Emergency preparedness is a topic that is near and dear to my heart. One of the many reasons we moved to the country is to enhance our ability to be self sufficient; and in doing so we will be better prepared for emergencies and disasters that may be coming our way. I was honored to speak sacrament on the importance of emergency preparedness and how we as individuals and families can be prepared. I learned so much more about preparedness during the preparation of my talk and felt compelled to really start working on some of the things on my list. I updated our 2010 goals to include emergency preparedness.
The following week I was called as the Ward Dry Pack Canning Specialist; how perfect is that?! Now I get to work on our food supply each month; no excuses!
If you are unsure if this is something you should be doing, check out this pamphlet that is put out by the church. It will help you get an idea of why food storage is necessary and how to start. I ask that you read and ponder the message from the first Presidency contained in the pamphlet that states:
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
Our Heavenly Father created this beautiful earth, with all its abundance, for our benefit and use. His purpose is to provide for our needs as we walk in faith and obedience. He has lovingly commanded us to “prepare every needful thing” (see D&C 109:8) so that, should adversity come, we may care for ourselves and our neighbors and support bishops as they care for others.
We encourage Church members worldwide to prepare for adversity in life by having a basic supply of food and water and some money in savings.
We ask that you be wise as you store food and water and build your savings. Do not go to extremes; it is not prudent, for example, to go into debt to establish your food storage all at once. With careful planning, you can, over time, establish a home storage supply and a financial reserve.
We realize that some of you may not have financial resources or space for such storage. Some of you may be prohibited by law from storing large amounts of food. We encourage you to store as much as circumstances allow.
May the Lord bless you in your home storage efforts.
The First Presidency
I know that I am not alone in needing to finish my year supply of food and other emergency essentials. I have attached a few of my favorite links to get you started. When you have a spare moment or two, take some time to just browse the sites - become aware of what is available and what you will need. There are several great spreadsheets that will automatically calculate what you need and how much for the number of people in your family - If you need one, let me know and I can email you a copy of the one I use (it is the best); in the mean time I will try to figure out how to post it on the blog (don't hold your breath!).
http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/start-here/
http://www.providentliving.org/channel/0,11677,1706-1,00.html
http://beprepared.com/
It is best to start with a goal of 3 months - - then work up to a year. That way, in an emergency, you will have everything you need for 3 months and won't be living off your year supply of wheat and only wheat (yuck!)
If you don't have the money right now to start on food, you are not off the hook! As we are working on our adoption paperwork, we are having to provide documentation of almost everything. Since we have moved several times, I have most of the paperwork in one place. While it is not organized, it is all together in one folder in my 'records' drawer in the office. During this process of adoption, we are making copies, and putting them into our Grab-and-Go Binder, we are also making scanned copies to a CD AND a USB drive. Three copies? Really?! I feel confident that you can never have too many copies of important things, and they should be stored in different places.
Grab-and-Go Binder
What the heck is a Grab-and-Go Binder, you ask? A Grab-and-Go Binder is a vital part of any family preparedness plan, and is one of the first things you should put together. This binder will contain all of your most critical information in one place for any type emergency, even if it’s just a quick trip to the ER.
For this project you’ll need a 1″ three-ring binder, a set of tabbed dividers, paper protectors and a copy machine. The binder you create will be unique to your family, but here are some suggestions to get you started.
Label a divider for each of the following sections, and then begin inserting copies of your documents.
Financial Documents
1. copies of the fronts and backs of debit/credit cards
2. copies of house and vehicle titles and registrations
3. copy of your will or living trust
4. names, addresses and phone numbers of all banks
5. other important documents related to employment and/or a family business
6. copies of your insurance policies (life, health, auto, homeowners, etc.)
7. copies of tax papers
8. copies of retirement plans
Personal Documents
1. names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses of relatives and close friends
2. copies of:
* marriage license
* temple sealing certificate
* birth certificates
* drivers licenses
* CCW permits
* pet vaccine records
* passports
* Social Security cards
* Fingerprint cards for each family member
3. a list of firearm serial numbers
4. legal documents pertaining to child custody or adoption
5. recent photos of each family member and each pet
6. color photos of your house and each room in the house
7. photos of anything of particular value
8. military documents
9. diplomas and transcripts
10. appraisals
11. copies of funeral/mortuary plots and plans
12. real estate documents
Medical Documents
1. copy of health insurance cards
2. a list of blood types for each family member
3. names, addresses and phone numbers of all doctors
4. medical histories of each family member
5. immunization records
6. a list of current prescriptions, dosage, and pharmacy contact information
With your finished Grab-and-Go Binder, you’ll have the peace of mind knowing that your family can focus on a quick evacuation without trying to retrieve scattered family records.
What to do with the originals? It’s probably best to keep them in a fireproof safe or a safety deposit box. Also, be sure at least two other trusted people have access to that box in case you become incapacitated.
Good luck getting started and let me know if you need help! We will eventually have all of this posted on our website; eventually.
7 months ago
That's really cool, Clover! We've slowly been trying to get ourselves more and more prepared and even our small efforts make us feel so much better about where we stand. I'll have to take a closer look at your lists here and see how we can get ourselves even more prepared. Good luck with the new calling... though it doesn't sound like you need it! :)
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