Resilience - Putting the pieces together

 

I understand the frustration and the feeling of being overwhelmed with being prepared. I understand because I am still there. This is a journey for me as much as it is for you. As mentioned in previous articles preparedness is unique to you and your personal and family circumstances. What is important to you might not being as high of a priority for someone else. 

However, the fundamentals, the foundations, are that we all require the same basic needs - Water, Food, Warmth and Shelter. This comes from Maslows hierarchy of needs, a well known and accepted theory depicting the psychological needs of Humans. I think it would be safe to assume that if you are reading this then you have probably satisfied the foundations of the pyramid, and now you want to make sure you can maintain these needs in cases of emergency.

Where to start?

Financial wellbeing - You can't prepare for emergencies if you can't afford to pay the bills and put food on the table. As we all know financial pressures are at an all time high with increasing costs, the average credit card debt per household has now reached £2,321. Start with a monthly budget and check your eligibility for financial support. If you are relying on credit cards and loans to maintain your essentials then prioritise your accommodation costs, food, transportation for work, council tax and utilities. Step change are a fantastic charity who can provide direct debt support. Building financial stability will provide you far greater security in the first instance than having 72 hours of food and water.... this will come. UK Personal Finance provide a really helpful flowchart to start your journey to financial stability. I am not a financial advisor so do seek advice.

Physical wellbeing - You will find countless articles, YouTube channels detailing bugout bag items, everyday carry items, and evacuating when the SHTF. If you are not in a healthy state this would make the process significantly harder and less able to support loved ones. Physical wellbeing is not solely exercising but includes, a healthy diet, sufficient sleep, and hydration. The benefits exceed you being able to bug out by, preventing chronic disease, increasing self confidence and increasing your energy levels.

72 Hours

72 Hour Supply - Why 72 hours? The first 3 days following an emergency are critical for survival as the emergency services may well be overwhelmed - while you may be concerned of the response given the current situation with our public services, let me reassure you by saying there are measures in place to step up in response to major incidents. However, by having a few days supplies you are enabling you and your family some time of self sufficiency and therefore reducing the pressures on the emergency services. 

What to include;

1. Water - The W.H.O recommends you store 3 litres per person per day - however 10 litres should make you significantly more comfortable. Uses would include hydration, washing and cleaning.
2. Food - Try to stock what you would normally eat to reduce waste and allow for easy rotation. Ideally you would want to store non-perishable items that require minimal water and energy to cook. If you have a baby remember to factor in formula, even if they are breast fed in case you become separated or mum becomes unwell or injured. Also account for any pets you may have.
3. Fire - lighters and matches. You could include waterproof matches also
4. Heating - Depending on your home situation, logs and kindling if you have a log burner, indoor safe heater for all other situations, blankets - and consider additional blankets for your car.
5. Cooling - Think of standing fans, battery handhelds and larger air cooling units - power capacity dependant
6. Medical supplies - We don't need to be stocking a pharmacy, but think of the basics; Pain relief such as Paracetamol, Ibuprofen, antihistamines, good quality plasters, thermometer - tympanic is a good choice. If you have children, get the appropriate alternative for pain relief. Additionally, if you or a family member takes regular medication, ensure they have sufficient supplies to last for 3 days or more. Purchasing a first aid kit is a good start and will provide you with the basics of what you may need. Build on this over time to cover a wider range of injury and illness management. 
7. Hygiene - Hand sanitiser to complement good hand washing, wet wipes, sanitary products, soap
8. Documents - All insurance documents, passports (including photocopies), local area maps, family photos.
9. Power -Power banks are a very good way to charge small devices, they are small and durable and do not cost and arm and a leg. If your budget allows it you can look to expand this to a solar generator - keep in mind the charging rate is significantly longer in poor weather, or consider a petrol generator, this is a loud alternative that will require fuel storage.
10. Communication - Mobile phone in the first instance but during large scale emergencies the network can become overloaded and make it extremely difficult to make a connection. Consider the use of hand held radios. Communications also include a radio to listen to local news and announcements, ideally this will have multiple sources of power e.g.  USB, battery, crank or solar.
11. Cash - It is a good idea to keep money in physical form, enough to get your through a few days should you need to buy anything. Power outages will cause cash machines and card readers to be inoperable.

Have your plan - No plan survives first contact with the enemy. Never have truer words been said. However, that doesn't mean don't plan. It means have flexibility, be able to adapt to change, and overcome the challenges you are presented with. What is your plan? was recently written and provides advice on developing a family plan. Remember to test your plan, make sure everyone is aware of it and remain flexible. 

Know when to leave

Whether you have prepared for 3 days or 3 weeks external factors such as flooding may force you to move earlier than you would have wanted. For this you will need discuss at what trigger point will you say, "now is the time to leave". This is an individual choice which is based on personal circumstances, how prepared you are and how severe the situation is. It is up to you to know the limitations of you and your family. Additionally listen to announcements on the radio, T.V or on your phone, this is vital to get up to date advice from local authorities or the emergency services.

Bug out bag - 'bugging out' refers to the act of leaving somewhere quickly. Leaving quickly shouldn't mean leaving unprepared. Just as you stored emergency supplies, you should store a bag(s) to ensure you are able to leave promptly with the essentials you need. The need to leave your property may be more common than you think. Scenarios such as sinkholes and unexploded ordinance which are fairly common if you included unexploded WW2 bombs, will force an evacuation of the areas lasting from a few hours to days and in worst case scenario weeks. 

What you pack into your bag will depend on the type of emergency and how long you expect to be away from home. You will hear some suggestions to keep a bag packed at all times, while this may be feasible for some for others costs may prevent this. Much of what you have stored for the 72 hours is what you will need to take with you at a reduced amount that is able to be carried. How and when you back is a decision for you, factor in whether you will be leaving on foot or by car and ensure each family member has a bag of essential items for them and to spread the load.

Making the first steps are always the hardest. Once you you start the rest should fall into place if you remain consistent. Let me know what else should be mentioned or what experiences you have had. 

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