This week we add something I think would come in handy for even a short power outage – a manual can opener. Frankly I find it helpful even during those times when for some reason the electric can opener we have isn’t cooperating with me and the can. I will keep trying a few times…
Category: Public Works
Build a Kit – Wrench or Pliers – Week 12
Disaster or not, it’s always helpful to have a good wrench or pliers handy. However, there are so many types, it might be difficult to choose what would be best for our kit. Pliers Below are common features of pliers to choose between: Fixed vs adjustable – fixed pliers only open to a set width…
Build a kit – Garbage Bags – Week 11
It’s looking like this week should be an easy add to our kit. We will be buying garbage bags and moist towelettes and will just pick them up during our weekly grocery shopping trip. The only other option I would consider would be to buy contractor garbage bags rather than the type sold at our…
Build a Kit – Dust Mask – Week 10
We will be adding a dust mask to our preparedness kit this week. Having worked on different types of home improvements over the years, I already knew there were several types of masks available. I’ve used one like the mask in the photo above when I was sanding drywall. But when I was pregnant and…
Build a Kit – Buy a Whistle – Week 9
While initially I thought this would be an easy week since the goal is to buy a whistle, I started realizing, I’m not sure I know where whistles are even sold. Of course to find out I just went to Google and searched. It looks like Walmart sells standard silver whistles like the one…
Build a Kit – First Aid Kit – Week 8
A first aid kit is always a good thing to have on hand. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has a citizen preparedness guide: Are You Ready? with a checklist of suggested First Aid Supplies. They include: Adhesive bandages, various sizes 5†x 9†sterile dressing Conforming roller gauze bandage Triangular bandages 3†x 3 
Noncompliant ADA Facilities – Playground Access – How would you fix it?
The other day I was visiting a community in Illinois for the day and met a local person who was very excited about the new playground equipment being installed in his neighborhood. He encouraged me to check it out since he said it was the first time the community had upgraded the site since his…
Build a Kit- Flashlight/Batteries – Week 7
Last week, the weather radio we purchased came with a flashlight so we would not need to go out and get another one for our kit. We also all have flashlights on our phones. But with eight people, we figured it couldn’t hurt to get a standard flashlight for our kit. Plus Menards has a…
Build a Kit – Weather Radio – Week 6
This week we are going to focus on making sure we know what is going on during an emergency or disaster to help us make good decisions regarding our safety. Emergency preparedness sites recommend using a weather radio to receive notifications and information about a hazardous event. In researching what to buy I quickly discovered…
Build a Kit – Food – Week 5
Now that we have our water supply, next on the list is food. The suggestion is to store a 3-day supply of non-perishable food for each person. As I mentioned last week, we have eight people in our family. One is younger than two so the portions for him are probably not going to be…