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What's in Your 72-Hour
Kit?
by Sheriff Ted Mink
In March 2003, a heavy
snowstorm hit Colorado, leaving as many as 11 feet of snow in mountain
areas of Jeffco and paralyzing the Denver metro area. Some Jeffco residents
were forced to break apart furniture for firewood because they were without
power for so long. Deputies used Sno-Cats, SUVs and showshoes to try to
reach residents stranded without heat, medication or food.
If a disaster occurs in your community, local government and
disaster-relief groups work hard to help you. But you need to be ready as
well. You should know how to respond to severe weather or any disaster that
can naturally occur in our area: winter storms, wildfires, flood, tornadoes
and extreme heat or cold. Depending on the disaster, you may be stuck at
home for days, or you may have to evacuate for an extended period.
As winter closes in, our Emergency Management team urges residents to be
ready to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours. They suggest assembling
a 72-hour emergency kit, individually tailored to meet the basic survival
needs of your family. Store it somewhere safe, yet easily
accessible. Here are some items you may want to include in your
72-hour kit.
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Sample preparedness kit from the American Red Cross
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Basic Emergency
Needs
- Water (1 gallon/day per person)
- Non-perishable foods, manual can opener
- Essential medications
- Battery-powered radio
- First aid kit and manual
- Sleeping bags and blankets
- Waterproof/windproof matches
- Flashlight with batteries, or wind-up flashlight
- Water purification tablets
- Utility knife
- Emergency candles
- Extra eyeglasses/contact lenses
- Extra clothing
Other Emergency
Needs
- Extra pet food, pet supplies, pet medications, etc.
- Pen and paper
- Cash
- Addresses and phone numbers
- Work gloves
- Basic tools
- Copies of all legal papers, including: marriage license, home mortgage,
property/auto ownership documents, wills, jewelry appraisals, driver's
licenses, insurance policies and bank accounts.
Your Household
Plan how your family will
stay in contact if separated. Make sure everyone knows the actual phone
numbers they need, in case they don't have access to the data stored in
their mobile phones. If you or a loved one has a disability and need
additional assistance at your home during a disaster or evacuation, call
911.
Ask an out-of-state
relative or friend to serve as the "family contact." (After a
disaster, it's often easier to call long distance than to place calls
within the disaster zone.) Make sure everyone in the family knows the name,
address, and phone number of the contact person.
Neighbors
Plan how the neighborhood could work together after a disaster. Know your
neighbors' skills (medical, technical). Consider how you could help
neighbors with disabilities or illnesses, the elderly, or people with small
children. Make plans for child care in case parents can't get home. If you live
alone, coordinate with neighbors and create a plan to check on one
another's welfare.
For more information on
preparing for an emergency, including how to identify emergency outdoor
water sources, and how to assemble first aid or car survival kits, visit www.ready.jeffco.us or call 303-271-4900. You can also
visit the statewide resource readycolorado.com.
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