined with the smoke detection feature and replace your batteries annually.  Approximately 97 percent of U.S. homes have at least one smoke alarm—according to a national telephone survey.  Nevertheless, without fresh batteries the alarms won’t work when it is time to sound a life-saving warning. Another potential problem, and another good reason to check smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms annually, is that environmental contamination and age will cause the sensors in alarms to degrade and become less effective over time.   Its a fact that millions of Americans are without adequate protection from fire and carbon monoxide because the alarm’s battery is dead or the alarm is too old, alarms don’t last forever, and old ones need to be replaced.”

Tips to Help Prevent Fires and Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
The CPSC advises all consumers to remain vigilant against fires and carbon monoxide poisoning, and recommends three simple tips to help you protect your life, your loved ones, and your home:

When a natural disaster strikes, chaos naturally follows. We’d all like to think that the good in humans come out then. But altruism does not always rule the day and that is simply human nature. Whether you find yourself facing a hurricane, earthquake, tornado, wildfire, or tsunami, it is essential to take your own personal safety and security in a natural disaster into consideration. The sad fact is that when natural disaster strikes, some people will seek personal gain. You must arm and protect yourself and there are a number of products on the market that can help you stay secure.

First, it is always best to employ common sense as your first line of defense of your personal safety and security in a natural disaster. Stay aware of your situation and surroundings. Stay informed by listening to the news on a battery operated radio or watching it on television if your power is working. Make sure you stay in communication with your family and friends and with emergency service personnel if needed. Products to help you stay informed and in communication are available. You want to think portable supplies and battery operated. If you have no power or need to evacuate, it must be easy to take with you.

Next you’ll want to consider legal ways of arming yourself to ensure your personal safety and security in a natural disaster. Pepper spray is one of the best option you have for arming yourself against any looters, marauders or other potential danger. Pepper spray is a chemical compound that irritates the eyes and causes difficulty in breathing when sprayed directly at the perpetrator’s face. One thing to take into consideration is that you must be fairly close to your target, using small pepper spray cans, in order to effectively dose them with the pepper spray. We recommend that you keep a one pound can available for home defense and crowd control. The lasting effect of pepper spray varies, but typically can be counted on to disable the perpetrator for up to an hour in some manner.

Another way of ensuring your personal safety is through the use of a stun gun. Stun guns deliver an electric shock to the perpetrator and cause them to go into involuntary muscle spasms. This gives you time to put distance between yourself and the person intending to do you harm. Stun guns cause acute pain when administered effectively. Stun guns are used by police departments nationwide. Whatever personal security methods you choose, advance planing and preparedness is always best.