#41

For those of you who like scientific things and especially earthquakes, there is a web site that is provided by the USGS and it has lots of fascinating information. In the following link, it shows earthquakes that have happened in the last hour in red, blue for any others today and yellow for the last week in the U.S. including the islands and Alaska.

As I am looking at it now, 786 instances are showing for the past week in our great land. It shows a fairly strong one reported by the news services between Salina and Green River and two just west of us in Eastern Nevada during the past week. Most are small shakers. Here is the link. From here you can go to other fun lists on the web site. Look at the Real-time Worldwide for a global display. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsus/

If you think you felt an Earthquake, you can even get online and report it and be a part of a worldwide response system that gives up-to-date data on Earth movement and makes it available to anyone, anywhere in the world within seconds of its occurrence! USGS will follow with actual data from its web of seismograph stations with the intensity and the exact location of the Earthquake.

I guess this has no connection to preparedness, but who do you think is the official timekeeper of the United States? If you guessed the U.S. Navy, you are right! Here is a web site that will show you the exact time in any part of the country. http://tycho.usno.navy.mil/simpletime.html

And, now back to great ideas from the studio audience: Fenton Moss suggests that if your water is shut off or not available, you are still going to get dirty; maybe even more so. How much of your water supply would you use up taking a shower like you do now? Probably more than 400 percent (and how are you going to heat and pressurize it to give you that therapeutic wash down you usually take?) Well, Bro Moss suggests that while in the service, they had to bathe in the amount of water that would fill a helmet! Well, he suggests that everyone have a 3 gallon pressure weed sprayer and use that for a shower. Get wet, soap, and rinse off. That easy and have enough water left for another 2 showers or maybe more. Thanks Bro. Moss for that idea. Please use a clean one!

Many of you may be a little intimidated by the computer generation and all of the references I keep making to the Internet. I don’t want to leave you behind by doing this and so if there is something you want to know that we have discussed in this insert, please do not be embarrassed to ask. I have posted a brochure on the ward bulletin board which is from the Department of Homeland Security with ideas for ‘Older Americans.’ Behind the second page is a sign up sheet for personal copies of the brochure. Please sign up and I will see that you get a full sized copy for your own use.

For those of you who have internet access, there is an interactive plan maker that guides you through the development of an emergency plan, then prints it out for sharing with family and friends, so that communication during an emergency will be facilitated. You may also decide to not do it on-line in which case, they have provided a worksheet for Excel and Word. http://ready.adcouncil.org/beprepared/fep/index.jsp

The web site for the Homeland Security and FEMA that helps us be ready for a disaster or emergency is appropriately called, “Ready America” the byline is, “Prepare, Plan, & Stay Informed.” That should be our motto too.

Finally, as I remarked a few months ago and as the revised church publication “All is Safely Gathered In,” states, we need to have enough supplies set aside for ourselves and our neighbors. I would think that this might cause some varied responses in our hearts and minds as we consider taking something that has been a real sacrifice for us and be prepared to share it with someone who has had the same instructions we have had and for whatever reason, have not put sufficient away for their needs. We also need to be ready to share equally with members of other faiths. I suggest that you resolve this issue in our own minds before the time comes to be confronted by it. I also suggest that this might be the time to become informed about what educational materials are available from the Church and from “Ready America,” and start being pro-active with your extended family, friends and neighbors. The more we all get aboard on this effort, the easier it will be for all of us when a real emergency arrives. I will discuss more on printed resources next week.

gv3grant@gmail.com 435 628-2739 http://rupreparedgv3.blogspot.com

#40

It has been almost a year since we started this insert. It seems time to update our lists of things to have on hand if an emergency should come. It may seem like there are just about as many lists as there are imaginations of what could happen. Each of you will have peculiar needs as well, so it is very important to look at all of the lists and adapt them to your family. As soon as you think of something that has not shown up on any list but that is important to you, add it to your pack and update your list.

It is time also to rotate the food and clothing items and any other perishables in your packs. Make sure you check batteries and if they are installed in radios or flashlights, take them out and make sure they are not leaking. Be sure to have an extra set outside of the radio or flashlight and test them to make sure they are fully charged. If the batteries have leaked, take them out and toss them. You may not need to discard the flashlight or radio or other appliance. Try carefully wiping out any white powdery oxide stuff with a cloth soaked in bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and water. Careful not to get water into the electronic compartments. After cleaning, you can clean the contacts with a typing eraser to remove anything that would interfere with a good connection to the battery.

Cell phones are going to be a great resource to have when a large scale emergency happens. Remember however, that there may not be power to charge your batteries. How frustrating that would be to have this device but have a dead battery and a need to contact family inside or outside of a disaster area. You might consider watching for solar chargers for your important devices. Solar cell phone chargers are available for prices ranging from $20 to more than $100 and are just beginning to come on the market. Not all phones are supported yet but keep watching the market.

Records are the other thing you need to think about as you prepare your emergency response. In the lists on the back, I have a section on what you need to have with you if you have to leave the home. There is another side to records that I will spend another week on and that has to do with photos, family history records both digital and hard copy and other family treasures.

‘Thumbdrive’ (computer/photos/genealogy) scanned documents (important papers from above)

Personal Hygiene (teeth/hair/body/feminine)

Extra keys (work/cars/house)

Wallet ($50+cash / CC/ temple ID)

Lightsticks(3)/Flashlight/batteries

Emergency blanket/poncho/Kleenex

Evacuation Plan (places/maps/addresses)

Entertainment (cards/games/book/drawing)

Favorite Toy/blanket (child)

Emergency Food (3+ days)

Water Bottles (4) + bottle filter

Pocket Knife/matches (adult)

First Aid Kit/Moleskin/work gloves/N95 masks

Id’s/photos (/family photo)

Consecrated oil

Gum, 12 piece pack

lotion/sunblock/chapstick/brush/large trash bags and ties

*Important papers: Documents: Put your important papers, records and documents in grab and go bag. (Keep extra set in freezer will protect in case of fire)

Bank Account Numbers Passports, Birth, Death, Marriage Certificates Social Security Numbers, Charge Card Accounts and Contact Numbers, Stocks and Bonds, Deeds, Contracts, and Loan Wills, House and Life Insurance Policies, Baptism & Priesthood Cert., Family History-memory stick, Car Titles, Phone numbers/address of family/friends, Photos (on CD/mem.stick), Computer files, mem. stick Medical Info (shots, doctors, Prescription numbers and other relevant information for refils)

OK, There are some terms like mem. Stick, thumb drive and CD that you may not recognize. These are ways to store computer documents and can store large amounts of documents & pictures in a very small unit, but you need a computer to get access to them again. Get your favorite computer genius to explain all this.

gv3grant@gmail.com 435 628-2739 http://rupreparedgv3.blogspot.com

If you have to evacuate your home in a hurry, know what order you will take the things you have time to retrieve and a plan the evacuation. Many of you are all to familiar with that scenario both from personal experience or just helping someone else. Have you ever stood at the door and just knew you were forgetting something? These lists will help.