Emergency Supplies Blog

Building a useful and prepared trauma kit requires attention to detail and forethought. Will you need ice packs and burn cream and splints and pain relievers? How many people do you expect this trauma kit to provide? Luckily, trauma kits and supplies are available in pre-prepared kits. Whether you need a one person, a fifty-four person, or a one hundred person trauma kit, you can get one fully supplied and ready for use. There are even OSHA approved medical kits available that meet all workplace safety standards.

When someone is injured, the type of first response they receive can be the difference between life and death. Loss of blood and infection are just two of the traumas that can befall someone who has been injured and is not tended to correctly. This is just one of the many reasons it is wise to have a well stocked trauma kit and supplies. Being able to properly respond to a workplace injury, in the field injury, or home injury can provide relief from pain and set the victim on their way to proper care and healing. Be prepared to deal with burns and head trauma and you’re ensuring the safety of your family and/or coworkers. From basic first aid kits to deluxe medical emergency kits capable of attending to one thousand people, trauma kits and supplies are out there that meet your specific situation and conditions. Perhaps you have the need for a portable stretcher. If so, there is one available that folds up in a roll and stores nicely in the case alongside the rest of your medical supplies. Most of us will have no need to perform complicated field surgery in our lifetimes. But being prepared to splint and wrap a sprained ankle or treat a spider bite can save someone’s day, not to mention life.  The first step to building your trauma kit and supplies is to assess your needs. Is this going in your home or office? Does your workplace contain heavy machinery or work with tools such as in the construction industry? If so, you’ll need a more heavy duty medical emergency kit than perhaps you’d need in a law office. From a first aid kit for your automobile to a deluxe first aid kit they are available and ready to ship. Check the First Aid Kits and Trauma Kits section of our website for more information.

People that live in wooded areas should be prepared for a evacuation due to forest fires.  Most people don’t expect to experience this or anything like this.  In a forest fire most houses burn down from the roof, due to flying sparks hitting the asphalt shingled roof.  I have to ask, how many people are prepared for an emergency evacuation and have their emergency kits packed and ready to go and also know where all their important documents are?  I would start be getting all of your importand document into a document fire bag or fire box.

Then each member of your family should have there own basic 3 day personalized emergency kit , fire document system, and clothing bag.  You will feel so much better, especially if you never need to evacuate your home due to a fire and/or any other emergency.

#1.  Packing for an emergency and/or emergency evacuation is just like packing and prepared for a camping trip.  The hard part is getting the food and water supplies ready, unless you are using freeze dried foods or food bars and pre-packaged water.  I would add in a few kitchen canned items along with a can opener, knife, fork, and spoon combination and a emergency can opener too. 

#2.  Thereafter, you should have all of your camping gear and supplies in clean and dry bags, buckets, backpacks, etc… ready to go on a moment notice, just like you should do with your emergency preparedness gear and emergency kits. 

#3.  Finally, with camping trips you have your travel plans and destination just like you need to do with your emergency evacuation plans.  Only with a emergency evacuation consider out of neighborhood, out of town, and possible out of state. 

Basically, thinking ahead is the key to a succesful camping trip and/or emergency preparedness.  

When you think about emergencies, diving into your toolbox for help may not be the first thing that comes to mind. But when it comes to tools that may be needed in an emergency situation, you likely have them sitting in your toolbox in your garage already. Take a look around your home and office. That can opener in your kitchen is essential in the event you find yourself without power and needing to open a can.  And that is just one example of tools you probably have laying around your home and office that can be helpful in an emergency situation.

Keeping a wrench in an easily accessible space is a good idea. When a natural disaster such as an earthquake happens, a wrench is needed to turn off the gas to protect yourself and your family against a possible gas leak from damaged gas lines. Wrenches can also be used to turn off water lines in the event of a breakage or other emergency. Tools that may be needed in an emergency situation also include screwdrivers and pry bars. It is not only your own family that may need help, but your neighbors as well. Should disaster befall your neighborhood, your tool kit can be of great use. Make sure it is stocked well. Depending on your unique situation, tools that may be needed in an emergency situation can include traffic cones and flares useful for cordoning off areas where a car accident has happened. In the event of fire or a tree falling or other disaster, you may find a fireman’s ax to be very useful. Likewise, a saw is a necessary tool that can help you out in many emergency situations.  As you can see, there are many tools and utensils commonly found in your home and / or office that can make a world of difference when you find yourself in the unusual circumstances of an emergency situation. As is the case with the rest of your emergency tools and supplies, it is important to have your tools properly stored and marked so that they are easy to find in that moment of need. Tools that may be needed in an emergency situation include adjustable wrenches in several sizes, a pipe wrench, pry bar, bolt cutters, saw, sledge hammer, can opener, pliers, fireman’s ax and screwdrivers; just to name a few.

When search and rescue is needed it is often the first responders who make the biggest impact. They are the hottest on the trail, so to speak, and having the right search and rescue supplies and tools can make all the difference in their endeavors. Community Emergency Response Team (or CERT) members are often the first people out in the field to begin the search and rescue. These CERT members know the terrain for which they are trained very well and should embark on their search and rescue operation properly supplied. 

Reflective vests are a helpful part of the search and rescue supplies and tools. They are easily seen from a distance due to color and the reflective quality of the tape, trim and fabric. Other CERT members can easily locate each other. This vest is so highly visible that it is possible that the person being searched for will see the bright color and realize help is on its way. Other tools and supplies essential to a search and rescue operation include solar radios, flashlights and bullhorns. In fact, a bullhorn or megaphone that includes a siren is a great addition to any search and rescue operation as it enables the user to get a loud sound out and notify other rescuers when help is needed or the object of the search is found.

Search and rescue can make a big difference in whether it is a successful operation or not.supplies and tools  Consider the conditions you are going into and how long the person you are searching for may have been missing and stranded. Rain ponchos for the CERT members and the people or person you are searching for are helpful. Solar blankets and sleeping bags in the event of a temperature drop or overnight stay are a good idea. In the unfortunate event that you find the person you are searching for and they have died, a body bag will aid you in transporting them back to civilization.

You may find that your search and rescue mission goes from day to night. Flashlights are essential to your search and rescue supplies and tools. You can also purchase a high powered rechargeable spotlight which is an amazing source of light for your rescue operation. Don’t forget to take a first aid or trauma kit on your search and rescue mission.

I would suggest that you keep a few unused collapsible water bags with your emergency supplies.  Collapsible water bags can remain folded up, saving space, and easily filled with water in an emergency or emergency evacuation situation.