National Preparedness Month has been with us since 2004 and is sponsored by FEMA. The results of 9/11 brought with it a renewed understanding of just how unprepared the general public is when it comes to disaster of any kind. The main site for FEMA is http://www.ready.gov/. This site will give you basic information, but if you want to truly prepare, get information from this site and others in our community that have much deeper insight into what is needed. I believe that the FEMA website, “does no harm”. Meaning it does basic things without going to far into better preps or a cold and realistic view of how bad some disasters truly can be. It also uses generic counts and amounts for items and cannot take into account each person/family’s capabilities and needs.
The fact is that Preparedness and Survival needs ARE PERSONAL! Now think about that. Each person and family has different needs and views on preparedness. What you prepare for may not be exactly what your neighbor preps for or how he preps. So Preparedness is very personal and you should always look at lists and decisions on your terms, not anyone else’s.
This time of year is also a perfect time of year to do several things since fall is coming, football is just around the corner and so is winter. If you have a garden, time to plant for fall and harvest and put up everything you can now. Maybe get new compost into the garden, chop and drop and get the greenhouse in order. Maybe you need to go through your current preps and see what is missing, outdated or not longer applicable to your plans.
Here’s a few things on my site to read and think about:
- http://thepracticalprepper.com/winter-travel-bug-out-bags/
- http://thepracticalprepper.com/winter-travel-chains/
- http://thepracticalprepper.com/blackout-bags-before-the-bug-out-bag/
- http://thepracticalprepper.com/the-first-72-hours-of-food/
I will also offer it’s time to get out that generator if you have one and test it. Generators should be run at least once per month if the fuel is treated. Check your flashlights, review emergency procedures with the entire family. It’s important to review bug out plans, the who, why and when of leaving or staying.
This is the month that we go through our preps and plans. Just in our move from CA to NV, there are a lot of changes to our bug out and bug in plans. If your location or living situation has changed, YOUR PLAN HAS CHANGED. So take a look at that as well.
We go through our prep lists, food and gear to see what achievements have been made and where we need to make improvements. No matter who you are you will have progress and failure, but this is the month that we take a look at those and make corrections. It’s also that time when you need to change your smoke detector batteries, change the furnace filter….. Good time of year to check your six!