July's Challenge: I dare you to take it on the go

• Make plans with your family on what to do when you are separated and emergency strikes.  Come up with several scenarios and review your plans at least once this month.  Visit www.ready.gov for some tips and tools on making a plan.

• Prepare small emergency kits for your car, work, school, or other places you and your family spend time.  Start first with water and snacks for this month's challenge.  Also think about adding blankets, a flashlight, and an emergency radio as you are able.

June's Challenge: I dare you to milk it/fake it

• Recipe Challenge: Select & prepare a recipe using powdered milk or an egg substitute.
• Document Challenge: Document each family member’s medical history. This should include: prescriptions, allergies, blood type, medical and insurance cards, and doctor & hospital information. Remember to laminate or place in a zip-loc bag.

Thoughts from an LDS Military Family in Japan

Here's an email someone in the ward forwarded to me about an American LDS family living in Japan during the recent earthquake.  Thought we could all learn from their experiences during a real emergency.  (Note: their names are edited out, hence the asterisks ***** in some places).

Hi Everyone,
We're doing "fine" here. Considering what is going on around us.
When the first big quake hit, around 2:45 in the afternoon on Friday,
I ran to ***** room and grabbed him out of his crib. We've had
plenty of earthquakes in the 2.5 years we've been here, but this one
was huge. ***** started crying and calling for me --I got him too and
we huddled on the stairs away from windows and light fixtures. The
two boys were walking home from school and came in while the
house was still shaking. They thought it was exciting. I yelled at
them to "GET BACK OUTSIDE!" because I'd just been told if you're
outside, you're supposed to stay outside! I sat on the stairs
praying: "Please protect my kids, please protect my kids, please
protect my kids..." It seemed to last forever (around 5 minutes I've
heard) and then the aftershocks just kept coming and coming. They're
still coming.

They evacuated the hospital and **** was able to come home around 4.
[I can't tell you what a relief it was to have my whole entire family
safe and together. And how upsetting it was/is to think of people
all over Japan who have family unaccounted for. It's really hard for
me whenever one of the husbands has to leave.]

Since then, the power has been out and we haven't had any heat or
access to phones (to the states) or Internet (except ***** getting one
e-mail out from the hospital.) Friday evening we moved our friends
in with us (**** and **** and three kids) since they just shipped all
of their stuff to the states in preparation for their move in two
weeks. It's been nice to have them around because everyone is on
edge and extremely stressed.

Yesterday (Saturday) they opened the commissary (No lights, cash
only) and we grabbed some extra food, water and diapers. Since we
have the standard Mormon "food storage" I wasn't too worried about
running out of food or water, but I didn't have any spare diapers so
was happy to buy three big boxes yesterday for *****. (And yes,
I bought two big cans of hot chocolate. Priorities, people!)

We went to church for a shortened meeting to take the sacrament and
get the news today. All members of the branch have been accounted
for and we've heard that all the missionaries in Japan are accounted
for also. (Big relief.)

The power is now back on off-base which is how I have Internet access
right now. We're at ***** house. Hopefully it stays on.

We were asked at church to see
what extra coats, blankets, food and water we can round up to donate
to the Japanese people nearby. I feel heart sick thinking of those
who've lost homes and loved ones. Although you probably know much
more than me, I hear the devastation is extremely great. We were
lucky to be so safe on base and grateful our off-base friends and
neighbors were okay.

The earthquakes (aftershocks) haven't stopped and I spent all night
last night having nightmares about running from collapsing and
buckling buildings. The kids are on edge and tantrums are at an all
time high. They keep busy playing during the day, but when it gets
dark and we have to ration flashlights and candles it gets extra hard
to keep the peace.

A few things I've been wanting to tell people and note for the
future:

*Get an old school, corded phone. If the power goes out, your
cordless won't work. We were lucky to have a corded phone upstairs
which helped ***** coordinate with the Branch President to get
accountability of church members. (The phones have worked on-base
off and on, but we were never able to get a call through to the
states.)

*Speaking of accountability, in an emergency, if you're going to
leave your house--leave a note on the door saying where you are going
so when guys from church or work coming looking, they'll know where
you are.

*When the power went out, people off base couldn't get their cars out
of their garage. Turns out there is a special crank to use but most
of our friends didn't have it or know what it was. Luckily ***** had
parked outside and was able to get her kids to our house Friday.

*We've been cooking with our camping equipment. Note to self: Buy a
20 pack of small propane tanks. We've also used our outdoor BBQ (in
the cold) and I'm wishing I had a spare tank of Propane for that.
(We still don't have power and don't know when it will come back on
On Base. Estimates have said 24 hours (we're way past that) to 1
week, to indefinite.)

*Do you have an extra refill of your prescriptions in your 72 hour
kit? It's terrifying to imagine running out of the things you take
every day. Also, the thought of my kids getting sick and not having
enough Children's Advil and/or Tylenol made me pretty nervous until I
verified we had some of each.

*For ONCE I was glad to be doing Dave Ramsey yesterday when we had
plenty of cash on hand to shop at the commissary. But we also have a
cash and yen emergency fund hidden in the house for back-up which was
very comforting.

*While I'm making notes to myself: Buy a hand crank wheat grinder
and blender! (We have a freezer full of frozen fruit to make
smoothies but no way to blend anything.)

*Flashlights are a pain in my butt. All of our stupid Rayovac
crappy-**** batteries that I had stored for an emergency, LEAKED! So
the flashlights are all slowly dying, being over used by the
children, and being misplaced. The best source of light the last two
nights has been the pillar candles I've had in the cupboard for fancy
table settings. They seem to burn pretty slow and shed a lot of
light. I've gone through 3 and have 1 left. Wish I had a 20 pack of
those in my 72 hour pack. It would be nice not to worry about
running out. Small, light weight, energy efficient lanterns would be
nice too.

*Also, my next house will have a wood burning fire place. This all
would have been much easier if we could have been warm.

*Also, I'm buying all my kids a down comforter. We have one on our
bed and we've been fine at night, but the kids need 20 blankets piled
up to stay warm. (Actually, the older boys each have a two layer
fleece blanket which is pretty warm, but unfortunately, they're not
very big.)

(Poor little ***** had to spend yesterday in his snow suit to stay
warm. The poor little guy must be sensing the stress because he's
been quite out of sorts. He's always shivering (even when bundled)
and very clingy. The kids are all confused and upset but mostly
hanging in there. Like I said, it's been nice to have friends to
keep us company.)

Sorry, I'm rambling on and on but I've had all this stress for the
last two days and my main way to process is by writing my thoughts
down. So I've been going a little nuts feeling so disconnected.

A few more random thoughts:
*The last two days this thought kept running through my head "All are
safely gathered in.". I can't express enough how glad I was/am to
have my family around me. Please say a prayer for our many many
friends with deployed spouses. This is a very stressful time here
and it's really sucky for them to be apart. Also, please pray for
all the Japanese people who are missing or displaced. So sad.

*We were very blessed on base to have running (freezing cold) water.
Off base, sewer lines broke and contaminated the water supply they
weren't even supposed to touch it.

*Today we sang "I Need Thee Every Hour" at church. Has a lot of
meaning right now.

Okay, there are other people who need to use this computer. Everyone
on base is coming off base to try to contact family.

***** husband (Pilot) is at work trying to coordinate rescue efforts
so I should go down and help her take care of the multitude of
children and get everyone some lunch.

Please pray for us (us being everyone in Japan) and if you feel so
inclined, find a way to send some warm blankets to people who've lost
their homes. Don't know when I'll be back on-line again, but
hopefully soon.

Thanks to everyone for your concern. I knew (figured) there were
people praying for us back in the states and it helped to think about
that.

Household Utility Shut-off and Safety

Understanding the utilities in your house or apartment can not only come in handy for general upkeep, but is critical when an emergency strikes.  In case you missed, it, here are a few tips from our Relief Society activity last week.  A big thanks to Brother Whatcott for teaching us the tricks of the trade and for allowing us to post a couple videos on the site.

 

Electricity

Since electrical sparks have the potential to ignite natural gas leaks and can be dangerous in a flood, it's important to know how to turn it off.  Make sure you know where your circuit breaker inside and outside of your house or apartment are.  If you live in an apartment complex, the outside circuit breakers are generally clumped together somewhere outside the building, like this:

Here is a short demonstration on turning off your electricity:

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Water

Most homes have a main water shut-off valve located on an interior wall within the home, generally where the service line enters the house. If you experience a leak or flooding you can shut off the water flow inside the house by turning the valve off.  Like with most appliances, turn it to the right to shut if off (righty tighty) and the left to turn it back on (lefty loosey).

You can also shut off the water in the meter vault in front of your house.  Here's how:

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Natural Gas 
Here are some situations where you should turn off the gas meter:

• If there is structural damage to your home.
• If you smell natural gas.
• If you hear natural gas leaking.
• If there's a fire.
• If your natural gas isn't working after a disaster.

Below is a video showing you how to turn off your gas.  Since you are unable to turn natural gas flow back on without the help of the gas company, make sure there is really a need to cut the flow.

For some more tips on natural gas, see this brochure from Questar Gas.
 

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Furnace

Below is a video with a few tips on your furnace.  Make sure to replace your filter about every 6 months.  Brother Whatcott recommended using the cheaper air filters as opposed to the expensive ones, as they generally allow more air flow.

For more information on taking care of your furnace, here is a link to another brochure from Questar Gas.

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Water heater
And finally, here is some advice on turning off and maintaining your water heater.  In the case of an emergency, note that the water in your water heater is generally drinkable.

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Food Storage Friday - Granola Bars

For the last few weeks I've been on the search for a good granola bar recipe.  Something cheap sans high fructose corn syrup.  This one has the novelty of being versatile, easy, and very tasty!

No Bake Granola Bars
Adapted from Tasty Kitchen

You will need:

2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups chopped nuts (for example, walnuts, almonds or pecans)
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup dried fruit (for example, craisins, raisins or dates)
6 tablespoons oil or butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
6 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tsp vanilla

First, toast the oats, nuts, and coconut in a large skillet over medium heat until fragrant, stirring often. Remove to large bowl and toss with dried fruit.

Place oil or butter, sugar, cinnamon, honey, salt, and molasses in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until it comes to a rolling boil. Turn off heat, add vanilla and stir into oat mixture until evenly coated.

Spoon mixture onto a well greased 11x7 pan, pressing down. Place in fridge for about 30 minutes to firm up.

Cut into bars. Wrap individually in plastic wrap or parchment paper. Store at room temperature.

April's challenge: I dare you to cook it

• Try three new recipes that use food storage items OR adapt three of your family's favorite recipes to incorporate food storage items.
• Visit the Provident Living website (http://www.providentliving.org) and explore the section on "family home storage."

72-hour kits: The basics

Unfortunately, natural disasters can happen at anytime and most can happen just about anywhere.  In the case of an evacuation due to a natural disaster, having a 72-hour kit could save your life.  Since most relief organizations can take up to three days before they are able to reach all areas, having enough food and supplies for a three day period (72 hours) is ideal.  Also, as you may not be at home when a natural disaster strikes, consider keeping some additional supplies at work and in your car.

Although there are plenty of suppliers willing to sell you "standard" 72-hour kits, they can feasibly be made at home with a little effort (and will be more personalized too).  We will go into a few details later in the post, but for now let's just review the basics that go into a 72-hour kit:

1. Water
2. Food (with special considerations for infants and pets)
3.  First aid supplies/prescriptions
4. Clothing
5. Bedding
6. Sanitation supplies
7. Tools/survival supplies
8. Important family documents
9. Cash and coins
10. Individual needs

Pretty straightforward, right?  Now, let's break it down by category.  The idea here is not to make you feel overwhelmed, but to help you get ideas as you plan kits for you and your family.  If you don't know where to start, take it just one item at a time and go from there.  

Water

For a 72-hour kit, it is suggested to have at least one gallon of water per person per day.  A fairly active person generally drinks about one-half gallon per day.  When planning this out for your family, consider that individual needs vary.  For example, children, nursing mothers, and ill people will generally require more water.

Food

For your kit, pack at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food.  Make sure to pack a can opener (if you have cans) and eating utensils.  It is ideal to have food in your kit that:

• Is relatively lightweight
• Takes minimal effort to prepare (consider that you might not have time to make or access to a heat source)
• Is something your family would normally eat
• Has a shelf life of at least 6 months to a year
• Is individually packaged
• Doesn't take a lot of room
• Can be eaten "on the go"

A few ideas on ready-to-eat items are:

• Canned meats, fruits and vegetables
• Beef Jerky
• Canned juices or milk (if powdered, store extra water)
• Canned soups, beef stew, pasta (careful you don't make your pack too heavy)
• Protein or fruit bars
• Dry cereal or granola
• Trail mix
• Peanut butter/jelly
• Crackers
• Dried fruit/fruit leather/raisins
• Nuts
• Vitamins
• Food for infants or people with special dietary needs
• Comfort/stress foods

Other meal ideas that take a little more preparation are:

• MREs (Meal Ready-to-Eat)
• Heater meals (expensive, but comes with its own heat source and water)
• Dehydrated meals (takes more water to make)

First aid supplies

• Latex or sterile gloves
• Sterile dressings/gauze pads to stop bleeding
• Antibiotic ointment to prevent infection
• Burn ointment to prevent infection 
• Adhesive bandages
• Eye wash solution to flush the eyes or decontaminate
• Thermometer
• Scissors
• Tweezers
• Needle
• Moistened towelettes
• Antiseptic
• Tube of petroleum jelly or other lubricant
• Assorted sizes of safety pins
• Cleansing agent/soap
• Sunscreen
• Non-prescription drugs, such as pain reliever, ipecac (to induce vomiting, if advised by the Poison Control Center), antacids (for an upset stomach), laxatives.

Clothing *Include at least one complete change of clothing and footwear per person

• Jacket or coat
• Long pants
• Long sleeve shirt
• Sturdy shoes or work boots
• Hat, gloves, and scarf
• Rain gear
• Thermal underwear
• Sunglasses

Bedding

• Blankets or sleeping bags
• Tube tent or tarp

Sanitation Supplies

• Toilet paper
• Soap, liquid detergent
• Feminine supplies
• Personal hygiene items
• Plastic garbage bags, ties (for personal sanitation uses)
• Plastic bucket with tight lid
• Disinfectant
• Household chlorine bleach

Tools/survival supplies

• Mess kits, or paper cups, plates and plastic utensils
• Emergency preparedness manual
• Portable, battery-operated radio or television and extra batteries
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• Nonelectric can opener
• Utility knife
• Fire extinguisher: small canister, ABC type
• Pliers
• Tape
• Compass
• Matches in a waterproof container
• Aluminum foil
• Plastic storage containers
• Signal flare
• Paper, pencil
• Needles, thread
• Shut-off wrench, to turn off household gas and water
• Whistle
• Map of the area (for locating shelters)

Important Family Documents (Keep these records in a waterproof, portable container - many can be photocopies of the original)

• Scriptures
• Patriarchal blessing
• Family history records
• Legal documents (birth/marriage certificates, wills, insurance policies, contracts, deeds, stocks and bonds)
• Photo IDs, passports
• Social security cards
• Immunization records
• Bank account numbers
• Credit card
• Inventory of valuable household goods, important telephone numbers

Cash and coins
If a disaster were to happen, cash and coins are going to be your surest way of paying for things.  Make sure you carry enough change and $1, $5, and $10 bills.

Individual considerations: Any special items specific to your situation (for example: medications, glasses, diapers, etc.).  You may also wish to pack some entertainment (such as books or games) to help pass the time.

One final note: it's always a good idea to check your 72-hour kit every 6 months to a year to make sure it is up-to-date and nothing is spoiling.  For example, in our family we are starting the tradition of checking all our food storage items every General Conference weekend.  I know others that check it before canning season.