Disaster Kit

When the 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit Christchurch in early September, there were many residents left unprepared. Some lost their homes, nearly all were without power and water, and plenty were left wondering how they were going to cope.
So what does the average family need to do in order to prepare for a natural disaster?
The answer is simple. A well-organised emergency disaster kit will keep your family in food and water and provide other essentials when there are no services available.
There is a wealth of information out there on what a good disaster kit should contain and here we cover all the essentials you and your family will need in an emergency.
Whilst the contents of your kit are vital, where you store it and how accessible it is are also crucial. For instance, in a true emergency situation, you may need to access your kit immediately and leave your home. The structural integrity of your home may be comprised, so the last thing you want to do is have to climb into a dangerous attic space. In planning your kit, find somewhere suitable to store it, keep all your emergency items in one place and inform the entire family where your kit will be located.

The most important part of your survival kit is water. While we can survive for days, if required, without food, no human can survive without water. Each person will need at least three litres of clean, quality drinking water per day and water will also be required for cleaning. That’s 36 litres of drinking water for the average family of four, for a period of three days, or 54 litres for a family of six. Store drinking water in plastic bottles, with each bottle filled to the brim with water, along with five drops of household bleach. Make sure there are no air gaps and repeat this process each year, even if the water still looks fine. Store the bottles in a dark place.

The other key to your disaster kit is food. Stock up on non-perishable items like canned food, along with a can opener. Storing a gas barbeque or other cooking apparatus will allow you to cook food and boil water in case of contamination.
Additional emergency items include a torch and a radio, both with suitable spare batteries that are designed to be durable and last for substantial periods of time. In the recent earthquake, many residents were left unconnected with the outside world and for hours after the quake it was pitch black.
You will also need a quality first aid kit, blankets or sleeping bags, large rubbish bags or a large bucket as a temporary toilet and adequate pet supplies. If you have a baby or a small child, ensure you have spare formula, suitable food and nappies.
If you don’t want to assemble your own kit from scratch, there are good quality kits available for purchase at Mitre 10, which contain all the necessary items. The Quell Disaster Relief Kit by Chubb is a quality product available early 2011.
The kit is supplied in a bag and includes comprehensive first aid items, rope, waterproof matches, tarpaulin, light sticks, a good knife and a radio torch to name a few.
Regardless of the kit you purchase, your focus must be on quality, not price, as there is no point having equipment that will fail you in a true emergency. 
For more information about how to cope in an emergency or how to prepare your disaster kit, go to www.getthru.govt.nz.