| When considering your family's safety, be prepared | | | | fact, your emergency first aid kit should be kept in |
| for the possibilities. You should protect your home | | | | an even more accessible location since you may need |
| and your family using self defense products like | | | | to use it more frequently than the rest of your |
| window alarms, dummy cameras, and pepper spray. | | | | emergency supplies. A medical emergency could |
| Something else that you should not forget is an | | | | happen for a wide range of reasons, from a child |
| emergency kit. Not only should you be prepared for | | | | falling off their bicycle to a cooking injury to |
| environmental issues, like a power outage or | | | | someone breaking into your home and hurting one of |
| earthquake, but you must also be prepared to deal | | | | your family members. While there is no way to |
| with the possibility of physical injuries. | | | | predict what kind of medical emergency may befall |
| Your emergency kit should contain everything your | | | | you, be prepared for common injuries with gauze, |
| family would need to live three days with no | | | | bandages, antiseptic, and other common first aid |
| additional support. This means no gas station, grocery | | | | supplies. |
| store, police, or hospital. Keep a waterproof container | | | | Besides having the supplies, you should also learn how |
| in an accessible location (not under piles of other | | | | to use them. Purchase a book on basic first aid |
| things in your garage or basement). Your supplies | | | | practices so that you'll know what to do if a family |
| should be kept together in this location, although it | | | | member is injured and in need of immediate help. |
| also makes good sense to keep additional stores of | | | | Read it before the time comes; in an emergency, |
| supplies around the home in case your larger kit | | | | you won't have time to read the book from cover |
| becomes inaccessible during the emergency. For | | | | to cover. Enroll your family in self defense classes so |
| example, keep your pepper spray and stun guns | | | | that they'll know how to defend themselves, and |
| around the home, rather than storing them in the | | | | emergency preparation and first aid classes (which |
| relatively inaccessible location of a plastic storage bin. | | | | can be found through your local Red Cross) so that |
| Emergency supplies should include blankets, plastic | | | | you will all feel more confident dealing with whatever |
| tarps, duct tape, and a change of warm clothes for | | | | comes your way. |
| each family member. These items provide shelter. It | | | | An emergency kit, including supplies to protect and |
| should also include a battery-powered radio, | | | | care for your family, is a small investment to ensure |
| flashlights, batteries, and a food and water supply to | | | | your peace of mind. You never know what |
| last several days. Think about your family's unique | | | | emergency could happen, from someone breaking |
| needs, and plan accordingly. | | | | into your home to an earthquake or large fire. Be |
| Don't forget to include a large first aid kit, perhaps | | | | prepared for any possibility with a well-stocked |
| even in its own separate box from the one | | | | emergency kit containing items to protect your |
| containing the rest of your emergency supplies. In | | | | family, provide comfort, and care for their needs. |