Every Life Secure!

What Do You Put In A Tornado Emergency Kit?

When answering the questions, "What do you put in a tornado emergency kit?", it is important to know that a tornado emergency kit is really just an all-hazards emergency kit.  Your tornado emergency kit should have the supplies you might need after any emergency.  Thus it should be an "all-hazards" kit.  You don't need to have one kit for tornadoes, another for earthquakes, and yet another for floods or some other natural or man-made disaster.

Your "tornado kit" or all hazards emergency kit should be packed using U.S. Government guidelines.  You can find these guidelines at Ready.gov.  We developed all of our LifeSecure emergency kits based on these US Government guidelines.  So the best way for us to answer, "What should be in my tornado emergency kit?" is to tell you what we put in our LifeSecure All-Hazards kits...

So here are the special features and contents of our 4-Person Roll-and-Go or Shelter-In-Place 3-Day Emergency Kit:

Special Features:

• Compact/Comprehensive emergency kit: compact emergency-grade supplies cover all U.S. Governments recommended basics
• Easy-roll/flexible transport:Easy-rolling wheels and telescoping handle avoid back strain; double hand straps and adjustable shoulder strap provide go-anywhere flexibility
• Travel safety and emergency identification:Re-positionable LED safety signal visible up to 800 yards
• Durable protection for supplies: rugged rolling duffel with 600-denier construction; hard-sided cases for personal supplies
• Quick-access organization:large-mouth opening to main compartment with two side pockets and two compression straps; easy-pull ergonomic zippers; personal supplies stored in four carrying cases
• Long life:Water, food, batteries have 5-year shelf life

Contents:
For protection and shelter:

• (4) N-95 respirators (face masks)
• (4) Emergency thermal blankets
• (4) Emergency ponchos
• (1) Roll plastic sheeting
• (1) Roll duct tape

For turning off utilities and other tasks:

• (1) Multifunction tool [needle nose pliers, regular pliers, wire cutter,file/cutter, flat file, pointed screwdriver, mini-screwdriver, small screwdriver, screwdriver, Phillips screwdriver, can opener, bottle opener,punch, knife blade]
• (1) Pair leather-palmed work gloves

For communication and light:

• (4) Metal whistles with lanyard
• (1) AM/FM radio with two sets of AAA batteries
• (1) Flashlight with two sets of D batteries
• (8) 12-hour light sticks
• (1) LED Safety Signal
• (1) Notepad
• (1) Pen
• (1) Waterproof document pouch

For hydration and nutrition:

• (1) 2-gallon water bag for carrying, purifying and storing water
• (4) 2,400-calorie food bar (bar contains 12 individually wrapped 200-calorie portions) [5-year shelf life - U.S. Coast Guard approved]
• (24) 4 oz. emergency water pouches [5-year shelf life - U.S. Coast Guard approved]
• (50) water purification tablets

For medical, hygiene and sanitation needs:

• (4) Personal First Aid packet
• (1) Family First Aid kit
• (1) First Aid Guide
• (3) Bio-hazard bags
• (1) Toilet paper roll
• (24) Moist towelettes

For storage and easy transport:

• Emergency preparedness supplies are packed in a rolling duffel with double hand straps and adjustable shoulder strap.

You will note that these LifeSecure emergency kits contain supplies that meet each of the 10 basic emergency needs: water, food, breathing protection, first aid, shelter, warmth, communication, light, tools, sanitation & hygiene.   Note also that this version of our emergency kit has rolling wheels.  We sell rolling and backpack versions of each of our family emergency kits, but we have a preference for wheels (with an option to carry).

The key is to buy or your own "tornado emergency kit" before a tornado or other disaster actually hits.  It isn't hard to do, but after the fact is... well, after the fact and won't do any good.

Every Life Secure

 

What is a Tornado Emergency Kit?

Many people are asking about Tornado Emergency Kits.  They are looking for a kit that is uniquely designed to deal with the aftermath of a tornado.  The truth is that a tornado emergency kit is really just a regular 72 hour all-hazards emergency kit.  You will have the same emergency needs after a tornado as you may after any other catastrophic natural disaster.

So our suggestion is that you buy or make an emergency kit that meets the 10 basic emergency needs: water, food, breathing protection, first aid, shelter, warmth, communication, light, tools, sanitation & hygiene.  Your kits should be designed using the U.S. government guidelines available at Ready.gov.  This is how we design all of our LifeSecure emergency kits.

So get an emergency kit - if you want to call it your tornado emergency kit, that's fine.  Then learn what to do in a tornado and what NOT to do in a tornado.  Just remember, when the tornado sirens go off, take cover and be safe.  Don't take chances with something as potentially deadly as a tornado.

Every Life Secure

What Emergency Supplies Do You Need to Respond to a Tornado?

Someone recently asked, "What emergency supplies do you need to respond to a tornado?"  The answer is that you need essentially the same emergency supplies that you would need to respond to any other disaster.  If a tornado hits close enough to do damage to your home or knock out essential utilities and services, you may have to evacuate or be prepared to shelter-in-place without the benefit of all of the conveniences which we take for granted.

Whether you have to evacuate of shelter-in-place after a tornado of some other disaster, you may need to provide for 10 emergency essential needs: water, food, breathing protection, first aid, shelter, warmth, communication, light, tools, sanitation & hygiene.  A well designed 72 hour emergency kit with basic supplies can help you meet each of these needs whether you stay or have to go.

Ready.gov provides a helpful list of emergency supplies.  You can build your own tornado emergency kit or purchase one.

Every Life Secure

 

 

More Tornado Deaths - Same Message - Know What To Do and What NOT To Do In A Tornado

Deadly tornadoes overnight in the Midwest, including a massive tornado in Missouri, remind us to be prepared for any disaster.  Tornadoes can happen anywhere in the United States so all of us need to know what to do in a tornado and what NOT to do in a tornado.

#1 rule - take cover!

Every Life Secure

High-Capacity AED Backpack from MobileAid Holds All the Supplies

Our new high-capacity MobileAid 4-Way Carry AED Backpack has been receiving very positive feedback from medical responders.  The response is strong because many responders want to keep their AED as well as the associated AED supplies and other equipment all in one backpack.  Many smaller AED backpacks just don't have the "all-in-one" capacity.

This MobileAid AED backpack was designed with plenty of capacity to allow for just such an all-in-one storage and response solution.  It has large side pockets for larger supplies and several smaller internal pockets to allow for excellent organization for AED supplies.  The AED itself can be strapped in large internal compartment using three internal straps to hold it tight in place in transit.  The AED pack is large enough to hold any AED on the market that we are aware of. 

Here are the specs:                                                                                                                  External dimensions: (16"W x 19"H x 10.5" D)
Internal dimensions (main compartment): (12"W x 17"H x 9"D)
2 side compartments: (2"W x 17"H x 10"D)
Front access door: (11"W x 16"H)
Top Access door: (9.5"W x 7"H)

Not only can it hold a lot of gear, but this MobileAid AED backpack can be carried in 4 ways - backpack, shoulder strap, hand strap, or ride on rolling MobileAid Stations. 

This rugged AED backpack is made of tough ballistic nylon to protect your AED and take the beating of emergency response service for many years.  The AED backpack comes with either First Aid or Medical Responder markings.

Every Life Secure 

MobileAid Provides 24/7 First Aid for Mississippi River Flood Victims

We are pleased that the Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System (ILEAS) chose the MobileAid Mutli-function 24/7 Trauma First Aid Station to help provide first aid for Mississippi river flood victims. 

One of the most unique features of this mobile station is the double flood flashlight system that provides light to first aid responders even when electric light is not available.  This allows the unit to be used 24/7 in a disaster response and recovery situation.  This makes it perfect to aid the Mississippi River flood victims.

Every life Secure

Unexpected Deadly Earthquake in Spain Reminds Us That Many in U.S. Live on Fault Lines

"We know we live near a fault line but we never thought this would happen to us," one survivor said as he dealt with the shock of Spain's most deadly earthquake in over 50 years.  The deadly magnitude 5.1 earthquake in southern Spain reminds us that many of us in the U.S. live on fault lines yet would be surprised to experience an earthquake of any real magnitude.

The Agence France-Presse quotes another survivor as saying, "People are afraid. No one here has ever seen anything like this before."  These same sentiments will no doubt be expressed by millions of Americans at some time in the future as inevitable earthquakes happen in their "home town".  Many in the U.S. live on little-known fault lines.  One of the potentially most dangerous is the New Madrid Fault that will one day create another catastrophic earthquake in the Central U.S. like the quake recorded in 1812.

What is the lesson?  Learn about your earthquake risk and prepare for a devastating earthquake in your neighborhood.  Learn what to do in an earthquake to protect yourself and have an earthquake kit in case you have to evacuate or shelter-in-place without the necessary basic services that we all take for granted (electricity, gas, water, sanitation, ready access to food, etc).

Every Life Secure

Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Nuclear Reactors - NRC Demands to See Detailed Response Plans

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission demanded today that the operators of each of the 104 U.S. nuclear reactors submit their detailed plans to respond to a terrorist attack.  This review of terrorist attack response plans highlights the ongoing safety risk posed by the 104 nuclear reactors in the U.S. 

Terrorism is just one of the threats that share a place on the list of nuclear radiation safety hazards that can be brought on by man-made or natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and tornadoes.  These last three threats have received recent attention as each has caused nuclear power plant shutdowns in the U.S. in the past few months.

If you live near a nuclear power plant or other nuclear reactor facility, make sure that your emergency kit is up to date and than your evacuation and shelter-in-place plans are well rehearsed.  It just makes good common sense to be prepared for just such a terrorist attack. 

Every Life Secure

Nuclear Accidents in the U.S. - We Are Still At Risk

The citing of an Alabama nuclear reactor with a "red finding" that indicates a risk for an accident of "high safety significance" reminds us that there is an ongoing risk of a nuclear accident in any of the over 100 nuclear reactors in the United States.  The citation was for a faulty valve that could have kept the reactor from being properly cooled in an emergency.

It is interesting to note that the same Browns Ferry nuclear power plant in Alabama has been shut down since April 27th because tornadoes cut off external power.  Emergencies do happen and they do impact nuclear power plants.

If you live near a nuclear reactor, be prepared to evacuate in case of a nuclear accident.

Every Life Secure

Emergency Thermal Blankets Warm Survivors of Boat Sinking

I noticed in this photo that the survivors of the boat that sadly sank with up to 600 Libyan refugees aboard were issued emergency blankets like those we use in our LifeSecure Emergency Kits.  These thermal emergency blankets truly can be a lifesaver and are light, compact, and inexpensive.  They reflect back up to 80% of body heat and are windproof and waterproof.

These compact emergency thermal blankets should be a staple in your emergency kit.

 Every Life Secure

You Don't Have to Be A Survivalist to Be A Survivor

It's true -- you don't have to be a "survivalist" to be a "survivor."  I'm a "survivor" of many disasters, but I'm not a "survivalist."  Though I have learned much from those who are self-identified survivalists and have great respect for their knowledge and skills, I believe all of us as "regular people" can take basic steps that allow us to be a survivor in case of a severe emergency or disaster.

To increase your chances of being a disaster survivor you can:

1) Learn about what to do in various emergency or disaster scenarios.  All of us can identify various kinds of disasters or emergencies that are common to where we live and learn about how to appropriately respond to them.  For example, I live in Illinois and as such should know the basics of what to do in case of earthquakes, tornadoes, blizzards, chemical spills or explosions (freight trains come within a mile of my home), nuclear accidents (we have 11 nuclear reactors in Illinois), and floods.

Such knowledge is readily available on the web (from this emergency preparedness blog among other sources), in books, in pamphlets, from local emergency responders, etc.  You don't need to become an expert in emergency response to learn and remember such basics "Drop, Cover, Hold On" in an earthquake, "get out of your car and into a ditch" in a tornado, or  "have a 72 hour emergency kit in case you have to evacuate or shelter-in-place" in any number of disaster scenarios.

I used to worry about trying to memorize and keep in mind the "10 bullet points for how to respond to each type of disaster".  I have come to believe that one can get and retain most of the "survivor knowledge" they will really need by just occasionally learning about these events and thinking about the key things to do and not do.  A lot of it comes down to common sense once you learn some of the basic principles of response.

When it comes to knowledge of how to respond, you don't have to be a trained survivalist to survive a disaster.

2) Have an emergency kit and emergency supplies.  As I share constantly in this blog and as the U.S. Government has told us for years now, everyone should have an emergency kit and adequate supplies to last for at least 72 hours (3 days) on their own after a disaster.  Hurricane Katrina taught us that even in America, you can go hungry and be thirsty if you are not prepared to meet your own needs after a catastrophic disaster.

I personally am prepared to support my family's basic needs for much longer than 72 hours, but this minimum is a good place to start.  For relatively little money you can either build your own emergency kit or buy an emergency kit that will meet your basic needs.  Remember, its about "sustaining life" not "sustaining lifestyle" for those few days after a disaster.  Your absolute survival essentials can be fit into one backpack.  That same backpack of supplies can be used to help you evacuate or shelter-in-place.

You don't have to own the ultimate survival knife in order to survive most disasters and emergencies. I love cool survival gadgets as much as the next guy, but basic supplies will do for most scenarios.  Any regular person can obtain an emergency kit that may not contain all the high-end specialized gear a trained survivalist may desire, but that will work just fine to help you be a survivor in a disaster.

3) Have a basic plan of how to evacuate or shelter-in-place.  If you have the basic knowledge of how to survive a given catastrophic event, and you have the supplies to meet your basic needs for a period of time, you can top that off by thinking through your emergency plan. 

The appropriate response to most catastrophic disasters will require you to do one of two things to avoid harm or to deal with the event's aftermath: evacuate of shelter-in-place.  If you have to evacuate, you'll need to know how you will gather family members, and where you will go before you actually have to leave.  Evacuation can happen in a real hurry in some scenarios and the time for preparation is over when the time for action has arrived.  Plan in advance.

Shelter-in-place plans also require some forethought.  Thinking through your plans will help you better ensure that you have the right emergency supplies in place to respond to an emergency at a moments notice. 

As in other aspects of emergency preparation, your plans don't have to be elaborate.  SEAL Team Six level planning and practice is not necessary.  Just think through the basics and make sure that all family members or colleagues in the workplace know what the plan is.

Following these basic approaches to emergency preparedness will allow you to survive most of what might come at you in this life in the way of emergencies or disasters.  Don't be intimidated by the emergency preparedness process.  You don't need to be a survivalist to be a survivor.

Every Life Secure

Preparing for the Worst Case Scenario - Catastrophic Disaster

Prepare for the worst case scenario -- a catastrophic disaster.  This is sound advice. We spend much of our lives preparing.  Most of us spend from 13 to 17+ years in school as a preparation for our life's vocation as well as just for living a productive adult life.  Each job we have prepares us for the next. We prepare for countless specific events in our lives: graduation, marriage, births, moving, etc.  Preparation is part of our daily routine, but how well prepared are we for the ultimate challenge - the worst case scenario?

The worst case scenario may come in various ways.  It may come as a personal tragedy or as a critical accident.  In the unsure world in which we live, it will come to many in the form of a catastrophic disaster.  This may be an earthquake, a tsunami, a flood, a hurricane, a wildfire, a tornado, a chemical explosion, a volcanic eruption, a mudslide, a blizzard, a terrorist attack or any one of many other potential natural or man-made disasters.  My first catastrophic disaster was the disasterous Super-Typhoon "Yoling" in the Philippines that left my family with readily available food, water, or electricity for two weeks.

Whatever the worst case scenario may be that invades your life, you can prepare for it now. One of the keys to being prepared is to have adequate emergency supplies to meet your own basic needs for at least 72 hours (three days).  It can take at least this long for authorities to begin to deliver aid to most people after a major disaster.  Personally my family is prepared to go it alone for much longer if necessary (remember, I went the two weeks with little help so I have learned by experience that three days is a minimum).

Because not everyone can afford (either in storage space or cash) to have more than a three day supply, I suggest that you follow the U.S. Government Guidelines and have an emergency kit that can either be used to support you as you evacuate or as you stay put and shelter-in-place.  I like to say that with such an emergency kit "you can evacuate or stay, and you are covered either way." 

Whether you build your own emergency kit or buy an emergency kit don't delay this important step in being prepared for the worst case scenario - a catastrophic disaster.  Get an emergency kit now and make sure that you are well prepared.  We do live in an unsure world, but we can be more secure if we are prepared.

Every Life Secure

Bin Laden's Death - NOT an End of the Need to Be Prepared for Terrorism

While there is justified relief that Osama Bin Laden is dead, the threat from terrorism in the United States and abroad remains high.  This fact has been reiterated time and again in the newscasts of the last 24 hours.  No one is under the impression that the news that Bin Laden is no longer personally a threat, is an indication that the terrorist threats that he came to symbolize in our generation are a thing of the past.  These attacks will go on as carried out by others.

This means that terrorist attacks are among the many threats, natural and man-made, that we still need to be prepared for.  How do we as ordinary citizens perpare for such events?  We prepare just as we would for other catastophic events.  We have an emergency kit and emergency supplies ready to evacuate of shelter-in-place (according to the need), we have a plan as to what to do, and we stay informed both before and after such an event.

Though there are areas of our country that naturally are more likely targets of terrorist attacks,  experience have taught us that no place in our country is completely safe from such attacks from foreign or domestic terrorists.  Therefore all of us should be prepared for the impact of such terrorist attacks.

Every Life Secure