This week’s focus for National Preparedness Month is “Low-Cost, No-Cost Preparedness”.
Natural disasters don’t wait for a convenient time. Preparing for them shouldn’t wait either. Start today by signing up for alerts, safe-guarding important documents, and taking other low cost and no cost preparedness actions to lessen the impact of disasters and emergencies for you and your family.
You might be surprised how many things you can do to prepare that are free or extremely low in cost! I’ve covered a few here on my blog and have written several articles about this as well. (Check for them in the links on my portfolio page. I’m particularly proud of these: “18 Simple Habits That Create a Prepared Mindset” and “Twenty Ways You Can Prepare Today Part 1” /“Twenty Ways You Can Prepare Today Part 2”.)
In addition, here are some suggestions from FEMA’s Ready.gov website:
- Download or order your free preparedness products to help your family plan and prepare for the next emergency. www.ready.gov/publications
- Drills aren’t just for your toolbox. Practice emergency drills with your family regularly.
- Emergencies can happen anytime, and less than half of American families have a communication plan. Plan ahead: www.ready.gov/kids/make-a-plan
- Make preparing fun for kids! Go on a scavenger hunt around your house for items you already have to add to your disaster supply kit. Follow this list: www.ready.gov/kit and see how many items you can check off!
- Know what disasters and hazards could affect your area, how to get emergency alerts, and where you would go if you and your family need to evacuate. Visit: www.ready.gov/be-informed.
Speaking of low-and-no cost preparedness, you may have noticed that I mention getting training pretty frequently. Stop by later this week and check out the list of first aid training and supplies I’ve compiled. I recently taught an Emergency First Aid Fundamentals class and in gathering links for the attendees, I realized they might be handy for you as well. There are even links to companies and organizations offering FREE emergency medical training, such as a Stop the Bleed course – can’t beat that!