With the number of natural and man-made
disasters occurring these days, it behooves us as individuals and
as families to do our best to be prepared. The middle of an
emergency is not the time for emergency planning. Various things
are covered briefly on this page, with links to other places for
further information.
72 HOUR KITS
Outside assistance will, generally, reach a
local disaster area in North America within 2-3 days bringing
needed items such as food, water, clothing and medical
assistance. A 72 hour kit is intended to sustain life for that
short period. Generally designed to be portable, it can be stored
in a vehicle or kept close at hand in the home should the need
for immediate evacuation arise.
Kits are available from commercial sources
or can be assembled by or for the individual concerned. Whichever
route you take, make sure the kit has adequate materials to meet
your needs. Some of the ideas floating around, such as the kit in
a milk carton, are a starting point, but barely that, as they do
not contain sufficient for an active adult.
Keep the kit in a container, which will
stand up to transport. A plastic box is better than a paper bag
for storage in the trunk of your car. The small backpack that
high school and university students overstuff works well for
either home or vehicle.
LONG TERM STORAGE
For disasters of greater geographical area
or magnitude, food, clothing, fuel, required medication, basic
medical supplies and such things should be stored in the home in
such quantities as to last for a minimum of three months.
Leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
(Mormons) have been warning their membership for decades to
prepare and store for a minimum of a year. Not just for
widespread calamity but also for personal hardship such as sudden
and prolonged job loss.
FOOD STORAGE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
http://www.survival-center.com/foodfaq/ff1-toc.htm
LDS SITE WITH EMERGENCY AND STORAGE INFO AND LINKS
http://lds.about.com/od/preparednessfoodstorage/
EMERGENCY POWER
If you are in an area that suffers from
power outages you might want to think about a backup power
source. For those with the space and technical abilities,
consideration might be given to wind, water or solar power. For
most of us, an alternate power source is an electrical generator
- either gas or diesel powered.
Before you slap down the plastic for that
generator of your dreams, consider what you absolutely need to
have operating when the outside power fails. Also realize that
you will not have everything turned on at the same time. Once you
have the list of things you want, determine the power required
(in watts) required. This can be found in the literature that
came with the item, on an attached plate or from web sites. Total
these up for the generator wattage you need. For example, if your
total calculated is 4800 watts (w) or 4.8 kilowatts (kW) you need
a 5000 watt (5 kW), or larger, generator. A generator will have a
peak power that it can supply for a short period of time. This
comes in handy when your freezer cuts in as motors consume more
power to start then to run. Therefore, you might see a generator
rated at 6kw peak/5kw run. Use the lower figure to choose the
unit you need.
An article about installing your own
generator appeared in the March 1998 issue of POPULAR MECHANICS.
Perhaps there are some good ideas that you can use. A word of
caution as electrical codes vary from place to place. Find out
the standards for your area and do it right.
Whether you do the installation yourself
depends on your technical skills and comfort level around lethal
voltages and currents. If you have the slightest doubt, get
prices from several qualified electricians, ask for references on
similar jobs and then decide.
HONDA GENERATORS
http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/gen.htm
DISCOVERY DIESEL GENERATORS
http://www.powersources.com/
KOHLER GENERATORS
http://www.kohlergenerators.com/
NORTHERN - Generators and Transfer switches
- Info on selecting generator size
http://www.northern-online.com/
YAHAMA GENERATORS
http://www.yamaha-motor.com/outdoor/products/lifestylehome/home.aspx
GEN/TRAN - Transfer switches
http://www.gen-tran.com/
HOW IT WAS DONE HERE - My own installation!
Notes from others.
Check it out
GENERATOR INSTALLATION AND OTHER THINGS
A presentation to the Bishop's Council on choosing and installing a generator, safety tips, and other stuff
http://ne.mara.net/generator/gen.pdf/
Please note, the fact that specific links
appear on this page does not imply approval of these sites or
products nor does non-inclusion of any site signify disapproval
in any way. If you have a favorite site, let me know by sending
an e-mail to NEwebmaster@mara.net
