Carbon and Emery join forces in emergency preparedness

By Sun Advocate

We dedicate this year’s fair in honor and remembrance of our brave miners.
It is once again time for our Community Awareness Fair, and there are many things which we have been thinking about for the last year or two. One of those things is evacuation.
With all the wild fires throughout our state in the last couple of years in which people have been evacuated in a hurry, there is a great urgency in getting 72 hour kits together for families and pets. If you were evacuated, and you had only two minutes to grab what you needed, would you be able to get it and go?
It is very important to have all of your needs met in a 72 hour kit: food, water, temporary shelter, hygiene, clothing suitable for the weather, toys and activities for children, pencils, paper, cell phones and chargers, important numbers (Family and other emergency contacts), things that your pets may need, and things for the grown-ups to do too (Sudoku puzzles, crosswords, word searches, etc.).
Each child should have their own kit with toys, some small coloring books, crayons or colored pencils, and small games. I know of several moms who have said that this is a great idea.
Don’t forget a small can opener to get into cans. The Internet has become a valuable tool in today’s search for things that families may need in an emergency. The following sites are quite helpful.
•http://www.fema.gov/ This is the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s web site.
•http://www.quakekare.com/ This website has some already made 72 hour kits for families and pets
•http://www.lifesecure.com/ This site also has 72 hour kits, and it has bird flu kits as well
•http://www.safetycentral.com/ This site has 72 hour kits among other things
Some sites offer a range of products and brand names, while others stay very simple and generalized.
Another thing that we have been thinking of is home preparations.What can we do to prepare our home for extreme weather, flooding, and fires?
There are many different answers to this question, from the shingles on the roof, to landscaping.
We should also have first aid kits, not only in our homes, but it is smart to have one in each of our vehicles as well. Our homes need to be as prepared as we can make them for emergency situations.
Carbon and Emery County have both had their fair share of wild weather, and flooding is no stranger to any of us here either. Remember, it never hurts to plan for the worst and hope for the best.
Come out to the Carbon and Emery Emergency Preparedness Fair and receive information on a great deal of emergency preparedness items and subjects. We are working together to bring education to our communities, and protection to our families.
Serving in our communities, we can make a difference.