A disaster relief supply inventory must be gathered in advance to ensure our health and safety after the event occurs. Emergencies don’t happen according to a schedule and no one expects them. This means planning is very important. No one really wants to think about disaster planning but it is a must to increase your chances of survival. It is a conversation and some actions you must have with your family in order to best handle an emergency situation. Write up a plan and discuss and explain it regularly to every member of your family. It takes very little time and can have a huge effect during a disaster.
Disaster relief starts with a 72 hour emergency kit. This is a kit that contains everything you will need after the event to survive. The first 72 hours are crucial in an emergency and if you can get through them safely then your chances of survival are much greater. The contents of the kits will differ depending on where you live but there are some things that every kit should have regardless of location or type of disaster that can be expected. Every member of your family should have their own kit and every six months or so you should do a kit review. During the review you should re-familiarize yourself with the contents and update as necessary.
A disaster relief kit should contain food and water, medications, money, radio, personal documents and effects, a very good well stocked first aid kit, waterproof matches or a lighter, and a good light source. The perfect light for an emergency kit is a flashlight that doesn’t require batteries. There are a number of reasons for this. For example not having to worry about batteries dying during the emergency or while the bag is stored is a great relief. Knowing that you can just pull the light out and switch it on at anytime is a great relief. It also helps keep the kit size compact because you don’t have to carry extra battery supplies.
A disaster relief kit should always include a good light source as it can be used to signal emergency disaster relief workers. If you happen to be stuck somewhere that is not readily visible you can use the battery less flashlight to signal people as to your exact location. Being well prepared is everything in an emergency and should never be overlooked. Make an emergency plan right now.