When you find yourself faced with an emergency, you may often find yourself wondering what things are a must in your emergency response kit. You may find yourself without some basics that you need or with things that don’t seem to make sense in your kit. Here is a basic rundown of some recommended items for your kit:
1) Flashlight with a spare set of batteries – You never know if an emergency is going to take place in the light or in the dark, you also never know if the batteries will always work when you turn it on.
2) Road flares – When an accident takes place on the road, a road flare is the best tool that you can have to warn other drivers of the emergency ahead.
3) Bottled Water – It’s always a good idea to have a bottle of water (or two) handy, just in case you need to wash wounds, or find yourself stranded.
4) Emergency food – A protein bar or two, a candy bar, and some jerky are a few very good items to have in your emergency kit. The candy bar will come in handy if faced with diabetic situation.
5) Hand Sanitizer – Hand sanitizer can serve multiple purposes, it can be to sanitize your hands before and after helping treat a wound, as well as a great emergency disinfectant for a wound or itchy bite.
6) Latex Gloves – If you allergic to latex, they can be latex free, but it is important to have a barrier between you and any sort of bodily fluids you may come in contact with.
7) Basic First Aid Kit – This should include the basics, tweezers, band-aids, an antibiotic ointment, alcohol wipes, ibuprofen or aspirin, gauze, and medical tape.
A Guide to First Aid Procedure – This can be picked up at your local Red Cross or printed online, it is important, because in the shock of an emergency situation, it can be the difference between knowing what to and having your mind go blank, because you can’t remember what to do. With these basic tools, you can be assured to be prepared for virtually any emergency situation. Just remember, first and foremost, your best tool is to stay calm and level headed and you will be able to handle anything that comes your way.

My Disaster Kit