photo via flickr istorija

We are constantly being reminded by events both near and far that disasters can happen suddenly, and when they do, they can have a huge impact on your family. This is why we urge preparedness, but also want to make easy on you, by suggesting you do just one thing a month.

At United Way, we use Do1Thing as our guide because it’s straightforward and easy so that “by the time a year has passed, you will have taken big steps towards preparing yourself, your family, and your community for emergencies and disasters.

This month’s one thing is food.

Make a plan to purchase and store a dedicated three day emergency food supply for your household. At the very least, ensure that in addition to your daily needs, you have some extra food stored in case of emergency or disaster. When shopping, keep in mind the foods that you and your family enjoy and be sure to include comfort foods along with high energy items like nuts and protein bars. Also don’t forget to include your pets when making your food storage and supply plans.

An emergency food supply doesn’t have to be tucked away in a safe location, ready for disaster to strike (although it can be). It can be sitting on the shelves of your cupboards every day, being used and replenished each time you go shopping.

The key to a good food storage plan is to buy ahead. By replacing items before you run out, or buying an extra item each time you shop (especially when items go on sale), you make sure that your family will have what they need when disaster strikes.

At Do1Thing, they included a helpful acronym, BUS, to guide you in this process. BUS stands for:

• Balanced diet – try to keep a mix of foods in your kit that are a part of your normal balanced diet.

• Usability - ensure you have items that can be used in a disaster like dried cereal and canned items – basically foods that do not need to be refrigerated or cooked, and that also don’t need a lot of added water to work.

• Shelf Life- Whether you are storing a dedicated emergency food supply, or using a food storage plan, pay attention to shelf-life when purchasing and using food. Use and replace foods before the expiration date.

The key to being able to survive a disaster is being prepared. By doing one thing every month, it can be easy to accomplish this without too much effort.

(Photo via flickr user istorija)

If you have a smart phone, getting prepared for disaster has never been easier. Over on Mashable, they have a great list of resources that either use Web 2.0 tools like Facebook , or can be integrated with any current generation smart phone.

Though it sounds rather fancy and complicated, it is really just another way of organizing the same principles and information we’ve recommended: Things like creating a plan, establishing meeting places for your family, and making sure you have your emergency contact information updated and available.

If you have a smart phone, it may be also be good idea to install social media apps like Facebook and Twitter because the 3G network could still be functioning after a disaster, even as phone lines may be busy or unavailable.  A quick status update could be a useful way to let a lot of people know you’re okay, or your location, or anything else worth communicating.

Use these tools in combination with other, low-tech, steps and you’ll be quite prepared.

Some favorites that were mentioned include:

My Maps which lets you plan a route using landmarks, lines, and shapes, and lets you easily share that route or access it on your mobile browser.You can also print out a copy of the map you’ve created and add to your “Go Bag” or your child’s backpack.

For iPhone users (I’m sure there will soon be an Android equivalent) they also mentioned the ICE App (99 cents in App Store). The app creates one central location to conveniently store information about your medical conditions and allergies as well as emergency contacts. You can even enter insurance information and contact details for your specific doctors. Mashable also links to other iPhone apps that can help you out in case of emergency.

But my favorite is the Emergency Radio app, which turns your iPhone into a supercharged scanner for police, fire, NOAA and other emergency radio frequencies.

As part of our ongoing goal to ensure that everyone is prepared for disaster – made even more urgent considering the recent events in Chile – we encourage people to do just one thing each month to prepare yourself and your family.  The idea is to prepare enough to be able to sustain yourself and your family for 72 hours after a disaster. As a guide, we’ve been following the disaster preparedness calendar featured on Do 1 thing.  This month’s 1 thing is Shelter.

The goal is to identify a safe a place to shelter during an emergency and to know how to respond safely when instructions are given.  If you spend a lot of time in certain locations that aren’t your home, like a workplace or perhaps a gym or place or place of worship, it might be a good idea to think about safe places in those locations as well.  When establishing your shelter plan here are some things to consider:

• Identify the best shelter area in your home:
  • Where can you duck, cover and hold at your residence?
  • What area of your house is the best place to stay high and dry?
  • In case you must evacuate, what places in your community can you go to for shelter?
• Talk to your child’s school regarding their sheltering procedures.
• Have a leash or carrier to evacuate or contain your pet in an emergency.

If you have to evacuate – and sometimes even while sheltering in place - having a “Go Bag” can be a very convenient way to ensure you have some necessary items that will make life easier. Your Go Bag can be part of your home emergency kit, just make sure that it is in a bag or easy to carry container and that it is in an easy-to-get-to location.

Some things to include are:

• Battery powered, or wind-up radio

• Flashlight

• Blankets (“space blankets” are cheap and can be found at most sports/camping stores)

• Emergency information, including a list of any prescription medicines and insurance policies

• Personal items such as toothbrushes, soap, extra glasses, etc.

• Whistle

• Pen and paper

• First-aid kit

• Diapers and baby formula

• Supplies for pets (leash, food, bowls, plastic bags)

• Change of clothing

• Anything you know you just can’t live without!

Remember, disasters can strike at time, so doing just a single thing each month can help you and family survive at least 72 hours.

(photo via http://www.flickr.com/photos/wafflechomper/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

We know that being prepared for disaster is important but where do you start?  This year, start the year off right by first assessing your risk.  Think about where you live and what particular hazards you face. We got a reminder yesterday and again today that we need to be prepared for earthquakes, but depending on where you live, floods, high winds, or even deteriorating cliffs may also be a concern.

January’s one thing to do, is to assess your particular risk factor and make your decisions accordingly. Who you are, where you live, and how well you are able to understand and follow emergency instructions, are all things that make up your risk in a disaster. Take a moment to think about how your household would be affected by disaster.

Do you have a disaster kit ready? (image via do1thing)

As part of our goal to make sure that businesses and communities are prepared for the next Bay Area disaster, we’ve been urging people to have disaster supply kits on-hand, but what does that really mean? When a disaster strikes, it will be a confusing time, and many basic things we rely on now, like ATMs, and  running water may be unavailable.  By thinking ahead and figuring out what you’d need in case of emergency, you can make it easier for you and those around you to survive.

The website do1thing has tried to simplify this process by breaking down the disaster preparation process into one, easy monthly to-do. This month the goal is creating your own disaster kit.

The contents of your kit will vary depending on your particular needs, such as medication, and if you have pets, but what is important is to be able to take care of yourself and your family without outside assistance for at least 72 hours.  This is the amount of time experts suggest you be prepared for, since emergency personnel will be very busy, may not be able to get essentials like food and water to you. This is why your emergency kit is so important.

Some of the tasks they recommend doing include:

• Gather your emergency supplies in an easy-to-reach and accessible place.

• Stash some cash in case ATMs and credit card machines are not usable in a disaster.  Some experts say you should have at minimum $150.00 in cash stashed away.

• Include a basic tool kit – hammer, wrench, utility knife, screwdriver, nails.
• Have an emergency-supply for kit for any pets – a supply of pet food and any medications your pet may need.

• Maintain at least one regular phone at your residence that is not cordless.  - during a power outage, your cordless phone will not work.  However, those old-fashioned movement-restricting phones that  have a cord will work without  power if the phone lines are intact.
• Include a sanitation kit- moist towelettes, garbage bags, toilet paper, waterless hand cleaner
• Make sure you have a food kit – waterproof matches, a manual can opener, paper plates, plastic utensils, a small pot or pan, portable grill or camp stove (never use indoors!)

Taking small steps such as these once a month will go a long way to ensuring you can survive at least a 72-hour period until emergency personnel can reach you.