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Winter Prep Checklist

Winter is officially here, are your prep kits up to date? Make sure your kits have what you and your family need to survive the cold winter months should an emergency or disaster take place. We created a checklist to help you as you customize your home and car preparedness kits, take a look and stay safe!

 

❏ Emergency Water

❏ Emergency Food

❏ LED Flashlight

❏ First aid kit

❏ Multi Use Pocket Knife

❏ Mylar Space Blankets

❏ Emergency Weather Ponchos

❏ Emergency Body Warmers

❏ Glow-sticks for emergency lighting

 

• The above items and more can be found inside of our 1, 2 and 4-Person Premium Disaster Preparedness Kit

 

Special needs/Elderly

❏ Medications and special items such as hearing aids (with extra batteries), glasses/contact lenses, canes etc.

Babies and Pets

❏ Baby supplies (formula, baby food, bottles, diapers, medicines etc.)

❏ Pet supplies ( pet food, collar/leash, ID, food, carrier, bowl, medicines etc.)

Outdoors/Weather

❏ Tools/supplies for securing your home in case of heavy winds

❏ Sand for flooding

❏ Warm coats, gloves/mittens, hats, boots, extra blankets and extra warm clothing for all household members

❏ Alternate heating methods (fireplaces or wood/coal-burning stoves)

More

❏ Extra batteries

❏ Battery-powered or hand-crank radio 

❏ Sanitation/personal hygiene items

❏ Family and emergency contact information

❏ Copies of personal documents for all household members (medical information, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies)

❏ Cell phone with chargers

❏ Extra cash

Remember to always add what is necessary for your family's specific needs. Stay warm and stay safe! 

 

End of Daylight Savings Time Safety Tips

 

 

The end of Daylight Savings time marks the beginning of fall and winter; but instead of staying in bed an extra hour, take this time to be proactive with your family’s safety. Here are some quick tips to keep your family safe as we enter the final months of 2015.

 

1. Check Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 150 people die per year in the United States from carbon monoxide poisoning. While Smoke and Carbon Monoxide alarms do not require heavy maintenance, it is important to check their batteries and function every 6 months. Here’s how to check your smoke and carbon monoxide alarm: https://www.allstate.com/tools-and-resources/home-insurance/test-your-carbon-monoxide-alarm.aspx

2. Get Your Vehicle in Shape

How long do you spend in your vehicle per day? A recent study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety says that on average, Americans drive 29.2 miles per day. That’s enough time to make the safety and maintenance of your vehicle a top priority, especially as the sun begins to set much sooner in the fall and winter months. Make sure your vehicle's tire pressure is where it should be, your headlights are working properly, and that you have a fully-equipped emergency preparedness kit inside your vehicle at all times. 

 

3.   Update Your Prep Kits

Owning emergency preparedness kits are great steps toward being prepared for a disaster or emergency, however the change of the seasons poses a need for updating both your home and vehicle's kits. In order to increase preparedness during the end of Daylight Savings time, each preparedness kit should be updated to make sure the contents have not expired, checked to make sure items like flashlights are working properly, and customized with gear that is appropriate for the current climate; winter blankets and reflective gear are always recommended.

 

 

Don't own Emergency Preparedness Kits for your home and vehicles? We've got you covered: www.FirstMyFamily.com