Emergency Preparation

By Paloma O’Riley

There are no emergencies for those who are truly prepared.
–James Talmadge Stevens

Somewhere between predictions of technological doomsday and
those who say that Y2K is the invention of rabid money-hungry
consultants, lies reality. In the absence of hard facts and data, we
are
left with only one option–to take precautions. When it comes to health
and safety we must always err on the side of caution and skepticism,
and
take what we feel are necessary and appropriate steps to safeguard our
family, friends and neighbors.

Preparing for the worst doesn’t mean you believe it will
happen, it means only that you accept that the possibility exists. You
don’t need proof that your house will burn down before you buy fire
insurance, nor that you will have an automobile accident to purchase
car
insurance. In the same way, you do not need to believe worst-case Y2K
scenarios will happen to take out another kind of insurance–emergency
preparedness.

Ed. note: Paloma O’Riley recommends that you make a
thorough
assessment of what you have before determining what you need. For her
detailed advice on how to do this, see the longer version of this
article on the Cassandra Project Web site, which is listed at the end
of
this article.

The following preparation information is based on
worst-case
scenario. Our belief and purpose is it is always best to prepare for
the
worst, and hope for the best. (See disclaimer below.)

I. Food and Other Basic Supplies

A. Food

1. 1. … First, use perishable food and foods from the refrigerator.
   2. … Then use the foods from the freezer. To minimize the number of times you open the freezer door, post a list of freezer contents on it. In a well-filled, well-insulated freezer, foods will usually still have ice crystals in their centers (meaning foods are safe to eat) for at least three days.
   3. … Finally, begin to use nonperishable foods and staples.
   1. Brown rice or whole wheat–20 pounds
   2. Powdered milk (for babies and infants)*–20 pounds
   3. Corn–20 pounds
   4. Iodized salt–1 pound
   5. Soybeans–10 pounds
   6. Vitamin C**–15 grams
   7. * Buy in nitrogen-packed cans
   8. ** Rotate every two years
   1. … Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits and vegetables
   2. … Canned juices, milk, soup (if powdered, store extra water)
   3. … Staples–sugar, pepper
   4. … Vitamins
   5. … Ready-to-eat cereals and uncooked instant cereals (in metal containers)
   6. … Dry, crisp crackers (in metal container)
   7. … Potatoes (fresh or dried flakes)
   8. … Foods for the elderly or those on special diets
   9. … Comfort/stress foods–cookies, hard candy, sweetened cereals, lollipops, instant coffee, tea bags, cocoa, chocolate bars, canned nuts
   10. … High energy foods–peanut butter, jelly, crackers, granola bars, trail mix
   11. … Vegetable oils
   12. … Dried spices (garlic, onion, oregano, chili powder, etc.)
   13. … Baking powder
   14. … Beans
   15. … Non-carbonated soft drinks
   16. … White rice
   17. … Bouillon products
   18. … Dry pasta

1. What to Do When the Electricity Goes Off (courtesy of FEMA)

2. What You Need Long-Term Food Supplies (courtesy of FEMA)
The best approach is to store large amounts of staples along with a variety of canned and dried foods. Bulk quantities of wheat, corn, beans and salt are inexpensive and have nearly unlimited shelf life. If necessary, you could survive for years on small daily amounts of these staples.
Stock the following amounts per person, per month:

Also include:

If these staples comprise your entire menu, you must eat all of them together to stay healthy. To avoid serious digestive problems, you’ll need to grind the corn and wheat into flour and cook them, as well as boil the beans, before eating. Many health food stores sell hand-cranked grain mills or can tell you where you can get one. Make sure you buy one that can grind corn.

3. Ways to Supplement Your Long-Term Stockpile (Courtesy of FEMA)

The above staples offer a limited menu, but you can supplement them with commercially packed air-dried or freeze-dried foods and supermarket goods. Rice, popcorn and varieties of beans are nutritious and long-lasting. The more supplements you include, the more expensive your stockpile will be.

The following is an easy approach to long-term food storage:

1. 1. Buy a supply of the bulk staples listed above.
2. 2. Build up your everyday stock of canned goods until you have a two-week to one-month surplus.
3. 3. Rotate it periodically to maintain a supply of common foods that will not require special preparation, water or cooking.
4. 4. From a sporting or camping equipment store, buy commercially packaged, freeze-dried or air-dried foods. Although costly, this will be your best form of stored meat, so buy accordingly.

4. Storage

No power means no refrigerators or freezers. Prepackaged foods store best, as they won’t spoil until opened. Cans, boxed food, beans, rice, pasta and other nonperishables will all survive without refrigeration. Military rations (MREs) can be bought at army surplus stores, and camp food (dried and dehydrated) at a camping supply store. Note: MREs were designed as short -term emergency rations, not meant to be eaten for an extended period of time. Do not rely on them as your sole source of food as they have been known to cause digestive problems.

Milk may be purchased in cans, vacuum-packed containers, or in powder form. Eggs can be bought in a powdered form (canned), though the taste can leave something to be desired. Baby formula can be bought canned or powdered (check the expiration dates carefully). Word of caution–if you do purchase canned perishables, be sure they are sized for use. You won’t be able to store opened cans of milk, etc., without risking food poisoning if you don’t have refrigeration. Another benefit of canned foods is that they don’t require cooking, water or special preparation.

One option for keeping foods cold are coolers, though you need a ready source of ice. However, those that live in cold climates have an advantage. If the temperature outside is consistently below 40 degrees, a Styrofoam cooler outdoors will work well for items like milk, margarine, cheese, etc. Just protect it from animals and curious passers-by.

Store wheat, corn and beans in sealed cans or plastic buckets. Buy powdered milk in nitrogen-packed cans. Leave salt and vitamin C in their original packages. Use only food-grade plastic containers for long-term food storage.

Storage Tips (Courtesy of FEMA )

1. … Keep food in the driest and coolest spot in the house–a dark area if possible.
2. … Keep food covered at all times.
3. … Open food boxes or cans carefully so that you can close them tightly after each use.
4. … Wrap cookies and crackers in plastic bags, and keep them in tight containers.
5. … Empty opened packages of sugar, dried fruits and nuts into screw-top jars or air-tight cans to protect them from pests.
6. … Inspect all food containers regularly for signs of spoilage, and before use.
7. … Use foods before they go bad and replace them with fresh supplies, dated with ink or marker.
8. … Place new items at the back of the storage area and older ones in front.

5. Purchase

Most of us buy our food at supermarkets. If there is a breakdown in the supply chain, we could experience shortages or store closures. The best alternative is, of course, buying what you need ahead of time. Start laying in nonperishable basics today, such as toilet paper, tissue, dry and canned goods, and so forth.

The cheapest way to purchase goods is by case-lot. It’s not always easy to find, but talk to the managers of your favorite store, and see if they’ll order them for you. If the local market closes, you may be able to turn to the local barter market. For more information about it, see section V. Financial.

6. Preservation

For favorite foods such as strawberries, bananas, or other perishables, you might consider purchasing far in advance and dehydrating. Today’s dehydrators are simple to use and very effective. Storage can be as simple as Ziplock bags or vacuum-seal jars. To extend shelf-life, you can store dehydrated foods in your freezer until needed.

Rehydration is simply a matter of adding water, or you can eat them as is, or add to your morning cereal, or in your baking.

You can also use your dehydrator or oven to make jerky. If you’re more ambitious, you can try canning. However, make sure you follow USDA guidelines carefully to avoid any contamination or later spoilage.

7. Preparation

You can treat emergency situations as an unplanned camp-out.

A propane or kerosene stove works fine for most stove-top cooking. The only problem is enough fuel, and proper ventilation. Fire danger increases as well. Make sure you have one or more multi-use fire extinguishers always close at hand–small canister, ABC type. (These can be purchased at most hardware stores.) Also, never leave an open flame unattended, especially when small children are nearby.

An outdoor charcoal or propane grill can do double duty, as well as your woodstove and fireplace (as long as it is wood burning). You can also heat food with candle warmers, nonelectric chafing dishes and fondue pots. Canned foods can be eaten right out of the can and don’t require cooking, water or special preparation (though it may affect taste). If you heat the food while in the can, be sure to open the can first and remove the label. Putting a sealed can on an active woodstove, for instance, may give you a very explosive and messy surprise!

Most camping-supply stores have quite a wide variety of devices with which you can cook–from solar, to the old sterno cans. Ask them for what would be appropriate for your needs. Also, make any purchases well in advance. Prices may go up, and availability may go down as “the day” approaches.

B. Basic Supplies

You might want to store the following in large covered plastic storage bins until needed.

Supplies

• … Mess kits, or paper cups, plates and plastic utensils (you don’t want to waste drinking water washing dishes!)
• … Disposable baby bottle liners
• … Flashlight and extra batteries
• … Manual can opener, utility knife
• … Matches (a waterproof container is useful as well)
• … Aluminum foil (better than dirtying pans)
• … Plastic storage containers
• … Needles, thread
• … Medicine dropper
• … Shut-off wrench (to turn off household gas and water)
• … Candles, lamps and lamp oil
• … Battery operated smoke alarm
• … Plastic sheeting (in case of leaks, etc.)

Sanitation

• … Toilet paper, towelettes (especially for babies)
• … Soap, liquid detergent (antibacterial soap that doesn’t use water is available)
• … Feminine supplies
• … Personal hygiene items (especially deodorant!)
• … Baby needs (diapers, ointments, etc.)
• … Contact lenses and solution
• … Denture needs
• … Extra eyeglasses
• … Plastic garbage bags, ties, various sizes (for personal sanitation uses, etc.)
• … Plastic buckets with tight lids (serve as great potties!)
• … Disinfectant
• … Household chlorine bleach
• … Room deodorizer (spray or solid. No wall plug-ins!)

Pets

• … Food (canned and dried)
• … Chew toys
• … Vitamins
• … Litter
• … Bedding

II. Water

A. What You Need

A normally active person needs to drink at least two quarts of water each day. Hot environments and intense physical activity can double that amount. Children, nursing mothers and ill people will need more. Store one gallon of water per person per day (two quarts for drinking, two quarts for food preparation/sanitation). And don’t forget your pets need clean drinking water as well.

B. Water Treatment (Courtesy of FEMA)

There are three main methods for treating water: boiling, disinfection and distillation. For additional methods of purification, contact your local Red Cross.

Boiling is the safest method of purifying water. Bring the water to a rolling boil for 10 minutes. Let the water cool before drinking or storing. Boiled water will taste better if you put oxygen back into it by pouring it back and forth between two containers. This will also improve the taste of stored water.

Disinfection: before storing your water, treat it with a preservative, such as chlorine bleach, to prevent the growth of microorganisms. Use liquid bleach that contains 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite and no soap. Some containers warn, “Not For Personal Use”. You can disregard these warnings only if the label states sodium hypochlorite is the only active ingredient; and if you use only the small quantities in these instructions. Add four drops of bleach per quart of water (or two scant teaspoons per 10 gallons), and stir. Seal your water containers tightly, label them and store them in a cool, dark place.

Distillation involves boiling water and then collecting the vapor that condenses back to water. The condensed vapor will not include salt and other impurities. To distill, fill a pot halfway with water. Tie a cup to the handle on the pot’s lid so that the cup will hang right-side-up when the lid is upside-down (make sure the cup is not dangling into the water) and boil the water for 20 minutes. The water that drips from the lid into the cup is distilled. Store as directed.

C. Storage

Store water in thoroughly washed plastic, fiberglass or enamel-lined metal containers. Never use a container that has held toxic substances, because tiny amounts may remain in the container’s pores. Sound plastic containers, such as soft-drink bottles, are good. You can also purchase food-grade plastic buckets or drums. Avoid using containers that will decompose or break, such as milk cartons or glass bottles. Rotate stored water every six months.

D. Sources of Drinking Water

Two good sources of water is large containers you can purchase at your grocery store, and from your own tap. Since there is some debate of the purity of tap water, make sure you treat it before storing it long-term.

Hidden Water Sources in Your Home (Courtesy of FEMA) If a disaster catches you without a stored supply of clean water, you can use water in your hot-water tank, in your plumbing and in ice cubes. As a last resort, you can use water in the reservoir tank of your toilet (not the bowl), but purify it first.

Water beds hold up to 400 gallons, but some water beds contain toxic chemicals that are may not be fully removed by many purifiers. If you designate a water bed in your home as an emergency resource, drain it yearly and refill it with fresh water containing two ounces of bleach per 120 gallons. You may use the water for toilet flushing only.

To use the water in your pipes, let air into the plumbing by turning on the highest (elevation) faucet in your house and draining the water from the lowest one.

To use the water in your hot-water tank, be sure the electricity or gas is off, and open the drain at the bottom of the tank.

Start the water flowing by turning off the water intake valve and turning on a hot-water faucet. Do not turn on the gas or electricity when the tank is empty.

Do you know the location of your incoming water valve?

You’ll need to shut if off to stop contaminated water from entering your home if you hear reports of broken water or sewage lines. Also, in cold climates, frozen pipes may burst if there is no heat. Shut off the water and drain the pipes if there’s a strong possibility of this occurring.

Emergency Outdoor Water Sources (Courtesy of FEMA)

If you need to find water outside your home, be sure to purify the water before drinking it. Avoid water with floating material, an odor or dark color. Use saltwater only if you distill it first. You should not drink flood water. Outdoor water sources include: rainwater, streams and rivers, ponds and lakes, natural springs, and snow.

E. Wastewater

Wastewater- and sewage-treatment facilities are highly automated, and environmental emissions monitoring and control systems depend on year-2000-vulnerable embedded controls. Malfunctions due to year 2000 problems could lead to polluting releases and emissions that could endanger local residents. One mission-critical program where work on year-2000 issues was lagging, according to a recent status report, was the pump-station network–a system that monitors stations to keep track of sewage and waste-water flows.

Be wary of tap water, and “gray” water used for outside purposes. Home water testing kits can help you check. The best defense is a store of emergency water.

III. Sanitation and Refuse

As for solid waste, expect delays in garbage collection and other services. Rodents can be a major health threat where garbage accumulates; so make sure you have enough sturdy, lidded containers to hold refuse produced over a two-week period. Be prepared to keep your yard clean if other peoples’ refuse finds its way to you.

Don’t allow garbage to accumulate outside your home. In some rural areas, trash can be a particular attractant for a variety of wildlife–some dangerous. Store paper and other flammables away from any heat sources or open flames. If waste builds up, consider burying bags in pits and use lime to cut down on smell and contamination.

As for personal waste, use water straight from the tap to flush the toilet after every use. Don’t use your drinking water if you can help it. Filling up the bathtub ahead of time should provide enough water for a week or more. If your shower works, don’t let all the water drain afterwards. Bleach can be used to deodorize and disinfect the toilet when added to the water; just don’t let your pets use it for drinking!

If the local sewage system fails, consider buying chemical or composting toilets. Portable ones are great for camping and can be used in RVs. Outhouses may be an alternative in rural areas, but they must be built and the waste treated properly to avoid health problems and contamination.

IV. Health

A. First Aid Training

Maintaining your health is extremely important during an crisis, and minimizes the need to call for emergency services. We strongly urge you do the following:

… Take at least a basic first-aid course, with more advanced courses later

… Learn CPR

… Take an EMT course, if possible

… Take a fire safety course

Many of these courses are available from the Red Cross, local community colleges and fire departments. Some are available on the Internet.

B. First Aid Kit

Put together a basic first-aid kit. You can obtain a first-aid manual from your local American Red Cross chapter. Include the following:

• … Sterile adhesive bandages in assorted sizes
• … 2-inch sterile gauze pads (4ñ6)
• … 4-inch sterile gauze pads (4ñ6)
• … Hypo allergenic adhesive tape
• … Triangular bandages (3)
• … 2-inch sterile roller bandages (3 rolls)
• … 3-inch sterile roller bandages (3 rolls)
• … Scissors
• … Tweezers
• … Needles
• … Moistened towelettes
• … Antiseptic
• … Thermometer
• … Tongue blades (2)
• … Tube of petroleum jelly or other lubricant
• … Assorted sizes of safety pins
• … Cleansing agent/soap
• … Latex gloves (2 pair)
• … Sunscreen
• … Nonprescription drugs:
• - Aspirin or nonaspirin pain reliever
• - Antidiarrhea medication
• - Antacid (for stomach upset)
• - Syrup of Ipecac (use to induce vomiting if advised by the poison control center)
• - Laxative
• - Activated charcoal (use if advised by the poison control center)

Medical and Dental Care

Try to schedule needed exams, tests, and other procedures so that results will be returned well before the end of 1999. You may also want to make sure your immunizations are up to date, and even get shots that you would get if you were traveling to a third-world country. If you have any medical or dental problems you’ve been putting off, take care of them now.

Doctors who have not paid attention to the Y2K problem may “misplace” medical records. Get hard copies of your medical file, X rays, and other records. If you require medication, ask if the doctor will give you a prescription in advance. Some HMO’s will not allow doctors to write advance prescriptions. You’ll need to discuss alternatives with your provider and local pharmacy.

Consider postponing any elective surgery just before or just after the turn of the century. Elective meaning not required for treatment of a life- or health-threatening or sustaining condition.

Emergencies

The greatest concern in an emergency is reaching someone who can help. If the phone lines are down, you might be able to reach emergency services by CB. However, even if phones work, there’s no guarantee that the machines and equipment emergency personnel use will work, and correctly. That leaves it up to you.

Find out what to do in a variety of situations, such as a knocked-out tooth, fever, broken bones, falls, and other emergencies. Make sure you have all the medications needed, and extra prescriptions filled. Learning how to deal with such situations yourself will reduce the likelihood of panic, and increase the chances of survival for the ill or injured person.

If you can’t contact an ambulance, you’ll need to transport the person yourself, properly and safely. Make sure you know the location of the nearest emergency facilities, and try to contact them before you go. Check with such places before the turn of the century to see what their contingency plans are in the event that ambulance service, communications, and power fail, or if emergency personnel are unavailable.

Remember, don’t expect the same quality of care you are used to if there is a general emergency in your community. Try to help out, not demand immediate treatment.

D. Medical Devices

If you or anyone you know is dependent on medical devices, it is important to contact the manufacturer. Get their assurance–in writing–that the device will function correctly and safely. Also, speak to your doctor and express your concerns about the devices. Ask your doctor what alternatives there are to electronic or electrical medical devices, or what you can do if the device fails for any reason. Education is really your only option in this area.

According to FEMA, anyone requiring any type of life support that uses electricity should register with their local Emergency Management office–regardless of possible circumstances.

Devices that may be affected include:

• … Infusion pumps in intravenous drips
• … Heart defibrillators
• … Pacemakers
• … Intensive care monitors
• … MRIs
• … CT and PET scans
• … Dialysis
• … Chemotherapy and radiation equipment
• … Laboratory, radiology and other diagnostic systems
• … Monitoring and control systems, including environmental and safety equipment

E. Medical Conditions

The frail, elderly, people with particular medical problems requiring a caregiver, and people with other disabilities must make special plans for their safety in the event that emergency services fail.

Those who have the following conditions may be especially at risk and should take special precautions:

• … Acute or chronic respirator illnesses
• … Heart aliments
• … Unstable or juvenile diabetes
• … Dependence on tube feeding
• … Epilepsy
• … Tracheotomies
• … Urinary catheters
• … Colostomies