Family Emergency Plan
Written by Cheri Stirling
The LA fires this month have been horrific to watch. From the political blame game, to poor preparedness practices in the surrounding area, this disaster has gone from bad to worse so quickly. As followers of Christ, we are told, ‘If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear.’ (D&C 38:30)
These are signs of the times that the Lord foretold in Doctrine and Covenants 88:87-91. “For not many days hence and the earth shall tremble and reel to and fro as a drunken man; and the sun shall hide his face, and shall refuse to give light; and the moon shall be bathed in blood; and the stars shall become exceedingly angry, and shall cast themselves down as a fig that falleth from off a fig tree. And after [Joseph’s] testimony cometh wrath and indignation upon the people. For after [Joseph’s] testimony cometh the testimony of earthquakes, that shall cause groanings in the midst of her, and men shall fall upon the ground and shall not be able to stand. And also cometh the testimony of the voice of thunderings, and the voice of lightnings, and the voice of tempests, and the voice of the waves of the sea heaving themselves beyond their bounds. And all things shall be in commotion; and surely, men’s hearts shall fail them; for fear shall come upon all people.”
So how do we prepare our families for a disaster?
It is important that as we work to build our family’s preparedness plans, we start to assess our risks. These practices are generally not a fun exercise, because it requires us to think about worst case scenarios, which can be anxiety inducing for many people. A few years ago, we released the ‘Family Preparedness Workbook’ which you can download here, or purchase a printed copy at our store.
The Family Preparedness Workbook has a beginner assessment to help you determine what natural disasters you may face based on where you live in the United States. It has links and signs to look for to help you know where to look to determine what you would need to think about. For example, I live in Idaho, so the chances of us getting hit by a hurricane are 0%, but we do live in an area where wildfires, floods, or earthquake shocks could affect us.
You will also find a copy of the Ultimate 72 Hour Kit Checklist to help you determine what you would need in your family go-bags.
After you have assessed your family’s higher risks, create plans in case of these situations. What would you do if you had to evacuate because of a fire? What is your family going to do if there were a flood? Do you have food and necessities that could keep you safe and alive until emergency responders could get to you? How would you recover in the aftermath? Are these disasters covered by insurance? Do you have savings to help start over?
Another thing to consider is your home storage, if things like the supply chain were interrupted. Perhaps you are not in the direct line of the emergency, but the after effects can affect what you see in your local stores significantly.
Do you have the necessities to run your home for more than a week? A month?
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints recommends that every for every adult in the home we have 400 pounds of grains, (including things like wheat, pasta, rice, and corn), 60 pounds of legumes, 16 pounds of powdered milk, 10 quarts of cooking oils, 60 pounds of sugars or honey, 8 pounds of salt, and 14 gallons of water in order to have a year supply of food and 2 week supply of water. Children between ages 7-10 will need about 90% of that, while children ages 4-6 will need about 70%, and children 3 and under will need about 50%. But remember, that that is a survival ration, similar to that of our pioneer ancestors. Additional foods such as canned vegetables, mixes, dried meats will increase the nutritional value and sustainability of your storage.
Another important part of an emergency plan is to make sure that you have practiced what you plan. Does everyone in your home know how to get out in case of a fire? Can everyone carry their 72 hour kit? If you have a tent for shelter, have you set it up? Is your emergency supplies in an easy location to grab and go? Does everyone know how to be safe in case of a tornado or an earthquake? Setting aside time to practice these things can be life-saving in the event of a real emergency.
The future is sure to be unexpected and come with stressors, but as we prepare, we can face the future with faith!
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