What is in the Ready Home Gift Box?

The 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.

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.

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.

This entry was posted on Friday, March 5th, 2010 at 10:15 am and is filed under home safety, preparedness kit. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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