Welcome to Module 6, What to Put in an Emergency Preparedness Kit. Here we're going to talk about what you should include in your kit, including the basics and some additional tools that you may want depending on your disability and your needs. What is an emergency preparedness kit? Well, as we discussed, kits are a collection of essential supplies for you and your family to use when there's an emergency or disaster. Sometimes people create two different kits, a larger one that stays in-home and stationary in something like a storage tote, and another one that is a portable container, something in like a backpack or a duffel bag and is considered a go-bag. Kits are often personalized to each person and their family, but every kit has some similar basic items, so let's get into what those items are. First is food and water. Every kit should include a three-day supply of food and water for each person. If you're trying to figure out how much water you should have, the standard is to have a gallon of water per day per person. So in total, you should have three gallons of waters per person. The same standard rule applies for any pets or animals that you have in-house. It's also important to note and to remember to put any pet food or specialty foods in your emergency kit. Emergency kits should also include first aid, medications, and hygiene supplies. This includes a basic first aid kit, all types and all of your medication for you and your family, both over-the-counter and prescription medications. They should also include hand sanitizer, paper towels, dental care, soap or personal hygiene items. And if you need them, it is important to remember to add hearing and vision items, things like hearing aids or extra batteries, your glasses, or contact lenses and solution. When we think about building our kit, it's important to remember about our communication methods and our documents. Try and get a battery-powdered radio with extra batteries, as well as any chargers for important electronics. Make sure to add a flashlight and extra batteries for your flashlight and a document bag with all important documentation. Individuals with disabilities may want to add extra things for communication and documents. You may want to add a paper version of an AT or an assistive technology communication tablet, things like extra batteries for medical equipment, or documents that pertain to what type and model of equipment you have. Just remember about all of these disability considerations, because individuals with disabilities may need to pack extra supplies to ensure their safety during emergencies. As discussed, you may want paper versions of communication devices or backup batteries for your DME. Think about adding safe foods for food allergies or sensory considerations that may not be easily available in mass care shelters or in a different location. Add any and all supplies for service animals, including extra food, water, or any training items that you may need. Try and think about adding sensory items like fidgets or noise-canceling headphones if you or a loved one has a disability around sensory items. And think about adding comfort items if they can be duplicated. This may be things like a blanket or a stuffed animal, or may even be a certain type of clothing. This is just a starting place on what you should put in an emergency preparedness kit. Listed in your module are even more resources on what to look for and what you may want to add with specific examples. Our next module is our last module.

emergency preparedness

disabilities

essential items

assistive technology

three-day supply