Emergency Preparedness

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		Rachel Law - May 12, 2014   View | Edit | Delete | Viewers     This was forwarded by someone in the ward and I liked how organized and specific it is: I am a nurse and my facility has a policy that if there is a disaster and we are at work, we are "encouraged" to stay until others can replace us before we leave to see to our families. I always worried about how my kids would know what was important to take if my husband and I were at work and other family members or friends had to help them leave our home in a hurry. I organized what we call the "72 hour closet" at our house. Beginning with the floor and working my way up, I have placed the items in order of importance. For example, the floor has our sleeping bags and 72 hour kits. The next shelf has a small evacuation tote (MRE's, backpacking stove, folding shovel, extra candles, hand sanitizer, etc.), extra water, first aid supplies, and our small safe with important documents. The next shelf has memory books (kept in office boxes so they are easy to grab) and the last shelf has family history. My kids know to grab their sleeping bag and 72 hr kits, and if time permits, start working their way up the shelves. Because everything is in a tote or box and clearly labeled, we can clear out the closet in under 10 minutes. I also have a small emergency kit at work so the family does not have to worry about gathering anything for me if I am gone during the disaster. Like others have mentioned, I think the key is gathering the important items into one place so that time is not wasted looking for them. My "closet" has given me great peace of mind.
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		Lizzy Hixson - May 12, 2014   Edit | Delete | Viewers | Reply to this item     This is a pretty good idea. I can see the benefit of putting it in one closet, if you had one that wasn't overrun with storage. That would be a wonderful peace of mind.
		MaryAnn Anderson - May 14, 2014   Edit | Delete | Viewers | Reply to this item     I like that too.   Definitely something to work on in our next house.   But if there is something I've learned from the tornadoes we've been through, it's that we actually aren't storing the "important" stuff in our house.   After our friends lost everything they owned Ed and I sat down and talked about what we have that is irreplaceable or that would be needed right away.   All our important documents are in a safe deposit box at the bank, and almost all our pictures are scanned and backed up on an external hard drive (also in the safe deposit box) AND backed up to an online storage site.   Am I forgetting other important things?   Anyway, just something else to consider.