Why do you need a 72 Hour Kit?
There are many types of disasters and emergencies: fires, floods, earthquakes or man-made disasters. You and your family may need to survive on your own after an emergency. Having sufficient supplies such as food, water, medicine and emergency essentials is important. Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster but they cannot reach everyone immediately. You could get help in hours or it might take days. It is estimated that after a major disaster, it may take up to three days for relief workers to reach some areas.
Additionally, basic services such as electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment and telephones may be cut off for days or even a week, or longer. Your supplies kit should contain items to help you manage during these outages.
At a minimum, all individuals and families should have at 72-Hour Kit (Basic Disaster Supplies Kit). Try to assemble your kit well in advance of an emergency. You may have to evacuate at a moment’s notice and take essentials with you. You will probably not have time to search for the supplies you need or shop for them.
The six basic groups of disaster supplies you should have in your home
- Water
- Food
- First aid supplies
- Clothing, bedding and sanitation supplies
- Tools
- Special items
The contents of your 72-hour kit will vary based on the needs of your family. The State of Utah provides an excellent checklist to assist in preparing your kit. Prepackaged 72-hour kits can be purchased from several sources including the Red Cross.
Maintaining your 72-hour kit
Just as important as putting your supplies together is maintaining them so they are safe to use when needed. Your 72-hour kit should be refreshed at least annually.
Other items
In addition to a 72-hour kit, you may also want to prepare:
- A “go bag” that contains copies of valuable papers that may be needed in the event that you need to evacuate quickly.
- A “get me home” kit in the car and/or at work. This is a kit to enable a person to get back home from work in an emergency where all roads and public transport have broken down. It is designed around personal circumstances where, for example, a long walk might be required from work to home. The “get me home” kit can include enough water to get home, suitable walking shoes, a map (not electronic), enough food for 12 hours, clothing for adverse weather, etc.