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Come to our FREE Pet Preparedness Day
May 5th, 2010Will you and your pets be prepared if disaster strikes?
Do you know…
How to include your pets in family emergency planning?
What critical supplies you will need for your pets’ safety and comfort?
How to evacuate your pets quickly and safely?
Join us for these answers and many more.
We’ll have supplies on hand for you to purchase.
Where: Leading the Way
18 Chestnut Street, Florence, MA
Time: 11:00 am – 12:30 pm
Date: Sunday, May 16, 2010
RSVP: Shannon @ 413-559-7011
GivingPreparedness a Great Community Partner
March 22nd, 2010We’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.
Too Busy for Disasters
March 11th, 2010
Wiggins, Miss., October 29, 2005 -- Cheryl Rasbury shows Skylor Welch, her granddaughter Mariah Rasbury, and their puppy named FEMA, pictures of their destroyed beach house in Bay St.Louis. This family and hundreds of other beach residents were displaced by Hurricane Katrina. George Armstrong/FEMA
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!
A Bottle of Wine or Flood Preparedness?
March 8th, 2010A 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.
[1] NOAA National Weather Service information
What is in the Ready Home Gift Box?
March 5th, 2010The Ready Home Gift Box includes the items we know you need to get prepared and stay safe in an emergency.
Most people know to call 911 during a medical emergency or other type of emergency. We teach our children to call by showing them how to use the phone and by posting the 911 emergency numbers near telephones in our homes. We have included several 911 stickers for a family’s convenience. The other number all families need to have on hand is Poison Help. America’s poison centers are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week to help you. The Poison Help hotline 1-800-222-1222 serves as a key medical information resource and helps reduce costly emergency room visits. We have included several Poison Help Hotline stickers for families to post near telephones in their homes.
Ready Home Gift Box Safest Size
Information is power before, during and after any disaster. For that reason we have included two American Red Cross and FEMA publications, Food and Water in an Emergency and Preparing for Disaster. These brochures guide a family through the process of preparing an emergency food and water supply as well as how to make an emergency plan.
We recently discovered the Fire Resistant Document Bag and include one in the Safe House gift box. Use this bag to protect your property deeds, passports, birth certificates, and cash and family photos. This bag even holds legal size documents. Post disaster, you will need these documents for insurance purposes. Putting your important papers in a central location that can survive a fire will inevitably streamline the process of resuming to normal. After Hurricane Katrina, many homeowners were waiting for FEMA checks because they did not have proof of insurance.
During a power outage or other emergency, you are suddenly cut-off from the outside world. We inundate ourselves with information through electronics, internet, television and radio. During a disaster a family needs to know the weather forecast, if an evacuation order is in effect, when power will be restored or what the roadway conditions are. We have included an AM/FM Radio Receiver complete with a crank flashlight. These have become popular devices and they work. Ours includes a telescopic antenna, earphone jack, AC power adaptor and carrying strap. It can also be charged with 2 AA batteries.
Crank Radio and Flashlight
In addition to the flashlight attached to the crank radio, we include a regular flashlight with 2 D batteries and several 6″ instant glow lightsticks. They last for 12 hours are non-flammable and weatherproof. Please do not light candles or use propane stoves indoors because these may cause fires or carbon monoxide poisoning.
Next we tackle the issues of food and water. We include pouches of drinking water with a drinking container. These are U.S. Coast Guard approved emergency drinking water pouches. We also include Energy Food Bars. These actually taste good, will stay fresh for years and contain 400 calories each so they are a true meal replacement. Your food or your pet’s food may be stored in cans that you typically open with an electronic can opener so we have included two hand held can openers for your convenience.
Considering fires, we have included a Survival Tool. This tool can be used to shut-off the main gas valve to your home. It is light weight, reflective and easy to use. This tool could save your life! Just imagine the fires in San Francisco following the 1906 or 1989 earthquakes and turn off the gas.
We have included a whistle for you to signal for emergency help or to call your dog. Disasters are loud and a whistle may come in handy for communicating the need for help.
Of course, we have included a 107 Piece First Aid Kit. This First Aid Kit comes in a plastic container and includes 35 large plastic bandages, 30 medium plastic bandages, 6 gauze pads of various sizes, 1 rolled gauze, 15 alcohol cleansing pads, 10 cotton swabs, 1 adhesive tape roll, 1 tweezers, 4 tongue depressors, 1 first aid guide book, 1 plastic bandage, 1 instant cold pack.
Finally, we put in a pack of playing cards. When the power goes out we may feel a bit lost without our “electronic” friends that are why we have included a pack of playing cards. There is no need to sit in the dark and be bored. Have some fun by playing a game of Solitaire or Go Fish.
We Joined OpenSky
February 19th, 2010
OpenSky is an online marketplace. They call it Modern Main Street. Basically, it’s an online mall of unique products recommended by some very well respected bloggers and professionals. We now have a shop at OpenSky which you can visit at http://givingpreparedness.theopenskyproject.com. And we have become a supplier to OpenSky, which means our gift boxes are in other shops on the site as well.
I encourage you to take a look. We’re happy to have joined and view it as a unique opportunity toward our quest to get safety supplies into the hands of as many people as possible.
Do You Need to Become a Survivalist?
February 9th, 2010No. Absolutely not.
You do need to prepare for disaster. But, do not try to prepare for the world to end.
The best way to accomplish preparedness is to understand your risks. Ask yourself these questions:
1. What natural hazards occur in my area? (For example, floods, earthquakes and ice storms.)
2. Who am I responsible for and what are their special needs? (For example, infants, seniors, people with disabilities.)
3. Does my lifestyle include travel to an office or school?
Use the answers to these questions to begin determining what you need toward preparing for disaster.
For instance, if you live in an area with the possibility of earthquake you should know how to shut off the gas in your home and office. You will probably need a gas shut off wrench for this. We include one in the Ready Home Gift Box.
If you are responsible for people who require medication on a regular basis then you should make sure their medications never run out. You should also document the names of their doctors and the names and doses of their medications.
If you and your family head out in different directions for work and school, you should have a plan of where to meet if you can not return home. You also should have an emergency contact person out of state who can take calls from your family during a disaster. Frequently land and cell phone lines become jammed in an area affected by a disaster, it can be impossible to make local calls.
I encourage you to be reasonable and prepare for what is likely to occur. And, I remind you to never become complacent about preparedness.
Gifting Peace of Mind: Holiday Gifts that Can Save Lives
December 9th, 2009In a recent press release, FEMA pointed to Holiday Gifts that Increase Preparedness. FEMA assembled the list of gift ideas as a way to help people begin to prepare and to help their families and friends along the way.
“Disasters can happen anytime, anywhere and the holiday season provides a great opportunity to ensure that you and your loved ones are taking simple steps to be prepared,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “As families gather this holiday season, I encourage everyone to take a few minutes and discuss what you would do in case of an emergency or disaster. The public is the most important member of our nation’s emergency response team and the more the public does to be prepared, the more successful this team will be.”
Acting FEMA Regional Administrator Dennis Hunsinger encouraged Americans to give the gift of safety. “Disaster-ready gifts can save lives, and are a wonderful way of welcoming in 2010,” said Hunsinger. “Helping to better prepare neighbors, friends and loved ones for emergencies is a great way to say ‘I care.’”
The press release continues to name emergency and preparedness items that might make great gifts this Holiday Season including:
- Disaster kits for homes, offices and autos (first aid kits; food, water and prescription medications for 72 hours; i.e., extra clothing, blankets, and flashlights).
- NOAA weather radios with extra batteries.
- Enrollment in a CPR or first-aid class.
- Smoke detectors.
- Fire extinguishers (for kitchen, garage, car, etc.)
- Foldable ladders for second-story escape in a fire.
- Car kits (emergency flares, shovels, ice scrapers, flashlights and fluorescent distress flags).
- Pet Disaster kits (food, water, leashes, dishes and carrying case or crate).
- Battery powered lamps
I’m proud that the mission of Giving Preparedness is so closely aligned with that of FEMA’s. It is my goal to get disaster supplies and information into the hands of as many people as possible.
Northampton Resident Offers Emergency Preparedness Kits
December 4th, 2009
As seen in the Daily Hampshire Gazette on December 3, 2009
Northampton resident and emergency preparedness expert Jamie Caplan has launched GivingPreparedness.com to make it easy for people to give the gift of safety.
GivingPreparedness.com is an online store of emergency preparedness gift boxes for the home, car and for pets.
These gift boxes contain emergency essentials for people and pets for the first 72 hours of an emergency, including pouch water, food bars, first-aid kits, emergency light sticks and more. They can be ordered for family and friends, or for businesses.
GivingPreparedness.com also features Caplan’s blog about emergency safety.
Caplan is a 20-year emergency management veteran and consultant for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. For more information, go online to www.GivingPreparedness.com, or call 586-0867.
Why keep an emergency preparedness kit in the car?
October 28th, 2009I’m interested in disaster preparedness — not just as a professional in emergency management –because it is a passion. I always have been. I became a lifeguard as a young teenager, and while working at pools and camps, safety and preparedness really caught and has kept my interest.
During the four years I spent in college, I frequently opened the pool at 6 am. One morning, just as I arrived at the athletic complex, a woman was dropped off in a cab. She wore shorts and a t-shirt and had big cuts and scrapes on both hands and knees. She said she had fallen running. The cab dropped her off at the athletic complex to get her car. She was parked right next to me, and I’d seen her there before.
My first aid training was sufficient to clean and bandage her wounds. However, the pool was a quarter mile away, and I didn’t have any first aid supplies in my car. She didn’t have any either. I felt so horrible and useless. I didn’t even have a bandage.
Personally, I don’t want to end up in a situation like that again. So I maintain a kit of emergency supplies in my car, in my home, and in my office. It’s easy and it comes in handy. I can’t list the number of times I’ve given another mom a bandage at a playground or used my car flashlight to find something under the seats. Preparing for potentially big disasters like hurricanes, earthquakes and floods also helps us prepare for little disasters such as short power outages, flat tires or skinned knees.
The emergency preparedness supplies that I have chosen for the Ready Auto gift boxes will help you to be ready for unexpected emergencies or incidents. Many people literally spend hundreds of hours in their cars. Depending upon the day my car can look like and function as a playroom, restaurant, library or entertainment center. As a driver, I may face hazardous road conditions, accidents or traffic jams. Or my passengers may experience injury or illness. As the driver, it is my responsibility to keep myself and my passengers safe. Emergency supplies that I keep in my car help me to fulfill this responsibility.