Your Disaster Recovery Kit

As the last couple of weeks has shown, disasters can happen anywhere and at anytime.  While there is a small chance that you could become a victim of the disaster (either killed or injured), there is a far more likely chance that you will be on the periphery of the disaster and will end up less in survival mode and more in recovery mode.  Here are the items you need to respond immediately after a disaster:

• A BOB (you may end up displaced from your home and need to evacuate).
• A vehicle with a full tank of gas (ditto...and gas stations will probably be closed).
• Heavy, steel-toed work boots (necessary for rescue and clean up after a disaster when the ground is covered with nails/pieces of metal/other things that can pierce regular shoes).
• Heavy, leather work gloves (ditto).
• Multiple communication tools (a cell phone and a portable HAM radio, for example).
• Appropriate training (basic first aid is a must, search and rescue training is also a good skill to have).
• Bottled water (rescue and clean up is hard work...keep hydrated).
• Portable food (ditto).
• Wet wipes and alcohol hand cleaner (sanitation is important in a disaster area)
• Breaker bar and other basic tools (useful for wedging open stuck doors, etc).
• Bigger tools (such as a chainsaw, a wench on your truck, and other items for major rescue/clean up).
• Giant Sharpie marker (for leaving info on the wall about evacuation, help needed, etc).
• Cash (ATMs probably won't be working).
• Hard hat, goggles, ear plugs, etc (ie: things to protect you while you search through rubble).
• Clean up items: tarp, rope, duct tape, bleach, towels and rags, shovels, rubber gloves, PPEs, etc.
• Situational awareness: know the area you are working in and be aware of fire/electrical/chemical/biological/other hazards that could adversely affect you.