Prepare Yourself, Know The Basics !

Any disaster is already bad enough to deal with, but being taken by surprise by it makes it worse.

Consider that in time of disasters emergency services would be overwhelmed by people stranded in different places, the electricity and water supply would be cut for an undetermined amount of time, food supply would be very low, shops, malls and market closed and unable to sell anything to anyone.

This is not a movie scenario, this is a fact witnessed in nearly ALL disasters over the world. For those in the Philippines should we remember Super-Typhoon Yolanda and the starving and looting following it. The television (national and international) showed us again and again distressed people looking for water and food to feed their family. Electricity, water and food supplies impossible, not just for hours, but for days in a row. Emergency Services being unable to reach the victims and the stranded families. Whole communities isolated from the outside world with no access to basic needs.

What about you? Don't ever assume it will not happen to you where you are. If you live in the Philippines chances are that, sooner than later, you will have to face a disaster of Yolanda's Scale be a new typhoon or an earthquake. 

If you live in other countries don't assume nothing will happen where you are. Beside Natural Disasters, you also have Human Disasters which would have the same impact as the one listed above. A terrorist attack for instance on a large scale... 

Think about it, few days ago, the city I was born in, Brussels (Europe), was completely lockdown for few days following the terrorist attack in Paris because of terrorist threats. No one had ever seen something like that before, and certainly not me since I was born (more than 40 years ago). Hopefully, basic supply was still available, electricity, water, gas, food, everything was still easily accessible, but wisdom tells you that, in the unstable world we live in know, if it happened once it will happen again. Next time will supply still be as easily accessible? Are you ready to rely on that or you feel better being ready in case...?

As I mentioned in other posts, on this blog I will also share about things to know to prepare for any kind of disasters. In this post I will focus on the basics of the basics only. In subsequent posts each point will be addressed in more details.

The first thing to always keep in mind in any potential disasters, - natural or man-made, - is what is called the big three. 

The Big 3s

 -- Water
 -- Food
 -- Shelter

Those three things are what you always have to use as a foundation for your own welfare. You can't go far without food and water, and without a shelter you have no protection at all.

Now, what if you have to evacuate your living place? Well the "Big 3s" are still to be taken into consideration, but you also need an Evacuation Kit for you and your family. But before you prepare it, don't forget to count the number of people that your Family Kit will cover, and by the way, don't forget your pets neither if you plan to take them with you. They are living beings, so they need the "Big 3s" also.

The list below is my personal favorite made up after reading many different blog on emergency preparation. But you can develop your own as well. 

The Basic Family Evacuation Kit

• Water
• Food
• Protection
• First-Aid Kit
• Fire Kit
• Flashlight
• Multi-purpose Tool
• Radio
• Cash Money
• Family and Emergency Contact Information
• Copies of Important Personal Documents
• Cell Phones 
• Hygiene

Finally, an aspect which is often overlooked in basic preparedness is "Knowledge". Having all sorts of things in your kit is one thing, but what if you lose part of it on your way? Could you go along and find a way to replace what has been lost? Can you use the First Aid Kit, the Fire Kit, or the Multi-Tool efficiently? And what if someone is wounded or have a heart attack, can you deal with it? In the basic kit of emergency you also need knowledge

Knowledge

• Basic Medical Skills
• Self-Reliance Skills
• Outdoor Skills
• Self-Defense Skills

These are the basics of the basics. With this you will certainly be better off than 80% of the people around you who takes things for granted. Look for yourself, the world we live in today has become highly unstable, whether it is natural or man-made things have seriously changed in the last 10 years. But are you ready for it?

All I can urge you to do is - Prepare Yourself, Know The Basics !

Mabuhay!