The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, have focused new attention on the importance of preparing for emergencies of all kinds. In response, the College of Agricultural Sciences has assembled a booklet of important information and checklists to help people be ready for crisis situations.

Preparing for Emergencies: A Consumer’s Guide outlines steps we can take to get our homes and families ready for emergencies ranging from power outages to natural disasters. Proper preparation before an emergency can decrease its negative impact, says consumer scientist Cathy Bowen, who wrote the publication.

“Emergency situations like water disruptions, floods, tornadoes, and power outages occur frequently around the world,” Bowen says. “With a little advance planning, you can weather many emergencies without disrupting your normal routine, and many of these actions can be incorporated into routine household chores, such as shopping.”

Bowen says the recent tragedies and ongoing terrorist threats provide educators with an opportunity to remind people that basic household emergency preparations should be in place all the time. The booklet offers clearly written tips and strategies for obtaining life’s basic necessities when normal supply sources are cut off.

“Many of these suggestions are good practices at any time,” she says. “For instance, if a severe winter storm cuts your electricity, water, or gas, how would your family adapt to the loss of these services for a day or a week? The American Red Cross suggests preparing for emergencies by keeping a one- or two-week supply of essential food, water, and medicine.”
The booklet offers handy checklists and suggestions based on standard emergency preparations or sound household management practices:

Food: Keep foods on hand that need minimal preparation and no refrigeration. “Canned and dried foods are good choices,” Bowen says. “Determine what you’d need for two weeks, then rotate foods by eating from the emergency supply and replacing what you use.”

Water: Store a three-day to two-week supply of water for each family member. “A gallon of water per person per day is the general recommendation,” says Bowen. “Keep in mind your normal daily consumption. Clean, plastic, two-liter soft drink containers are good choices for storing water and are readily available in most areas.”

People with special needs: Elderly people may need special foods or items such as denture-care products, Bowen says. Infants might need items such as disposable bottle liners and disposable diapers. Anyone with a chronic health problem should have a two-week supply of medicines on hand. Pets also need food and water, litter, bedding, and other routine items.
First aid and medical considerations: Families should have a basic first-aid kit and printed copies of medical information and records for each family member. “If a family member is on a life-support system that requires electricity, you should register with your local emergency management agency,” Bowen says.

Bowen also warns consumers to beware of con artists. “Whenever an emergency occurs, con artists appear to prey on our fears and take advantage of the uninformed,” she says. “Stay alert. Keep in mind the old saying: ‘If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.’”

Preparing for Emergencies is available free of charge from any county Penn State Cooperative Extension office, or by calling the College of Agricultural Sciences Publications Distribution Center at 814-865-6713. The publication also can be downloaded from the World Wide Web at pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/ui361.html.

“If you have questions about your community’s emergency preparedness, call your county extension office,” Bowen says. “Staff there can point you to local services or agencies addressing the issue from different viewpoints.”

—Gary Abdullah