You can also view Part 1 of Emergency Tips.
36. Keep candles on hand. Candles are not as strongly recommended as they once were due to the risk of fire. However, having candles in the home is a good idea in the event that you can’t find a flashlight, batteries or you have already expended the batteries that you had on hand.
37. Keep a portable radio on hand. Whether in your car, in your home or both, you will want to have access to a portable am/fm radio in the event of an emergency. This will enable you to hear forecasts, news reports or instructions to follow. Always ensure that your radio has fresh batteries and several back up sets that have been tested. A radio that does not require batteries would be an excellent idea since there is no need to batteries.
38. Keep your cell phone fully charged. Get a car charger, and make sure that before you leave the house your phone is with you and fully charged. Today’s cell phones charge rapidly and hold their charge longer than older phones. You might want to consider an upgrade to a newer phone if you haven’t done so in a while.
39. Use ICE numbers. ICE numbers are in case of emergency phone numbers and contact information that should be entered into everyone’s cell phone. Add one or two ICE contacts and label them as such, ICE: mom, ICE:home, etc. This gives others the ability to get information about you and to your family in the event that you are sick or injured.
40. Keep a list of important phone numbers handy at all times. It is a good idea to carry a list of important phone numbers including doctors, emergency services, schools, your co-workers home numbers and local hospitals. You may also want to include the cell phone number of your friends and family members as well. You never know when you will need to use the list, and it is best to have it with you at all times.
41. Consider buying a police or weather radio. While these appliances can be costly, they can come in handy when you need to get access to emergency information in a hurry. Generally, these range between one and several hundred dollars and require batteries for operation. Keep plenty of batteries on hand, as well as a list of frequencies that you might need to locate.
42. Remember your ABCs. Fire extinguishers, that is. A type ABS multipurpose fire extinguisher is the best option for home since it can be used for any fire. A five pound unit can stow away in the kitchen, but you might want to keep a larger unit in the home in case you need it. Check your fire extinguishers and replace as recommended.
43. Keep a crow bar in your home. A crowbar is an important and extremely versatile tool to have on hand. You can use it to break glass, to pry something open or to lift a heavy object using leverage. The longer the better, in terms of size.
44. Carry a pocket knife. With heightened security concerns, you can no longer carry a pocket knife in many locations, but whenever you are driving you should have one in the car with you. The multipurpose type is best, and you will find that the tool will be a great help in many different situations.
45. Get a power converter for your car. Not only will this type of converter power your kids DVD player on long trips, but it can actually power any 120v appliance including a small television or radio. In the event of an emergency you will be glad to have this option.
46. Keep cash stashed. At a minimum, you should have $100 dollars in cash available at any given time. Keep in mind that in an emergency you may not be able to use an ATM. It is best to have several different denominations of bills from ones to twenties. You should also have a roll of quarters on hand.
47. Keep a set of clothes in a plastic container. There are Rubbermaid containers with handles that would be perfect for storing a complete set of clothing for a four person family. You should plan to have a complete set of clothing ready for each member of the household including boots or shoes and a jacket of some sort. In the event of an emergency, you will not need to spend valuable time packing and searching for somewhere to store the clothing.
48. Stash duplicate credit cards, ATM cards, and extra checks somewhere accessible. In the event of a fire, or other disaster you may not have time to grab these things before you leave home. However, keeping a spare set in a lock box at your office or the home of a friend will give you the added security of knowing that you can get anything that you might need.
49. Carry antibacterial gel in your car. In order to stay clean, you might want to use antibacterial gel, which is commonly available to wash your hands before eating, etc. You can keep a small bottle in your glove compartment.
50. Carry heavy gloves in your car. It is a good idea to carry heavy leather gloves in your car, in case you would ever need to change a tire or remove snow or ice from your car. There are many other times that these could come in handy, even for added warmth in the winter.
51. Always have a pen and paper available. You never know when you are going to need to write down instructions, directions, phone numbers or anything else. Keep them at home near the phone, in your purse or in your car.
52. Keep a few trash bags in your car. Having trash bags on hand is always a good idea, because you never know when you will need them. Because they are plastic, they can be used to cover a broken window or a wet seat. They can also provide a moisture barrier between clothing layers in the cold.
53. Keep a sandbag in your trunk. Not only can the added weight help you to keep your car steady in the snow and rain, but should you become stuck in the snow, you can sprinkle the sand beneath your tire to provide needed traction.
54. Stay where you are during an earthquake. If you are experiencing an earthquake, it is best to stay right where you are and not to try to leave home or work. You should try to get under the most solid object or in between a sturdy doorway to protect yourself. If you are unable to get under something sturdy, lie down against a wall and protect your head and face as best you can.
55. If you are driving during an earthquake – pull over somewhere safe. If you can, find a place to park that is not near a building, sign or power line that could fall on your car. If it is winter time, you may need to turn on your car occasionally for heat, however keep a window open just in case of carbon monoxide seeping in. You should listen to the radio for updates and stay inside of the car until the earthquake shaking has stopped.
56. If your power goes out, use a flashlight. Candles are not recommended unless as a last resort due to the risk of fire. You should go around and unplug major electrical appliances, so that a power surge will not destroy the equipment. This is particularly true for televisions and computer equipment.
57. Never run a generator inside of your home. This includes the garage, if it is attached to the home. The risk of carbon monoxide poisoning inside of the home is significant, regardless of the level of ventilation. You should use extension cords to connect to the generator instead of trying to power your entire home at one time.
58. Stay off of the phone during an emergency. Try not to tie up local phone lines or cell phone transmission lines in a major emergency. This will inhibit the ability of emergency personnel to communicate with one another. Instead, keep calls to a minimum.
59. If you experience a hurricane, keep your food safe. Dealing with the aftermath of a hurricane is bad enough. You don’t want to complicate matters by adding food poisoning to your list of problems. Any food that has come into contact with flood water should be thrown away immediately. Even if just the plastic packaging is wet, there is good chance of contamination. Frozen food that is completely thawed should be thrown away – not cooked. Keep your family safe through the recovery and you will find it a lot easier to get things done.
60. If your power is out in the summer, consider buying some ice blocks. You can generally protect your refrigerated and frozen food for three days by keeping the doors closed. However, when temperatures are soaring you may want to purchase some ice blocks for your freezer to help preserve your food.
61. Be aware of what to do in case of a radiation emergency. If you live near a power plant, or there would be a terrorist attack involving radioactive material it is important to know what to do. Every major city will have a plan for preparedness in the event of a radiation emergency. Ask questions and find out what that plan is. Ask your children’s’ schools what they would do. Develop a plan of your own once you have gathered the necessary information.
62. If a tornado is in the area, you should get underground or to your basement. If a tornado is imminent, a tornado watch will change to a warning and you must act immediately. If you are in your car, find shelter anywhere that you are able. If you are at home, take a radio and water and get to the lowest possible point in your home to wait out the storm. Never try to get outside to photograph the storm, as tornados move quickly and unexpectedly.
63. Find an exit route from every room in your home. It is very important to make sure that there is a way to exit every room in your home, preferably two ways to exit. If you are trying to determine an exit strategy for rooms on the upper level of the home, a portable rope latter might be the answer. Make sure that everyone in the home knows how to get out safely and how to use equipment like ladders, etc.
64. Plan for those who cannot. If you have an infant, or an elderly family member in your home you will need to plan on their behalf and most likely to act on their behalf as well. This increases your responsibility significantly during an evacuation because you may need to physically move others and any necessary equipment out of the line of danger. Enlist help from others in the home whenever possible, and make responsibilities simple to understand and carry out.
65. Store important documents in a water and fire proof container specially designed for home document storage. In this container, you will want to place originals or copies of your family members’ birth certificates, social security cards, driver’s licenses, wills, etc. It is better to have a copy than to have to go through the legwork of recovering lost documents when you need them the most.
66. Prepare to throw things away. Yes, it sounds like something we would all rather not do. However, if a porous item (clothing, furniture, bedding, carpeting, etc) is wet for longer than 48 hours there is a significant chance that mold will begin to grow on those items. If your home is flooded, there may be little to salvage. However, by throwing out the damaged items you are protecting your health. Talk to your insurance company before doing anything other than removing the items from inside of you home, however.
67. In the event of a flood, prepare to clean immediately. In the case of a flood that affects your home, the best defense is an immediate clean up. Remove damaged and wet items, and dry out what you can. If it’s sunny – consider moving wet items outside immediately. Remove as much water as you can from inside of the home using hoses, wet/dry vacuums or even buckets. Drying the dampness quickly is important. Wipe all surfaces with a detergent and hot water and dry them completely.
68. If you live near a wildfire, protect yourself from the smoke. Unlike a regular fire, a wildfire is not contained and it could be burning anything in its path. This includes poisonous plants, plastic, homes, etc. It is imperative to watch the news, and listen to radio reports about the local air quality. Otherwise, if you suffer from a respiratory condition you could be putting yourself at significant risk. Invest in a HEPA air filter, whether you already have medical problems and stay inside if the smoke is blowing your direction.
69. Wear light colored and lightweight clothing during an extreme heat wave. Extreme heat is just as dangerous as extreme cold, and it is important to be on the look out for health problems in yourself and others that are caused or irritated by the heat. Stay inside, in air conditioning, whenever possible and if you must be outside, cover as much of yourself as possible to shield our UV rays.
70. Stay home in the event of an influenza outbreak. While the flu may not seem like an emergency, imagine what would happen if you’re entire city became infected. If you are having flu symptom, you should protect those around you and make every attempt not to spread the virus.
71. Be prepared. While this may sound cliché, it truly is important to always be ready for a situation that requires some level of heightened response from you and your family. Having an emergency preparedness kit on hand is a great idea, because it will get you through most emergencies. If your locale is prone to specific types of natural disasters, you should make sure that you are covering everything you will need in your planning and preparations.
72. If you are inside a building that is on fire, get out. This is the very first thing that you should do. Do not re-enter the building for any reason. Call 911 and report the fire if crews are not already on the scene, and find people that you can stand with because it is best to stay in groups. If you are at home, you will want to locate all of your family members so that they know you made it out safely.
73. If you are on the scene of an explosion, get away from the area quickly. Your first response to an explosion will most likely be instinctive and you will begin looking for an escape route. This is important whether you are inside or outside. Never use an elevator in a building that has experienced an explosion or one that is on fire. Tell everyone you see to go with you, but do not stay behind to talk them out of the building. If there are someone who cannot exit the building on their own, alert the authorities when you get outside or help the person if you are able to get them out quickly and safely.
74. Make noise if you are trapped. In any situation where you become trapped, it is important to protect your mouth and nose from any sort of contaminant and then to make as much noise as possible without screaming. If you see or hear movement above, it might be a good idea to yell at that point. But find something to bang on, or with until you can attract attention. Generally, if a person becomes trapped under debris, etc. there is someone who knows that they could be there and people will be searching.
75. Stay calm. The absolute most important thing that you can do in any emergency situation is to stay calm and maintain a positive attitude. In groups, one panicking person can cause massive confusion as others become panicked as well. But, if you are able to maintain a sense of calm you will help to alleviate the fears of others around you.
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