Emergency Planning
Family Emergency Pack
Family Emergency Supplies are designed to keep you and your family (and pets) supplied with food, drink, light, warmth and the ability to stay informed, for approximately three days.
A Family Emergency Pack is designed to provide you with the absolute minimum and be small enough to be carried in a backpack to take with you, should you need to leave your home. The Pack should be stored in an agreed safe place. You should be able to find it easily, even in the dark.
- Torch
- Radio
- Batteries (for torch and radio)
- Candles
- Safety Matches and/or lighter
- Camping Cooker
- Bottled water
- A small selection of light high energy food
- First Aid kit
- Money/credit cards
- Important documents e.g. passports, house insurance papers
Further to this, you should ensure that there is enough food, water,fuel and other supplies in your house to sustain you for at least 3 days.
Food
Remember that the aim should be to have enough for you and your family for approximately three days. This should be of a type that has a long shelf life, such as tinned or dried food. In case the emergency situation makes it difficult to heat or cook food, it is better if the food is pre-cooked. Make sure that the food is of a type that you and your family will want to eat. If tinned food is used, make sure that you have a tin opener.
Remember that for individuals with specialised needs such as children, the elderly or those with special dietary needs, you will need to stock for their needs. If you own pets or farm animals, you will also need to stock food for them.
Bear in mind that food may not be available for purchase over holiday periods, such as Christmas and New Year.
It is recommended that you use and replace your stock of food every six months or before its use-by date (whichever comes earlier).
Water
Water should be stored in plastic containers. It is recommended that each person have 2 litres (3 pints) for drinking each day and the same again for food preparation and sanitation. It is not recommended that water in a storage tank be used for drinking, cooking or washing, in case it is contaminated.
It is recommended that you use and replace your stock of water every six months or before its use-by date (whichever comes earlier).
Fuel
Those who use fuel to heat their house or for cooking (e.g. gas bottle, fuel oil, coal, peat, wood) should ensure that their stock of fuel does not fall below that needed for three days. Bear in mind that fuel may not be available for purchase over holiday periods, such as Christmas and New Year. Those with electric heating may wish to consider having a temporary means of heating available in case there is a power cut.
If you own a car, try to ensure that the tank is filled up before any bad weather is due, in case you have to use it to move you and your family elsewhere. Do not store extra fuel in your garage, as this adds to the fire risk.
Warm and Waterproof Clothing
Ensure that each member of the family has warm clothing that they can wear should heating not be available for any length of time. In extreme circumstances, you and your family may have to leave your home, so warm clothing and also waterproof clothing should be available for each person.
Sanitation
In case you should lose your water supply, a supply of personal hygiene wipes would be useful to maintain personal hygiene.
If you should lose sanitation facilities and it is too unsafe to leave the house, a plastic bucket with a tight fitting lid, disinfectant and plastic bags with ties, may become useful.
Entertainment
Many of the means of entertaining ourselves rely upon electricity (e.g. television, computers, computer games, CD/DVD players). As you and your family may be confined to your home for a time without mains electricity, you should consider having available to you, games, books etc, which do not rely upon a power source, to keep yourselves amused. This will be especially important where there are young children in the family.
If you do still have power and Internet access, there are some sites designed to teach children about dealing with emergencies in an entertaining way:
For 8-11s:
- Crucial Crew
- FEMA for Kids (USA)
For Fire Safety:
- Frances the FireFly (Juniors)
- Get Firewise (Seniors)