National Preparedness Month: A Week-by-Week Guide to Reviewing Your Readiness
September is National Preparedness Month. While you should be ready for emergencies 24/7, this is a good opportunity to review your readiness. Over the course of September, you can take stock of your survival gear. That way, you have peace of mind for the rest of the year. There’s a lot to look over. Make it easier on yourself by breaking it up by week. Here’s the gear you should check each week of National Preparedness Month.
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Emergency Food Kits |
Week 1: Food and Water
As September starts, begin by reviewing your most important survival supplies. That means food and water.
If you lose access to either of these in an emergency, you’ll be glad you have a backup plan.
First, make sure you have enough emergency supply food for every person in your family. A minimum recommendation is about 4 weeks of meals for each person. But the more, the better. You could even buy a year’s worth of emergency food.
Remember to inspect any food kits you already have. Double-check the packaging. Make sure it’s not compromised, and everything is still dry and intact.
Second, decide how you’ll get water in an emergency. A water storage system is a great option. This could be plastic bricks or emergency water pouches. It should keep clean drinking water safe for years. Or you can keep a water filtration device on hand. Either way, focus on food and water during the first week of National Preparedness Month.
Week 2: Power
During week 2, it’s time to think about power solutions. The grid can fail for any number of reasons. Wind storms. Heatwaves. Blizzards. Then you’re left without power while your food spoils, and you can’t run medical devices.
Search for reliable ways to solve this problem. If you already have solar generators, get them charged and ready to go. Walk your family through how to run them. Get all the cords you need organized.
If you don’t have a power solution, this is the time to nail it down. Start with a portable solar generator for your smaller devices. Or you can try a larger generator that can power devices as big as a refrigerator.
Week 3: Tools
Emergencies always call for different tools. So, for week 3 of National Preparedness Month, ensure you have all the right ones for any job.
Versatile multi-tools are always useful. They can help solve a lot of problems. For instance, a flashlight that also serves as a compass, portable charger, SOS light, and glass breaker can be your new go-to piece of supplies. Or look for a folding shovel that converts into an axe, fire starter, screwdriver, and flashlight.
Every day this week, review some of your tools. Try to identify any gaps and search for new tools to help cover them.
Week 4: Planning
Finally, the last week of September is all about planning. What good are your supplies without a rock-solid plan?
Build specific plans based on all sorts of scenarios. It could be long-term power outages. Or consider a situation where you need to evacuate. Or think about short-term problems like a 1-day storm or outage.
Ensure your family has copies of these plans. Or ask them to memorize the most important steps. That way, even if you are separated, you all know what to do.
Over the course of the week, run through a few practice sessions. This is a great time to put your gear and plan into action. It’s the perfect way to finish out National Preparedness Month. Once you’ve checked everything, you’ll have the ultimate peace of mind.
About 4Patriots
It’s almost impossible to predict emergencies. That’s why you need gear from 4Patriots. Their supplies can help your family prepare for disasters you didn’t see coming. Allen and Erin Baler started 4Patriots at their kitchen table in Nashville, Tennessee. Today, they employ over 175 employees. But their mission remains the same. They strive to help everyday Americans stay safe in uncertain situations. Their wide range of survival gear always has your back. You can find solar generators to power critical devices in a blackout. Or get their emergency food kits to keep your family fed when you can’t go to the grocery store. Join the 4Patriots family today so you’re not caught off guard tomorrow.
Celebrate National Preparedness Month with help from 4Patriots at https://4patriots.com/