Emergency Supplies Blog

For many people, keeping an emergency kit includes food, bandages and batteries.  During these times of high stress, people also forget that they have important documents such as social security cards, insurance papers and things of that nature.  Here’s a list of items that should be included in your emergency supplies  such as family records, medical records, wills, deeds, social security number, charge and bank accounts information and tax records, including copies of other important documents.

• Have copies of your medical insurance and Medicare cards readily available.
• Keep a list of the style and serial number of medical devices or other life-sustaining devices. Include operating information and instructions.
• Make sure that a friend or family member has copies of these documents.
• Include the names and contact information of your support network, as well as your medical providers.
• If you have a communication disability, make sure your emergency information notes the best way to communicate with you.
• Keep these documents in a water proof container for quick and easy access.

Before you jump in your car and hit the highways this summer make sure your car is properly maintained and bring along a basic car safety kit.  Little thought will be given to the car except for making sure it has fuel.  What if there is an accident and you are stuck on the highway for hours or an isolated roadway?  In winter you could get stuck in snow and stranded for a days.  Always check weather and road conditions before you travel.  The Weather Channel has up to date forcasts.  You can program the road condition numbers for the states you will be traveling into your cell phone.  Before you travel bring along a auto emergency kit.  Just a little preparation can make a world of difference.  Most of the items I will need are in my auto emergency kit and I also add in additional items as follows.

 Water - always carry at least a gallon of bottled water in your vehicle and cycle your water regularly. 

Blankets - a warm blanket or a solar blanket can come in handy.  You may need more than one. 

Food - Pick food that will not be affected by temperature extremes like emergency food bars, crackers, granola bars, and so on. 

Wetwipes - for quick clean up.

Toilet Paper  its worth a million dollars when you need it and don’t have it.

Don’t forget to thow in some fun activities for the kids, if you have them, and have a safe and wonderful trip. 

Medical first aid kits and supplies are indispensable in times of emergencies. This collection of supplies allows you to take immediate action against injuries that can happen anytime. And because you can never know when an emergency can happen, it is always a good idea to keep separate first aid supplies in your home, car and office. As a matter of fact, it is more prudent to have separate kits in each major section or room in your home. This way, you can always reach for medical first aid kits in a snap.

Your medical first aid kits and supplies should not be too small like a matchbox or too big like your garage. While there is no hard-and-fast rule about how big your first aid kits should be, you must make sure that your emergency medical set can contain all the essential items for first aid treatment. Also, take into consideration the weight of your first aid kit. It is better to have a lighter box than a heavier one because you will definitely need to carry it to many areas, not just inside your home, but also in other places where there is an emergency. Nevertheless, the type of container for your first aid supply can be varied according to your needs. You can use a re-sealable plastic bag or even a clean toolbox for your supplies.

Medical first aid kits and supplies should be placed in good open location, meaning, your kits can be easily seen by anyone inside your home. If you have kids, make sure that they understand the importance and the uses of having first aid kits. You will never know when you will rely on your kids to respond to emergencies, especially those that involve you, so you might as well teach them early on. Furthermore, if you can not afford to have multiple first aid supplies, you can just invest on one medical first aid kit and place it somewhere in the central area of your home such that you can see it and grab it from wherever you are coming from.

Medical first aid kits and supplies basically include bandages, adhesive tapes, cotton balls, clinical gloves, anti-bacterial solutions and eye goggles too.  See First Aid Supplies on our web site and you will notice that the main components of good medical first aid kits include items that protect not just the injured but the respondent as well. Above all, make sure that your first aid supplies are of good quality. You can get your kits and supplies from reputable drugstores and online, or you can assemble them yourself.

Things you should have in a good first aid kit:

• Two pairs of Latex, or other sterile gloves (if you are allergic to Latex).
• Sterile dressings to stop bleeding.
• Cleansing agent/soap and antibiotic towelettes to disinfect.
• Antibiotic ointment to prevent infection.
• Burn ointment to prevent infection.
• Adhesive bandages in a variety of sizes.
• Eye wash solution to flush the eyes or as general decontaminant.
• Thermometer (Read more: Biological Threat)
• Prescription medications you take every day such as insulin, heart medicine and asthma inhalers. You should periodically rotate medicines to account for expiration dates.
• Prescribed medical supplies such as glucose and blood pressure monitoring equipment and supplies.

Things that may be good to have:

• Cell Phone
• Scissors
• Tweezers
• Tube of petroleum jelly or other lubricant
• Non-prescription drugs:
• Aspirin or nonaspirin pain reliever
• Anti-diarrhea medication
• Antacid (for upset stomach)
• Laxative

Finding a comprehensive emergency kit and first aid kits aren’t too difficult to find and, in fact, there are sites that specialize in these specifically.  The key thing is to add to the first aid kits and make sure they are as well stocked as possible. 

Great suggestion on adding in the Ipecac for poisoning.  I am a EMT.  So you know I have more to add.  Besides the basics you could also add more Ace bandages, for sprains, etc…; antibotic ointment and/or Antiseptic wipes will be used on just about everything; a birting kit; a blanket blood presure unit burn gel, draws the heat out; burn ontiment; butterfly stiches; calamine lotion; eye dropper; eye wash kit; flashlight face mask; insect/snake bite kit; cold packs; heat packs; magnifing lens; smelling salt; sponge sterile pads; stethescope; tourniquet; tounge depressor, and a tweezer.    

Really I am more impressed just to see that people have a first aid kit in their homes and in their cars and then leave the more serious work to the professionals.  That really is the ideal situation. 

Every home should be prepared for any emergency or natural disaster that may come its way.  Home owners should have disaster supplies packed in a bag so they can just grab the bag and go.  These supplies should be complete with food, water, blankets, flashlights and radios.

If you don’t want to pack your own supplies, you can buy these supplies in stores or online.  There are disaster supplies for two or more people.  There is water and food that have very long shelf lives.  Included are waterproof matches, signaling devices, rope, knife, survival sleeping bags, and more.  You can really last for a few days with these ready disaster supplies bag.

Emergency food bars and sealed camping meals are really great to keep on hand for emergency evacuations.  I personally keep a couple of days supply of both on hand and supplement my plan with my kitchen supplies.  

Basically, I keep a duffle bag in my kitchen and a list of the extra staples, that I keep on hand.  My list include canned soups, vegatables, and  fruits.  Also, cereals, crackers, pasta, and rice.  Along with lots of peanut butter.

In addition, we have a freezer with lots of frozen food meals and some ice that we could all put in our cooler if need be.

I think this is a more sensible plan than going out and buying 25 cans of beans or MRE meals and sticking them in a box somewhere.

The thing we found out when we did a practice complete building evacuate was that we were missing proper traffic control people and tools, both in the building and out in the parking lot.  If it had been dark the sitauation would have been even worse.    People tend to panic in an emergency situation and proper crowd control in the building and in the parking lots is key in a total evacuation situation. 

What we did was to enlist more floor captains and we supplied each floor with emergency wands and lantern flashlights.  The wands work great for directing people and cars and really what you want to get is the biggest flashlight or lanters you can find.    Get your emergency lighting before you need them.

Surviving in the wilderness during when disaster strikes can sometimes stretch the thin line between life and death. It’s important to be ready with a good emergency kit and some additional supplies to help you and your companions endure adverse conditions until help arrives. Basic outdoor kits must have enough provisions to sustain one or more persons for at least 72 hours.

Each kit should contain food and water for a number of people. There should be or you can add thermal blankets and protective gloves to protect you from the cold. A first aid kit and basic medications should always be included, as well as signaling devices to help you call a rescuers’ attention. Never go on outdoor trips without a first aid kit. You’ll never know when you’re going to need it most.