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PrepPost: Build a Kit with Everyone in Mind

This week we're focusing on building an emergency kit with everyone in mind! Read about additional items to add to your kit based on your and your families individual needs.
green tote bins, toliet paper, wheelchair, back pack and other emergency kit items stacked together in a pile
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Emergency Management

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There are a few simple steps we can all take to make our families and community more prepared for disasters. One way to prepare is to build an emergency kit. There are many lists available of the general emergency kit items you should stock, so this post focuses on more specific items to add based on different aspects and needs of your life or the life of your family and friends.

Medication:

  • Keep a list of your medications in your emergency kit. Include information about your diagnosis, dosage, frequency, medical supply needs, and allergies.
  • If you rely on refrigerated medication:
    • Stock a cooler with some breakable one time use cooler packs as part of your kit
    • Find out how long your medication can be unrefrigerated for before it is considered unsafe to use
  • Think of the items you use regularly to dispense your medication like gauze, tourniquets, needles, syringes, or adhesive tape and make sure to stock extra in your kit

Medical, mobility, and other assistive equipment:

  • If you use an electric wheelchair or scooter, have a spare battery and/or manual wheelchair for back-up.
  • If you are a person who is vision impaired, deaf or hard of hearing, plan ahead for someone to convey essential emergency information to you if you are unable to use the TV or radio.
  • Teach those who may need to assist you in an emergency how to operate necessary equipment. Also, label equipment and attach laminated instructions for equipment use.
  • Know how to connect and start a back-up power supply for your essential medical equipment.
  • Store extra hearing aid batteries and spare pairs of eyeglasses in your “go bag”.

Other tips:

  • Be sure to include food in your kit that meets your dietary requirements and that won’t worsen your conditions.
  • Start building your kit over time. Look around your house for items you might already own. Purchase one to two items a month. Shop at discount and second-hand stores for supplies.
  • If your emergency plan includes staying with friends or family, ask them to add some supplies for you to their kit as well
  • Add supplies you will need if you care for an infant or pet
  • Keep physical copies of important documents like power of attorney and/or medical power of attorney documents, contact information for your doctors and pharmacies, and copies of your medical insurance card.

For more information about preparing with additional needs, and links to existing resources, visit https://www.publicalerts.org/additional-needs

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