Family Emergency Preparedness

Many recent natural disasters have brought to our attention the need for our ward members to be prepared for emergency events. As an example, the storms and flooding in Florida have shown that there are many who were not prepared to leave their home and care for themselves and/ or preserve important papers and information.

Linked here is a supply checklist that will help you get started assembling your family’s 72-hour kit or bug-out-bag (BOB)

A 72-hour kit is a personal kit containing essential supplies that should help a person or family survive for at least three days (72 hours) during a disaster. Experience has shown that it usually takes about three days before the government and other institutions are able to provide rescue and relief efforts to disaster victims. A 72-hour kit should be Portable (backpack or containers), Easily Accessible, Up-To-Date (rotate food and medicine) Waterproof, Usable (know how things work), Personalized (meet family needs), and Versatile (kit should care for you at home or during evacuation).

Remember a 72-hour kit depends upon each individual family’s needs but some basics should include: Food and Water, Bedding and Clothing, Fuel and Light, Equipment, Personal Supplies and Medication, and Personal Documents and Money.

For additional information, check the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints website, www.providentliving.org or you may want to contact your ward Emergency Preparedness specialist. You can find their name by searching in Tools under Organizations. Put the word Emergency in the search box and there will be a list of who is called in your ward. If there is not a person called, please contact your ward Elders Quorum President. You can find his name under organizations and look for Elders Quorum.

If you are prepared, ye shall not fear.

Stake Emergency Preparedness Committee