1) The document provides guidance on emergency preparedness by explaining why it is important to prepare for emergencies through reducing fear, increasing survival odds, and learning valuable skills.
2) It emphasizes preparing for the most common causes of death and injury like heart disease, cancer, accidents, and falls rather than unlikely events.
3) The document outlines essential equipment and supplies to have at home like fire extinguishers, first aid kits, flashlights, and at least a week's supply of water and food as well as planning strategies like identifying shelter options and communication plans.
2. WHY PREPARE?
• Reduce fear and anxiety
• Increase odds of survival for you and your family
• Ability to assist coworkers, neighbors and community
• Learn valuable survival skills applicable to a variety of situations
3. PRIORITIZING PREPAREDNESS
BASED ON NUMBERS
Zombie Apocalypse?!?!?!
Very unlikely, let’s start with the leading causes of death and injury in the United States*. Then we can
take a look at practical planning, supplies, equipment, knowledge and prevention
(*as most data is broken into age-groups, physical demographics etc. We will generalize data to fit most demographics)
4. BY THE NUMBERS - DEATHS
Cause of Death Number of Deaths Per Year Death Rate (per 100,000 people)
Diseases of the Heart 596,339 191.4
Malignant neoplasms (cancers) 575,313 184.6
Chronic Lower Respiratory
diseases
143,382 46
Cerebrovascular diseases 128,931 41.4
Accidents (unintentional injuries) 122,777 39.4
Alzheimer’s disease 84,691 27.2
Diabetes mellitus 73,282 23.5
Influenza and pneumonia 53,667 17.2
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and
nephrosis
45,731 14.7
Intentional self-harm (suicide) 38,285 12.3
Source: CDC National Vital Statistics Reports
5. BY THE NUMBERS - INJURIES
• This varies widely between age groups and other demographics
In very subjective order, the top 5 injuries in the US (resulting in a hospital visit)
Unintentional: Fall
Unintentional: Overexertion
Unintentional: being struck by / against
Unintentional: motor vehicle occupant (accident)
Unintentional: cut / pierce
Source: CDC National Vital Statistics Reports
6. THE NUMBERS - ANALYSIS AND TAKE AWAY
• Emergency preparedness means being prepared for ALL types of
emergencies; especially the most common causes of death and injury
• Accidents are common, preparedness is just as important as
prevention
• YOU might be the one injured or incapacitated, it is important to train
your family, friends and co-workers to be prepared for emergencies
8. EVERYDAY ITEMS YOU SHOULD
HAVE IN YOUR HOME
• Fire extinguisher in your kitchen AND bedroom
• Smoke detectors in every major room / hallway
• Carbon monoxide detectors near your kitchen and heating system
• Easily accessible first aid kit with chewable Aspirin
• Gas masks (1 for every person) in bedrooms
• Fire ladders for any rooms above the 1st floor of your building / house
• Easily accessible list of phone numbers (poison control etc.)
• Flashlights with batteries in every bedroom
• Location specific essentials (life jackets, warm gear etc.)
9. NOW WE’VE COVERED THE EVERYDAY BASICS…
BUT WHAT IF A REAL EMERGENCY HAPPENS?
11. BUGGING IN OR BUGGING OUT?
• Bugging In: staying in your home, office etc. to “wait out” a disaster. This
basic plan constitutes a focus on supplies, power and security
• Bugging Out: evacuating your home , office etc. to seek alternate shelter or
emergency accommodations like tornado shelters, high ground or a friend’s
house. This basic plan constitutes a focus on equipment, mobility and light
supplies
• Why not both? Depending on the emergency situation, it could be more
advantageous to bug in, or alternately to bug out (bug out bag in your car
& house, bug in kit in your house)
12. PLANNING AND PREPARATION
• Familiarize yourself with possible emergency scenarios and how they would impact
you and your surroundings (earthquake, tsunami, flood, tornado etc.)
• Talk to emergency responders and city planning officials to find out about area
logistics (“old” dam, flood areas, tornado shelters, evacuation plans etc.)
• Create a community of survivors; as large as your whole neighborhood or as small as
you and your dog; there is always emergency survival strength in numbers
• Go over emergency options with your family / community; identify escape routes,
alternate shelter, emergency / medical services, meeting places & communication
• Finalize emergency plans with contingencies based off of everything above
(training and practice come after you gear up)
14. DEFINING SUPPLIES
• Supplies: consumable / disposable materials such as food and firewood used
in emergency preparedness and survival situations
15. EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES
• Equipment:
• Power source(s) (generator, standing bike generator, alternative energy sources such as solar, wind,
geo-thermal etc.)
• Light sources (flashlights, lamps, glow sticks, mirrors etc.)
• Communication equipment (hand-wind radio, shortwave / long wave radio, signal flares, satellite
phone etc.)
• Warm / waterproof clothing (ponchos, down, heavy boots, gloves, goggles etc.)
• Weaponry / security (dogs, non-lethal weapons, “analogue” security systems, booby-traps etc.)
• Supplies:
• Water, Water Water! (potable water, water filtration systems, water sanitizing systems, water collection
technology, well or water pumps etc.)
• Food (MRE’s, canned food, dried food, protein bars etc.)
• Prescription pills, Basic pharmaceutical pills & Vitamins (essential prescribed medications, blood
coagulants / anti-coagulants, pain killers, iodine tablets, antibiotics, antihistamines, anti-
inflammatories, essential vitamins etc.)
• Basic living amenities (toilet paper, feminine hygiene products, sanitizing wipes, cleaning supplies,
soap, toothpaste, isopropyl alcohol, trash bags etc.)
• Consumable heat / power (batteries, firewood, fuel, white gas etc.)
• Vice (cigarettes, spirits, etc.)
16. TRAINING AND PRACTICE
• Train yourself, family and survival community in basic first aid, non-electronic
communication, basic survival skills and general preparedness
• Organize “practice runs” with your family and survival community by going
over your different proposed scenarios and action plans
• Test yourself, your family and your survival community by carrying your bug
out bag for a long distance, sleeping in a shelter overnight and utilizing your
survival equipment in the field
• Identify meet up spots, special communication and run through
contingency plans with your family and survival community
17. KEY TAKEAWAYS IN EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
• Balance in prep: not too much, not too little
• Keep it simple: plan for adaptive thinking and forecasting contingencies
• Strength in numbers: the more prepared / trained people in your survival
community, the better your chances are for survival
• Customize your planning, training, equipment and supplies: Don’t just buy a
pre-made emergency kit; purchase your own specific materials based on
your plans and environment. Learn the skills instead of just buying a book
• You are on your own! Do not rely on emergency responders or services to
help you in times of disasters or massive emergencies
• Desperate times = desperate measures: people are at their worst when they
are hungry and desperate, be prepared to defend yourself, family and
resources
18. EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
RESOURCES
• Equipment and Supplies:
• Cheaper Than Dirt!
• The Key To Survival
• Go-Preppers.com
• Quake Kare
• Ready Store
• Information and Resources
• Pinterest?
• SF72.org (for San Francisco)
• Ready NYC (for New York)
• Ready.gov
• CDC Emergency Preparedness
• Red Cross Emergency Preparedness