07/05/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 07/05/2024 21:11
After an emergency, you may have to survive on your own for days. Securing food, water, and supplies to last until help arrives is imperative. Since you do not know where you will be when disaster strikes, it's best to prepare go-bags or stay-at-home kits for your home, work, and car.
You'll want two kits. Your stay-at-home kit should include two weeks of supplies for everything needed to shelter in place. The portable go-bag should hold three to five days of supplies that you can take with you during an evacuation. You may also want to consider a third kit that stays in your vehicle.
Since you won't know how long an emergency may last, try to keep at least a month's supply of your medication in your go-bag. These should be both prescription and any over-the-counter drugs you use for allergies, pain or stomach discomfort.
Your doctor or pharmacist can help you obtain a month's supply of your prescriptions. Don't forget to include a cooler or chemical ice pack for any medicines that must be refrigerated.
Keep a list of your medications, both prescription and OTC, in your bag. The list should include what you use the medicines for, their dosages, and when you take them. Also, include a list of any other medical supplies you put in your go-bag.
When planning for an emergency, always remember what you will need to keep your wheelchair working and comfortable. United Spinal's Ready to Roll program offers a thorough Wheelchair Prep document that lists tips in four categories: begin with good maintenance, take inventory of your wheelchair(s) and supplies, arrange your wheelchair(s) for safe evacuation, and pack important items for a wheelchair go-bag.
For your wheelchair prep go-bag:
Additionally, show those in your support network how to operate, assemble and disassemble your wheelchair.
If you have time to prepare for a possible evacuation, check your lights, batteries, gas, and tires. Also, make sure you have these items easily accessible to you in the vehicle:
United Spinal's Ready to Roll Emergency Preparedness program provides a checklist to get you started. You also will need to add items specific to your needs. The New Hampshire Disability & Public Health Project offers a C-MIST Personal Planning Tool to help you decide what specialized items you should add to your Stay Kit and Go Bag. Other sources include the American Red Cross, California Department of Public Health and Ready.gov.
When assembling your pet's emergency supply kit, you should have a larger kit for sheltering in place and a lighter kit that is easy to grab if you have to evacuate. Some items you can include are:
Dante Gonzalez from United Spinal's Emergency Preparedness Working Group shared the My Pet's Emergency Plan workbook. It outlines the steps involved in properly preparing for any emergency. The workbook is also available in audio format on the website.
See The Wheelchair Emergency Preparedness Compendium You Always Wanted for more Emergency Preparedness Resources. United Spinal Association's Ready to Roll program, in partnership with the Neilsen Foundation, provides disaster relief for wheelchair users. To learn if you qualify, contact our Resource Center.