Where Oh Where do I keep my Earthquake Kits?
by Jackie Kloosterboer
Earthquake Preparedness Specialist, Speaker, Trainer
Author – My Earthquake Preparedness Guide
If I had a dollar
for every time I am asked this question, I would be a wealthy woman. It is a great question and one you need have
an answer for! So where is the best place to keep those emergency kits? The
simple answer is - keep them where you
have easy access to them. But where is that you ask - and after an
earthquake will I even have access to them?
A two-part
question - lets tackle the easy piece first. What if your home survived
the earthquake with no damage and you did have access to your earthquake kits
but you never bothered to put them together because you didn't know if you
would have access to them after an earthquake or disaster. That would not be good outcome for you, your family
or your pets. Not only are you facing an earthquake but now you have no supplies.
This is not a situation you want to be in. It won't be like today where you run out and grab what you need. Try explaining that to your family.....
GRAB & GO KIT - STORAGE
Grab & GoKits are for the short term - they contain the basic items you need to survive
the next several hours following an emergency. These kits are best kept in your front closet by the
door you and your family are most likely to leave from.
If you live in a house with a garage - consider this - is the garage a good
location to store your kits? Many garages do not have "Man Doors" and if the power is out you may not be able to get your garage door open to flee to safety.
HOME KIT - STORAGE
Your Home Kit is
the kit you are going to use to "Stay & Survive" in your home. For
you Home Kit the blue Rubbermaid bins work well. Where to keep this kit
is a little more challenging simply based on its size. Your garage is a
good suggestion - just make sure it doesn't get buried under all that sports
equipment and other items you store in your garage. Also keep it away
from chemicals such as weed killers. There would be nothing worse than
coming out and finding you kit covered in weed killer after an earthquake.
Your basement
could work - but when I make this suggestion people often say - what if I can't
access the basement after an earthquake. This again takes us back to "What
if you can?" Just remember - just because we have an earthquake
doesn't mean all our homes will be impacted.
People also choose
to keep their kits out in a storage shed in the backyard and this can work as
well. When storing your kits, regardless of where you store them,
constantly check them - you don't want the rodents to access them before you
do. This often happens to people who store their kits and forget to check them. Don’t let that be you and your family!
So - what if you
live in an apartment - where do you store you kits? This can take some
creativity - believe me I know.
I lived in a tiny little apartment and I had no storage space. I had a spot in my front closest for my Grab & Go Kit but there was no space for a big Rubbermaid container. What I ended up doing was using a kitchen cabinet. I had a shelf dedicated to my earthquake supplies and that is where I stored what I would need to stay and survive. Sometimes we must be creative to accomplish what we need to do.
Have questions - don't hesitate to ask. Until next time - stay safe and make sure you, your family and pets are prepared to better "Survive-It."
As Always BE PREPARED - NOT SCARED!
Jackie Kloosterboer - BIO
Jackie has been leading the way in earthquake preparedness for 2 decades presenting more than 100 Earthquake Preparedness sessions each year to a variety of groups and businesses. She is often interviewed by a variety of media outlets across Canada as she promotes the importance of earthquake and disaster preparedness.
Contact Jackie to speak at your next group or business event to help better prepare you, your family, your staff and pets for earthquakes or whatever disaster comes your way. Jackie will lead you through the necessary steps helping you identify what is important to you and your family or business.
Jackie is available for:
- Earthquake Preparedness Presentations
- Preparedness Plans
- In-Home Walk-Throughs
- Preparedness Kits
- Media Interviews
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