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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.
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.
Listen to Craig Fugate’s Message and Read Between the Lines
February 3rd, 2010
San Antonio, TX, August 29, 2008 -- Gerry Stoler, FEMA Operations liaison, talks to cab drivers who are participating in the evacuation program in Texas. FEMA is working with State, local and other Federal agencies in a joint operation in preparation for Hurricane Gustav's land fall. Photo by Patsy Lynch/FEMA
I just finished watching and listening to Craig Fugate, FEMA’s top administrator, on the Washington Post’s On Leadership section. You can view it here. The video clip is about five and half minutes long. It gets good just before the four minute mark so hang in there. If you listen closely you will hear that the federal government knows that they can not meet all of the needs of individual citizens immediately following a disaster. Mr. Fugate gives the example of handing out food and water post disaster. Governments don’t hand out food and water on a daily basis. Private industry serves this role by maintaining big and small markets and working with elaborate supply chains. At a federal level, this administration, according to this video clip, will work to assist private industry in maintaining their supplies and opening their doors following a disaster. In the past, federal government has nearly competed with private industry and lost. Mr. Fugate gave an example of government handing out food and water following a disaster in the parking lot of a supermarket that was already open for business because they had gotten a generator.
I listened to the video several times. I listened with the ears of a FEMA consultant who is always curious about the direction and priorities of FEMA. But mostly I listened as a person who is passionate about spreading the message that we have to take responsibility for ourselves and our communities. We need to help people and businesses do what they do best, like supermarkets supplying food instead of government agencies. And, we need to take it a step further and take responsibility for ourselves.
Who keeps your house stocked with food and water and who makes sure that everyone in your house has the medication they need? Has this person prepared to keep the house stocked during a blackout or storm.
Is your business ready to withstand the impact of a flood, hurricane or pandemic? Are your vendor and client files safe? Are your employees prepared at home so they can return to work?
I could ramble on with pages of thought provoking questions. But, the answer to them all is we need to be ready today for what may happen tomorrow. We can’t wait. Preparedness is absolutely the key.
Understand that you will be impacted by some form of disaster and what you do beforehand is what will determine how you survive that disaster. Disasters come in all shapes and sizes. The disaster may be a catastrophic earthquake or it could be a five hour traffic jam. It doesn’t have to be the “big one” for you, your family and business to suffer catastrophic losses.
What did you do today to protect the people you love?
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.