Emergency Preparedness, Food Storage and Monthly Assignments (Week of January 3, 2016)

Hi Torrance Stake Family, Carson Ward Family, Family and Friends,

May your new year be filled with much joy, harmony, family memories, peace of mind and spirit and being better prepared for what may come your way this new year. 

This year, as previous years, we will work on adding to our temporal (food storage, emergency preparedness items, physical preparedness and financial preparedness) and spiritual preparation. With all the troubling times in our world today we need to be better prepared than currently.

Please watch this amazing video presentation by Aaron Jones, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Apostle Jeffrey R. Holland, "Safety For The Soul". You may not believe in the Book of Mormon, but the Bible also warns us to be prepared and stay close to the Spirit. Even with all the turmoil going on around us we can find peace of mind and spirit. I know from the scriptures the turmoil is not going to get better but worse. I also know if we are close to the Spirit we can and will find peace in the turmoil around us.


 


New or old blog viewer. . .

First, thank you so much for viewing our blog over the years. If you have been viewing our blog for a long time or are a new blog viewer we are excited to help you be better prepared and find peace with all the turmoil around us. Starting this year I will post twice a month instead of weekly, the first week and the third week. The first week I will post our new monthly assignments and the third week it will be reminder of what we are working on for the month.  Coding issue: The coding issue has finally been fixed. Now if you subscribe to this blog your email will show the blog name. Thank you for your patience.

 

The Ark 2016 Food Storage 

and Emergency Preparedness Goals 

It is a new year which means new resolutions and goals, both personal, family and, I hope, emergency preparedness. I hope that you will sit down either by yourself or with family and friends and inventory and plan what items your family would need to survive a natural disaster, terrorist attack, civil unrest, health and financial disaster or what ever may come your way. As I always say, "I would rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. You never know what may happen in the future, but you can be ready for it the best you can. 

The Ark 2016 Food Storage/Emergency Preparedness Goals:

January--Oils and Fats/Family Plans (Fire, Earthquake, Tornadoes, Hurricanes, Flooding, Food Storage, Evacuation)

February--Soups, Stews and Chili/Water Storage

March--Honey/Emergency Electrical and Heating

April--Beans, Lentils and Rice/Emergency Cooking

May--Vitamins and Supplements/Emergency Preparedness for Seniors and Children

June--Grains/Emergency Shelter

July--Vegetables/Emergency Sanitation

August--Drinks/Physical and Mental Preparedness

September--Fruits/First-aid and CPR

October--Pastas/Spiritual Preparedness

November--Meats, Chicken, Fish/72 Hour Individual Emergency Backpacks/Family Bag

December--Dairy/Family Emergency Preparedness Medical Kit

January Monthly Assignments

Food Storage . . . Oils and Fats

This month we are adding oils and fats to our food storage (Olive Oil, Vegetable Oil, Corn Oil, Sunflower Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Coconut Oil, Spray Oils, Shortening, Butter/Margarine, etc.).  Make a list of the types of oils and fats you use and how much of each within a month. Then multiply that by the number of months you have set your food storage goal (1-Month, 3-Months, 6-Months, a year).

How to store: In commercial bottles (plastic and glass), dehydrated 2.5 and #10 cans, frozen.  Check out emergencyessentials.com and other food storage companies for dehydrated products.

Storage: Keep in dry, cool, dark place. In your pantry, under the bed, in closets and cupboards.

Shelf life: Most oils only keep one year. Butter/Margarine you can freeze for 1-2 years. 

Remember: The key to all food storage is rotation, rotation, rotation.

Emergency Preparedness . . .

                                    Family Plans 

Each individual and family should have family emergency plans in place and practice them often, especially when you have children in your family. A new year gives us an opportunity to make, review and adjust family emergency plans. Family emergency plans consist of fire, earthquake, tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis,  flooding, terrorists attacks, civil unrest, sheltering in place, chemical spills, evacuations, food storage and emergency supplies, etc.

Fire escape plans: Each family should have a fire escape plan in effect and practice it often. Teach your family about fire safety and what to do if a fire breaks out in your home, where to meet outside and to never, never, never go back inside to help someone get out or get a family heirloom. Assign a family member to use their cell phone or go to a neighbor and call 911 immediately.



 Natural disasters plan: Earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding, mudslides, wildfires, etc.. Each family needs a plan to handle the types of natural disaster you have in your area. Review them and practice them often with your family. The more you practice the better you will be prepared and know how to act quickly and calmly.       



Terrorist attack plan: First, stay calm and put your family plan into action. How prepared are you for something like this? Do you know what to do and where to go? Are you prepared to shelter-in-place if needed? Do you have extra food, water, emergency and medical supplies on hand? Make a plan for your family so they know what to do and where to go. Have an out of state contact person to let them know you are alright and where your family members are located.

Civil unrest and rioting plan: Stay calm! Do you know what to do if this happened in your city? Be prepared to shelter-in-place. Be prepared with extra food, water, emergency and medical supplies on hand. Have an out of state contact person to call to let them know you are alright and where your family members are located.

Shelter in place plan: Does you family have a shelter in place plan? What if you had to stay in your home for several hours, days, weeks due to a chemical spill, pandemic, down power lines, civil unrest, rioting, terrorist attack? Would you know what to do? Would you have enough supplies on hand to shelter in place for awhile, food storage, water, a way to cover windows and doors, a battery operated radio, have a room assigned to shelter in place in, etc.?

Evacuation plan: Do you have an evacuation plan in place for your family? Do they know what to do and where to go if you are separated or during work and school hours? Have several evacuation plans for different types of disasters and evaucations, routes in place. Practice them often.

 Food and water storage plan: Do you have extra food and water storage on hand? People say it will never happen, empty grocery shelves. Did you know that grocery stores only have enough food in their back storage area for about 2 weeks. If there was a civil unrest and a natural disaster they can be emptied in seconds. Have extra food and water will bring peace of mind and safety.   

 

Be Prepared and Not Be Sacred!

Emergency Preparedness Ideas

Tips for helping children cope during a disaster--click here.

For great ideas on emergency preparedness check out the list under "Postings" on the right.

Comments and Questions: Please share your comments and questions below. Remember, we all learn from each others experiences and knowledge. Thank you for your comments and questions. I will answer your questions in my next blog posting. Or, you can email them to me at "theark.carsonward@gmail.com".