Friday, March 30, 2012

Good Time To Check Your 72hr Kits





Spring time is such a beautiful time of year - when nature begins a new and sprouts beautiful colors on the flowers and trees.  There is no better time of year to begin yourself a new and check your 72hr kits - updating their contents and locating them in an easy-to-grab area of your home.


Many preparedness retailers will have sales this month on various kits.  And others may have case lot sales as well.  It pays to check them all out - even just for ideas on what to include in your own.

For suggestions of what to include in your kit, click on the 'Documents' tab on the menu bar above.



BE INFORMED

                MAKE A PLAN

                                  BUILD A KIT

                                           GET INVOLVED.....!

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Emergency Education Quiz

How much do you know about emergency preparedness? In a crisis, would you panic or prevail? The answer may surprise you. Emergency Essentials has made up a fun quiz to test your knowledge on various disasters and emergency preparedness items. See how well you do by following this link:

How Prepared Are Americans?


A recent survey reported on American’s beliefs about preparation and disaster preparedness.

The major finding of the survey, conducted by Kelton Research, showed that 85% of Americans do not feel prepared for a catastrophe. They were asked questions about why they feel they need to prepare, what catastrophes they might face, how to best prepare and what they would do if they thought the world was going to end.

Check out some of the findings below:

Do Americans feel the need to prepare?
Do you need to prepare more?
Interestingly, Americans were split on whether they needed further preparations for a potential catastrophe. 49% said they were “as prepared as I need to be.” 51% said they needed more preparations.

Do you think a catastrophe will occur?
One of the interesting findings from the survey was that the majority of Americans believe that a major catastrophe will occur within in the next 20 years.

Beliefs about 2012
Almost ⅓ of respondents (27%) believe that a catastrophic event is likely to occur on Dec. 21, 2012. 73% responded that a major event on that date is unlikely.

Are Americans actually prepared?
How prepared are you compared to those around you?
When asked how prepared they feel compared to their neighbors, half (53%) said they were “about as prepared” as those around them. Nearly ¼ (23%) said they were “more prepared” and another ¼ (24%) said they were “less prepared” than the rest of the country.

How long could you last?
Nearly 40% of people say they would only last two weeks based on their current supplies.

How fast could you evacuate?
The majority of Americans (49%) said they would need 15 – 60 minutes to prepare if they were required to leave their home. Only 8% said they would be ready to leave their home with all the things they needed in order to survive in “less than a minute.”

Would you share your supplies?
The majority of Americans said they were willing to share their preparation supplies or food storage. 76% of respondents said they would share resources with their immediate family. 42% said they would share with neighbors. 24% even said they would share with neighbors that they didn’t know that well. Only 3% of respondents said they wouldn’t share their resources with anyone.

Reasons to prepare
Natural Disasters
The majority of Americans feel that a significant natural disaster will occur within the next 25 years. 64% said they believed a significant earthquake would hit. 63% said a significant hurricane and 29% said that a pandemic, such as a super-virus  would occur.

Nearly 3 out of every 4 people (71%) believe that disaster in our lifetime will be an act of God, not man.

Man-made disasters
With that being said, 55% of Americans believe that a terrorist attack could occur within the next 25 years. 51% believe that a financial collapse could occur while 14% fear a nuclear fallout.

Why are you not prepared?
When asked what were the major reasons that they were not prepared for a potential catastrophe, 40% of Americans said they “couldn’t afford to buy or stock up on certain supplies.” More than ¼ (27%) said they didn’t know what they should be doing in order to prepare.

About ¼ of respondents (24%) said they didn’t need to prepare because they “didn’t think any catastrophes will happen.”

How to prepare
Money vs resources
59% said they believed that “saving for retirement,” such as donating to a 401(k), was smarter than stocking up on resources or building a bomb shelter. 41% said they preferred stocking up on resources.

Food & Water
A large chunk of Americans (45%), have stocked up on canned or non-perishable food items.  Around the same amount, 43%, have also collected drinking water. Only 21% grow their own food, such as fruits and vegetables.

Escape plans
More than ⅓ (34%) of Americans make efforts to keep a full tank of gas in their car in order to escape. 33% of Americans have a go-bag or 72-hour kit. 20% have an family escape plan.

Other plans
A little more than ¼ (26%) of Americans own at least one gun. Almost the same amount, 24% plan on having extra cash on hand. 9 % of Americans have built a bomb shelter.

Do nothing
Nearly ¼ (25%) of Americans say they have never made any preparation efforts.

Click on this link: to see the full results, you can find them here. 

Article posted from TheReadyStore.com

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Bonneville Hills C.C. Neighborhood Watch Mtg

Dear B.H.C.C. Residents, Business Owners & Friends,

Bonneville Hills Community Council Meeting
March 22nd Meeting
Anderson Foothill Library
6:30p – 8:00p 


Agenda
  1. Detective Tom Gallegos Salt Lake City Police Department (801) 330-4256 Crime Report and Q&A 
  2. Captain Scott Freithe SLC Fire Department Safety & Q&A 
  3. Shawn Mc Donough SLC Community Liaison Report from the City 
  4. Neighborhood Watch – Introduction for BHCC Residents 
As a community we realize that our best defense against the increase in car prowls and break-ins is starting our own Neighborhood Watch Program

Come as be a part of this program and learn how you can support your neighbors and decrease the crime in our area.

Links:
http://web3.userinstinct.com/44174430-salt-lake-city-of-police-department-mo
bile-neighborhood-watch.htm

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/21191390/Salt-Lake-City-Police-Department-Mobile
-Neighborhood-Watch-Program

Chair: Ellen Reddick, Vice Chair: Ryan Czekalski, Secretary: Kristin Liszkowski, Treasurer: Rebecca Maw
http://www.bonnevillehills.org/ 

District 6 City Council – Charlie Luke

Connecting A Portable Generator To Your Home


This product was advertised at a recent emergency preparedness fair.  It allows connection of a personal generator to you house without running extension cords and such…check it out!

 
Safely Connect a Portable Generator To Your Home Without Rewiring. 



Homeowners are purchasing portable generators in record numbers to power critical appliances such as furnaces, pumps, refrigerators and home office equipment during a power outage. GenerLink™ is a new product that makes connecting a portable generator easy and safe while providing homeowners the flexibility of using a portable generator to operate virtually any appliance in their home.



GenerLink™ is a five-inch device that is installed behind your electric meter by your local utility or licensed electrical contractor. When you connect a portable generator to GenerLink™ and start it up, GenerLink™ automatically disconnects your house from the electric utility grid preventing the possibility of back feed, which can damage equipment and harm utility personnel.



Because GenerLink™ is designed and rated to connect directly to a standard household electric service of 200 amps or less, all you have to do to operate a critical appliance is flip a breaker on in the household breaker panel once the generator is connected and operating. GenerLink™ eliminates the hassles of running multiple extension cords or hiring an electrician to install an expensive transfer switch and sub-panel that limits the number of appliances you can operate.

GenerLink™ is installed by your local electric utility in less than 30 minutes. There is no need for you to be home and there is no need to rewire the house.

To learn more about using a portable generator with GenerLink™ please click on this link to their website:

www.generlink.com

When Toilets Don't Work


When toilets don't work during an earthquake

Your body is a wonderful thing. You have the ability to take in the food you want, and your body expertly converts it into energy for muscles and siphons nutrients where they need to go.

And then your body creates, separates and disposes of waste. Amazing!

With modern plumbing and sewage management, our waste blissfully disappears with a single flush of the toilet and we move on with our lives.

But what if that modern plumbing and sewer system ceases to work in an earthquake? Your body doesn’t stop its own productive work. In fact, under the high-stress environment that accompanies a major earthquake, your body may speed up waste production.

To help the state prepare for an earthquake, the Utah Division of Emergency Management and Be Ready Utah are inviting all Utahns to join the Great Utah ShakeOut, the state’s largest earthquake drill ever. The ShakeOut is a chance for 2.8 million people to practice using their emergency plans. Currently, nearly 740,000 have registered. Are you in?

Today, as you continue to get ready for the ShakeOut, plan so you are able to go to the bathroom when toilets don’t work: Make your own.

Assembling your own toilet requires just two parts:

a five-gallon bucket and 
a plastic toilet seat with a lid

I bought my seat from Emergency Essentials, which sells them for about $9. Group discounts on seats are available.

To make the most out of your toilet, there are a few other items you need to gather. All of them can be kept in your bucket until you need to use it.

  • Several boxes of eight-gallon garbage bags. Use a garbage bag to line the bucket before use.
  • Kitty litter. Store it in an empty two-liter bottle and shake it into the toilet after each use.
  • Toilet paper. Put a roll into a plastic zippered baggie and squeeze the air out of the bag. This will protect your toilet paper and allow you to keep various rolls in the bucket.
  • Disinfecting wipes or hand sanitizer. Use these if you can’t wash your hands.
  • Air freshener.
  • One roll of paper towels.

After a few uses, tie off the bag and throw it in your garbage can. Perfect! Once you’ve assembled your toilet, you have a great backup plan!

Article from www.deseretnews.com
By Joe Dougherty – March 11, 2012

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Emergency Essentials Water Storage Class

Emergency Essentials is offering classes to customers, FREE of charge.
The classes will be held at all store locations (click here to see locations: http://on.fb.me/LocateEE).

The classes are offered at two different times per store and will last between 30 to 60 minutes. Registration is limited. If a class is full or cancelled, such information will be stated in the options.

Here are the classes being offered for March 2012:

     South Jordan - Tues. March 20th - 2 pm and 7 pm - Water Storage and Treatment
     Orem - Wed. March 21st - 2 pm and 7 pm - Water Storage and Treatment
     Bountiful - Tues. March 27th - 2 pm and 7 pm - Water Storage and Treatment
     Murray - Wed. March 28th - 2 pm and 7 pm - Water Storage and Treatment

Registration is required to attend. The following link will direct you to their Facebook page to sign up:

Emergency Essentials Water Storage and Treatment Class

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

American Red Cross/Great Utah Shakeout


On Tuesday, April 17, 2012 beginning at 10:15 am the Utah State Department of Emergency Management will be conducting an exercise (The 2012 ShakeOut). 
The American Red Cross, along with other community partners, will participate in this event, which will simulate a response to a hypothetical 7.0 magnitude earthquake along the Wasatch Front.
There are two ways you can participate with the American Red Cross Utah Region's test of its ability to provide shelter and food for large numbers of people
   1. Participate by staying, yourself, or with friends, or your entire family, in a Red Cross shelter, either overnight or for several hours during the day.
   2. Participate by becoming trained as an American Red Cross shelter volunteer.
To stay in a shelter:
     - Bring only your 72-hour kit, so you can experience what it's like to rely soley on that resource for your sustenance and comfort.
     - If you don't have a 72-hour kit, bring only the clothes on your back.
     - Sign up now to participate!
To volunteer in a shelter:
     - Take a 2 1/2 hour class at the shlter; and
     - Stay at the shelter for the next 24 to 72 hours.
     - Sign up now to participate!
Shelters will be operating near you in Salt Lake City, Provo, and Ogden.
More information can be found at www.utahredcross.org 

Preparedness Poster

I have to laugh - oops!

Canyon Rim Emergency Prep Fair


March 10, 2012
Canyon Rim LDS church house
3051 S 2900 E, SLC, UT
9am - 2:30pm

The Canyon Rim L.D.S Stake, in conjunction with local sponsors, is hosting an emergency preparedness fair for the whole Millcreek Township community.

The Canyon Rim Community Emergency Preparedness Fair will be held at the L.D.S church house located at 3051 South 2900 East. The all-day event begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 10 and will feature a number of activities to help residents get prepared through 2:30 p.m. that afternoon.

Canyon Rim Community Council member and event organizer Linda Milne said everyone in the community – including members of all religious faiths - is welcome to attend and get involved.

“This is a community-wide event. We’re hoping the whole township will respond,” she said.

The event will feature keynote speaker Joava Good, who will speak on her experiences as the deputy national director of the Church of Scientology Disaster Response Team and work as the treasurer of the Utah Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters, an interfaith organization.

In addition, there will be five classes offered on essential emergency management skills and a presentation from the office of Homeland Security.

Throughout the day, vendors with free samples of food storage items – such as freeze dried fruit, powdered milk and MRE meals - and other equipment will be participating in the event.

The fair is free and open to the public.

No registration is required and everyone interested in attending can drop in anytime during the event to participate as much or as little as they would like to.

Classes will be held throughout the day on topics including: how an earthquake would impact the Wasatch Front and what to do in such an event; what might happen to local utility service in the event of a disaster; how to collect and store water for families; the “dirty little subject” of sanitation and how to properly dispose of waste; and a fifth class with a topic still to be announced.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

SLC Emergency Notification Registration



Emergency Notification Registration

Salt Lake City has partnered with Valley Emergency Communications for emergency notification.  If you’re a resident or work in Salt Lake City and want to be rapidly notified of emergencies that may impact you or your family, register with www.slcalert.com.  

For a short period of time, Salt Lake City emergency notification is phone-based only, (text messaging & email notifications are not currently available).  SLC emergency notification subscribers will be contacted in the near future to opt-in for text based notifications.  

Please follow the link below and complete the form to register for emergency notification.  Please review the privacy policy before subscribing. 

Questions?  Please contact Dave Herrmann at 801-799-3540, or email slcalerts@slcgov.com.

Link:   www.slcalert.com