Ten Essentials of Preparedness
THE LEVELS OF FAMILY PREPAREDNESS
These ten areas represent the essentials for sustaining life in a daily routine. Normally, because they are connected to our national and local infrastructure systems, we don’t think twice about their availability. However, when these systems are disrupted and no longer available, then we must have backup supplies on hand to replace them in order to maintain sustainability.
Sometimes the disruption is short-lived (2-3 days), and we make due with the few supplies that we have on hand. But, if there is a long-term disruption due to a natural disaster or a collapse of an infrastructure, then stores are quickly depleted of food and supplies with no guarantee of rapid resupply. In these situations, wisdom dictates that you have supplies on hand to sustain the life of your family until the critical infrastructures are restored.
THE LEVELS OF FAMILY PREPAREDNESS
Level 1: Nominal Family Preparedness - You have a minimum amount of water, food and emergency supplies on hand. You can fend off starvation for a few days in a minor disruption without electric or water. It would be unpleasant but not life threatening.
Level 2: Basic Family Preparedness – You are prepared for disruptions in utility service, transportation, and shopping for several days or more. Families at level 2 are prepared for disasters and disruptions that occur regularly like hurricanes, tornadoes, and flooding that may disrupt services for up to 3-4 weeks. You are prepared for an extended local disaster, but not for a very serious widespread disaster.
Level 3: Advanced Family Preparedness – Level 3 families are prepared for prolonged serious disruptions in utility service and have enough food, water, and supplies on hand to provide for themselves, for your loved ones, and some for sharing with others in your neighborhood. This level of preparedness would carry you and your family though a severe crisis (multiple terrorists strikes against major cities, disruption of the nation’s economy, or a pandemic) that would require supplies for up to several months. Families will usually have a generator, and long-term food storage.
Level 4: Lifestyle Family Preparedness – At Level 4, preparedness has become a way of life, even if no crisis occurs. You are not living “off the grid” but you have the means to stay comfortably independent from the outside world for a period of months, or perhaps a year. Families will usually raise animals for food, garden, and can/store their own food.
In the next article we will look at The Importance of Planning – Six Key Questions
Sometimes the disruption is short-lived (2-3 days), and we make due with the few supplies that we have on hand. But, if there is a long-term disruption due to a natural disaster or a collapse of an infrastructure, then stores are quickly depleted of food and supplies with no guarantee of rapid resupply. In these situations, wisdom dictates that you have supplies on hand to sustain the life of your family until the critical infrastructures are restored.
THE LEVELS OF FAMILY PREPAREDNESS
Level 1: Nominal Family Preparedness - You have a minimum amount of water, food and emergency supplies on hand. You can fend off starvation for a few days in a minor disruption without electric or water. It would be unpleasant but not life threatening.
Level 2: Basic Family Preparedness – You are prepared for disruptions in utility service, transportation, and shopping for several days or more. Families at level 2 are prepared for disasters and disruptions that occur regularly like hurricanes, tornadoes, and flooding that may disrupt services for up to 3-4 weeks. You are prepared for an extended local disaster, but not for a very serious widespread disaster.
Level 3: Advanced Family Preparedness – Level 3 families are prepared for prolonged serious disruptions in utility service and have enough food, water, and supplies on hand to provide for themselves, for your loved ones, and some for sharing with others in your neighborhood. This level of preparedness would carry you and your family though a severe crisis (multiple terrorists strikes against major cities, disruption of the nation’s economy, or a pandemic) that would require supplies for up to several months. Families will usually have a generator, and long-term food storage.
Level 4: Lifestyle Family Preparedness – At Level 4, preparedness has become a way of life, even if no crisis occurs. You are not living “off the grid” but you have the means to stay comfortably independent from the outside world for a period of months, or perhaps a year. Families will usually raise animals for food, garden, and can/store their own food.
In the next article we will look at The Importance of Planning – Six Key Questions
THE IMPORTANCE OF PLANNING -- SIX KEY QUESTIONS
Before you go out and begin purchasing food, supplies and gear, you need to sit down and do some thorough planning. Here are six key questions to help you assess your needs.
1. Who am I responsible to care for in the crisis?
Don’t forget to plan for special needs:
2. How many people do I envision caring for during the crisis?
3. How long do I expect to need provisions?
4 .What standard of living do I expect to maintain during this time period?
5. How much (quantity) do I need to store up in light of these answers?
6. What skill sets do I need to learn, sharpen, or acquire through relationships?
The Law of Redundancy
When making preparedness plans, remember to factor in what I call The Law of Redundancy:
In preparing for crisis, be certain you have multiple layers of supplies and backup resources for the most essential areas of need.
Or another way to say it is: Two are one and one is none!
1. Who am I responsible to care for in the crisis?
Don’t forget to plan for special needs:
- Persons who are elderly
- Persons who are physically challenged, deaf, or blind
- Single moms with small children
- Pregnant women
- Children who may be orphaned or abandoned by their parents during the crisis
- Persons with debilitating mental problems
- Pets and livestock
2. How many people do I envision caring for during the crisis?
- Be sure and factor in specific needs based on you "Who" list's age and gender
3. How long do I expect to need provisions?
- 1 – 3 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year or more?
4 .What standard of living do I expect to maintain during this time period?
- 3 hot meals/day, a daily hot shower, and air conditioning?
5. How much (quantity) do I need to store up in light of these answers?
- Based on the above answers, figure the amount of each item you will need to store to provide for those in your care.
- Use menu planners to help assess the amount and types of food
- Remember to plan for storage space for your supplies.
6. What skill sets do I need to learn, sharpen, or acquire through relationships?
- Skill sets are a valuable commodity that can be bartered with others for supplies or labor.
The Law of Redundancy
When making preparedness plans, remember to factor in what I call The Law of Redundancy:
In preparing for crisis, be certain you have multiple layers of supplies and backup resources for the most essential areas of need.
Or another way to say it is: Two are one and one is none!
Download Chuck’s Handout Notes for the presentation of Ten Essentials of Preparedness
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