Category: Tornado Preparedness

Great New Product – The Ascella Bulb

Post author By Paul Faust
Post date August 13, 2012

As the founder of 1800prepare, LLC I am often presented with new products that people think would be perfect for the preparedness market. I also find new products on my own on the web or at trade events that I think would be great additions to our product line. Normally I get a sample of the product to see how it actually works and what makes it different from other items we already carry. In most cases the products are very similar to what we already carry. It isn’t that often that we are introduced to a product that really catches our interest.

Well….we have just recently added a new product to our site that I am really excited about. The Ascella Bulb is a very unique item that I think should be in every home and office. Quite simply…it is a light bulb that will automatically come on during a power outage and also can be removed from the socket and used as a flashlight. Power outages are something everyone has to deal with. They occur in every community and can be caused by a number of factors. While there are some things we can’t change during a power outage….remaining in the dark isn’t one of them. Whether it is just staying in your home or office or being forced to evacuate….not being able to see adds a level of stress to any situation. This can be magnified if there are children present. Currently there are a number of options we have available to deal with a power outage. We can use regular flashlight, candles, lanterns or generators if available. The Ascella bulb presents a new option that is simple to implement and use.

Simply put an Ascella bulb into any normal socket instead of your regular bulb. The bulb will act just like a regular bulb but that’s where the similarities stop. It only draws 5 watts of electricity compared to an equivalent 30 watt incandescent bulb. While the bulb is in the socket…it charges itself. If at any time the power goes out the bulb will stay illuminated for an average of 3 hours. In addition, if you need to evacuate or just simply need a flashlight you can unscrew the bulb from the socket, extend the base and now the bulb turns itself into a flashlight. You don’t need to worry about being in the dark anymore and don’t have to worry about where your flashlights are and if they have batteries. The Ascella bulb covers it all for you.

This is a very simple to use item that you should consider adding to your home. It also is great for each office at your business as it adds a level of safety and security for your employees. If you have a student going off to college….you might want to consider sending them up to school with one as well.

Please let us know your thoughts about the Ascella bulb and let your friends and colleagues know about it.

Tornado Preparedness

Tornado Protection from your Dryer

Post author By Paul Purcell
Post date April 6, 2012

Did you know that your electric dryer could help in a tornado?

If your safe room also happens to be your laundry room, your dryer may offer additional protection to small children or pets. Being a double-walled metal appliance your dryer gives an additional layer of projectile protection and crush resistance.

But, as with most preparedness options, we need to cover a few details:

1. As with all preparedness measures, we must first take a clue from the Hippocratic Oath; “First, do no harm.” So, when choosing an area to be your “safe area” during a tornado, make sure it’s either free from items that could become secondary hazards, or that those potential hazards are secure. Our list here would include:

Water heaters. Try not to be in the same room with it during a destructive event. It could topple and spill gallons of potentially scalding water. Whether it’s in your safe area or not though, it’s best to secure your water heater with anchor strapping.
Gas lines. All gas lines running to appliances should be flex lines. However, somewhere along the way the line will be pipe and is subject to breakage during structure-damaging disasters such as earthquakes and tornadoes. Best to stay away from gas lines when planning your safe area.
Breakables and droppables. Anything in your prospective safe room should be secured as much as possible. This includes seemingly minor things like irons, ironing boards (since we’re still going with the laundry room theme here), wall hangings, etc. Make sure everything has a bracket or is in a cabinet with closing doors and those doors have latches on them.

2. All your heavy appliances, such as your stove, oven, fridge, freezer, washer, and dryer, should be anchored to the wall as well as possible. Most appliances come with kits, and your local hardware / home / appliance store can give you some guidance on better anchors. Anchoring helps in a number of ways. First, if you have small children who like to climb, anchoring keeps appliances from tipping over on them. Second, no place on earth is completely immune from earthquakes and anchoring keeps your heavy machinery in place. Third, any time you bolt something large and sturdy to a wall, you actually strengthen that wall a little, which is a good thing in any potentially destructive event.

3. Speaking of destructive events, if severe weather is heading your way (don’t wait for the actual warning that a tornado has touched down) prep your safe room accordingly and put your small pets in their individual carriers and put a few towels or a blanket in the drum of the dryer for a little padding if it’s your child that’s going in. (And, still have them wear a bike or skateboard helmet if they have one.)

4. If you choose this option and put a child in the dryer for safety, don’t close the dryer door. Prop something in the opening so that the dryer door can’t be closed accidentally.

5. This option is really good if all you have for a “safe room” is an interior hallway where your “laundry room” is a closet that opens to the hall.

6. Again, if the water heater is in your laundry room, or you have a gas dryer, rethink using the laundry room as your safe area. A broken or toppled water heater will spill gallons of potentially scalding-hot water, and a broken gas line could be a deadly fire hazard or a suffocation threat.

Watch for future installments where we pull even more bits and pieces from “Disaster Prep 101” and describe additional attributes of a good safe room and some of the safety equipment that should be stored in one.

Tags duck and cover, preparedness, protection, safe room, storm cellar, tornado

Disaster Kits Earthquake Preparedness Fire Preparedness/Safety First Aid Flood Preparedness Food and Water General Preparedness Hurricane Preparedness Personal Preparedness Preparedness Planning Preparedness tips Survival Kits Tornado Preparedness

Preparedness Procrastination

Post author By Paul Faust
Post date September 4, 2011

Every year we see different types of disasters happen across the United States and the rest of the world. Earthquake, Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Floods, Fires, Acts of Terror and Blackouts just to name a few. We are also constantly reminded of the message: Get a Kit, Make a Plan, Be Informed. So the question is…If disasters happen and we know the basic things we can do to be better prepared…why do most people wait until the last minute? Why are there massive lines at retail stores for food, water, flashlights, batteries and other types of survival gear?

As the owner of a survival kit and preparedness supply company…I get panicked calls and email asking if people can pick up kits immediately or if I can ship overnight. You would like that at some point people would all stop procrastinating and start to better prepare. If every day or week you take one simple step to being better prepared…in very little time…you would find yourself much better off than where you are today. Everything doesn’t have to be done now and it certainly isn’t about panic. Just start…take action. I believe that one you do…you will realize that it isn’t much work and you will fell better knowing you have taken steps to make yourself and your family safer. Oh..and by the way….if you do take the first step…while you’re at it…encourage a family member or friend to do the same.

Here are some simple suggestions:

*Learn what sort of emergencies/disasters happen in your area. Learn what they do and how they can affect you. Will they cause blackouts, high winds, etc.

*Check what supplies you have in house and get some simple items every time you are out shopping: flashlights, batteries, emergency food that won’t spoil, water.

*Take to your family about what you would do “if” something happened. Where would you go? What might happen? Where the supplies are. How you would communicate.

*Learn basic first aid and CPR. It can come in happen at anytime and not just during major events

Please let us know if you have other steps you recommend. The more we share and encourage others…the better off we will all be.

Be well and stay safe,

Paul

1800prepare.com

Preparedness tips Tornado Preparedness

Tornado Preparedness

Post author By Paul Faust
Post date May 25, 2011

tornado The biggest threat from a tornado is its incredible winds. Here is an acronym to help you remember same basic things you can do to prepare and protect yourself.

W.I.N.D.S.

Warnings – Pay attention to watches and warnings, and be sure to warn others. Get people and pets inside.

Interior – Prep the interior of your home by closing windows, and exterior and interior doors.

Now – Don’t waste time. Get to safety now. Don’t watch the storm, and don’t try to videotape the tornado.

Duck – Get in your safe room and get down. Even in the safe room duck under heavy items and cover yourself.

Signal – Signal for help if you are in any way injured or if your area sustained damages.

This great tip was taken from 1-800-prepare.com adviser Paul Purcell’s book, Disaster Prep 101. For more great information you can purchase a copy of this book at our store at www.1800prepare.com

And as always…remember….get a preparedness kit, make a plan, be informed