Ready, Set, Emergency!

The recent storms got me thinking about emergencies. Every person and family should have some kind of plan in case there is a dramatic weather event, fire, blizzard or any other type of emergency that might happen. Remember that earthquake? According to the t.v. news, a lot of people did what you should do for a tornado, which is not necessarily the right thing for an earthquake. Who knew?

Be prepared for electrical storms or other emergencies.

During an earthquake, you should stay indoors until the earthquake is over. Most people who are injured, get hurt while going outside when the earthquake is still ongoing. Stay away from big windows, large light fixtures, ceiling fans or other things that might break and fall on you. If you happen to be in bed, stay there and put the pillow over your head. Duck under a table if there is a sturdy one nearby. There is not a lot of time during an earthquake to do much of anything. 

When there is a tornado, head for the lowest point in the residence, the basement works well. If there is no basement, go to a room with no windows, like a bathroom, closet or hallway. Flying glass can be deadly, avoid it as much as you can. Usually with tornadoes, you have a few minutes to get ready before it hits, unlike an earthquake. If any big storm with high winds is expected, secure anything around the house that might be swept away. 

Young and healthy people should have a plan for checking in with disabled or older family members if a big storm rolls through. Don’t forget your neighbors who might need help. If you live alone, I’m sure you know someone else who lives alone – you can check on each other. Some people even have a list of people to call just to make sure everything is okay.

Not only should you have a checklist for people, there are some supplies you should always keep on hand in case of an emergency. Often times the power goes out during these situations, so you need to be ready beforehand. Unfortunately, many of us got a taste of that recently when storms ripped through the area. About half of the Baltimore metro area lost power, some people for several days.

Supplies:

• Always have flashlights with spare batteries. Headlamps, used for camping and spelunking, are great for allowing hands-free lighting. Keep a stock of D batteries on hand because most of the lanterns only take Ds.
• A battery operated NOAA Weather Radio (or any radio) will allow you to get updates on storm watches and warnings.
• Some paper and pens or pencils will come in handy in case you hear about something important on the radio. You could jot down emergency numbers or where cooling centers, ice distribution centers or shelters are located.
• A first aid kit for any injuries is very important. Don’t forget to check the kit at least once a year to make sure nothing is expired.
• Your medications might be vital to your survival. You should never completely run out of your medications. Always keep at least a week’s worth on hand, if possible.
• Hand sanitizer comes in handy when water is in short supply.
• Toilet paper and other personal hygiene products are a must.
• If you have kids, it is really important to store away some things to amuse them. Without computers, sketchy or no cell service or no electricity, your kids will get antsy! Keep them occupied with coloring or activity books, books to read, crossword puzzles, anything that doesn’t require power. Don’t forget classic board games. A deck of cards doesn’t take up much space and people of just about any age can amuse themselves playing alone or as a group.

Food and Drink:

• It is recommended to keep 1-3 gallons of water on hand for each person in the house. Three gallons are appropriate for a multi-day disaster. Having Gatorade, Ensure or other nutrient-filled beverage would be a bonus to have on hand.
• Foods that do not have to be refrigerated usually have a long shelf life. If you have a lot of canned food, make sure you have a manual can opener. Here’s your chance to get your fill of beef jerky! 
• Try to always have a week’s worth of pet food on supply. You don’t want to share that beef jerky with the family dog.

It might sound silly, but businesses and families should practice fire safety. Fire drills were always a chore in school, but when there is a fire, it is extremely important to know what to do. Figure out how you and your pets can evacuate quickly. Small children should learn what to do in order to stay safe. If someone is disabled or elderly, knowing how to deal with them during an emergency may be the difference between life and death for that person.

Have a great, safe time and try to always be prepared. You never know when bad weather or other emergencies are going to happen.

Got TOOLS?

Have you ever needed a hand or power tool unexpectedly and it’s not where you thought you put it? It can be frustrating when you have to stop right in the middle of a project and start a search for something. If only your tools were organized…  

For some people, it may be as easy as putting a hammer, pliers and two screwdrivers in a drawer. DIY (do it yourself) fans and most homeowners, have a large collection of hand tools, power tools, nails, screws, nuts and bolts, saws, a variety of pliers, the list goes on and on. So, is there a good strategy for organizing everything? Of course there is! 

A lot of people like using a pegboard to organize hand tools. In the end, they are all hanging, with enough space between them to easily remove one tool without knocking a bunch of other tools off the wall. The best part of this system is that you can see everything. In a matter of seconds, you can grab a hand saw, hammer and whatever else you might need for a project.

Power tools come in their own carrying cases and can be organized on shelves or under the workbench. If it doesn’t have a carrying case and doesn’t fit easily on the pegboard, you can get a plastic container for it. Most power tools have attachments, bits, blades or other things that should be kept with the item, which is why the cases are so nice. If it is hard to tell at a glance what case holds which tool, mark the containers with a Sharpie (they come in metallic colors that can write on dark containers) or put a piece of masking tape on the container and write on the tape.

Screws, nuts, bolts and other hardware should be organized into plastic containers or specially made cabinets that have tiny drawers to hold whatever you have. The little cabinets are great, but can be expensive. Sometimes they are sold with the hardware already inside. You can end up buying a lot of little tiny screws that you may never need.

A more reasonable solution is a plastic 3-drawer container for about $15-20or craft storage bins. You can keep the hardware either in the containers they came in or in disposable Gladware containers. Gladware or Rubbermaid conveniently make containers in a variety of sizes. Get clear containers so you can see what is inside. If you are a recycler, some deli meats come in plastic containers that can be reused for storing little items. Baby food jars are another favorite for organizing small hardware. Place whatever containers you use by type and/or size in the drawers, and later they can be found when needed.

A toolbox is another matter entirely. 

Things tend to get thrown in a toolbox as a project progresses and left in there for all eternity. After a project is completely finished, the hardware and project specific items should go back in the drawers or on the pegboard.  Yes, the toolbox should be organized at the end of every project. Only keep basic items like a hammer, a few screwdrivers, pliers, a tape measure, pencil, flashlight and other things you use regularly in the toolbox. If you put too much in there, it will either be so heavy you can barely lift it or you won’t be able to close it. 

OK — now for THE TALK — I would be remiss if I didn’t make mention of those of you with more tools than you potentially will ever need or use. If you have every hammer that your father, grandfather and dear uncle used, along with all the ones you’ve gotten at flea markets and hardware stores along the years... it might be time to downsize your hammers. Be gentle, but be honest with yourself. I am guessing that you likely use 20% of your tools, 80% of the time. See if you can possibly part with at least the rusty/broken/need-to-repair tools first. Then you can look at selecting your top 2-3 favorite screwdrivers (or top 5-8 maybe?) and continue with the process for all of your duplicate tools. When you downsize tools, you have a much better chance of fitting them in whatever containers you have waiting patiently to be filled.

Enjoy the DIY craze of fixing or building things on your own. You will be amazed at the added enjoyment you will have if you can keep that basement, garage, shed or wherever you keep your tools organized so you know what you have and where it is. I promise, with everything where you can find it, the DIY experience will be better.