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New Year's Resolutions for Families

Have you established new year’s resolutions for 2017? Creating new year’s resolutions is a great method to hold yourself and your family accountable for the things you’d like to accomplish throughout the year ahead. Is improving your family’s safety among those resolutions? Have you developed a strong safety plan should an emergency or disaster situation occur? Even if you’re not a fan of setting new year’s resolutions, any step to help improve the safety of you and your loved ones should be implemented.

To strengthen your road towards family safety this year, you will want to:

• Get Informed
• Get Prepared
• Stay Motivated

Getting informed and staying informed on the many potential dangers within your area of residence is a key component to protecting yourself and loved ones this new year. According to a study by FEMA, “[only] one in three (32 percent) of the respondents reported being familiar with their local hazards.” These statistics indicate that a large percentage of families across the U.S. are simply unaware of the dangers their surroundings present. It remains that families of all sizes should be conscious of local hazards to able to prepare accordingly.

Since winter weather can change in an instant, it is also important to stay up-to-date with local weather changes as well. Not sure where to get the information you need? You are not alone. Structure your family’s safety and preparedness plan by utilizing information from trusted resources like FEMA and the American Red Cross.

As we know, natural disasters can strike at any moment. Right as we welcomed 2017, California experienced an “earthquake swarm” in Brawley, California where more than 100 earthquakes were felt across the region. The importance of being prepared for emergency situations like earthquakes is ever-increasing, yet still many Americans fail to take proper precautions. In the same FEMA study, they share, “52 percent of individuals reported having supplies set aside in their home for use during a disaster.” While we’re glad to be slightly above the halfway mark, as safety seekers, we should continue to work towards reaching the goal of 100 percent. Securing your home and vehicle with essential supplies not only increases family safety, but also increases the likelihood of survival should a disaster occur.

• Check out our First My Family’s 4 Person Premium Disaster Preparedness Survival Kit with 72-Hours of Survival and First Aid Supplies.

Strengthen your motivation to stay prepared throughout the year by setting a few safety-related new year’s resolutions. Keep in mind that emergency preparedness and family safety go hand in hand and do your part to stay prepared. Start the year off on a safe note, and continue that mentality all year-long!

We wish you a year full of safety for you and your entire family, we're here to help. 

Labor Day Safety & Preparedness

Labor Day weekend is the last weekend of summer and we’re sure you’ll want to celebrate with the entire family! Everyone is relaxed and happy to be off of work on a Monday, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be prepared for the many emergency situations that could occur at any moment. With outdoor activities like grilling, swimming, and more, it’s important that you remember a few key things for your holiday.  

Grilling Safety

Barbequing is a tasty and memorable way to spend the holiday; after all, it’s not summer without some of our favorite summer foods. But, we must still keep in mind that the grill can be very dangerous. When cooking, make sure you to keep family members a safe distance away from the fire and keep a fire extinguisher near your side. Also, do not grill underneath an awning or covering, as it may be easy to catch on fire. Lastly, if you’re using propane, ensure that both the tank and grill are working properly before using. Keep in mind that barbeques are a major cause of house fires, especially in the summer months. Don’t let this fact stop you from grilling, but for the well-being of the entire family, practice safe grilling and enjoy your labor day feast.

See more burn first aid tips here. 

Burn Supplies

Even the safest of families have accidents from time to time. Consider this scenario: You’re flipping burgers on the barbeque during holiday relaxation mode, then suddenly burn your hand on the grill...whoops! Time to bring out your first aid kit. First, identify how severe the burn is; If you believe it’s severe seek medical treatment immediately.  If the burn is minor, run room temperature water (not cold water or ice) over the burn and dab dry with a towel or cloth. Follow-up with burn cream or aloe vera serum on the minor burn and keep the wound open while it breathes and cools down.  

Sunscreen

When you’re out in the sun all day it’s really easy to get a sunburned or even severe skin damage. To prevent this you’ll want to use a high SPF sunscreen and reapply throughout the day.  If swimming in the pool or at the beach you’ll want to get a water resistant version so it won’t wash away once you step in the water. Without sunscreen, you can pave the way for major skin issues like heat rashes and burns, so come prepared and reapply.  After you come indoors at the end of the day, we suggest rubbing lotion or aloe on your skin to help rehydrate any sun exposeded areas.  

Water

Get out your TWDZPAK and keep it filled with water throughout the entire weekend. The TWDZPAK is the perfect water bottle to carry your favorite thirst-quenchers in; safe by the pool or near the grill, and even has an easy-to-carry carabiner. Are you drinking enough water? Don’t forget keep several water bottles full throughout the day to stay hydrated and avoid over-heating. It is very easy to forget how important hydration is on a hot day, but the TWDZPAK can serve as a friendly reminder to keep drinking water.

Stay Prepared While Traveling

The summer months are a perfect time to travel - the kids are out of school, the weather is great, and it’s a great way to spend some quality time with your family.  We know you’re prepared at home for a disaster or emergency, but are you prepared while traveling? Whether you’re flying, road tripping, or going somewhere close to home, it’s important to always stay prepared for the unexpected, check out some tips below.

Always Carry a First Aid Kit
Wherever you’re traveling, be sure to carry a small first aid kit with you with items like band aids, over-the-counter remedies, and any other common items you feel you might need. Sure you may get the help you need if a problem arises, but take as much action as you can by being prepared. Afterall, at the very least it can help you feel much more comfortable and at-ease when traveling. Did you know our TWDZPAK includes several emergency and first aid supplies and doubles as a water bottle? Check it out here.

Keep Emergency Cash and Back Up Cards

When you’re traveling it’s important to have back up cash and credit cards in case your belongings get lost or stolen. Remember the unexpected happens at the worst times, prepare yourself from as many situations as you can. Stay prepared and make sure you have the means to get your family home.  

Have Travel Insurance

A great preparedness step you can take is to get yourself and your family travel insurance.  Travel insurance will cover you in case you or a family member gets injured, your belongings get stolen, in many cases of emergencies, if you have to head home early, or if there are any unforeseen cancellations in your itinerary.  If you can, try to get a high coverage limit on your policy that also covers emergency evacuations or care if you happen to be hiking in the woods.    

Mosquito Protection and ZIKA Awareness   
Mosquitos are everywhere in the Summer, but areas near water are their favorite place to hang out.  If you’re traveling to an area you believe might have some sort of mosquito population, it’s important to wear bug spray repellent and to wear long pants and shirts in order to protect your skin from bites.  Usually, you’ll just get an uncomfortable lump that can itch, but will go away in a few days.  Right now however, there is an outbreak of Zika Virus that you have to be very careful about if you’re traveling anywhere in the Caribbean, Central and South America, and The Pacific Islands.  There also have been cases in the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami, Florida. It is often advised that pregnant women should NOT travel to those places - the most common effect of the Zika Virus is severe birth defects of unborn children. If you are traveling to these places use powerful bug spray, and again, wear long pants and shirts, sleep with the air conditioning on and make sure there are screens on every window.  Zika is extremely dangerous and should be avoided as much as possible.

Have fun and stay safe for the remaining of the summer!   

Stay Prepared While Camping

Make sure your family is prepared for this year’s camping trips. Camping is a great way to spend time with family and take a break from city and suburb life. It can be truly relaxing to be away from the hustle-and-bustle of daily life and spend a few days in nature.  We must keep in mind that danger lurks in unexpected places. 

While in the outdoors, there are a few camping essentials we feel you’’ll need to make your trip as safe and prepared as possible:

Water
The number one thing you don’t want to run out of when you’re camping is safe drinking water.  The easiest way to transport water to your campsite is with a large reusable container (5 to 10 gallons) that you fill up prior to heading into the outdoors.  Remember to always bring more water than you think you’ll need. You can then conveniently fill your TWDZPAK water bottle throughout your trip with the larger container of water. The TWDZPAK even has a handy carabiner attached so you can hook it to your backpack or belt loop as a reminder to stay hydrated! It is easy to get dehydrated when spending all day outdoors, make sure to keep your TWDZPAK water bottle with you at all times.

Shelter   

When camping outdoors you’re going to want to have some kind of shelter whether it be a tent, tipi, or hammock.  Shelter is important because it keeps you out of the elements and away from potential threats coming into your camp. Remember to zip your tent up securely to keep unwanted bugs and critters from entering.

Food  

Campfire cooking can be a fun and tasty experience. Having all kinds of food when you’re camping is one of the best parts of adventuring outdoors because almost anything tastes better after a long day of exploring. Items like trail mix, protein-packed snacks, and sandwiches are great ways to fuel up during the day, and don’t forget the s'mores!   

Emergency Supplies   

Safety is of course critical when out camping and adventuring in nature.  Most campsites are far away from hospitals or even cell phone service, so your safety will depend on how well you prepare ahead of time.  Having an emergency kit with an extensive first aid box is a non-negotiable item to include in your trip. (Good thing our TWDZPAK is filled with supplies too!) You’ll want to also include extra supplies for burns, cuts, and bug bites since they are the most common injuries when camping.

Having everything you need is essential to a successful camping trip. It’s just you and your supplies out there so make sure you are prepared for any situation that may come your way.  We’re fans of camping here at First My Family, stay safe!

View our TWDZPAK in this 2016 Summer Gift Guide via Rebate Zone and pick one up today on our online shop!