|
With an insurgency
of hurricanes and other national catastrophes, it is becoming
of dire importance to prepare for disaster. Since Hurricane
Katrina, our country has learned several lessons. Aside from
evacuating an endangered area, we have learned the importance
of emergency contingency planning.
Maintaining
a kit of medical supplies and important documents will prepare
your family for any impending doom. Based on the recommendations
of The Centers for Disease Control., the following items should
be placed in a storage container large enough to manage and
easy to access. It’s best to have these kits available in the
car, home and at work.
Gather
the following items to create a general first aid medical kit:
- Ace bandage
- Adhesive
medical tape
- Antibiotic ointment
- Alcohol swabs
- Aspirin and non-aspirin tablets
- Anti-diarrhea medicine
- Asthma inhaler
- Bandages
- Bar soap
- Cotton swabs
- Eye drops
- Hearing aid batteries
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Instant cold packs
- Long-term prescription medications
- Pocket knife
- Rolled gauze
- Safety pins
- Sanitary napkins
- Scissors
- Splinting supplies
- Thermometer
- Tissues or toilet paper
- Tweezers
Ideally,
a waterproof and fireproof storage case is recommended for storing
the above items. Nevertheless, a plastic bag in the refrigerator
may work as an alternative. Moreover, it’s a good idea to check
the expiration dates of any prescriptions to ensure that they
are current and updated.
Obviously
a few staples are necessary for putting together an emergency
disaster kit.
Add the following items to your kit:
- Batteries
- Blankets
- Extra Money
- Food (pre-packaged and canned items)
- Cooking utensils
- Matches
- Gasoline
- Flashlights
- Tarp
- Rain gear
- Water (1 gallon of water/per person for each day)
For parents
with infants, your emergency kit will need to include additional
supplies: powdered milk, bottles, diapers, formula, pacifiers,
and other important items.
|
