GivingPreparedness a Great Community Partner

March 22nd, 2010

We’re supporting events in our community and in emergency management.

We recently donated a Ready Auto Emergency Kit (Safest Size) to the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) Region 1 Conference as part of the Student Scholarship Raffle. This conference will be held April 23rd in Old Sturbridge Village, MA.

We are also donating a Ready Auto Emergency Kit (Safest Size) to the 18th Annual Great Northampton Chamber Auction to be held on Friday, April 30th at the Clarion Hotel & Conference Center. Coca-Cola sponsors this event and there will be over 300 items to bid on.

We’ll be in attendance at both events and hope to see you there.

Tags: preparedness, Press
Posted in client gift, preparedness kit, Press, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Too Busy for Disasters

March 11th, 2010

In our house, I like to think we wake up each morning to Plan A.  Plan A means the grown-ups exercise, the kids have healthy breakfasts and everyone gets out of the house to school and work on time.  Where is Plan A?  Does anyone get to the bathroom in the morning with Plan A?  Not too often.

Maybe the baby had a bad night or the dog had to go out at 3:00 AM because she got the remaining birthday cake, or you tossed and turned all night because your mind was racing with business-related pressures.

My philosophy is to hold on to Plan A, to strive for it but for goodness sake be ready for reality.  We are all too tired.  We are juggling family, finances and work 24/7.  We have odd stress-related ailments that may turn into chronic illnesses.  The bottom line is: we are pushed and pushing beyond our limits every day.

But it is our responsibility to be prepared for the inevitable disaster or incident.  This may mean your child falls off his skateboard and needs his wounds cleaned and bandaged.  It may mean you are stuck in a major traffic jam on the way to a ski resort and need blankets, flashlights, food and water to survive several hours in the cold and dark.  It could mean there is a blackout in your city which cripples public transportation and leaves you wondering how to pick-up your toddler from daycare on-time.

When we watch television, we see terrorism, natural disasters and war in places far from us.  What is local may seem manageable and still not close enough to touch us.  But the old saying “it is not if but when” truly applies to disaster in our lives.  House fires, car accidents, hurricanes and winter storms do happen.

Finding yourself in a situation that requires you to act without the right supplies is devastating.  We know how to bandage skinned knees, but where are the band aids?  We know how to use flashlights in the dark, but has anyone seen the flashlight?  Do the batteries work?  We know to pick an emergency meeting place in case we cannot get home, but did we pick the middle school or the grocery store?  The fact is we are not ready.

We have many excuses for why we have not prepared.  We are too busy, our finances are stretched, and we live in a safe place.  But the excuses will not protect us from the inevitable.   So why not help your family, co-workers and friends be ready for disasters?  It is the best gift you can give them.  It shows you truly care about them and that you understand the risks in their lives—because they are the same ones in your life!

Posted in client gift, home safety, preparedness kit | Comments Off

A Bottle of Wine or Flood Preparedness?

March 8th, 2010

A bottle of wine or flood preparedness?  Sounds like an absurd question with an obvious answer.  But, think twice, especially if you are looking for a powerful marketing tool or closing gift for a client.

The news media and government agencies keep reminding us that we will have a flood or other disaster and should be prepared now.  You cannot see experiencing a flood unless you win the lottery and move to the beach or buy lakefront property.  Those people have floods.

Actually, all homes can flood.  Growing up I can remember an upstairs neighbor who let their bathtub overflow and a whole line of apartments had water damage and flooding.  A friend of mine recently moved his family into a trailer next to their home because they had a flood.  Their upstairs washing machine water hose disconnected and while everyone was at work and school water ran through the walls and pooled in the kitchen and basement damaging 75% of their home.

Driving is a time we all are likely to experience flooding.  Our aging infrastructure increasingly floods.  Pot holes turn into lakes when it rains and the trenches next to roads are overgrown with weeds forcing water onto roadways.

In fact we are all at risk for flooding.  Be especially careful when driving during heavy rain or near swollen rivers.  The National Weather Service has a campaign called Turn Around  Don’t Drown.

“Each year, more deaths occur due to flooding than from any other thunderstorm related hazard. Why? The main reason is people underestimate the force and power of water. Many of the deaths occur in automobiles as they are swept downstream. Of these drownings, many are preventable, but too many people continue to drive around the barriers that warn you the road is flooded.  Whether you are driving or walking, if you come to a flooded road, Turn Around  Don’t Drown. You will not know the depth of the water nor will you know the condition of the road under the water.”[1]

Help your customers, friends and your family be prepared for a flood or other disaster by giving them the gift of safety.  All of our Ready Gift Boxes include educational information and essential supplies that can be immediately applied to lessen their impact of any disaster.  Plus, you really do not need to be the person who gives another bottle of wine.

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[1] NOAA National Weather Service information

Posted in client gift, flood, home safety, natural disasters, preparedness kit, travel, vehicle safety, winter storm | Comments Off