Your Family Disaster Supplies Kit

Information courtesy of:
Federal Emergency Management Agency
American Red Cross

Reprinted by Permission of the American Red Cross (1997)

Your Family Disaster Supplies Kit

Disasters happen anytime and anywhere. And when disaster strikes, you may not have much time to respond.

A highway spill of hazardous material could mean instant evacuation.

A winter storm could confine your family at home. An earthquake, flood, tornado or any other disaster could cut off basic services - gas, water, electricity and telephones - for days.

After a disaster, local officials and relief workers will be on the scene, but they cannot reach everyone immediately. You could get help in hours, or it may take days. Would your family be prepared to cope with the emergency until help arrives?

Your family will cope best by preparing for disaster before it strikes. One way to prepare is by assembling a Disaster Supplies Kit. Once disaster hits, you won’t have time to shop or search for supplies. But if you’ve gathered supplies in advance, your family can endure an evacuation or home confinement.

To prepare your kit:

• Review the checklist below.
  Gather the supplies that are listed. You may need them if your family is confined at home.
  Place the supplies you’d most likely need for an evacuation in an easy-to-carry container. These supplies are listed with an asterisk (*).

Supplies:

There are six basics you should stock in your home: water, food, first aid supplies, clothing and bedding, tools and emergency supplies and special items. Keep the items that you would most likely need during an evacuation in an easy-to-carry container - suggested items are marked with an asterisk (*). Possible containers include:

• A large, covered trash container
  A camping backpack
  A duffle bag

Water:

Store water in plastic containers such as soft drink bottles. Avoid using containers that will decompose or break, such as milk cartons or glass bottles. A normally active person needs to drink at least two quarts of water each day. Hot environments and intense physical activity can double that amount. Children, nursing mothers and ill people will need more.

• Store one gallon of water per person per day (two quarts for drinking, two quarts for food preparation/sanitation) *
  Keep at least a three-day supply of water for each person in your household.

Food:

Store at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food. Select foods that require no refrigeration, preparation or cooking and little or no water. If you must heat food, pack cans of sterno. Select food items that are compact and lightweight.

Include a selection of the following foods in your Disaster Supplies Kit:*

• Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits and vegetables
  Canned juices, milk, soup (if powdered, store extra water)
  Staples - sugar, salt, pepper
  High energy foods - peanut butter, jelly, crackers, granola bars, trail mix
  Vitamins
  Food for infants, elderly persons or persons on special diets
  Comfort/stress foods - cookies, hard candy, sweetened cereals, lollipops, instant coffee, tea bags

First aid kit:

Assemble a first aid kit for your home and one for each car.

• A first aid kit should include:*
  Sterile adhesive bandages in assorted sizes
  2-inch sterile gauze pads (4-6)
  4-inch sterile gauze pads (4-6)
  Hypoallergenic adhesive tape
  Triangular bandages (3)
  2-inch sterile roller bandages (3 rolls)
  3-inch sterile roller bandages (3 rolls)
  Scissors
  Tweezers
  Needle
  Moistened towelettes
  Antiseptic
  Thermometer
  Tongue blades (2)
  Tube of petroleum jelly or other lubricant
  Assorted sizes of safety pins
  Cleansing agent/soap
  Latex gloves (2 pair)
  Sunscreen

• Non-prescription drugs:
  Aspirin or nonaspirin pain reliever
  Anti-diarrhea medication
  Antacid (for stomach upset)
  Syrup of Ipecac (use to induce vomiting if advised by the Poison Control Center)
  Laxative
  Activated charcoal (use if advised by the Poison Control Center)

Contact your local American Red Cross chapter to obtain a basic first aid manual.

Tools and supplies:

• Mess kits, or paper cups, plates and plastic utensils*
  Emergency preparedness manual*
  Battery operated radio and extra batteries*
  Flashlight and extra batteries*
  Cash or traveler’s checks, change*
  Non-electric can opener, utility knife*
  Fire extinguisher: small canister, A-B-C type
  Tube tent
  Pliers
  Tape
  Compass
  Matches in a waterproof container
  Aluminum foil
  Plastic storage containers
  Signal flare
  Paper, pencil
  Needles, thread
  Medicine dropper
  Shut-off wrench, to turn off household gas and water
  Whistle
  Plastic sheeting
  Map of the area (for locating shelters)

• Sanitation:
  Toilet paper, towelettes*
  Soap, liquid detergent*
  Feminine supplies*
  Personal hygiene items*
  Plastic garbage bags, ties (for personal sanitation uses)
  Plastic bucket with tight lid
  Disinfectant
  Household chlorine bleach

Clothing and bedding:

Include at least one complete change of clothing and footwear per person.*

• Sturdy shoes or work boots*
  Rain gear*
  Blankets or sleeping bags*
  Hat and gloves
  Thermal underwear
  Glasses

Special items:

Remember family members with special needs, such as infants and elderly or disabled persons.

• For baby:*
  Formula
  Diapers
  Bottles
  Powdered milk
  Medications

  For adults:*
  Heart and high blood pressure medication
  Insulin
  Prescription drugs
  Denture needs
  Contact lenses and supplies
  Extra eye glasses
  Entertainment - games and books
  Important Family Documents
  Keep these records in a waterproof, portable container:
  

  • Will, insurance policies, contracts, deeds, stocks and bonds
    Passports, social security cards, immunization records
    Bank account numbers
    Credit card account numbers and companies
    Inventory of valuable household goods, important telephone numbers
    Family records (birth, marriage, death certificates)

Suggestions and reminders:

• Store your kit in a convenient place known to all family members. Keep a smaller version of the Disaster Supplies Kit in the trunk of your car.
  Keep items in air tight plastic bags.
  Change your stored water supply every six months so it stays fresh.
  Rotate your stored food every six months.
  Re-think your kit and family needs at least once a year. Replace batteries, update clothes, etc.
  Ask your physician or pharmacist about storing prescription medications.

Create a Family Disaster plan:

To get started:

Contact your local emergency management or civil defense office and your local American Red Cross chapter:

• Find out which disasters are most likely to happen in your community.
  Ask how you would be warned.
  Find out how to prepare for each.

Meet with your family:

• Discuss the types of disasters that could occur.
  Explain how to prepare and respond.
  Discuss what to do if advised to evacuate.
  Practice what you have discussed.

Plan how your family will stay in contact if separated by disaster:

• Pick two meeting places:
  
  • 1) A location a safe distance from your home in case of fire.
    2) A place outside your neighborhood in case you can’t return home.
    

  Choose an out-of-state friend as a “check-in contact” for every to call.

Complete these steps:

• Post emergency telephone numbers by every phone.
  Show responsible family members how and when to shut off water, gas and electricity at main switches.
  Install a smoke detector on each level of your home, especially near bedrooms; test monthly and change the batteries two times each year.
  Contact your local fire department to learn about home fire hazards.
  Learn first aid and CPR. Contact your local American Red Cross chapter for information and training.

Meet with your neighbors:

Plan how the neighborhood could work together after a disaster. Know your neighbors’ skills (medical, technical). Consider how you could help neighbors who have special needs, such as elderly or disabled persons. Make plans for child care in case parents can’t get home.

Remember to practice and maintain your plan.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Family Protection Program and the American Red Cross Disaster Education Program are nationwide efforts to help people prepare for disasters of all types.

For more information, please contact your local or State Office of Emergency Management and your local American Red Cross chapter. Ask for “Your Family Disaster Plan” and the “Emergency Preparedness Checklist.”

Or write to:

FEMA
P.O. Box 70274
Washington, D.C. 20024

FEMA L-189
ARC4463
Revised March 1992