Teaching Your Teens about Emergency Preparedness

Preparedness 101:  Zombie Apocalypse! 

I recently found this blog on the CDCs website (click here).  Yes, that is the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.  It has a bunch of great tips on how to prepare for a Zombie Apocalypse, which happen to also be great tips on how to survive a real disaster.  It also includes pertinent information on the origin of Zombies, which is extremely useful for the uniformed parent of teenagers.  Here is an excerpt:

Better Safe than Sorry

So what do you need to do before zombies...or hurricanes or pandemics for example, actually happen?  First of all, you should have an emergency kit in your house.  This includes things like water, food, and other supplies to get you through the first couple of days before you can locate a zombie-free refugee camp (or in the event of a natural disaster, it will buy you some time until you are able to make your way to an evacuation sheter or utility lines are restored). 

They then list the basic elements of, you guessed it, a 72-hour kit.  You will need your teen's input to be truly and thoroughly prepared, though.  For example, my son, who is an expert on zombie apocalypse theory, informed me that an essential item that is lacking in the emergency kit is a shotgun.  Apparently, "everyone" knows that you need a shotgun to ward of zombies.

There is also information about Harvard psychiatrist Steven Schoolman who wrote a medical paper on zombies.  He refers to their condition as "Ataxic Neurodegenerative Satiety Deficiency Syndrome."  Needless to say, the blog is very complete. 

If you have had trouble getting your teen (or let's face it, your husband) interested in emergency/disaster preparedness, this may be a great way for you to catch their interest. 

Be Prepared-72 Hour Kits

One of the focuses of our Stake Relief Society this year is to encourage everyone to have a 72 hour kit for each family member. We would like to see each member of our stake begin their preparedness program with a 72 hour kit. The information in this post come from Jodi Gorham from the Shepherd Ward.

What is a 72 Hour Kit?

A 72 Hour Kit is a collection of tools and supplies needed to sustain life, minimize suffering, maintain dignity and independence, and help you do what you need to in an emergency that requires evacuation. It can be assembled for a family, but normally it would be tailored to fit the needs of an individual, and each person in the family

would have their own personalized 72 Hour Kit.

The particulars will vary from person to person, but each kit should contain the following things: water, food, clothing, shelter, sanitation supplies, medical supplies, contact information, identification and other vital documents, aids to mobility and navigation, and comfort items. A backpack, or other carry-able container, is also needed.

Your kit should be assembled in advance and kept in a safe, but convenient, location in your home or automobile, where it can be grabbed on short notice. You will always choose to endure an emergency at home, when you can, because that’s where most of your emergency preparations are. When you are forced to evacuate, you will always choose to take your personal vehicle, if you can, because that is how you are the most mobile and can take the most stuff. Your 72 Hour Kit is essential to your emergency preparations because it is what you take with you for the remainder of the journey if your car breaks down or if you are

forced to leave home on foot.
One of the many websites that lists items to include in your 72 Hour Kit is http://lds.about.com/od/preparednessfoodstorage/a/72hour_kit.htm. This site also has their list available as a pdf file that can be printed out and used as a checklist. There are companies that sell prepackaged 72 Hour Kits, but at best, those kits are a starting point for the real thing because they will not be specific to the needs of you and your family, nor will they contain personal items such as ID or documents.
It's takes time and money to assemble a 72 Hour Kit, but on the flip side, what will it cost you to be caught unprepared?
(Some information taken from Tucson North Stake Relief Society's Preparedness Notebook.)