YOU WILL BE ALONE!
After church on Sunday I was sitting in the foyer of our church chapel when a few of my Ward members and I started talking. One mentioned how her grandson had skidded while playing a sports game while wearing shorts, he had a large scrape on his leg. It became infected and the over the counter antibiotic they had applied he appeared to be allergic to. They took him to the doctor and were given an antibiotic that helped with the infection. She also mentioned how a woman was cashing her son and she fell and broke her wrist. A couple of men near by acted quickly by making a splint by putting a magazine around her wrist and tied it in place with a scarf or handkerchief. The doctor said they did the right thing which helped the woman's wrist until they could get her to the doctor.
What if these injuries were a result of a natural disaster or some other type of emergency event, would you be able to take care of their wound and broken wrist? What would you do if infection had set in and their were no doctors to call or visit? Do you know how to split a broken arm or leg? Do you have a Family Emergency Medical Bag (more than just a basic first-aid kit) in your house? How prepared are you for a medical emergency?Note: Click on "Family Emergency Medical Bag", scroll through the posting dated February 26, 2012, and see the list of items to add to the bag. Include a couple of old magazines which you can use to make a split for a broken arm or leg. Those paint stir sticks you get at the hardware store make great splits too.
We also talked about how the storms (tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, etc;) are more intense and more often. How prepared are you for the storms or natural disasters that may arise in your area?
Another Ward member earlier that morning mentioned how she had heard on the news that the scientist have realized that the area we live in and near the Pacific Ocean beaches of Wilmington, Long Beach, and Huntington Beach, California USA are in danger of a large Tsunami if an large earthquake hit the area. We would need to move to higher ground and inland as soon as possible. What kind of damages would there be, how safe are we where we live, what kind of injuries would there be? Do we have a family evacuation plan and do we practice it often?
What would you do if a natural disaster or another type of large scale emergency situation happened? Would you be prepared? Would you be able to help with medical emergencies and have medical emergency supplies on hand?
On Saturday last weekend I was watching a television program produced by our local Los Angeles County regarding earthquake preparedness. In the program it was mentioned how we need to be prepared to take care of our self, our family and our neighbors for three days before help could probably arrive. After all the natural disasters I have watched unfold over the last couple of years, three days supplies will not be enough. How many times have we watched areas where it took weeks, months before help could get through or arrive, where emergency supplies, food and water could be taken to the victims?
Personally, I strongly feel we need to be ready to take care of our own for weeks and months! Do you really believe all these people, rescue teams are going to come in to help you? We will be alone! Buildings will tumble down, roads will be destroyed, roads will be blocked for weeks and may be months. You will need food, drinking water, emergency supplies and medical supplies. How well are you prepared?
If there is a disaster or emergency situation, an open wound is the worst, infection can set in quickly and that person may die before help can arrive. How well prepared are you for something like that?
We need to be prepared in so many areas: food, drinking water, emergency supplies, medical emergency supplies, basic first-aid skills, etc.. We need to realize we will be alone and we will need to act to help our self, our family and our neighbors.
Weekly Assignment: Emergency Cleaning Bucket
Have
you ever thought about needing emergency cleaning supplies? For the next few
weeks we are going to work on setting up an Emergency Cleaning Bucket. Each week
we will add 1-3 items. Most of these items can be found for a dollar each at a
discount store (99 Cent Store, Dollar Tree, Dollar General, Family Dollar,
etc.). You want to purchase small-medium bottles so all of it will fit in one
bucket. Watch the video below. As we add each item place it into the bucket.
Mark the bucket with a permanent marker--Emergency Cleaning Bucket. You can keep
this in your garage or home storage shed. This week add the following items: (You can purchase all these items at any discount store like the 99 Cent Store, the Dollar Tree, Dollar General, etc. )
1) Disinfectant cleaner
2) 7 dry sponges
3) 1 pair of heavy work gloves
Note: To see the entire list of items in the Emergency Cleaning Bucket and the video on how to place all the items in the bucket go to the March 16th posting.
Monthly March Assignment: Sanitation
This month add
items for sanitation in case you cannot use your regular
toilet...
1) Portable
toilet (emergencyessentials.com
for $14.95)
2) Enzyme Packets (You will need several. You
can purchase them at emergencyessentials.com,
60 cents a packet). The odor is quite strong, keep them in a large plastic zip
lock bag. I store ours in the zip lock bag in our portable toilet.
3) Cat Litter
(You can purchase them discount stores like the 99 Cent Store or other
stores, you will need several bags.)
4) Large heavy
black trash bags (Costco or Sam's Club size)
5) Toilet
paper & paper towels (Costco or Sam's Club
size)
6) Baby wipes
(You can purchase these at discount stores like the 99 Cent Store, Costco or
Sam's Club. You should have several stored)
7)
Disinfectants--Clorox bleach, Lysol, hand sanitizer, etc.
8) Privacy
Shelter (you can purchase
this at
emerencyessentials.com for $89.95 or construct your own with a large
blanket or ex-large plastic tarp, rope, clothes pins,
duct tape, nails and hammer)
Keep all of these items
together in your garage or a home storage shed.
Some of these items will fit inside the portable toilet to keep them
organized and together. Keep those items that will not fit into the portable
toilet together with the toilet.
Important Information: Check out the posting "Sanitation"
under Postings on the right for more information, why you need these items,
how they work (example: enzyme packets), how to use the portable
toilet correctly and how to
dispose of human waste.
Last week we planted our vegetable garden. How is your vegetable garden coming along? Have you planted it yet? Are you planning on planting one this year? Now is the time in Southern California to plant your vegetable garden. It is a great way to save money on vegetables and add vegetables to your food storage by canning and/or freezing them. Click on this link to see different ways on how to plant a vegetable garden. Anyone can have some sort of a vegetable garden. 
A few weeks ago I posted about this great way to plant vegetables. Scroll down to the week of March 16th to see how to plant the vegetables using this method and which ones you can grow this way. I am excited to see how these turn out. I planted green onions and Romaine lettuce. For some reason this area of our back yard does not grow vegetables, so I thought I would try this.
Emergency Preparedness Ideas
"Prepared for the Worst, Plan for the Best"
This title is a book about how a small business should prepare and can survive a disaster which has a lot of meaning even for us. No one wants a disaster to occur, but in reality they do happen. We should always be prepared for what ever natural disaster or other situation may come our way and because we are prepared we will be able to get through what ever we are facing. Being in tune with the Holy Ghost will most definitely help us too. Are you ready? What do you need to do to be better prepared? Make a plan and set goals to make it happen. Survival Cooking Options...
Do you know how to cook in an emergency?
Click on this link and this link to learn ways to cook in an emergency and different types of equipment you should have stored.
Do you know how to build and start an out door fire?
Click on this link and this link to learn how to build and start a fire.
Below is a great video with great information about fire safety, how to build and start a fire in different types of weather and conditions. About 13 minutes long, but worth watching.
EmergencyEssentials.com has a great fire fuel and starter called "Fired Up! Emergency Fuel and Fire Starter". I love this product. It requires no kindling, no wood, will burn even on top of snow. Two cups burn for approximately half an hour. This stuff is amazing. Everyone should have this product in their emergency supplies. Some companies call it "InstaFire" or "Fire Now".
Note: If you have never built and started an outdoor fire before it is a good idea to practice before needing to build and start one. Practice at a beach with fire rings, a backyard fire pit or ring or a friends house who has one. Boy Scouts are a great resource in learning how to build and start a fire.
Boy Scout Handbook...
One of the best things you can have in your emergency supplies is a copy of the Boy Scout Handbook. It has so much vital information that can help you in an emergency situation: first-aid skills, how to build and start a fire, how to build a shelter and so much more. You can purchase a copy from a local Boy Scout Shop or on Amazon. For those who live locally there is a Boy Scout Shop in San Pedro, California USA off of 22nd Street and the Marina near Cabrillo Beach.
Comments: Please post a comment. All your comments, ideas, suggestions and experiences are welcome! We all learn from each other. Thank you for your comments.
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