Staying in the Home.
There is a distinction between the two and yet there is an overlapping between urban and wilderness survival. The following are ideas for staying alive in urban areas. Adaptability is best taught through experience, so practice in your homes for the real ordeal.
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In an emergency a choice of staying put in your home or evacuating “must” be made first. Some events that factor in are harsh weather conditions, economic struggle, or man-man causes such as a plane crash, a train derailment, a hazardous chemical spill, a toxic cloud, civil unrest, governmental curfews, etc. If the decision to stay is best, then preparations can be made far in advance for some level of care, comfort, and security. Preparing in advance will allow you time to make last minute decisions without panic and fear, or forgetting something important. The best way to prepare is to make well thought out lists of important items you need and things you need to do. Since you have at first decided to stay put in the home, you must also have a contingency plan on evacuating if conditions change for the worse. Keep in mind, you may not be returning home as you may have no home to return to. The following are areas of consideration for you to work with. You may find special circumstances will require special needs such as when dealing with the elderly, a handicapped person, or animals.
ReplyDeleteMaking Advanced Preparations
Make a list of the most important things in your life that would need attention if you were to leave your home immediately. Although you may have decided to stay in your home, items must be gathered together in the event of a change. The material necessities of life are shelter, water, and food, and a heat source. Medical needs must be given top consideration as well. Set up your main list according to priorities. Make reliable plans with family and/or friends elsewhere for lodging in the case of an evacuation. The person or persons you have made arrangements with should not live in your immediate area as they will most likely be affected by the same circumstances. If in the case of a hurricane per say, you would not want to travel in the direction of the storm. The same is held true for a bad snow storm or blizzard. Establish different locations in different directions so that you may avoid a deadly outcome. As soon as you decide on leaving your home or workplace notify the friends and your family members of your situation. Keep them advised as to your location, direction of travel, times of departure and different arrival times if you stop anywhere in your journey. They should be aware of places you may have to stop. Know what roads and highways will be best suited for an evacuation and have alternate routes in mind with safe areas to stop if the need arises. Have prepared and marked, Topographical Maps* ready at home, and in your vehicles. PLAN AHEAD!
Emergency Contact Information:
ReplyDeleteMake a personal list of the following for personal information such as emergency priorities, emergency phone numbers (police, fire department, etc.), contact numbers for friends and family, and what directions you might use under different circumstances if the need should be to evacuate. Know the location of safe sheltering areas.
Police:
Fire Department:
Utilities Companies:
Gas:
Propane:
Oil:
Electric:
Telephone:
Cellular Provider:
Cable Provider:
Internet Provider:
Septic/Sewage Company:
Doctors:
Pharmacy:
Friends and Neighbors:
Family:
Important Documents:
ReplyDeleteThe cards and information sheets we must have on us in a medical emergency should be kept in a waterproof wallet or waterproof plastic bag. Make copies of these and keep the copies with important household papers. (Birth Certificates, Social Security Cards, Driver’s Licenses, Insurance Documents, Property Deeds, etc.) Keeping these items handy will save you undue stress later. Many people during Hurricane Katrina could not receive proper help because they could not prove who they were or that they actually lived in New Orleans. Have proper documentation kept safe always. Medical business cards from your doctor’s office are small and have handy information to keep with the above. Make sure you have a current list of medications and treatments required also. You will want to secure these in a lock box of some sort, something easy to carry and grab in a hurry.
A list of documents:
Identification Cards
Driver’s License
Social Security Cards
Will
Insurance Policies
Deeds (House, Properties, Cemetery)
Contracts, Stocks, Bonds, Investment Papers
Passports
Immunization Records
Bank Account Information (Account Numbers,Last Statement, Checkbook)
Credit Card Info (Acct. Numbers, Last Statement, Address & Phone Numbers)
Inventory Lists of Household Items (Furniture, Appliances, Electronics, etc.)
Pictures – A few photos of Family Members and Inventory Items
Birth Certificates, Marriage Certificates, Death Certificates
Baby Immunization Records, Footprints, Pictures
Pet Records and Photos
First Aid Kit:
ReplyDeleteOf the utmost importance, you should have all your prescription medications together in one place. Some need refrigeration, so make a side note on your list not to forget about these. You may need to keep them in a small cooler with ice to keep them safe for use. There will be items with expiration dates. Be sure to inspect all such items on a regular basis to remove and replace outdated items. Spare eyeglasses and sunglasses are a great idea to have, even if they are your old last pair. Better those than none at all. An eye glass repair kit is good too.
_____ First Aid Manual
_____ Latex/Rubber Gloves
_____ Alcohol
_____ Hydrogen Peroxide
_____ Betadine Solution – Povidone-Iodine Solution 10% (antiseptic)
_____ Benadryl Itch Stopping Gel
_____ Neosporin
_____ Ocu-Fresh Eye Flushing Solution
_____ Ice Bag
_____ Rolls of Sterile Gauze
_____ Non-Stick Gauze Pads (Different Sizes)
_____ Roll of Hypoallergenic Adhesive First Aid Tape
_____ Thermometer
_____ Tongue Blade
_____ Liquid Bandage
_____ Band Aids – Regular, Knuckle, and Finger Tip Varieties
_____ Ace Bandage
_____ Tweezers with Magnifying Glass
_____ Scissors
_____ Safety Pins
_____ Fingernail Clipper Set
_____ Antacids (Mylanta, Pepto Bismol, Tums, Prilosec, etc.)
_____ Laxative
_____ Activated Charcoal (Induces Vomiting for Poisons)
_____ Ipecac Syrup (Induces Vomiting)
_____ Emetrol (Reduces Vomiting)
_____ Cough Syrup
_____ Cough Drops
_____ Pain Relievers (Advil, Tylenol, Aspirin, Excedrin, etc.)
_____ Cotton Balls in a clean plastic zip-lock bag
_____ Q-Tips in a clean plastic zip-lock bag
_____ Dental Emergency Kit
_____ Sting and Bite Kit
_____ Disposable Razor
_____ Hand Sanitizer
_____ Small Field Surgical Kit
_____ Sun Screen
_____ Tube of Petroleum Gel
_____ Matches (Windproof/Waterproof)
_____ Feminine Hygiene Products
_____ White Handkerchief or Bandanas
_____ Ice Pack
Water – Part I:
ReplyDeleteIt must be clean. It must be fresh. And without it, in three days you start to die.
There is a general rule about water consumption:
One gallon per person, per day, for drinking.
Two gallons per person, per day, will include food preparations and cooking.
Three gallons per person, per day, is necessary for added personal hygiene and sanitation.
Water availability is a primary concern if you cannot leave the home and your power is off, so you will want to have as a minimum, one gallon per family member just for drinking for each day of your emergency. Plan on at least seven days. That would be seven gallons per family member. Bottled water in a case is much more advisable since you can utilize only what you really need. It generally has a one year shelf life, so as you get towards the expiration date, you can use it and replace it with a fresh case as needed. Store bought sealed gallon jugs are also available, but once opened, it must be used within a twenty-four hour period. Keep it stored in a cool dry place out of sunlight. This is where advanced preparation comes in handy.
If you have a few cases of water and it is not enough for the entire family unit in the event of an emergency, there are alternative water sources just about everywhere. Now, just because water looks good and clean, you can’t just draw it up from a stream or pond and start drinking it. This is pretty much true no matter where you live in the world now-a-days. There are some serious contaminants in water that will cause you great illness with vomiting. This will in fact dehydrate you instead of helping your thirst. Before you go to those sources, you may be able to store up water in sealed containers that would be safer for later consumption. If there is time, fill up every available pot, pan, wastebasket, garbage can, garden hose, bathtub, sink, plastic jug, tea kettle, and coffee pot. Set those aside for drinking later on, and do not use those for sanitation. Double line a container such as a bucket with a clean white or clear trash can liner. Two will help to insure that leakage will not occur. There is always gathering that contaminated stream water later, if necessary, for flushing a toilet. Water collected from the rain spouts can be used for flushing a toilet as well, not for drinking.
Water – Part II:
ReplyDeleteRain water is easily collected by placing clean plastic sheeting on the ground with all the sides and corners slightly turned up. You can tie it off between trees, fence posts, or car door knobs. You can place one end under a closed window and let it hang down across lined garbage cans as collectors. The principle here is to have as much surface of the plastic spread out to collect the most amount of water in the shortest amount of time possible. Just in case the rain quits. Try to keep the plastic free from overhanging trees. Animals that live in those trees can have diseases. There is advisement against drinking water from your rain spouting as well, for much the same reason. Since rain is not completely free of contaminants either, you must boil the water in a pot with a lid for about five minutes. This must be a rolling boil. The lid will prevent evaporation of your precious water. If the water tastes bland, shake it back and forth between two sanitary containers to re-oxygenate it. Some drink mix may also be added for flavor.
How about a swimming pool? It is an enormous amount of water that can be used for washing and sanitation. If it has chlorine in it you may not want to wash clothes (except whites) in it. Even for emergency drinking, you can dilute it with your regular drinking water and boil it; this will double your supply.
Inside the house are other areas to find water. Your hot water tank is good for a few gallons. The water in the back tank of the toilet can be sanitized and purified in an emergency. All the pipes can be drained.
Water – Part III:
ReplyDeleteMaking ice ahead of an emergency is one great way to store up water. Ice cubes are small and will melt faster than block ice. If a foreseen emergency such as when a hurricane is eminent, then make blocks of ice. Save a cardboard juice (not milk) carton or plastic container and wash it out thoroughly with hot soapy water. Fill it about two thirds way up and freeze ahead of time. Take the ice out of the container and store the ice block in a two-gallon freezer zip lock bag. Have several of these on hand prior to a storm and you will have an additional water source. The shape of the container is not an issue as long as you can get the ice out of the container to store it in a bag, back in the freezer. Doubling the bag may be better than having ice stored in a single bag.
If caught in a snow storm, water is certainly not an issue as long as you boil the melted snow as you would rainwater.
Since water is necessary for your life you don’t want to waste it doing laundry or dishes.
Keep up with the laundry ahead of time and keep a couple of packs of paper cups, paper plates, and disposable plastic or styrofoam bowls on hand. Plastic eating utensils are excellent for just an emergency. Paper napkins and paper towels come in quite handy. Have a small dishpan on hand for continuous washing of any necessary dishes that may get dirty. Don’t toss the water down the drain when it needs changing. Instead, flush the toilet with it.
Water filtering and water purification are two different ways to make your water safer. Water filtering is a way to remove larger particles from the water. You can pour dirty water through a paper coffee filter to remove dirt sediment as well as other things like pebbles, bugs, and grass, etc. There are commercial water purifiers on the market that can be costly, but it will clean water in a close equivalent or better to that of purchasing bottled water. This is a personal choice and cost must be considered as well as the performance of the various types of filter/purifiers out there.
Another item of lesser cost is the water purification tablets. Since these do not do everything needed for all water gathered they are just an added precautionary step to ensure safe drinking water. Here is an excellent product to use:
http://shop.katadyn.com/product/8014996?catalog_id=1&language_id=1
Household bleach can help to purify water, but it must be the pure, unscented and non-colored type of bleach. It must have a content of at least 6% Sodium Hypochlorite and no Potassium. Using an eye dropper, add eight drops of bleach to one gallon of clear filtered water, mix by shaking, and allow it to sit for approximately 30 minutes. If, even after filtering the water it remains cloudy, add 16 drops of bleach per gallon of water instead of eight, then shake and allow it to sit for 30 minutes. It should have a slight smell of Chlorine. Add a flavored drink mix to the water to make it taste better if needed. Bottled bleach loses its effectiveness after about 6 months, so replace when needed.
Food:
ReplyDeleteThe most important thought on food storage for an emergency is that it is non-perishable and has a clear identifiable expiration date on it. Rotation of these items is required as they near the expiration time. Use an item and replace it on your next shopping trip. As you would normally shop, go through each isle and find foods that will store well for an emergency.
Some Suggestions:
Canned Milk
Powdered Milk
Powdered Drink Mixes (Lemonade, Iced Tea, Hot Cocoa)
Baby Formula - Include enough to have some extra.
Baby Food - Include enough to have some extra.
Coffee Bags
Tea Bags
Creamer
Sugar, Brown Sugar
Honey
Syrup
Salt, Pepper, Spices, Packs of Gravy Mix
Cooking Oil
Dry Peas and Beans
Rice
Pastas (ex. - Velvetta Mac & Cheese)
Tomato Sauce
Instant Potatoes
Instant Oatmeal, Cream of Wheat, Grits, Cereals
Pancake Mix (Add water only variety)
Bisquick Biscuit Mixes (Add water only variety)
Canned Goods: Tuna, Spam, Ham, Chicken, Beef Stew, Sardines, etc.
Corn, Peas, Green Beans, Beets, Asparagus, Spinach, Baked Beans, Tomatoes, Hominy, Mushrooms, Carrots, etc.
Peaches, Pears, Pineapple, Fruit Cocktail, Pie Fillings, etc.
Snacks: Cookies, Hard Candies
Cheese Spread (in the can)
Small Jars of Condiments
Crackers
M.R.E.’s (Meals Ready to Eat) Some have a five year shelf life.
Refrigerated foods:
ReplyDeleteObviously without power refrigerated foods will start to spoil. Within the freezer, ice will help to keep frozen foods safe longer than those in the refrigerator. In preparation of a power outage, make as much ice as you can store. This can double as a clean drinking water supply as well as keeping refrigerated foods cold. Store any extra ice in doubled zip-lock freezer bags (2-gallon size). This keeps it clean for drinking. Have at least one large cooler to stock items you might use frequently. This will prevent loss of cold air in the refrigerator if you do not have to keep opening the door. Ice blocks can be used in coolers for things you need to access more frequently. Try to leave the freezer closed as much as possible and keep foods as close to the bottom of freezer as is possible, because cold air drops as the warm air rises. Use refrigerated foods first, then frozen foods, then pantry foods.
Cooking:
ReplyDeleteDue to power outages you may need an alternative cooking source. Since this can be dangerous a small cooking source is advisable, as is having a fire extinguisher nearby. A small sterno stove and sterno fuel is a safe way to heat something up or to bring water to a boil for purifying. Both are economical and portable. There are also a variety of small butane or propane camping stoves on the market. Since safety is a major factor the area of cooking should “ALWAYS” be supervised by a responsible adult. Ventilation is also a primary concern to prevent the possibility of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning.
Shelter:
ReplyDeleteSince you made the decision to stay in the home during an event, you have to find an area of your home that will be the safest and most convenient. Does the situation call for turning off the electric, water, propane, natural gas, or oil sources? Know where and how to do this and have the proper tools nearby for just such an emergency. Have you secured all windows and doors? At times a toxic cloud may require you to seal off your home with sheet plastic and duct tape. Having a supply on hand is always wise. Don’t forget to seal ventilation ducts, electrical fixtures, pipe drains, and exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathroom. Use one room that has no windows, or a hallway to take up refuge in until the emergency has past.
During cold winter months it may be necessary to have the entire family in one room that can be sealed off for added warmth. This may mean you will bring all required items into that space so the heat levels can be maintained. You may want to choose a room with windows facing the south to gain as much sun during the day as possible. Northern walls and rooms have a tendency to be colder. This also holds true to the opposite for summer. Stay in well shaded rooms and keep the blinds closed to help keep it cool.
If a chemical emergency has occurred, you may have to leave home, but if not stay out of low lying areas of the home. When in a radioactive environment, you would need to get down as low as possible below ground level and against a wall that has dirt behind it. If you have to leave your home in a hurry you will want to have a B.O.B. ready. That is a term used to describe a Bug-Out-Bag. It is a suitcase, duffle bag, or backpack that you must keep emergency items in so you can grab it at a moments notice and get out. It should have the basic supplies to sustain you for five to seven days until you have relocated, help arrives, or you can return home.
If strong winds from a storm arrive, the last place you want to shelter is in front of the patio doors. Stay away from glass. Go into a basement or center hallway with strong support walls. Use a bed mattress to help protect you from flying debris. Be sure to secure any outside items that may become flying projectiles in high winds well in advance. If you cannot bring them indoors, tie or fasten them down with rope or cord. A NOAA Weather Radio is very helpful in monitoring bad weather conditions as well as other hazardous scenarios.
Shelter does not just apply to your home. If caught in a snow storm for example, you will want to have certain items for warmth with you; a sleeping bag, a blanket, added clothing, a hat and gloves. Vehicle preparedness is also as important as having your home prepared. It may become your shelter. (Note the vehicle scavenging list on later pages.)
As for the home itself, you will need to maintain a room with heat for all to stay in. Keeping everyone in one area allows you to monitor each other as well as adding additional body heat to a small area. If you use a portable heat source, you will have to ventilate the area very well. Sometimes it is best to not use these heat sources. A fireplace will require that you bring in additional wood, pellets, or coal, etc. Again Carbon Monoxide Poisoning is a factor.
You will want to have extra blankets, sleeping bags, heavy clothing, and pillows. Even in the coldest of temperatures, if you are out of the damp blowing cold air, you can maintain a good core temperature if you stay in a smaller area of sheltering. If shivering starts to occur, you are going into the first stage of hypothermia and must move about and drink warm liquids to get warm again. Use extra layers of clothing that allow you to move freely and whatever you do, don’t get too warm that you start to perspire. Getting wet next to your skin only cools the body down faster. Another person’s body heat can help to warm your body. Even a pet that lies next to you can help you to stay alive in frigid temperatures.
Sanitation:
ReplyDeleteUsing a privy. For bowel movements, a toilet can be flushed but it will exhaust your water supply. After emptying out the bowl water, you can line the commode with two plastic bags, taping down the edges to secure the bags, and put in a small amount of cat litter. After use you can remove the bag with the litter and replace it with a fresh bag and fresh litter. Always keep a liner bag in the toilet to prevent litter from going into the toilet drain itself. It may be best to make a private area to use. Take a five gallon bucket and line it with a 7-gallon trash bag. Using duct tape, tape the edges of the bag down the outside of the bucket. Take another bag and sit it inside the first bag in the bucket. Fold the bag down over the outside of the bucket, like the first one, only do not tape it. Using cat litter, line the bottom of the inside bag approximately 2 inches. Each time someone uses the bucket a little more cat litter can be added. A lid can keep the odor from escaping. Once the bucket is one third to one half full, you can pull out the inner bag leaving one bag in the bucket. Line the bucket again and start over. You can dispose of the sewage in a larger trash can that has a bigger bag. Store outside if possible to maintain sanitation. These buckets with lids can be purchased in stores like Home Depot. Store a few roles of tissue, the plastic seven gallon bags, and the cat litter in the five-gallon bucket until ready for use. Hand sanitizer should be kept nearby or some baby-wipes for additional clean-up. For urination a regular toilet can be used multiple times before flushing. Use a sheet of plastic to cover the bowl part, under the seat and lid to avoid odors. A chemical sanitizer can be added as well. If you have a septic system, you can dump raw sewage without cat litter directly into the first holding tank. There are commercially designed portable toilets available on the market. Some are simply five gallon buckets designed with a small seat and lid. Others are more complex and expensive.