Beryl Itani - Emergency Social Services Director - reveals what is in HER "Grab and Go Kit"
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The Coordinator of the Central Okanagan Emergency Social Services (ESS) program, Beryl Itani, urges everyone to take some time now to prepare for any type of emergency. "It is easier to determine now what you and your family will need, than it is after you get a knock at the door asking you to leave your home." For many years, ESS has promoted the preparation of Grab and Go Kits. Itani says, "Think about the things you'd need to have with you to survive for at least 72 hours outside of your home. Such things as important papers, medications, and prescriptions are natural places to start. Consider clothing, dried food, and enough drinking water to last for at least three days. You may also want to expand your Grab and Go Kit to include irreplaceable items like photos, negatives, and family heirlooms. And you if you have pet, don't forget food for them too!" - From the RDCO Press Release
One of our mandates at ExperienceWestbank.com is that if we write about it, we experienced it. And I am embarrassed to admit we don't have a Grab and Go Kit ourselves. Now is the time! With the next 10 steps, we will have our own Grab and Go Kit stocked and ready to go.
Are you ready to start?
1. Something to hold it in
Before you read any further, head into your stash of old sports bags, backpacks, duffle bags, suitcases, etc. I know we have an old sports bag under the stairs in the basement. If you can't find something that will work - use an empty cardboard box.
2. Filling the Grab and Go Kit - Paperwork
The last thing you want to do is try to remember where you have filed important papers and phone numbers when you are in a panicked rush! Take the time right now to photocopy those documents and have them ready to go.
- Insurance documents (including phone number of your insurance agent) - Here's a hint: while you are copying your insurance policy, check the renewal date to ensure it hasn't expired. Write the renewal date on the calendar.
- Medical Information (including phone number of your family doctor, dentist, and pharmacy) - also include photocopies of your family's medical card numbers, birth certificates, information about any other health insurance you may have, prescriptions, etc.
- Important family phone numbers - remember to include cell phone numbers as well.
- Place these documents in a zippered plastic bag to keep them dry.
3. Filling the Grab and Go Kit - Clothes
Beryl keeps a change of clothes, appropriate for the season. These include:
- Comfortable shirt and pants (and shorts for summer)
- A couple pairs of socks and undies
- A pair of sneakers
4. Personal Care Products
Beryl recommends using plastic zippered bags to help keep things organized and dry in your Grab and Go Kit.
- Toiletries - soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, shampoo, etc. - packed in a separate zippered plastic bag.
- Towel
- Feminine Hygiene products - packed in separate zippered plastic bag.
- Medications (keep fresh)
- An extra pair of glasses if necessary
- First aid supplies such as Bandaids, gauze, tape, etc.
5. For Babies and Children
- Baby needs - diapers, wipes, extra clothes, formula, food - packed in separate plastic bag
- Children's needs - extra clothes, small games, coloring book, pencil crayons (not wax crayons - they melt), deck of cards, small books, small stuffie or other toys - packed in separate plastic bag
6. Food and Water
Beryl keeps a selection of candy, fruit bars, and gum in a zippered plastic bag for a quick burst of energy. She also recommends having drinking water ready to go.
- Fruit bars, candy, gum, and other long-lasting snack foods (remember a can opener if you include canned foods).
- Water
- Special foods for babies or those with special diets.
7. Also Important
- An extra set of keys for your vehicles and home (you don't want to spend precious moments hunting down lost car keys!)
- Flashlight with fresh batteries - do not keep the batteries in the flashlight - keep them separate.
- Battery operated radio (again keep batteries out of items until needed, and check periodically that they are still functional).
- Small amount of cash and spare change.
- Beryl also keeps her photo negatives in a waterproof container inside her Grab and Go Bag.
- Leash, water dish, and pet food for any pets that you own. As a side note, do you have a travel cage for your pets?
8. Home Inventory
Grab your digital camera or video camera and take photos of the insides and outsides of your home. Open cupboards and closet doors and take pictures of what is inside. Take close-ups of special furniture, serial numbers, and other belongings. Then make a disc and pop this into your "Grab and Go Kit."
9. Choose a Meeting Place (Two in fact)
Before disaster threatens or strikes, make a plan with everyone in your family about who to call and where to meet one another in case of emergency. Two meeting places should be agreed upon:
- One outside, but near your house or apartment in the event the problem is confined
to your home,
- A place somewhere in your area that you can all get to from work or school in the
event the problem is regional and you cannot return to or gather at your home.
Beryl Itani is ready to leave at a moment's notice with her "Grab and Go Kit."
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10. Keep your Grab and Go Kit in a Handy Spot
Beryl keeps her Grab and Go Kit in a handy spot near an exit from her home. Check it once per year to ensure the food is still edible, the batteries work, and the information is still up to date.
A few more tips and ideas...
Photos: One of the first things people think about after a loss is "what happened to the photographs?" In an emergency, there often isn't time to retrieve those photos, however, with a little bit of planning, you may be able to keep them safe. First off, store photo negatives and other important documents in water-and-fire-proof boxes. Even if you have to run out of the house without them, there’s a better chance they’ll be there later so you can replicate your photos. Another option is to keep negatives in a safety deposit box or even in a relative's home (in a water-and-fire-proof box). That way the photos are separate from the negatives. If you have gone digital, remember to burn an extra CD of your photos and store it elsewhere as well.
Contact Person: Chose someone you know who lives out of your region as ‘point person’ in case of emergency. This person should be far away from where you live, so that the chance of that person being affected by your local emergency is small. You make just one call to keep that person informed, and they then call those who need information about your situation (remember to put the phone number of your contact person in your Grab and Go Kit).
Related Links: These people are the experts - give them a call if you have any questions.
Note from Cindy: The best thing we can do to support the many volunteers and workers during an emergency is to be as prepared as we can be - starting with our own homes. Pretend that you have just been given 15 minutes notice to evacuate from your home. What are you going to take? How are you going to get your family organized? Do you have pets? Go through the process and touch everything you think you would want to take. Without a plan, it is going to take much longer than the 15 minutes you have been allowed. Then set aside an hour with your family. Stock up your own "Grab and Go Kit." Make your plan for how to evacuate your family in 15 minutes.
Now, I am off to build our family's Grab and Go Kit - I'll post pictures of it next week! - Cindy
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