There is nothing like tomorrow to start a good project. We have so many projects planned for all our tomorrows that we don't know where to begin. Too many decisions or the thought of too much work causes the majority of our projects to fall by the wayside and never come to fruition. We have become a society of procrastinators, couch potatoes and the award winning inventors of lame excuses. I know, I have my moments and I am right there with you. But if there is just one project that we complete this year and right now, this project is the one to do. It could save our life, that of family members or loved ones. Help me help you America, let's get off that couch and create our BACK-UP PLAN i.e. a Personal Disaster Recovery Plan and Kit.
Why do we need a plan? Are we ready for disaster? What if the internet came to a halt? Or we are hit by nuclear destruction, an asteroid or a natural disaster of great proportions? What exactly is our personal disaster recovery plan? Living in California with the "Big One" happening any day now, we always hear that we should have enough food and supplies on hand for 72 hours. Is that really enough? Look how long it took for supplies to reach Haiti or a cap to be placed on the Gulf's oil well. You don't have to live only in California to make a plan and kit, everyone, everywhere should be prepared.
RAGDOLL CATS
When I drive on our freeways more times than not, I am stuck in parking lot traffic that travels at a snail's pace of less than 5 miles an hour. This crawling traffic is usually due to not enough roads for the vehicle volume we have or because some idiot thinks by zigzagging in and out of traffic then slamming on their brakes will get them to their destination faster, maybe dead but certainly not faster. While I am stuck in this massive traffic line, I often wonder and ask myself, what if a devastating earthquake happened how would we ever survive? Is our infrastructure ready for disaster? Our roads cannot facilitate our current traffic population on a normal day, why would it ever improve under disastrous conditions?
What about our hospitals, doctors, fire departments, paramedics? Are there really enough to go around for everyone if the "Big One" hits? We often hear from the news that disaster is striking all over the world with the earthquakes in Haiti, Chile, Indonesia, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, volcanoes in Iceland, or the ultimate killer volcano Krakatoa. Should we be concerned by these disasters? Are these natural disasters a sign for us to get all our Ducks in a Row and create our own Disaster Recovery Plan immediately? America, yes I do believe these are all signs for us to prepare for the worse. We need to take action for ourselves and not rely solely on other people or other resources, let's start creating our PLANS and KITS from this day forward.
We can't wait solely for FEMA or the Red Cross or for someone else to resolve our issues or save us. They can't possibly be everything to everyone. There are only so many resources and supplies to go around. We need to take personal responsibility for our own survival. How can we prepare? Well, that is a good question. I think as an initial step we should take a good hard look at our personal lifestyles and take inventory of what would be necessary to go forward if everything was lost. Make a list on what really matters in our life. I think this list should be as short as possible with 10 categories or less. We need to give up our need for greed, material items and simplify. If you have a family, sit down and have a family meeting to discuss this topic. I will create my supply kit based on a 2 week period; I prefer to have a little more than not enough. I think that 72 hours is not even close. Following is my list on what I think would be necessary for myself and family to survive:
1. Food
2. Water
3. Medical Supplies and Medical Records
If you have any medical problems or life threatening allergies,
Have a bracelet made and indicate medical issues, blood-type, and medications. If you have a family member with Alzheimer's like I do, have a bracelet made with their name, your name, phone number, address and any other pertinent information. I think our information should be readily visible and as a back-up we should think about chips like we do for our pets, not embedded into our skin, but maybe information that can be stored on a magnetic strip similar to a credit card or hospital cards. Credit card makers, here is a marketable idea for you, just remember where the idea came from first.
4. Pet Supplies and Medical Records
Keep a collar on your dog or cat with a name, phone number or a license tag which will identify your pet.
5. Prescription Medicine(s)
6. Wind-up flashlight, radio, and cell phone re-charger
7. Computer Back-up stored off site, out-of-state or through an internet storage site.
Create a back-up of your system and store off-site, out-of-state, at any location other than your home or office. I bought a back-up disk, Maxtor, for from Office Depot. It is compact and can store everything that is on my computer. I am going to send it to my relatives on the east coast.
If you have anything really important, create a hard copy and store off-site. I will also send things to myself through Yahoo so that I can retrieve them through cyber space.
What if the internet actually came to a halt? Are we ready to transact on a manual basis like the old days? I was on a business trip in Tennessee and there was a severe lightning storm and the power went out. I was entering a restaurant and got turned away because their computer system went down. Employees should be trained on what to do in these situations.
8. Plan for extreme weather conditions, camping supplies, sleeping bag, warm/cool clothing, comfortable shoes, backpack, tent, matches, and a Swiss army knife.
9. Personal Hygiene items
10. Cash, ATM machines will probably be non-operational or depleted.
Try to keep items as compact and as light as possible. Keep a set of items in your car and at your home. Have a backpack ready for every family member who is capable of carrying one. Each backpack can be individualized with snack items and maybe a deck of playing cards or a book for kids.
I found a good site that provided a detail listing of items to include in your kit from California State University Long Beach, http://emergency.csulb.edu/supplykit/supplies.
Once you have a kit created, I believe you should have a communication plan to know where family members are and what they should do if disaster strikes.
I have mapped out what if's and routes, who to call and phone numbers. I have instructed my son that if he is at school and we have an earthquake, which way to walk home or whose home to go to should I not be in close proximity. If our local phone system fails or is busy, I have instructed my son to call relatives not in our city and state but to contact relatives out-of-state to convey his whereabouts and physical health. If you leave from your designated location, leave a note.
I think a good thing for families to know is CPR. I want my family to take a class this summer. When researching where to take a class, it appears that the Red Cross offers classes. I am sure there are probably several resources where you can learn CPR just go online and search CPR classes. I hope to fit a class in this summer. Let's do it together. I think the more we educate ourselves in this area, the greater our chances of survival and capability to help our family members or other people, basic medical treatment may be all that it takes to save a life.
As a final item for our PLAN, I think it is important to have a valid Will in place for worse case scenario. Having gone through this process with several family members; it is important to spell out every little detail. Some items may seem silly but unless you tell someone, it won't necessarily happen.
• Do you want to be buried or cremated?
• Do you have a family plot, if not, where do you want to be buried or have ashes thrown?
• What type of funeral service do you want, closed casket, simple, religious, calling hours, no calling hours, where to be held?
• Do you want any organs donated?
• What type of casket do you want?
• What do you want to wear?
There are many casket types, e.g. steel, bronze, wood and various price ranges. The price of some casket prices can be alarming. My older cousin and sister showed me their preferences when my sister was faced with the sudden death of her husband. And my Mom showed me what she wanted to wear when the time comes. Me, I want it as simple as possible, cremated and ashes thrown into a beautiful meadow or hillside. I like the idea of being a part of nature. No ocean though; it seems too confining for me.
But what if you don't die and you are in a coma on life support then what?
I know this subject matter is morbid but it is better to discuss while you are living then to wait for someone else to make these decisions for you unless you don't care. Dying can be just as complicated as living.
Here are some things to think about and to discuss with an attorney or you can draft your own documents on-line through sites like http://www.legalzoom.com.
• Will
• Power of Attorney for Health and one for Finances, someone will make these decisions for you should you not be competent.
• Living Will (life support or none)
• Living Trust ( if you have lots of assets, properties and wish to avoid probate court which can tie up assets for a period of time of 6 months or longer is someone debates your will)
• If you have children, who becomes guardian?
• If you have pets, where do they go?
• If you need nursing care, where do you wish to be placed?
Well, I hope this information has been beneficial for you and you start today to make your PLAN and KIT. In closing, please be a good neighbor and look out for your elderly/disabled neighbors and family members, they may need your assistance during an emergency. And as always, THANK all our everyday HEROES, our military, firefighters, police force, doctors, nurses, paramedics, caregivers, etc., because someday you may need them first hand.
Creating a Personal Disaster Recovery Plan and Kit
I would love to hear your thoughts, recommendations, etc. If you have some great ideas to add to the list, please let me know. THANK YOU!!!! Hero Cards, Inc. www.herocardsinc.com
In 2008, Hero Cards, Inc. was founded to provide tangible opportunities for recognizing and thanking individuals who make a difference in our world. The company offers a greeting card line of the highest quality that is both cost and ecologically conscious and provides a percentage of its profits to families and organizations that have faced adversity. Hero Cards are designed and manufactured in the USA of recycled materials. Hero Cards, Inc. is a member of the Greeting Card Association (GCA), the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and is certified by the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).
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