# 3319
Given how little it would take for an average family to become better prepared to deal with the all-but-inevitable emergencies in life, I’m astounded how few people actually bother to prepare.
Judging by the media focus we see on health, and safety, and the sales of self-help and `healthy living’ books and magazines – we as a society obviously are interested in maintaining our health and well being.
Or at least . . in reading about it.
But when it comes to doing things that can really make a difference -like putting together a family emergency plan, or acquiring a decent first aid kit, having lanterns, a radio, and extra batteries, or having an extra week’s worth of food in the pantry – most people are inexplicably reticent.
Today, we have a pandemic looming, those of us who live along the Gulf and Atlantic coast are in the midst of hurricane season, out west it is wildfire season, and in many places around the world it is always earthquake season.
Plenty of reasons to be preparing your family, your business and your community to deal with emergencies.
But it doesn’t have to be a pandemic, or a storm, or the shaking of the earth to make preparedness pay off. It can be something as simple as a fall at home, or the slip of a knife while peeling potatoes to prove the worth of having a first aid kit.
In 2005 there were nearly 6,420,000 auto accidents in the United States - 2.9 million people were injured and 42,636 people killed.
Yet how many people keep a good first aid kit in their cars?
When a series of Hurricanes criss-crossed Florida in 2004, millions of people were without electricity for days. Tens of thousands went weeks before power could be restored.
Having lanterns (not candles!), extra batteries, and a portable radio wasn’t just a good idea, it was essential. Yet many people – even after the storms had been forecast - failed to make even that simple preparation.
I find it inexplicable. But apparently, most people think they are immune from disaster.
As a former paramedic, I can tell you that millions of people face disasters – large and small – every day around the world. And it is just a matter of time before you will, too.
It may stem from you, or someone you know, being injured in an accident, having a heart attack, or even catching pandemic flu. Even though most people don’t like to think about it, accidents and illnesses are more common than they think.
Very few people go through life unscathed.
Do you know CPR? If so, when was your last refresher course? Have you taken a first aid course?
Do you have a decent first aid kit – not one of those $10 dime store boxes – but an honest-to-goodness usable kit?
A couple of shots of my primary (1 of 3) first aid kit. Notice the masks and goggles, along with two flashlights (one hands free). Yours needn’t be this elaborate, but it needs to be more than a box of band-aids and a pair of tweezers.
Everyone should have a first aid kit in their home, and another in their car. And they need to know how to use it. I’m amazed that our school systems don’t require a first-aid course as a requirement for graduation. Too practical, I guess.
And having a written medical history on every member of your family is essential. A list of conditions, medications, and allergies. There are free, or very inexpensive wallet cards you can fill out and carry.
Do you have (at least) an extra week’s worth of food in the house?
Officials are guessing that at least 1/3rd of the population will contract the H1N1 virus over the next few months. It could be more. But in any event, a huge number of people are going to be infected, and shouldn’t be out in public.
Even to go to the grocery store, or pharmacy.
If you get sick, you are going to be asked to stay home. For a week, maybe longer. Having at least a week’s worth of groceries set aside can be a powerful insurance policy.
Also having the basic over-the-counter medicines and supplies you might need could be a life saver. Some of these things could be in short supply come flu season.
One of the best resources on the Internet for information on sensible preparedness is the Readymoms Alliance. (Disclaimer: I am an `honorary’ Readymom, having helped them at an Orlando convention last year)
Comprised of volunteers, the Readymoms travel around the country to promote personal and community preparedness. You can read more about their exploits here, here, and here.
But visit their website for more information on how to prepare, and how to teach your neighbors as well.
Another great site with preparedness information is GetPandemicReady.Org (again, I am a minor contributor to this site). Here you will find dozens of easy-to-follow preparedness guides, all written by volunteers.
And of course, Ready.gov wants to you Make A Kit, Have A Plan, and Be Informed.
It doesn’t take a huge commitment of time or money to become better prepared. Sure, if you want to lay in a 3-month supply of food (which some agencies have recommended) you are talking big bucks.
But even a week’s worth of supplies beats none at all.
A portable radio, a couple of LED lanterns, and some batteries needn’t set you back more than the cost of a delivered pizza.
And of course, having a plan, and an emergency meeting or contact place in case your family members are separated during a crisis, needn’t cost a dime.
I guess it all depends what you think your family’s safety and well being is worth. A couple of hundred dollars can put a family of four well ahead of the crowd when it comes to preparedness.
Not everyone can afford that, I know. But every family that can afford it, and that does prepare, is one less family that will need immediate assistance during a crisis. Emergency aid can go to those who were unable to prepare.
Preparing, if you are able to at all, is the ethical thing to do.
Today, many people are concerned about the future.
They see economic uncertainty, the threats of global warming and erratic weather patterns, and the specter of a pandemic on the horizon, and they worry.
Worrying never solved anything. They should be preparing – sensibly – instead.
After all, preparing is easy . . . it’s worrying that is hard.
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