Are You Preparing an Emergency Kit?

[becka]

With all of the questions on the CB about preparing an emergency supply of food, etc. I was just wondering how many of us are currently making plans to stock some of this stuff away in hopes that we never have to use it?

[cgcw]

I'm getting a bit scared reading things. I would fall into the "I'm thinking about it" category right now.

[phins_jazy]

I voted yes, although I haven't rushed out to the store to pick up supplies. I've put things that we already have in the house into a large cooler that we normally don't use except for camping. I do plan to go out later and get some pb & j, poptarts, granola bars and perhaps an extra case of water. It never hurts to be prepared. Just in case......:(

(Maybe living within 5 miles of a plant that disarms nucleur weapons has something to do with it too. :( )

[becka]

Originally posted by cgcw
I'm getting a bit scared reading things. I would fall into the "I'm thinking about it" category right now.

That is a good option...I will see if I can add that to my poll.

It looks like you cannot edit a poll.....

[Kallison]

Well I started to freak out a bit this morning and gather stuff, then I remembered Y2K (although I know this is different). I really think the govt. is aiming the preparedness at big cities, I could be wrong. I pulled together some toiletries and meds, radio, batteries -- other than that I made a list of stuff, so if we are in a hurry I'll no what to grab without thinking about it:
water
sleeping bags
blankets
garbage bags
bleach
plastic gloves
food/canopener/utensils
my son's asthma meds
phone list
dog food
leash
butane lighter
cash
radio/batteries

I just told DH to get some cash on the way home because we never have any on hand and not to let our gas tanks get below 1/2 a tank (I'm famous for running mine on fumes) -- I just stuck some of the above in the hall closet with a couple of backpacks so we can pack and go or head for the basement. I'm not going to go nuts though pulling a lot of stuff together, hopefully I won't ever be regretting that decision.

[addicted_to_WDW]

I've had a kit since 9/11 but I probably should go through it and check for expiration dates.

[caitycaity]

i've also had one since 9/11. i try to cycle the stuff out. for example, when the water has been sitting around for awhile, i'll buy some new water and use the old stuff when i work out.

[Saffron]

I plan on making up two, one for the car and one for the house. I've been meaning to do it for a while now, because we do get a lot of tornados around here in the summer and you never know when a storm can wipe out your electricity, but I could only think of canned vegies and peanut butter. :rolleyes: I'm really thankful for the suggestions on the other thread. :)

Your suggestions were excellent Becca - about the baby supplies. :)

[Luckymommyx2]

I'm in the stages of making my emergency list. I do plan on getting my stuff together very soon. I'm also one of those who runs her car on fumes--a habit I need to break.

[Talking Hands]

Have my hurricane supplies and that should suffice.

[Diane]

I went way overboard for Y2K and had lots of stuff set aside. Although, I'd had about a year to accumulate things. Eventually, I did use almost everything I had. I usually keep 2 or 3 gallons of spring water on hand and plenty of canned goods - especially at this time of year. Since I happened to stop at a grocery store on the way home today for something else, I picked up a few things that I would eventually use anyway. I'm not planning on going all out, but I think I'd feel better if had something set aside, just in case. I'd rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

[Kim in TN]

I was listening to the local news this morning and they were suggesting, 3 days worth of food and water and enough plastic and duct tape to cover all windows and doors in case of an attack. That has kind of stuck in my mind today.

[d.kurz]

Excuse me while I go bury my head in the sand.
:( :( :( :(

[LIDisneyFan]

No.

Que sera sera.

[Deb & Bill]

Do you plan to put some plastic over your fireplace vent and other vent pipes as well? How about the vents in your soffitts around the eaves? How about the weep holes at the base of your brick? Will you tape up your bathtub drains, sink drains and toilets? Dryer vents? There are enough openings in your home that will leak whatever you are trying to keep out even if you do tape up the windows and doors.

Did you ever think someone who sells visqueen or 6 mil plastic and duct tape might have been the one to start that idea? What a great way to make a bundle of money.

What makes anyone think three days will be enough? What if it is really four or seven or a month? What about if you are at work or in the car when it happens? Oops, I'm in WDW - I need to bring my plastic along to tape up my windows on my balcony.

Plan for real emergencies, not fantasies.

[caitycaity]

deb and bill

"There are enough openings in your home that will leak whatever you are trying to keep out even if you do tape up the windows and doors. "
what they are trying to keep out are chemical and biological agents. though these may seep in through some of the *small* openings you have mentioned the amount will most likely not be enough to be fatal. according to the dhs, chemicals used in chemical warfare dissipate fairly quickly in open air. if you have your windows or large holes exposed, a lethal dose may come in and kill you. if you hunker down until the cloud dissipates (usually < 5 hours), even if you get sick from a small amount, you will probably not die or be seriously injured.

"Did you ever think someone who sells visqueen or 6 mil plastic and duct tape might have been the one to start that idea? What a great way to make a bundle of money."
no they did not. the government and agencies like the red cross have been promoting this, and not just recently.

"What makes anyone think three days will be enough? What if it is really four or seven or a month? What about if you are at work or in the car when it happens? Oops, I'm in WDW - I need to bring my plastic along to tape up my windows on my balcony. "
no need to be so sarcastic here. the fact is for the type of attack this is meant to protect against, 3 days will be more than enough. obviously, plastic and duct tape won't help if there is a bomb. it is meant to protect against LOCALIZED chemical or biological attack. if you don't want to do it fine, but don't mock the people who choose to follow the government's advice.

"Plan for real emergencies, not fantasies."
where i live and work, this is a real possibility. it is not a fantasy. i don't care how other people prepare, but you don't need to put people down just b/c you don't agree with them.

[goofygirl]

NO.

I think the "threats" are all B.S. and a case of "wag the dog".


Besides, I dont think some tape and plastic will protect us from a real attack. Gimme a break!

[poohbears5]

Yes if they said a hurricane or snow storm was comming I would make sure I had enough supplies were in and half the time the weather people are wrong but hey better prepared then not .

[Amzey]

I live in Manhattan so I imagine if something happened I probably wouldn't be allowed to stay in my building - I honestly have no idea what I'd do, stay at my family's midtown apartment if an attack was downtown again, otherwise try to get back to the Cape? I'm not sure how preparing an emergency kit would really help me, as I wouldn't be stuck in my room most likely but rather out of it. I have no prescription meds or anything that I'd desperately need. I suppose my school would have some sort of general emergency plan for all of us.

What would a college student put in an emergency kit and how would I most likely use it? Maybe I should be thinking of this more.

[CourtasanSatine]

I'm half thinking someone lost it and half thinking what should I pack.I'm also in college and I do have the number for a few friends I can crash with if something happens but what else? But then I live in Twister Alley and bad weater is nothing new(a small town at that)

[Bob O]

No i wont be putting together any type of emergency kit and also didnt need one when some felt the world would collaspe when the 2000 change over would cause computers to crash and we would all be in panic.
This is all being overdone and way too hyped by the media IMHO.

[shep]

As long as we have enough gas to get to dw's Uncle's who lives in the middle of nowhere, then we are good...

[becka]

Originally posted by Deb & Bill


Plan for real emergencies, not fantasies.

Gee that is a little harsh don't you think?

I can really understand why people would want to try to prepare at least in some small way for a terrorist attack or ANY disaster. I have decided to use this call for preparation to prepare my family for a few days in the case of a terror attack, tornado, earthquake, evacuation, etc. This is something I should have done years ago. I do not plan to buy duct tape/plastic sheeting because I don't think it would help that much since I am not in a particularly high risk area but I certainly would not question or mock those who choose to do such a thing.

Just a little bit of thinking has alerted me to the fact that I really am not as prepared as I should be in case something unexpected was to happen. I am really bad about running down to the last bottle or two of formula, getting down to 1/2 pack of diapers, letting my car get low on gas, not keeping any cash in the house, not having any bottled water, matches or extra batteries around. These are things that I need to get out of the habit of doing regardless of terror alerts.

The media may be hyping the whole thing but IMHO if it makes people think a little more about how they would deal with an unexpected event then I don't necessarily think it is a bad thing and certainly nothing to mock others about.

I am certainly not the type to get paranoid or panic. For the whole Y2K thing I did fill my car with gas a few days prior and took out a few extra dollars from the ATM. We certainly didn't have any stockpile because I didn't feel the risk was really there. There is always a risk for an unexpected natural disaster and for the past few years there is always the risk of an attack. We each judge risks differently and we all prepare ourselves accordingly.

[Luckymommyx2]

Well said caitycaity and becka!!