Being Physically Prepared for an Emergency

Imagine being in an emergency where you have to evacuate your home on foot. You may have to run or walk for several miles in order to get to safety. You may even have to build an outdoor shelter out of natural materials. Now ask yourself, “If I were in an emergency, would I be physically prepared to keep myself and others safe?”

For many people, the words and phrases "exercise", "fitness", and "healthy eating habits" may cause you to grimace or roll your eyes. But starting an exercise program and incorporating healthy eating habits into your daily life can help you not only live a healthy life, but it can also keep yourself out of harm's way during an emergency. Building stamina, strength, and endurance are more important than you might realize.

Here are some questions to ask yourself to determine if you are physically healthy enough for all the aspects of an emergency:

• Can I build an emergency shelter?
• Can I lift/carry someone else?
• Can I carry a backpack full of several days (or even weeks) of emergency supplies?
• Can I fill and carry sand bags to help protect my home against flood waters? 
• If you're in Lubbock (or another desert location), don't shrug this one off. The drainage system is not the best, and it would only take a day or two of solid heavy rain to start flooding houses.
• Can I haul enough wood to make a fire that would last the night?
• Can I help clean-up damages after a natural disaster?
• This is not just for your own property, but also for others. God has asked us to help those in need - have our fitness choices allowed us to be physically able to do so?

If the answer to these questions is no, you should begin adding changes to your life to help you get physically fit. The benefits are not only that you will be prepared for an emergency, but they include increased health in mind, body, and soul, and there are also financial benefits in that health care costs will be reduced. How do you become physically fit? Here are some suggestions, though there are many more options.

1. Create an exercise program that includes cardio-respiratory or aerobic endurance, muscular endurance, muscular strength, and flexibility.
1. Each of these aspects are very important, and there are multiple ways to improve them. You can go on walks, lift weights, go jogging or running, go swimming (for exercise, not leisure), do yoga, and a multitude of other physical activities.
2. It is important to have cardio endurance so your heart and lungs can work together to supply oxygen to your body during exertion. It won't matter how strong you are if you can't walk a few miles to a safe location during an emergency.
3. It is also important to include strength training so you have the ability to lift heavy loads. Again, being able to run 10 miles won't be very worthwhile if you need to help someone else get there (a child or injured family member or friend), and you can only lift 10 pounds.
2.  Create healthy eating habits that work for you to make sure your body is receiving the proper nutrients.
1. Our bodies are amazing things! But we need to give it the right fuel if we want it to perform at its best. Make sure to eat fruits and vegetables (oh the wonders of vegetables!), as well as healthy protein, fats, and carbs.
1. I'm not going to tell you to count calories or stick to a limited diet - just make sure that you are giving yourself the right food for you, which means you might need to spend time figuring out what those foods are. Every body is different!
3. Drink water!
1. This is a separate tab from healthy eating because it is so important. Our bodies do not work as well as they could when we do not stay adequately hydrated, and allowing yourself to get dehydrated can be very dangerous.
4. Create a schedule where you get adequate sleep.
1. Sleep is a major component of fitness. When we don't get enough sleep, our bodies become more vulnerable to illness, accidents, irritability, depression, etc. We also have less energy and think less clearly. Take the time out of your schedule to give your body the sleep it needs (sleeping in and napping over the weekend to compensate for a lack of sleep during the week does not count).

The time to begin exercising and eating healthy is now. However, you should always consult your doctor before beginning any exercise program. There are some people who, for no fault of their own but simply because of the physical body they've been given, are unable to do some of the more physically challenging exercises. This doesn't mean you should push yourself past a healthy limit, but everyone can do something to be a little healthier, even if it's just drinking a little more water each day or walking for 20 minutes. As long as your doctor gives you the "okay", you are never too old or out of shape to start exercising. You do not have to try to be the strongest person on earth, just focus on being truly healthy. Don't try to make drastic changes (unless you really do well with those!), but instead set small goals for yourself to become physically fit and set your own pace. It may be a little painful at the beginning, but it will be worth it in the end.

Emergency Planning

Do you have a plan if there is an emergency or natural disaster in your home town? Does your whole family know about that plan? You may have ideas about what you'd want to do in an emergency, but if you haven't made an official plan for yourself and with your family, you may find yourself in a very undesirable situation. Emergencies can often take away your ability to think clearly, and if you haven't made a plan in advance, you may not know what to do or where to go, and you may also be worried about what your family will do or where they've gone. We suggest that you sit down with a pen and paper and your entire family and go over any emergency situations that you can think of and what everyone should do (this could be a great FHE idea). Here are some suggested questions you should consider in your emergency planning:

• What do you do if you have a good warning about a possible emergency situation (huge snow storm, hurricane, flood, etc.)?
• Do you stay in town, or do you try to make it to a distant family or friend outside the disaster zone?
• What do you do if you have a warning, but a very short one (tornado, storms, etc.)?
• Do you find the safest place in your house to take cover, or do you attempt to make it to a neighbor's house? (if the neighbor is far away, that may not be the best idea)
• What happens if there is a natural disaster and your family is not all at home/together?
• What if someone's at work and someone's at home?
• What if each spouse is somewhere away from home, but you're not together?
• What if you have children at school or a friend's house?
• What do you do after a natural disaster where you were separated from your family?
• Natural disasters can often stop cell phones from working; do you have a rendezvous point if you can't contact anyone? 
• Do you have an alternative rendezvous point if your primary one was destroyed or made inaccessible? 
• Do you know where you would go or what you would do if, after a disaster, your home is no longer an option to stay at anymore?

Once you figure out all the plans for your family, make sure every member of your family who might end up alone during a disaster can repeat the plan from memory (this includes children who are old enough to be at school or a friend's house without you). Then, write down all your plans and revisit them often (every six months when you should be checking and updating your 72-hour kit is an excellent time to go over these plans). As time goes on and life and circumstances change, you may need to make changes to your plans, so make sure you don't forget this step.

As we've said before, these kinds of posts are not meant to frighten, but to empower you. Thinking about these possibilities right now may be uncomfortable, but in the event of an emergency it can be very calming to know that you already know what you need to do, and to know that your family knows what to do too. "If ye are prepared ye shall not fear." (D&C 38:30)

Pet Preparation

Although we've been talking about getting ourselves and our families prepared, many people forget about the furrier members of their families - their pets! If an emergency comes up where we need to live off our food storage, we will likely not the means to obtain extra food and water for our pets. We don't want them to go hungry, and should prepare likewise.

• The first thing we should do is make sure our pet has some form of identification. In the instance of smaller pets, like birds, fish, snakes, hamsters, etc., there aren't many identifiers we can use. However, if we have dogs or cats, we can make sure that they at least have a collar with identification that is up to date. You can also look into getting a microchip for your pet in the instance that you are separated. You can find out more information about animal microchips here.
• The next thing to do is to assemble a preparedness/disaster kit for each of your pets. The following is a list of needs for your pet's basic disaster kit:
• Animal food and water for at least five days. If your pet's food comes in a can, make sure to have a can opener so you can still get to the food. Although, depending on the size and type of animal, pets may not need a whole gallon of water per day (like people do), it is safest to keep an extra gallon on hand per pet per day.
• Medication and medical records. If your pet has a prescription medication it takes, add an extra month's worth to your kit, and keep it in a waterproof container or bag.
• An animal first aid kit that is portable and easily accessible.
• Garbage bags, litter box, extra litter, sanitary gloves. It is best to stay as sanitary as possible during an emergency, so you will need a way to take care of all your pets' waste in a clean way.
• Leashes, Harnesses, and carriers. You may need to transport your pets during an emergency, and you will want to have something to prevent them from running away or getting lost. You may also need blankets or towels for bedding and warmth.
• Current photos of you with your pets and a description of your pets. This is important if you get separated from your pets so others can help you identify them, and also so you can prove that they are yours once they're found.
• Written information about your pet's feeding schedules, medical conditions, behavior issues, and veterinarian information. There may be instances where your pet needs to be boarded or placed in foster care temporarily if your own shelter does not accept pets (more on this below), and it is important for the workers to know this information.
• One or two toys. This is important for the same reason we suggest adding a toy in a child's emergency kit - to decrease the stress that will accompany a disaster. Find toys that can easily be carried or stored without taking up too much space and weight.
• You may also need to find in advance a safe place for your pet to stay in case your own home becomes uninhabitable. Some of the shelters offered during emergencies do not allow pets, and it would be a good idea to have a place in mind that would be a safe place for your pet to stay. This can include friends' or relatives' homes, hotels or motels outside your local area, or animal boarding and veterinary facilities.
• Finally, gather a list of addresses and phone numbers of local animal shelters now. If a disaster does strike and you are separated from your pets, they will often be taken to animal shelters, and you may not have access to the internet or directories to look up the information after the fact.

Our pets are members of our families, and it is important to include them in your emergency preparedness. For those who have horses or other farm animals, the Humane Society has also provided a list of tips for disaster preparation for them. (For horses, see here. For general farm animals, see here.)

What extra things have you done for your pet's preparedness that are beneficial for you?

Water Storage

One of the more difficult aspects of storing water is figuring out what to store it in. We are going to list a few options that we have found, including some pros and cons of each, though they are not the only options available. A good point to consider is that optimal storing conditions for water are cool, dark places. Also, if you fill the containers with unfiltered water and you want it to last, the water should be treated with bleach or iodine before sealing the container.

First, the Water Barrel

• This is one of the most well-known option for storing large amounts of water. If water is stored correctly in the water barrels, then it can last indefinitely. You can find water barrels ranging from a 5 to 500 gallon capacity, and the cost depends on the size of the barrel. For example, a 55-gallon barrel ranges from $60-$100, depending on shipping and accessories that are included with the barrel. With barrels it is vital to have a way to extract the water, either by pump or siphon, and some water barrel packages come with included pumps or hoses. While barrels can store a high quantity of water, one of it's disadvantages is that they aren't portable, and you have to have all the water stored in only one place. If you do use barrels, be sure you know where you will store them, and have a way to fill them up at that location, as a full 55-gallon barrel will weigh several hundred pounds and be nigh impossible to move. 

Boxes with Mylar Bags

• Another way to store water is in a combination Mylar bag/cardboard box. These kits come with a set of cardboard boxes and Mylar bags that you have to assemble and fill yourself. This option has several advantages, including portability, stackability, and cost. These boxed water kits are available from Emergency Essentials and come in 25-gallon or 100-gallon kits. They cost about $1.25 per gallon depending on which kit you choose. The downside to this option is the effort required to put together the boxes and fill them, and they are somewhat less durable than a barrel or 5-gallon bottle. However, since each box only holds 5 gallons, you can be much more versatile in where you store them, as you can easily store some in a closet and others in another room entirely. When stored correctly, the water will stay good indefinitely. 

5-Gallon Refill Water Bottles

• These bottles are good for their portability, and they are more durable than the boxed water. However, they cannot be stacked on top of each other, thereby taking up more space, and because they are the "refillable" bottles, the water does not stay good forever. You will need to refill the water every 6 months to 2 years, depending on how it's stored and how the bottle is sealed. Another benefit of using these bottles is that they can either be delivered to your door already filled up (but for a higher cost), or you can refill them yourselves with your sink water or at the refill stations that are in various locations around town.

The Do-it-Yourself: Soda or Juice Containers

• This is probably one of the most cost-effective forms of water storage. If you ever buy soda or juice, you can clean out the empty bottles and fill them with water from your sink or fridge. Because these are not sealed and the water is not treated with a purifying agent, these should be rotated every 6 months. You can simply write the month that they need to be changed out on the bottle, then in that month just use the water for drinking or watering a garden and refill it so it's ready for another 6 months. This method is cheaper, but the water does not last as long and they usually cannot be stacked, meaning they will take up more space. However, because they are smaller, they do not have to be stored in just one place in the house. Glass bottles can be used, but because they can break so easily it is not recommended. One very important note to remember: Milk jugs/cartons are not good for water storage (unfortunately). The type of plastic that the jugs are made of is not as durable as soda and juice bottles, and the plastic will break down and leak into the water and the water will eventually leak out of he container. Also, the milk proteins are retained in the biodegradable plastic and are not easily washed out. So even though it may be tempting to use milk containers because they are usually more readily available, it will not work for water storage. 

Store-Bought Water Bottles

• When store-bought water bottles remain sealed and are stored correctly, they can last indefinitely. However, this does depend on the type of plastic the bottle is made of. The best option is to use the bottles made from PET/PETE plastic (For more information on PETE, click here). Store-bought water bottles are beneficial because they are very portable, even in the 24 bottle cases, and they can also be stacked effectively when they are still in the cases. A 24-pack of water bottles can be found as cheap as $5 to $10, depending on the store and the current sales. The biggest downside is the small amount of water in each bottle, as it would take multiple bottles to have enough water to cook a large meal of rice, beans, or pasta.

One last point to consider is that some may think "If I have a water filter, then I don't need to actually store water." The only scenario where this would perhaps work is if you have a lake or creek in your back yard. Since we live in a city in the desert, that's not the case for us, and the stake has specifically asked us to store at least ten days of water so we can have it on hand and ready to use in case we lose access to our normal water supply.


Also, so you can all put it on your calendars, the Lubbock Preparedness Fair will be happening on March 29th, 2013 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. We hope you can all come and learn something that will help you in your temporal preparation.



Up for discussion: What are your preferred methods for storing water? Do you have a preferred option that we didn't talk about here?

Next Goal: 30 Days of Food Storage, 10 Days of Water Storage

Well as most of you know, the next goal for ward and stake preparedness is to get everyone to have a 30 day supply of food storage and  a 10 day supply of water (I will sometimes refer to this as your 30/10 supply). How much is that really? Honestly, it depends on each family and each person's needs within the family, but the main thing to remember is to have enough food and water for three meals per person per day. As we have said before, each person needs about a gallon of water per day, and that's only going to give you enough water to drink and prepare food and doesn't count cleaning dishes, clothes, bodies, or any other uses for water. But for the sake of eating and drinking, each person will need to prepare 10 gallons of water and 90 meals. While that may sound like a lot at first glance, especially for those with larger families or limited storage space, there are ways it can be done. Here are some principles to keep in mind while starting up your 30/10 supply:

• This is only a 30 day storage, not a 30 year storage. Store non-perishable foods that you eat on a daily basis, not buckets of wheat and dried beans. While those are excellent long-term storage items, we're just focusing on a 30 day supply right now.
• Find a way to store water that works for you and your family
• We will do another post soon regarding different options for storing water in your house that go beyond 72-hour kit water storage (for a reference, go to this link to see our 72-hour kit water post).
• Start with small steps; for those who find 30 days of food storage daunting, start by buying one extra of whatever you normally purchase at the store (for example, if you normally buy 3 cans of green beans, buy 4 and set the extra one aside).
• Once you have your 30 days of food storage, rotate through it. Since these are supposed to be foods that you normally eat anyway, this shouldn't be more difficult than simply remembering to do so.
• Be creative in your storage space - don't feel like you have to be limited to a designated "storage room."
• We will likely do a post on this as well, but for now, try to think of every open space in your home, and see how you can best utilize it - you will be surprised at how much space your home has when you really look for it.
• Just because this is a more temporal goal, don't forget to bring God into the equation. If' you're worried about anything, such as figuring out how to store water, finding storage space, or having the means to obtain your 30/10 supply, bring your worries to the Lord and he will help prepare a way for you to accomplish the things he commands you to do (1 Ne. 3:7).

I hope this goal becomes a time of spiritual growth for everyone as we seek to obey the commandments of the Lord. We will continue to do more posts on creating your 30/10 supply, and if any of you have any questions about it, please don't hesitate to contact us.