2009 Preparedness Plan
September Summary
(taken from Syracuse 6th Ward Plan)
Spiritual Goal:
Strengthen your testimony by sharing it.
Emergency Preparedness Goal:
Add $20.00 in coin and small bills in your “cash stash”. You should have now
have $180.00.
Fire starting kit: candle, butane lighter, waterproof matches, etc.
Infant needs kit: (if you have a little one at home or someone with special needs, don’t forget the basics of what you’ll need for them).
Food Storage Goal:
Fuel: Candles, flashlights, batteries, matches
Condiments: Catsup, mustard, mayo, salad dressing
Fuel: Fuel should be a part of our basic storage plan. However, it is a real challenge to store fuel properly and safely. The most important way we use fuel is in the preparation of food. There are many emergency (non-electric) ways of cooking. Barbeque grills, camp stoves, Dutch ovens, portable can cooking devices and even solar ovens (fuel-less) can be used. All fuels will need good ventilation (must use outside) as they all need oxygen to burn and will give off toxic CO gas. Having several propane tanks in storage can provide many weeks of cooking with your barbeque grill or camp stove. Please be aware that propane and white gas can be very dangerous and explosive, so store them safely. Charcoal briquettes for Dutch ovens are much safer to store. With Dutch ovens, you can have warmth and cook just about anything with these ovens. There are also several types and sizes of canned heat. Solar ovens use the energy of the sun to cook and purify water. Its main disadvantage is that no cooking can be done when it is night and on bad weather days. We have some ward members that use them and I would encourage you to ask them how they work out for them.
Emergency Lighting: Flashlights are the most common form of emergency light. Having working batteries on hand is or biggest challenge. Please contact me, if you are interested, in an info sheet on battery storage. Lanterns usually give off more light and last longer than flashlights. Different types of lanterns are: propane, kerosene, candle and battery. Lightsticks are small, odorless and use no fuel. Some can last up to 12 hours. Candles are inexpensive and lightweight and have a long storage life. A combination of different light sources can be very helpful in an emergency situation.
Heat for living areas: Blankets and clothing will work just fine to stay warm. Woodstoves, fireplaces, kerosene and propane heaters can be used. Generators are great but fuel storage is the biggest issue.
Challenge:
As a family, take an inventory of your “fuel”. Do you have new batteries? Do you know where your flashlights are? Do they work? Do you have extra propane tanks for the BBQ grill? Do you have plenty of matches? Make this a fun activity for the whole family.
