The first 72 hours after an emergency event you will be on your own.  You cannot survive without Water – it is the most important part of your emergency preparedness.  There is a good chance you will not be at home in the event of an emergency so make sure you have water in your car and at work.

• Buy a few cases of water – put one in each car – another at the office – and several more at home. Imagine an earthquake and you are stuck somewhere with no water…

• Each person will require a minimum 15 gallons of water for 72 hours. Do not forget your furry friends as your pets will need water too!

• Commercially available 55 gallon drums can store water indefinitely. Fill one up and cover it with a tarp in the back of your yard.

• Do not overlook the water in your water heater and toilet tanks in the event of an emergency. Turn off the Smart Measurement tools or electricity to the water heater – then turn off the intake valve and open the drain. That avoids adding contaminated water to your 50 or 60 gallons of H2O. You can hire an electrician to do it.

• Locate your water main both at the house and the box that the water company uses to read your meter. Have an emergency shutoff wrench for the water (and gas).

• Have some water purification tablets in your emergency kit. Unscented bleach works too – 16 drops per gallon and let stand 30 min.  it will still have a slight  chlorine smell but that means it’s okay to drink.

  The first 72 hours after an emergency event you will likely be on your own.  Having a portable 72-hour kit for each member of the family will put you in a position to survive and take care of your family.  There is a good chance you will not be at home in the event of an emergency so a small kit in your car and at work will be important.   Here is an easy checklist for a Basic 24 Hour Kit:

• Contact list of relatives
• Emergency contact list
• Copies of identification, credit cards, health identification cards, some cash in small denominations and coins
• Bottled Water
• Whistle, flashlight or headlamp, and shoes (under your bed?!)
• Sanititation (towelettes, hand sanitizer, TP, baggies)
• Prescription medicines, special needs items
• Sweatshirt, sweat pants, warm hat
• Emergency blanket
• Non-perishable foods (granola bars etc.–more information next week!)
• Child’s bag–include a familiar toy
• Small container of Clorox unscented bleach and medicine dropper
• Small notebook and pencil

ADD FOR YOUR WORK “GO-BAG”

• Additional water
• Small tools, pry bar, channel lock pliers, screwdriver 4-1
• Battery powered radio
• Small first aid kit
• Dust masks
• Duct tape
• Permanent marker
• Extra Keys to home and cars
• Heavy duty gloves
• Pocket knife

ADD FOR YOUR CAR “GO-BAG” FOR EACH CAR

• Fire extinguisher
• Flares
• Large First Aid Kit

Next week I’ll list resources and ideas for adding non-perishable foods to your emergency kits!

Water bottles and Critical Medicine for family members with special needs are important to have with you in the event that you are away from home in an emergency and cannot return home. The two items you should put in each of your cars tonight are Water Bottles (2 for each family member) and Essential Medicines. A 72 hour supply will be important  (don’t wait, we know what happens if you do not do it right away). Earlier I posted that you should have three emergency essentials at your bedside–shoes, whistle, flashlight. This is to cover you in the event you cannot return home for any length of time.  It may not be possible to get to the pharmacy for essential needs. Subscribe to my blog for periodic emergency preparedness tips!  Taking it on one step at a time will prepare you and your family in the event of an emergency.  Be prepared – it could save your life.

In the event of an emergency, are you going to be an asset or a victim?  Your community has a program to train YOU to be a resource in the event of an emergency!

In the San Ramon Valley there are only a limited number of emergency personnel on duty at any given time  In the event of an emergency first responders are going to be focused on infrastructure and urgent needs. Become CERT Trained so you can be a resource to your immediate community!

For the San Ramon Valley Fire District click HERE  and for the CERT program click HERE.

San Ramon courses start on March 14^th (Wednesday nights for 6 weeks)  or March 17^th for two Saturdays.

• Introduction to CERT and Emergency Preparation
• Terrorism and Fire Suppression
• Medical and Basic First Aid
• Light Search and Rescue
• Psychology and Incident Command
• Drill

Subscribe to my blog for periodic emergency preparedness tips!  Taking it on one step at a time will prepare you and your family in the event of an emergency.  Be a resource – not a victim.