Three Tips for Handling Emergencies

While none of us every expect to have to be elbow deep in the middle of an emergency, it can happen. What is more, it will often happen when you least expect it. From suddenly having to deal with a loss of power and heat in a storm or earthquake to coming across a wrecked car on the side of the road, these are the events that test us. But if you suddenly find yourself in the middle of an emergency would you know what to do? There are a few things that it pays to have on hand at all times, and that is part of the key to be ready for whatever life sends you. Here are three tips to help you be ready to handle these emergencies, big or small, and come out of them feeling good about your part in it.

Start by Being Prepared

For those who live in earthquake country or out in the country where the winter can create havoc, having a backpack of essentials for survival is a good first step. So, what should you have in this? Besides a few obvious things like a first aid kit and emergency light batteries, add in a lightweight blanket, water purifying tablets and some roadside flares.

A friend of mine always packs a candle in a can in hers, you would be surprised how much heat a candle can create in a dark cold car that is stuck overnight in the snow. Make a list, you can find many of them online, and make up that emergency pack now.

Stay Connected

We have come to rely on our smartphones so much these days. In a situation where the towers that connect them go down or dark, it can be frightening. Make sure you stay connected with what is happening in your area by having a hand cranked radio handy in your home and your car.

This will help you to know if the event is local or has spread wider. It will tell you if help is on its way and what to do to get help if you need it. Radio may sound like an old fashion way to communicate, but in times of widespread disaster it remains the most reliable way to get information.

Rotate Canned and Dried Foods

In every backpack in the car or emergency box at home, reliable food will be important. But how to make sure that what you have packed is still edible ten years after you have packed it up?

I don’t know about you but around here we throw a party each year in the spring to eat the food we have packed, refill it with fresh and remind ourselves of where we stashed that darn thing.

Forewarned is Forearmed

That old saying might relate to war, but it can also mean how to be ready for any disaster. Whether it is a natural one like flood or earthquake or a manmade one like a riot in your town, be ready. Have something set aside, know where it is and keep it current. Who knows, your life or your family’s life may depend on it someday.