Survival kit must-haves
Each family member should have a bag of her/his own. Ensure that each is relatively easy to carry and that everyone knows where theirs is. Aim to have at least three days’ worth of provisions in every bag
Survival kit, emergency go bag… these terms have become more familiar to Filipinos ever since the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology announced years ago that the next strong earthquake is bound to occur within our lifetime. Particularly vulnerable are the 42 barangays in Makati, Taguig, Marikina, Pasig, Muntinlupa and Quezon City that traverse through the West Valley Fault. Metro Manila residents definitely had grim scenarios of significant destruction in mind last April — and then again earlier this month — when a series of tremors was felt in the metro.
Topics like survival kit provisions, disaster response and management and the safeness of low-rise versus high-rise buildings are usually raised whenever we’re reminded of “The Big One.” While we may not be able to prevent acts of nature such as earthquakes, there are still a lot of things well within our control. These include adhering to building codes, taking note of evacuation centers near our place, learning basic CPR and preparing an emergency go bag as precautionary measures.
A lot like insurance
An emergency go bag is like health, car or any other type of insurance. You don’t need it — until you do. Given that the next humongous earthquake is predicted to happen in our lifetime, it makes sense to have emergency items on hand. You don’t want to be caught unaware in a moment of panic and grab your laptop but forget your nebulizer.
So what should you pack in an emergency go bag? Everything you need to live, in a nutshell:
• Canned goods and high-energy food in easy-to-open containers — canned meat, canned fruits and vegetables, peanut butter, nuts, dry cereal, granola, crackers, hard candies, baby formula for babies
• Bottled water, preferably one gallon or 4.5 liters per person per day • Pet supplies such as food, collar and leash
• Toiletry essentials such as soap, toothpaste, wet wipes and sanitary pads for females
• First aid fodder like alcohol, cotton balls, povidone iodine, bandages, gauze pads and petroleum jelly
• A face mask and a pair of sterile gloves
• A few changes of clothing and underwear plus a jacket, include baby diapers if need be
• A warm blanket or sleeping bag
• Medication, both over-the-counters such as pain relievers and antacids as well as prescription ones such as insulin and antihypertensives
• Copies of important documents such as passports, certificates, licenses and insurance policies. Ideally, these should also be scanned and saved on a secure cloud server
• A battery-operated flashlight with extra batteries
• A battery-operated radio with extra batteries
• Scissors, matches in a waterproof container and a whistle
• Your mobile phone together with a power bank
• A list of important family and emergency contact numbers
• Extra cash.
An emergency go bag is like health, car or any other type of insurance. You don’t need it — until you do.
Each family member should have a bag of her/his own. A roomy backpack or a nylon camper’s laundry bag with a drawstring will do. Ensure that each is relatively easy to carry and that everyone knows where theirs is. Aim to have at least three days’ worth of provisions in every bag. If you have valuables such as family jewelry that you can’t live without, then plan to pack them in too.
Note that you’ll need to check your emergency go bag occasionally to replenish expired stocks. Non-food items like batteries and medicated plasters also have shelf lives. Yes, it’s a bit of work, but it doesn’t hurt to be ready, right?
Keep safe!
Additional information from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, Red Cross and Lifehacker.