This Week in Preparedness

Have you...

• revamped your BOB for winter?  You don't want to evacuate and end up with a bag full of summer clothes to wear from your BOB.
• made sure you have an alternate source of heat for your home?  It usually isn't if but when a winter storm will knock your power out.
• checked out the Goodwill and other thrift stores for winter gear?  When your kids are growing out of clothes faster than you can buy them, thrift stores are a great place to buy gently used hats, gloves, coats, scarves, etc. to get the kids ready for outdoor winter activities.
• winterized your home?  Doing a few simple things like adding insulation around doors and windows, wrapping your pipes to avoid freezing, and throwing some extra insulation into the attic can make a big difference in your heating bills.
• considered cutting your own Christmas tree this year?  Many state agencies (BLM, Department of Forestry, DNR, etc) will soon make Christmas tree cutting permits available to those who are interested, usually for a small fee.
• decided to participate in some outdoor winter activities this year?  Snowshoeing, cross country skiing, down hill skiing/snowboarding, winter camping...all of these are good exercise, fun family activities, and will give you some real-world cold weather survival experience.