If you have not been following the news the last few days, you may not be aware that there has been a new strain of swine flu appearing in Mexico and some areas of the United States. The World Health Organization and the Center for Disease Control are monitoring this aggressively and are in the process of determining if this is possibly the beginning of a pandemic. I suggest that you follow this, do your own research, and carefully consider what precautionary measures, if any, your family needs to take. I have attached the booklet I received at a pandemic workshop I attended last month. As usual, I do not endorse this information as being completely correct. It is simply a place for you to start as you determine your approach to this news. Pages 15 and 27 list possible items you may want to consider having in your pandemic kit. Look at the CNN website, MSN, the CDC and the WHO websites.
This is a good opportunity for us to determine how we as a neighborhood are doing in becoming prepared to handle something like this, even if it does not happen. I will be in touch with you regarding steps we might take to help us take care of each other in the event of any personal or community emergencies. These might include organizing blocks with captains, with instructions for communicating the well-being of members of that block, etc.
Here are some steps you might consider.
For now, I would recommend that you start with making sure you have at least a 2 week supply of water @ 2 gallons per person per day. Fill up those water containers you have sitting around empty and obtain any additional water you may be missing to get to that goal. The more water, the better.
Obtain your 90 day supply of food.
Find alternate cooking and lighting sources ( bbq grills with fuel, dutch ovens with briquettes, solar ovens, wood for wood burning stoves, lanterns, flashlights, candles, etc.)
Get a system ready for human waste management in the event of a shut down in the sewage system (bucket with fitted toilet lid, garbage bags, disinfectants, kitty litter or “Super Sorb” (Google it) to solidify waste, antibacterial soap and/or wipes, digestive medications.
Purchase masks for those in your household . These should be rated N95 or better NIOSH approved. You can get them at Home Depot, along with other places. Do your research. They are about $1.00 each without a vent, or $2.00 each with a vent. Home Depot also has them in a size “for smaller faces”.
Buy a package of latex gloves from Costco or Home Depot.
Make sure you have plenty of kitchen and large garbage bags for a host of purposes.
Check your supply of household cleaners including laundry soap, dish liquid, antibacterial hand soap and hand sanitizers, etc. Stock up on Clorox, hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol (very cheap, about $3.00 for 2 large bottles at Costco).
Put together some family activities such as games, coloring books, books, movies, etc.
Set aside some cash and have it in your possession.
Make sure you have the medications you need for an emergency. Include vitamins (C and D for sure) and multis.
Consider how you will communicate with family members not in your household. (walkie talkies, etc. , It has been suggested that texting on cell phones will be more effective than making calls.)
Do your own research. This is just a start and is certainly not an official list.
Again, do not panic. This is simply a time to use wisdom and prayer as you look at all of the information that is out there. This could be something or it could be nothing. But regardless of which it is, we have been warned about hard times to come. We have been asked to be prepared. Whether a pandemic, an earthquake, economic collapse, or almost any other imaginable scenario, we have been blessed with prophets who tell us what we should do.
Feel free to call me. I am not an expert. But I would be glad to discuss resources with you. Plan to be at the fireside on Sunday, May 17 from 7-9 p.m. for more very helpful information regarding emergency preparedness with Tim Woolf as the guest speaker.
Under the Preparedness Section of the blog, click on the Pandemics Booklet for more information