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Supplies and Resources
Rule of Threes (Survival)

In survival, the rule of threes is a quick reference guide for how long one can generally stay alive in a survival emergency.

  • You can survive three minutes without breathable air (unconsciousness generally occurs), or in icy water.

  • You can survive three hours in a harsh environment (extreme heat or cold).

  • You can survive three days without drinkable water.

  • You can survive three weeks without food.

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Topics on this page:   

The following are quick links to the topics on this page:

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Water Purification
FEMA and WA EMD Recommend One Gallon of Water per person per day for a minimum of 2 Weeks
 
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Food
FEMA and the Red Cross suggest a two-week supply of food. 2 cans of food per person per day.
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Preparing Your Home Emergency Water Supply
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The recommendation is to have stored 1 gallon of water person per day. Half a gallon for drinking and the other half for sanitary needs. The Northshore Utility District has put together a good video on "Preparing Your Home Emergency Water Supply" Written guidance can also be found at http://www.nud.net/…/prepare…/prepare-emergency-water-supply

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Food
Water
Food Allergies
Food Allergy

Restricted diets need extra planning for emergency preparedness. What should you put in a disaster kit? That depends on your child's medical and food allergy needs as well as the types of emergencies that are most likely to occur in your area. Each Parent needs to work with their school Nurse, class  teacher and school Emergency Coordinator to ensure a safe food plan is in place.

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CERT Tools and Additional Gear

  • Safety:

    • Hard hat (Green with CERT text or logo) (ANSI Z89.1-1997, Type I, Class E & G)

    • Safety vest (Green with reflectors and CERT logo or text )(ANSI reflective Type II)

    • CERT identification card(s) issued by Parent Organization and or Incident command

    • Masks (N95) (>3)

    • Latex free gloves (1 box)

    • Work gloves

    • Work boots (Steel Toe preferable)

    • Safety goggles (ANSI approved with side-guards)

    • Knee and elbow pads (optional)

    • Hearing protection (foam ear buds and/or other ansi approved hearing protection

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  • CERT Deployment tools:

    • CERT Backpack and fanny pack (preferably green, with CERT text or logo and owner name)

    • Plastic re-sealable water-proof storage bags for moisture sensitive items.

    • Spark-less 4 in 1 tool or crescent wrench

    • General purpose rope (stronger the better) (> 20ft)

    • 1 roll Duct tape

    • 1 roll Masking tape

    • 1 canister of orange marking spray paint.

    • Triage tags or triage tape.

    • Caution boundary tape

    • 20' of general purpose rope (*use appropriate type and strength of rope if you are performing rigging)

    • First aid Kit: (Pack as little or as much as you care to depending on your favored response role, make sure your kit is updated every year and expired items replaced.)  

    • No drugs(no pills,no medicated creams or ointments)(*except for yourself)

    • Hot and cold packs

    • 4x4 gauze pads (In our drills we use a lot of gauze, some EMR friends of mine highly recommend packing a lot of 4x4 gauze.)

    • Triangle bandages

    • Roller gauze 

    • band-aids and paper tape (A fire fighter I know recommends a large box of bandaids for small non-critical injuries)

    • Emergency thermal blankets

    • Alcohol ,Iodine or BZK swabs

    • 4oz or more of Alcohol hand sanitizer gel

    • Flash light and Backup lighting with sufficient batteries and supplies.

    • Knife (folding blade pocket knife, and/or utility knife)

    • Scissors (medical shears, or other sharp durable scissors recommended)

    • Pens, Pencils, Permanent markers, grease pencil, paper (Notebook)

    • CERT Field Operation Guide, Deployment protocols (and other documents required by your CERT group)

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Storage

Cardboard boxes aren’t reliable in disaster scenarios, as water can seep through and cause irreparable damage to the contents within. When preparing for disaster, you need to ensure that your supplies are safely stored in plastic crates and easy to access. To keep yourself organized, it’s important to possess an adequate number of plastic boxes (18 or 35 Gallon Storage tote) for food, gear and miscellaneous emergency supplies. Label each container with contents and a visible expire date.

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Communication Equipment
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Sanitation - Dry Toilets

This guide presents a toilet system that you can do yourself.
​This system served after earthquakes destroyed sanitation systems in Haiti and New Zealand 

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Shelter in place​

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Shelter 

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Warmth - Fire

Do not bring propane heaters, BBQs, or fires indoors due to carbon monoxide asphyxiation. ​

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Pet Supplies

Be prepared for a disaster with a pet evacuation kit. Assemble the kit well in advance of any emergency and store in an easy-to-carry, waterproof container close to an exit.

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  • Food and Medicine

    • 3-7 days' worth of dry and canned (pop-top) food*

    • Two-week supply of medicine*

    • At least 7 days' supply of water

    • Feeding dish and water bowl

    • Liquid dish soap

*These items must be rotated and replaced to ensure they don't expire

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  • First Aid Kit

    • Anti-diarrheal liquid or tablets

    • Antibiotic ointment

    • Bandage tape and scissors

    • Cotton bandage rolls

    • Flea and tick prevention (if needed in your area)

    • Isopropyl alcohol/alcohol prep pads

    • Latex gloves

    • Saline solution

    • Towel and washcloth

    • Tweezers

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  • Sanitation

    • Litter, litter pan, and scoop (shirt box with plastic bag works well for pan)

    • Newspaper, paper towels, and trash bags

    • Household chlorine beach or disinfectant

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  • Important Documents

    • Identification papers including proof of ownership

    • Medical records and medication instructions

    • Emergency contact list, including veterinarian and pharmacy

    • Photo of your pet (preferably with you)

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  • Travel Supplies

    • Crate or pet carrier labeled with your contact information

    • Extra collar/harness with ID tags and leash

    • Flashlight, extra batteries

    • Muzzle

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  • Comfort Items

    • Favorite toys and treats

    • Extra blanket or familiar bedding

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Lighting

Here is a list of lighting options for an emergency or disaster:

  • you should be prepared with battery-operated/hand crank lamps or flashlights, ​

  • Use light sticks since they do not require batteries.

  • Solar powered lights give you the advantage of recharging during the day


Solar Powered Light

  • Inflatable Waterproof Light - Two Ways To Recharge (Solar & USB)

  • Extra bright solar powered LED lantern. Multiple brightness settings make it a perfect indoor or outdoor light.

  • Solar lights can be lightweight, inflatable, collapsible, waterproof (IP67), shatterproof, and dust proof. Completely safe for children.

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Batteries

Recommend a supply of batteries or rechargeable batteries be on your supplies list

  • ​​Store batteries separately when not in use (they last longer).

  • Suggest storing them in a battery container if possible or

  • Keep in original packaging.

  • Remember to put an expire date on the box/package.

  • The goal is keep them dry , cool away from heat and not touching each other or metal.

  • Battery leaks are still a problem today. Many brands of batteries can still corrode and damage devices after being fully used. Energizer® is different their batteries are designed to prevent damaging leaks.​

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What is battery acid?
Battery leakage (commonly known as battery acid) is nasty, corrosive stuff – it can burn your skin, contaminate soil, and of course ruin whatever device it has leaked into. For household batteries, this “acid” is actually alkaline – thanks to the potassium hydroxide chemical make-up. For lead batteries, sulfuric acid is the dangerous residue, which requires a different type of clean-up.

How do I clean an alkaline battery acid?
Leakage from an alkaline battery is caustic and handling should be avoided to prevent chemical burns. If attempting to clean battery leakage from a device, proper safety equipment would be advised (i.e., protective eye wear, gloves, etc.). The leaking batteries should be removed from the device and placed in a plastic bag for disposal in the trash. The best way to remove alkaline leakage from the device is to neutralize by carefully dabbing with a few drops of a mild acid like white vinegar or lemon juice. For stubborn leaks, an old toothbrush dipped in vinegar or lemon juice gets the job done. After the leakage has been neutralized (fizzing stops), carefully dry the area. After the area has dried thoroughly, the metal device contacts can be scraped to remove any residue and then polished using a pencil eraser.

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Rechargeable Batteries
If you don't plan on using the batteries for a month or more,

  • we recommend storing it in a clean, dry, cool place away from heat and metal objects.

  • NiCad, NiMH and Li-Ion batteries will self-discharge during storage; remember to break them in before use. 

  • With appropriate care and use, you should expect 2-7 years from most rechargeable batteries. 

  • Rechargeable Battery Information and Care  ​

All Batteries need to be inspected annually and get a inexpensive battery tester or use it in equipment 

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First Aid

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Trauma Tourniquet

The Personal Bleeding Control Kit (recommended prerequisite Stop-The-Bleed 2 hour training class) was developed in collaboration with leading manufacturers in the hemorrhage control industry and military.  The tourniquet and hemostatic dressing in the kit are the same technology recommended by the U.S. military to control bleeding.

Contents are packaged in a clear plastic, resealable pouch.

Kit includes:​

  • Instructional booklet on bleeding control

  • C-A-T™ tourniquet – The Combat Application Tourniquet has a single routing buckle system that allows for extremely fast application and effective slack removal.

  • QuikClot® Bleeding Control Dressing™

  • Mini Sharpie™ marker

  • 1 pair of protective gloves

  • Compression bandage

More information is available at Stop-The-Bleed Hartford Consensus – founders of www.bleedingcontrol.org

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Children, Youth with Special Healthcare Needs

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  • ​General Information and Supplies:

    • A current copy of your child’s Care Plan, including the In Case of Emergency Form. Share with school Nurse and Teacher.

    • Current medical information and records stored on a CD, flash drive, or phone app (keep one paper copy in a waterproof bag).

    • Batteries for hearing aids and communication devices.

    • Special dietary foods and supplies.

    • Items that calm or entertain your child.

    • Identification to be carried by each child in case your family gets separated.

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  • Power Supplies:

    • A home generator for back up power support (due to deadly fumes, never use a generator indoors).

    • An AC adaptor for your car to charge small electrical equipment such as a nebulizer.

    • Battery powered versions of medical equipment your child uses.

    • Manual wheelchair or other non-electric equipment.

    • Backup chargers for cell phones. This include a hand-cranked USB cell phone emergency charger, a solar charger, or a battery pack. Some weather radios have a built in hand crank charger.

    • Backup chargers for a laptop or tablet could include a 12V USB adapter that plugs into a car, an inverter, or a battery jump pack with a USB port.

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  • Medical Supplies and Medications:

    • Talk with your child’s doctor about how to get an emergency supply of medicines. If your child takes medicine given by a clinic or hospital, talk with them about how to plan for a stoppage due to a disaster.

    • Ask your pharmacist how long the medicine can last and storage needs of the medicines.

    • Keep a two-week supply of medical care items such as needles, nasal cannulas, bandages, etc.

    • Keep a cooler and chemical ice packs for storing medications that must be kept cold.

    • Keep prescription information in your wallet, survival kit and car that includes the name, location and phone number of an out of town pharmacy.

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  • Other Helpful Tips:

    • Pack smaller “to go” kits for use in an evacuation. Store them in multiple places such as your car, at work and at school.

    • Update supplies yearly, replace water every six months, and update emergency contact and medical forms as needed.

    • If you can’t contact your doctor or pharmacy in a disaster, ask for help from emergency responders or staff at emergency shelters or service centers. You can get help in getting medication from a Red Cross shelter or by dialing 211 for the Washington State Information Network.

    • You can help by preparing a simple emergency card for your student in their backpack that includes: Their name, month/year of birth (for medication dispensing), address, parent’s name/phone (home/cell), allergies, medical conditions, and if he or she wears contact lenses.  For the student’s own benefit, you may wish to include your cell and work phone numbers, as well as your family’s out-of-state contact person’s name and phone numbers.

 
Survival

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Safety

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Reference Books and Guides

Several of these books or ebooks are available via the King County Library System or Amazon.
Clicking on the items in blue. 

 

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Amanda Ripley's new book, The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes - And Why, is the thinking person's manual for getting out alive. In moments of total disaster - plane crashes or terrorist attacks - something happens in our brains that affects the way we think. We behave differently, often irrationally. Consider the World Trade Center workers who, on Sept. 11, dithered at their desks, calling relatives, turning off computers and pondering which mementos to rescue from their desks even as the doomed jets burned above their heads. Read the rest of the NPR Review.

 

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Lighting
Batteries
First Aid
Trauma
Special Needs
Survival
Safety
Books
Pets
Warmth
Shelter
Shelter in Place
Sanitation
Communication
Storage
CERT Tools
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