Emergency Preparedness with California Volunteers: Disaster Kit Giveaway!

In all seriousness, what would you do at this very moment if there was a major earthquake in your town? Would you know where to go in your home or other location for safety? What about your family? If you were separated from them, would you be able to reach them in a calm and orderly manner? If such a disaster created an environment that prevented you from leaving your home for several days, would you be able to sustain yourself and those around you? And if you are someone who is very much prepared to take care of yourself and your family in an emergency, would you be prepared to help those in your community?

So many questions. So many scenarios and "What If?"'s. I had the pleasure of meeting with some representatives of California Volunteers this week and it was quite an enlightening experience. In partnership with the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security, California Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster and other state and local organizations, CaliforniaVolunteers works to strengthen the state’s readiness for and ability to respond to large-scale disasters.

There were some incredible situations discussed, simple things we can and should do to prepare ourselves, our families, and our homes so that when disaster strikes - whether it be on a small or large scale - we can first be self-sufficient, thereby alleviating unneeded strain on emergency responders, and then be able to offer assistance in our neighborhoods and communities.

I had always considered myself moderately prepared. We have a small food and water storage that, if necessary, could sustain our little family for some time. But what if our dear neighbors knocked on our door and asked for help? Could we? I would certainly hope so, and in that case, feel I need to up our ante on the food storage. Also, depending on the type of disaster, our food storage might not even matter. If fire or flood came our way, we wouldn't be able to "grab and go" as it were. 

That said, though, we do have a couple 72-hour backpacks in the garage ready to go, should the need arise. Stocked with lots of the free samples I get in the mail and items that I feel we would need in a variety of situations or lengths of time (rain ponchos, camping shovel, change of clothes, sunblock, mosquito repellant, hand sanitizer, chapstick, etc.). 

Nevertheless, while I pat myself on the back for these simple measures, I am reminded that there is still far to go. At the California Volunteers event earlier this week, we did a safety walk-through of the host's home with a Captain Dan Quiggle from the Consumnes CSD Fire Department. He shared some great safety and preparedness tips that aren't necessarily front-of-mind considerations for most people - like me! Some things that stood out for me were:

• I always thought it was a great idea to have a spare container of gasoline in the garage. Should there be a disaster, we could fire up a portable generator, use our vehicle if the gas stations were down because of a prolonged power outage, etc. I learned, however, that the risks in that outweigh the benefits. When dealing with hazardous materials like gasoline, we were told, it's good to use the L.I.E.S. principle: Limit Isolate Eliminate and Separate. It's too much of a catalyst to make the house go up in flames. 
• Keep a spare pair of comfortable shoes in your desk at work or in your car. One thought someone shared was the fact that after the 9/11 attacks in New York, the people who were able to go home had to walk who knows how far in the clothes they wore to work. How many of those women wore high heels that day? Considering the greater tragedies at the time, this dilemma is miniscule, but wouldn't a more comfortable pair of shoes to walk home or to nearby safety in make life just a bit more bearable? Yeah, don't laugh at the ladies doing their lunchtime power walks in nylons and tennis shoes anymore! 
• If disaster strikes and phone lines are tied up, you will be able to reach an out-of-state phone number before you would be able to reach a local number. This is a great reason to have a Family Disaster Plan, which I will elaborate on below. 
• Use the "grab and go" mentality. Keep things in a centralized location, because oftentimes you will not have the time to go searching for something, like rain boots, or the right size batteries, or your sleeping bags. Know where things are and don't spread them out, such as everyone keeping their coats in their own room. Keep coats together so that if you are given a moment's notice, you really can "grab and go." 
• Keep a list of phone numbers and who in your family is responsible to call whom. Like a family phone tree. Mom will call Dad, Dad will call an out-of-state relative, and so on. Keep one in your wallet, purse, kid's backpack, glove compartment of the car, etc. In addition to these important phone numbers, even keep the location information of where your family has designated as a local, regional, and even out-of-state meeting place in the event of an evacuation! 

It is important to make sure your family has a plan in case of a disaster. This plan will serve as a guide for each of your family members, letting them know how you will get in contact with one another, where you will go and what you will do in an emergency. Keep a copy of this plan in your disaster supply kit or another safe place where you can access it in the event of a disaster.

To ease the anxiety of preparing children for disaster, California Volunteers has created a customizable children's book in addition to the Family Disaster Plan. It helps answer children's questions and understand in a simple manner the things they can do to help themselves and their friends in the event of an emergency. And it's presented in a way that isn't overwhelming or scary!

The children's book and Family Disaster Plan is fabulous! It is so thorough, I had to keep looking some of our information (like insurance numbers, local OES numbers, etc.) up to fill it in and it got my family and I talking about things we hadn't considered before - such as deciding on an out-of-state meeting place in the event of an evacuation. And that's the great part about it, in an emergency I wouldn't have the time to look all that information up, or have those conversations, so having it already prepared is absolutely invaluable.

It all starts with you. Take small steps toward personal preparedness. As a whole we can weather a disaster a little more calmly if we prepare ourselves, which then paves the way for stronger, safer, and better prepared neighborhoods and communities.

According to the Disaster Supplies Checklist, "The first 72 hours after a major emergency or disaster are critical. Electricity, gas, water, and telephones may not be working. In addition, public safety services such as police and fire departments will be busy handling serious crises. You should be prepared to be self-sufficient — able to live without running water, electricity and/or gas, and telephones — for at least three days following a major emergency."

I could honestly go on and on about all the great things I learned from California Volunteers, but this is where I'll take a breath and let the fun begin...California Volunteers has graciously offered to award three of my readers each a family four-pack of disaster kits. Each portable kit contains a flashlight, whistle, emergency blanket, glow stick, bandages and enough food and water to last one person for three days.

This is an extraordinary giveaway, so to enter I will ask you to do one of three things (or all three, your choice!): 

1. Visit the California Volunteers website leave a comment telling me something you learned about disaster preparedness and self-sufficiency that you didn't know beforehand. 
2. Create a Family Disaster Plan here. Leave me a comment telling me you did so. 
3. Leave California Volunteers legitimate feedback via this form. Leave a comment letting me know you did so. 

This contest will close on Tuesday, December 1st at 12 Noon PST. I will contact each winner with the email left on the comment form below, so please be sure your contact information is accurate. Winner will have three days to respond or another will be chosen. Each winner will receive four (4) 72-hour kits, as described above, from California Volunteers. Open to U.S. residents only.

My many thanks to California Volunteers, Jairo, Karen and Jessica for not only this awesome giveaway, but the chance to be a part of this amazing organization's outreach.

This contest has ended and the winners have been emailed. Congratulations Debbie (#2) (did not respond w/in 72 hrs), Sabrina (#17), Courteney (#30) and Sarah (#12)!