Author: Paul Faust

Categories
General Preparedness Personal Preparedness

Have you ever used your Survival Kit

Has there been an incident that you felt compelled to use your preparedness kit? If so…what was the situation? In thinking about it afterwards….how did having the kit make you feel? Did you feel more calm? Was using the kit the best decision or did the situation dictate that you could have just used basic items from around the home and not relied on your kit?

After the situation…did you quickly replenish the supplies that you used?

I have an emergency preparedness kit in my home, office and in both of my cars. I often think about when I should use my kit and when I shouldn’t. I know that the kits are there just in case something big happens. Should I use the items for a minor incident? This is something everyone who has a kit should think about.

My opinion is that your preparedness kit should be kept and only used for a “serious emergency”. For minor situations you can really on other supplies you have around. If however you are the kind of person who will immediately restock the items you have used…then using your kit more often is an ok option.

Categories
General Preparedness Personal Preparedness Preparedness Planning Preparedness tips

How well do you know where you live or work

How long have you lived in the same house or worked in the same office? If you are like me…the answer to both of those is…a long time. I have been in every room in my house and my office too many times to count. So…on the surface…it would seem I could get around those places blindfolded…but could I? And could you do it where you live or work?

In an emergency or disaster you may find yourself without the ability to see. This could be caused by blackout, smoke conditions or possibly debris or injury to your eyes. If you couldn’t see…would you know where the nearest exit is? Would you be able to get to a fire extinguisher? A first aid kit? Or your loved one in another room calling out for help?

Every once in awhile…try moving through your home or office blindfolded. This can be a fun activity to do with your family while discussing disaster preparedness planning. Take turns so you can watch out for each other and make sure you are safe. Have someone lead you into one room and then give you another room or closet to get to.

Some tips:

*Stay low…it might be useful to crawl. This will help prevent falls and possible head injuries. In a fire…this will mostly likely be your only option.

*Keep one hand on a wall. This will help you stay oriented.

*Trying to recognize familiar things: A carpeted or tile floor, a table or couch. This will help give you reference.

*Keep one hand out in front. This will protect you from banging into things

This is just one activity that you can do as part of an overall preparedness plan. Make it fun. Engage the whole family. Taking a few minutes now to prepare for later can make all the difference.

Categories
General Preparedness Personal Preparedness Preparedness Planning Preparedness tips

Situational Awareness

On our site we sell many different types of preparedness kits, survival gear and other disaster related items. However…there is more much to better preparedness than just items you can buy. One area is becoming more aware of your surroundings and situations you find yourself in.

Almost everyday we read in the papers about a shooting, a sexual assault, an armed robbery or some other type of terrible incident. Often in interviews after the event with people involved…they will tell you that they “sensed something was wrong” or that a particular person made them nervous. These are signs you need to at least pay more attention to. If you sense something is wrong, take a moment to try to understand why you are sensing it. If it just doesn’t feel right…if you can….remove yourself from the area. If you can’t leave…tell someone, move to another area, etc. I am not suggesting that you walk around being paranoid all the time. Just learn to listen to the clues your body gives you that something is wrong.

One other thing you can probably get better at is being aware of your environment. What I mean by that is simply knowing where you are. If you are at a mall, restaurant, movie theater, stadium, etc….take a moment to know where the exits are. Understand what is between you and those exits. This could come in handy if there was a sudden disaster, a fire, an armed robbery or other situation that forces you to evacuate your location. What if the exit closest to you is blocked or crowded…what is your second option? When I check into a hotel…I take a couple minute after checking into my room to look at the emergency escape routes. Often I will even walk them once. I don’t want to have to do this for the first time if I am suddenly awakened at 4:00 a.m. to the sound of a fire alarm.

These suggestions don’t really take up much time. Once you start being more aware of your surrounding you will find yourself doing it more and more naturally. These are skills that could come in handy and one day….might save your life.

All the best…be safe.

1800prepare.com

Categories
Fire Preparedness/Safety General Preparedness Personal Stories Preparedness Planning Preparedness tips

Help your local fire department and make yourself safer

As the winter storms hit the east coast and the snow piles up…I wanted to share a quick idea/tip related to fire safety and preparedness that can make your home and neighborhood safer and also help out your local fire department.

When the fire department responds to an actual fire…seconds count. The quicker they can get water on the fire the better chance they have of putting it out and saving your home and quite possibly your life. In addition…there is limited water on the fire engine. Getting water from the hydrant is not only critical in putting the fire out…but it is also critical to protect the lives of the firefighters fighting the fire.

When you go outside to shovel your walk and/or driveway….take a few extra minutes to shovel out the nearest fire hydrant. This will make it both visible and accessible for the fire department should they need it to hook up to it. Precious seconds could be wasted while they look for the nearest hydrant and then have to get off the engine with a shovel to uncover it.

I started doing this myself shortly after I joined the fire department. I think I was in the department a couple weeks when we had a fire call. This was in the middle of the winter and it had been snowing. I was on the first engine that rolled out the door. Being the “new guy” I was responsible for “hitting the hydrant”. Meaning…it was my job to get off and get the main hose hooked up so we could supply water to the fire fighters going in to fight the fire. As we got closer to the house I could see it was fully involved (on fire). I jumped off, grab the hose and the hydrant bag and went to hook up to the hydrant. Well…as you can guess it was completely covered in snow. I had to race to get a shovel to dig it out to clear enough room to work and get my job done. Thankfully another fire fighter came over to help. This little event gave me the idea that I should take care of this near my home every time in snows.

This is something you can share or rotate with your neighbors. Preparedness and safety begins with you. These are small little steps we can all take that will make it much better for everyone in the long run. As I have said before…one of the greatest asset we have in being better prepared is time. If we take the time to prepare now…the chance of a good outcome in a future emergency/disaster is increased.

Please visit our site at www.1800prepare.com to learn more and get the preparedness kits and supplies you need.

Thank you and stay safe.

Categories
Uncategorized

Winter Storm Warnings

A winter storm warning calling for heavy snow means severe winter weather conditions are expected or are currently happening. This can obviously make travel conditions very dangerous. If at all possible stay of the roads and just try to ride the storm out at home. If you must travel make sure to have some basic emergency supplies in your vehicle. Some items you may want to consider are: a flashlight with batteries, some food and water, a thermal or fleece blanket, emergency flares, a shovel and a basic first aid kit. These are just some suggestions but again….the best option is to avoid traveling if at all possible.

Categories
Charities/Groups we support Emergency Responders Personal Stories Preparedness tips Search and Rescue

Saving a life

 Very early on Tuesday November 2nd, my search dog saved a life. 

This is not something that happens to me every day, I have a very calm office job.  The usual crisis involves a mis-communication over email, nothing life and death.  My work with canine search and rescue is my volunteer work.  It’s something I do to keep three highly active dogs busy and just maybe, get to make a difference in the world. 

It’s something I have spent  thousands of my own dollars for training, thousands of hours of my time, thousands of miles on my vehicle, traveled to both coasts of the United States, and used lots of emotional/mental/physical energy.  I’ve also been in canine search and rescue for 10 years. 

It is worth every second/penny and more to know that my dog and I brought someones father safely home. 

The other interesting thing is, someone had thrown away my dog.  Dunder the Search Dog (aka Moses) was turned into the Animal Rescue League of Iowa in the spring of 2008.  The family wasn’t ready for a high energy, mouthy, barky puppy who was really pushy.  They turned him in at 16 weeks old.  Lucky for me, the Paws of Life Foundation has a program to find dogs such as this and then places them with working dog handlers.

I didn’t train Dunder by myself so can’t take all the credit.  I regularly work with other search teams here in Iowa, I have hundreds of people who have hidden for him, helped me troubleshoot my training and also provided advice.  Out on the search that night where people from three different fire departments, two law enforcement agencies, two different search and rescue teams and the military (that’s who I can think of off the top of my head). 

 A search like this is an emergency, the subject wasn’t dressed for the weather and with lows in the 40’s that night, could easily have succumbed to hypothermia.  We had plans to search all night. 

When we found our subject, Dunder was truly excited, I was flustered.  First, I forgot his toy, which is his reward for finding someone.  We ended up playing tug with my shirt while I was on the phone with the Search Manager to request an ambulance.  Second, we ended up removing our layers of clothes to help cover him to keep him warm until the ambulance arrived.  Dunder was constantly trying to get back to him, I think to check and see if he was okay.

For the past couple of days I’ve come to realize, this is sort of a big deal.  I see the world a little differently now, I also see my profession of a search and rescue canine handler a little differently.  It is a life or death job…the dogs we train do make a difference.

We need to step up and meet the responsibility.

Wags,

Robin Habeger and K9 Dunder

Categories
Charities/Groups we support Earthquake Preparedness Preparedness Planning Preparedness tips

Today is The Great California Shakeout

At 10:21 a.m. today….millions of Californians will participate in the world’s largest earthquake preparedness drill. Its not too late to register. Just visit www.shakeout.org and sign yourself and/or your organization up.

Preparing for possible emergencies is one of the best things you can do. By participating in drills like these and discussing with your family and friends you with be better prepared should a real event occur. You should also consider getting supplies or survival kits so you have some of the items you may need.

The drill will only take a few minutes out of your day, will be fun and will be something that could save your life down the road. At 1-800-PREPARE.com we strongly encourage you to sign and and participate.

GREAT JOB….SHAKEOUT TEAM!!!

Categories
Uncategorized

1-800-PREPARE in the NY Times

We are very excited about 1-800-PREPARE being mentioned in this Sunday’s issue of The New York Times. The story was about what some companies in the New York area were doing in the preparedness space to help individuals and companies get better prepared. While there are a number of companies in the space we are honored that the Times selected ours to mention.

Preparedness is slowly becoming a more forefront topic in the eyes of the public and we are happy that we have been recognized for our efforts in the space.

Here is a link to the article:

Categories
Earthquake Preparedness General Preparedness Personal Preparedness Preparedness Planning

The SHAKEOUT

At this year FLASH conference I had the pleasure of meeting one of the leaders behind The Great California Shakeout. This is an unbelievable event that continues to grow and build momentum. It main goal is to help residents of California be better prepared for a potential earthquake. The life saving information that the SHAKEOUT shares and the massive participation event scheduled for Oct. 21st is something every Californian should be aware of…and participate in. One of the greatest keys to better preparedness is to learn about what to do and practice how to do it. It will make you much more ready should the unthinkable happen.

Here is some more information on the Shakeout.

On October 21 at 10:21 a.m., businesses, non-profits, schools, cities, individuals, and many others will hold Drop, Cover and Hold On drills throughout the state. Many will also practice other aspects of their disaster plans. More than 6.9 million Californians participated in 2009, practicing Drop, Cover, and Hold On and other aspects of family, school, and organizational emergency plans. For more information and to register please visit http://www.shakeout.org.

If you do register to participate we encourage you to also consider getting a survival kit or other earthquake preparedness items. Having the right survival gear or kit on hand is one very important aspect of better preparedness. You can visit us at 1-800-PREPARE begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1-800-PREPARE      end_of_the_skype_highlighting.com to find a large selection of kits to meet your needs. If you do decide to make a purchase…please use coupon code “shakeout” for 10% off your order.

Categories
Partners

1-800-PREPARE Becomes A Partner Of F.L.A.S.H.

Flash1-800-PREPARE is pleased that today we were officially recognized as a National Partner of FLASH, INC. – Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, Inc.

We are honored to join FLASH and other partners such as Home Depot, State Farm, Kohler, Renaissance Re, BASF and others to help spread the message of preparedness.