Tsunami Preparedness: What You Need to Know
Tsunamis are powerful, terrifying and very unexpected. While they are sometimes triggered by landslides or earthquakes, they can also occur when seismic activity happens deep in the ocean.
Ready.Gov describes the tsunami as follows:
Tsunamis, also known as seismic sea waves (mistakenly called “tidal waves”), are a series of enormous waves created by an underwater disturbance such as an earthquake, landslide, volcanic eruption, or meteorite. Earthquake-induced movement of the ocean floor most often generates tsunamis. If a major earthquake or landslide occurs close to shore, the first wave in a series could reach the beach in a few minutes, even before a warning is issued.
Planets Rotation
In 2017, a report by Forbes explored a link between the slowing of the earth’s rotation and increased seismic activity. These findings mention that in the near future, we could see seismic activity. i.e. earthquakes, in several previously unaffected locations.
Think you’re safe because you live in a notorious 'No Earthquake Zone'? Think again. You may need to brush up on your earthquake and tsunami preparedness, even if you live in an area that seldom experiences either.
Preparing for a Tsunami
A Tsunami Disaster Communication plan is critical and should include a quick evacuation plan for every member of your family. Copies of this plan should be kept inside your survival kits alongside important documents like deeds, ID, passports etc., and a list of important phone numbers.
Upon leaving your home and heading to higher ground, you must prepare to be away from your home for at least 72 hours. Our 4 person survival kit offers critical survival supplies and leaves room for you to include customized items to fit your family’s unique emergency needs.
Potential Threat: Poisoned Water
A tsunami will inevitably fill streets with water and may even damage water pipes as the rushing water makes landfall. As a result, this can significantly compromise the condition of local tap water. Survivors may then find themselves in the awful situation of being dehydrated and surrounded by water they can’t drink due to parasite and bacterial contamination.
Having a tool like a LifeStraw water filter on hand can be lifesaving in the aftermath of a tsunami. The LifeStraw is one of the most advanced compact water filters on the market, with technology that filters out pathogens to .02 macrons. Be sure to add one to your prep kit today!
Test Run
Don’t wait for a tsunami warning to give your Tsunami Disaster Communication plan a test run -- after all, practice makes perfect! During an emergency situation, acting quickly can mean life or death.
Making a plan and executing it perfectly can save lives and make the rescue process that much easier for first responders, be sure to practice your disaster communication plan at least twice a year.
Get Prepared, Stay Prepared.
As average people, we shouldn’t need an end-of-the-world scenario to show us the importance of disaster preparedness. This past year reminded us how much devastation natural disasters can cause and just how frail we are as human beings. Unfortunately, for many, preparedness is of utmost importance during or after an emergency situation, not before. But for the thousands of people who have been affected by life threatening emergency situations like hurricanes, fires and earthquakes, proper disaster preparedness proved to be a lesson they’d likely never forget.
“I really think that we have a long way to go to create a true culture of preparedness within our citizenry in America. No American, no citizen, no visitor to this country is immune to disaster.” - Brock Long, Chief of FEMA
If you think the natural disasters that occurred in 2017 are unlikely to repeat in 2018, you are alarmingly mistaken. Natural disasters are unpredictable, and those who take the time to prepare before a disaster occurs will have a significant survival advantage over those who do not.
Preparing for Threats
We are thrilled to announce that our 4-Person Premium Survival Kit with 72-Hours of Emergency Preparedness and First Aid Supplies was ranked #4 in Wiki.ezvid.com's 2018 list of the 10 Best Survival Backpacks.
A representative from Ezvid Wiki explained the scope of what they do, and its impressive.
“Compiled with twenty-eight hours of research, this newly published Wiki in the outdoors category is a broad-ranging, impartial assessment of survival backpack options available to consumers in the United States.”
This is a true honor and further assurance that our mission to provide customers with the very best in the emergency preparedness industry is being achieved.
“Founded in 2011, Ezvid Wiki was the world's first video wiki, and is now among the top 3,000 websites in the United States. Our YouTube channel has 265,000 subscribers, 156 million views since founding, and we have informed over $200 million in purchasing decisions to date."
The 4 Person Premium Survival Kit Breakdown
For those who may not be aware, lets take a deeper look into our 4-Person Premium Survival Kit. Our kit is broken down into two bags and designed to address 5 unique categories in emergency preparation.
- FIRST AID: When disaster strikes, minor injuries can quickly become major problems. Our disaster preparedness kit comes equipped with a 85-piece first aid kit, glowsticks, 5-1 emergency whistle (compass, flint, signal mirror, whistle and carrying case), leather palm work gloves and medical face masks
- WATER: In an emergency, one of the most important things to have on hand is clean drinking water. First My Family emergency kits are equipped with a 72-hour supply of emergency water, per person.
- FOOD: Time is of the essence during an emergency, and food is often forgotten. Our disaster survival kit comes with four 2400-calorie food rations packaged in easy grab-and-go bags for added convenience. Food is nut-free and produced from non-GMO ingredients for allergy sensitivities.
- SHELTER: When displaced by an emergency, you need the right tools to keep your family safe and sheltered. Our disaster preparedness kit includes emergency ponchos, mylar blankets, a Lifeline LED flashlight and a multi-function pocket knife.
- WARMTH: Disasters can leave you exposed to the elements, which is why survival preparation is vital. Our emergency kit for natural disasters contains body warmers and waterproof matches to keep your family warm.
Come fire, flood, storm or quake you will have a great base of preps to assure you are ready to face these threats. We all need to pay emergency preparedness the attention it deserves. This is particularly true of those with families.
The Importance of Personalized Emergency Preparedness
Of course, your survival kit doesn’t have to stop with the items our seasoned emergency and disaster professionals packed into it. Our team set out to create something that would carry a family of 4 through a common disaster, and the kits' contents include a broad range of base items that people from all walks of life can benefit from.
Of course, there is no way we could have personalized our kits for each one of our customers - that is where you come in. It takes personalization and an understanding of your unique personal qualities to truly create a survival kit that meets all your needs.
To do this effectively you must look at each living creature in your home and compile a list of their needs. What does it take to keep your dog Fido healthy? Do you have a child with eczema? You must store all the items you need in quantities that will standup to a disaster. How about medicines for special conditions and vision care?
You need to also consider entertainment. In this electronic age, must have options for when the lights go out and even when the batteries we packed drain away. Pack up your favorite books and your children’s favorite toys to keep the whole family busy until help arrives.
Use our survival kit to create a solid base for your emergency preparedness then add your personal touches to assure you have piece of mind in a disaster. Get prepared, stay prepared!
3 Predictions For The Season Finale Of The Walking Dead
And so, just like that, we’re once again at the finale of another Walking Dead season. After the skull-crushing cliffhanger from this time last year, what exactly can we expect from this Sunday’s send-off?
With as many loose ends as Negan has enemies, the extended episode should at least tie up a few of those and so, too, a lot of burning questions will be answered: Will Dwight and Daryl ever see eye-to-eye? Who exactly can Rick, and indeed Negan, trust? And, most importantly, will Rick ever snare a darn deer?!
Whilst the comic will inevitably throw up a number of theories as to how the season will close, here are some of the best bets for the storylines that will keep fans on tenterhooks until its return in October:
Friend or Foe? No longer will Dwight kneel. Not for Negan anyway. After uncomfortably kowtowing to the Savior leader for the whole of the season, it seems a tad unfair on the guy that the first request of his new savior, Rick, is for him to ‘get on his knees’. At gunpoint, no less. Having said that, he did launch an arrow through Denise’s eye – albeit accidentally – so fair’s fair. Not that that’s any consolation for Daryl, his intended target. It remains to be seen whether Dwight really has switched allegiances or whether he is some kind of dastardly double-agent, but the finale should go some way to clearing that up.
All Hell breaks loose: It’s safe to say that this finale – as with every preceding edition – will be action-packed, blood-soaked and yet, hopefully, cliffhanger-free. Ever since the mid-season finale, Rick has been on a relentless crusade to recruit numbers for Alexandria’s cause: to dispatch of Negan and his cronies. While that is - let’s be honest - unlikely, we’re still likely to see a fight unlike any that has gone before. With Alexandria, Hilltop, The Kingdom, Oceanside and the Scavengers all heeding the call to ‘rise up’, the Saviors could be about to get a taste of their own medicine. Negan, however, may be more prepared for the impending chaos than any of those groups would like to believe…
Divided loyalties and ‘little birdies’: In the penultimate episode of the season, Negan divulged to Sasha that a ‘little birdie’ had told him that Rick and his gaggle of cohorts were ‘up to no good’. With so many divided loyalties right now – Eugene and Dwight being the prime examples – it is unclear as to who Negan’s snitch is. Or indeed if he is simply bluffing. Could it be one of Alexandria’s allies? A Kingdom know-it-all, perhaps? Possibly a gossiping Gregory? Or maybe, just maybe, a Judas in the form of Jadis, the Scavengers’ leader? One thing’s for sure, as the old adage goes: snitches get stitches
With a six month break between the upcoming finale and Season 8, now is the perfect time to kill two birds with one stone and fill that zombie-shaped hole in your summer.
Fun, but functional, The Walking Dead Survival Kit and ZPAK combo is perfect for Walking Dead fans. Contained within a high quality military style messenger bag, the survival kit could prove to be invaluable in a Zombie apocalypse or, indeed, more generic emergencies, providing 72 hours worth of supplies.
Supplementing the survival kit in this value-for-money combo is the ZPAK or, to give it it’s full name, the Zombie Preparedness Apocalypse Kit. Contained within a ZPAK branded water bottle are the perfect additions to the survival kit. Contents include a custom carabineer, emergency whistle and other essential survival items, while there’s even Walking Dead-inspired ZPAK artwork included to tide you over until Rick and his pals return in the Fall.
Holiday Safety Tips
The holiday season is upon us and that means many of us are headed home to spend quality time with family, friends, and loved ones.
No matter your location, it cannot be denied that this is a beautiful time of year. However, just because it’s the holiday season doesn’t mean emergencies can’t occur without warning. So, it’s again tremendously important to take precautionary measures should the unexpected happen.
Keep Everyone Warm
Everyone likes to be warm, pets included!
As the months get colder and the days get shorter, be sure to have a strong supply of winter essentials like blankets, water-proof candles, coats, and sweaters. Be sure to add them to your home and car prep kits to help you conserve heat during the harsh winter months.
Stay Safe on the Road
Do you have an emergency preparation kit for your car? We sure hope so! For the many unexpected things that can happen while on the road, it's critical to have an up-to-date emergency prep kit at all times.
The 4 Person Premium Disaster Preparedness Survival Kit from First My Family is a perfect option for families looking to stay safe on the road. Should an emergency situation arise while out-and-about, this survival kit comes fully-equipped with 72 hours of survival and first aid supplies.
Running out of gas? Stuck in the snow? Plan ahead and stay prepared.
Great supplies may not be enough to stay fully prepared. Keep a list of emergency contact numbers in your vehicle should you need to call a tow truck, friend, or other emergency contacts.
Check Holiday Lighting
One of the things that can be easily overlooked is safety when it comes to our beloved holiday decorations. Make sure each connection is secure and kept at a safe distance away from small children and pets.
Additionally, keep an eye on the number of plugs you have from each outlet; overloading your outlets has the potential to cause a major fire emergency.
Lastly, if you are burning candles, keep them away from flammable objects like trees, decorations and gifts. Be sure to also use items like hot-pad holders and never leave your home without out putting your candles out completely.
Play Safe: Holiday Toy Safety
It is important to be safe when playing with toys this holiday season since there are many small, detachable parts that can be swallowed. Make sure to keep all toys away from small children and infants and/or monitor children when the toys are in use.
Also, we all know opening packages during the holidays can be a difficult task. Toys are often packaged tightly, prompting us to use sharp objects to open them. Take extra precaution when attempting to open all packages. Keep sharp objects away from children and do not allow them to open toys without adult supervision.
Be Prepared in Any Moment
Emergencies can occur at any time and in any moment, including the holiday season. Gather your family for a few moments to address your evacuation and safety plan for your home. Take the time now to prepare your family, and remember: there's no such thing and being too prepared!
Wishing you and your family a safe and happy holday season!
5 Emergency Preparedness Tips from Dad
Just in time for Father’s Day, we wanted to honor all those amazing dads out there who prepare their families for emergency situations through sharing the skills and knowledge needed to stay safe. Over the years, our Dad knew when something was on our mind, what to do to make us feel happy when we were sad, but also shared the importance of being prepared. Our dad continuously shared what steps to take in order to prepare for a disaster, so here are a few preparedness tips we’ve learned from the head of our household.
Make a plan with your family before disaster strikes
Always have a plan for your family before an emergency occurs so when one does you know exactly what steps to begin taking. Have a location and connection plan so you’ll know how to reconnect with your loved ones. Dad always said having a point person who lives out of the area to check in with is a good idea because making long distance calls are usually easier to do in a location-based emergency.
Have a Kit and Know What’s In It
It’s not enough to just have a disaster preparedness kit on hand if you have to know its contents or how to use them. The last thing you’re going to want to have to do in an emergency is figure out how to use your equipment properly. Familiarize yourself now and you won’t be sorry later. Take a look at our survival kits here.
Prepare For Pets
Pets are part of the family too and our dad always made sure to prepare for them ahead of time as well. You’ll want to customize a prep kit for them that includes food, leashes, bedding, and anything else you think they will need to evacuate the home.
Prepare an Emergency Contact Card for Each Family Member
Having an emergency contact card that you put in your wallet or purse can be very helpful and potentially lifesaving in any sort of emergency. For small children, a contact bracelet may be a good idea. Make sure the contact card includes all past medical history, allergies, as well as a local and out of town contact. This will make sure rescue workers have all the information they need during or after an emergency situation.
Practice Makes Perfect
Another important tip that our Dad gave us is that practice always helps make a plan go as smoothly as possible. He would suggest to practice any fire, evacuation, or emergency drill at least twice a year. If you know exactly what to do in an emergency you will be able to stay focused and clear, and feel more confident in quick decision making. Remember, less stress always leads to better results.
Stay safe and happy this Father’s Day and check back for more tips soon!
Are You Financially Prepared For An Emergency Situation?
Natural disasters can happen at any given moment. While having necessary supplies in case of an emergency situation is critical for survival, financial preparedness continues to be on the back burner for many people.
We must remember that even though a natural disaster’s focus is safety and survival, the recovery process can be extremely costly. Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005 serve as examples of just how costly natural disasters can be.
See the Top 5 Most Expensive Natural Disasters in History: http://ow.ly/Mo6u300ORtJ
Putting an extra debit card away in your preparedness kit may not be enough. Check out 3 tips to get you financially prepared for a disaster:
- Start a Separate Savings Account in your Bank
Already have a savings account? Avoid being tempted to spend money from your emergency fund. Make sure to keep your spending, savings, and emergency savings separate so you don’t end up borrowing money from the funds that could help you during a natural disaster.
- Put Cash Away in your Preparedness Kit
Power lines may be down during a natural disaster, or you may not have access to an ATM machine near your home. Put cash cash away in a discreet container, and be careful not to add too many smaller bills for the sake of space.
- Add a Pre-paid Debit Card to your Preparedness Kit
A great way to add diversity into your emergency fund is by adding a pre-paid debit card to your preparedness kit. This can be helpful in the event that a natural disaster results in banks to take security measures that may freeze accounts.
Get financially prepared and stay safe! We can help: FirstMyFamily.com
National Hurricane Preparedness Week 2016
National Hurricane Preparedness Week is May 15 through May 21, 2016. History has taught us that it is not enough to be aware of the many natural disasters that may threaten our families, we must prepare accordingly. With often speeds of over 160 miles an hour and more than 2.4 trillion gallons of rain a day, hurricanes are definitely among the deadliest of natural disasters. Is your family prepared for a potential hurricane threat? Even if you live nowhere near a hurricane zone, you never know what the future holds, which is precisely why preparedness is so important.
Peace of mind. Is that possible during or after a natural disaster? It may not be, but being prepared with a plan that includes specific steps for family members to take can definitely help provide direction during a time of uncertainty.
Download a family emergency plan today at: http://bitly.com/FamEmergencyPlan
A proper, functional preparedness kit could be the difference between life and death during a natural disaster. Injuries, lack of food, and of course weather are all situations that need to be anticipated, and therefore supplied in every preparedness kit. In the event that help is on the way to you and your family, tools for prolonged survival and are key.
Download a supply checklist today at: http://bit.ly/PrepSupplyChecklist
Whether you’re a preparedness pro or a curious beginner, we’re here to help throughout your entire preparedness journey. Begin building your family's emergency preparedness kit today: FirstMyFamily.com
Survival Lessons from Season 6 of The Walking Dead
Season 6 of the Walking Dead was a rollercoaster of emotions for all zombie-loving fans from across the nation. During these long months we witnessed some of our favorite characters face and overcome unimaginable survival odds leaving us to ask: “What would we do in this situation?”
It’s likely that you’ve uttered the same sentence with a friend, family member or loved one while watching the show, after all, the show’s characters are ordinary citizens of the world prior to the zombie outbreak.
As emergency and disaster preparedness pro’s and TWD fanatics, we took some survival notes on Season 6 of The Walking Dead to help you strengthen your skills in emergency prep, and increase your odds of survival. Take a look and stay safe:
Learn Key Skills
Learning skills in carpentry, masonry, gardening, and farming can prove to be extremely useful when building a survival shelter and living in remote areas for extended periods.
Learning CPR & First Aid can mean the difference between life and death; these skills can be used to help yourself and others during and after a disaster.
Learning to make your own ammunition may be put on the back-burner for some, but you may want to consider learning the skill now. After all, ammunition during a survival situation is key for protection.
- Helpful resources on CPR & First Aid from The American Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/cpr
- Helpful resources on ammunition from Off The Grid News: http://www.offthegridnews.com/self-defense/what-will-i-need-to-make-my-own-ammo/
Food & Water
Drinkable water is often hard to find and can be quite heavy to carry. Consider investing in a Lifestraw water filter so you’re able to filter filthy water into clean, safe drinking water (Lifestraw water filters take out more that 99% of bacteria).
Stockpile high-calorie, long-lasting foods and seeds for planting, we can think of more than a few moments during Season 6 where they were concerned about the food they stockpiled.
- Stockpiling tips from Skilled Survival: http://www.skilledsurvival.com/stockpiling-food-might-be-your-best-investment/
Customize Your Prep Kits
Every Emergency Prep kit should be customized to accommodate every member of your household. Special medications and supplies should be included in your kits (don’t forget: all of our FMF kits have enough room for extra survival supplies). Make sure to always include more than enough emergency medication that you know is critical to you and your entire family.
Emergency situations and natural disasters happen without warning, prepare accordingly to increase survival for you and your loved ones. From our family to yours, stay safe!
Emergency Response At Your Fingertips: 3 Must-Get Apps
These days there’s an app for just about everything, even for emergency preparedness. But with thousands of high-tech iPhone and Android applications to choose from, how do can you know which ones can actually be useful for you and your family during an emergency situation?
Our team did some research, browsed through some of the top-rated apps on the market and came up with 3 apps we believe every family should consider downloading as an additional step in emergency/disaster planning.
Check them out below and happy prepping!
- FEMA
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) app takes the number one spot. This comprehensive app includes:
- Alerts from the National Weather Service
- Disaster Reporter
- Custom emergency safety information
- Maps of disaster resources
- Safety tips
- Access to apply for federal disaster assistance.
- Information in Spanish
Download here: https://www.fema.gov/mobile-app
- Pocket First Aid & CPR.
Runner-up is the app from the American Heart Association. A few things this unique app offers:
- Detailed videos with life-saving information on how to respond in first aid situations like choking, CPR, seizures, cuts and wounds, and more.
- Device storage so a user can access information without cell phone reception
- ‘My Info’ tab to store family members’ medical information
Download here: http://appcomm.org/pocket-first-aid-cpr/
- Shelter Finder by American Red Cross
Last but certainly not least, this application maps shelter locations across the United States. In the event of a natural disaster, a user can choose a location and zoom into a local area to view nearby shelters and details like who’s managing the shelter, how many people are there, and of course, the specific shelter address and location. Another great feature is that if you’re looking to make a contribution, they make it possible to donate and help the American Red Cross give aid to those in need.
Download here: http://appcomm.org/shelter-finder-app-by-american-red-cross/
Stay safe, but most of all, stay prepared!
When It Comes To Prep, Don't Rely On Luck!
In the event of an emergency situation, we can’t all be lucky. In the words of Roman philosopher Seneca, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”
So take it from Seneca and take the time to prepare now, so that if and when a natural disaster or emergency situation strikes, you can create the best luck possible.
3 Things you can do now to prepare for an emergency situation:
- VIP Database
Who are your VIP’s? Your list of very important people may extend past your immediate family members. Aside from having all of your family’s most recent personal and medical information written down, consider also including the contact information of a trusted neighbor, a trusted co-worker and a key person from your local police/fire department.
- Prep Kit
It’s not enough just to have purchased an emergency preparedness kit. Is it up to date? Is it customized to accommodate each family member’s specific needs? Make sure the items within your home and car prep kits are up to date, and are still working properly, and don’t forget to include items for pets.
- Plan and Rehearse
Time is a precious thing, especially during a natural disaster or emergency situation. Have a game plan on what to do during and after an emergency situation, and rehearse it every few months. Remember, having a plan can be key to keeping the entire family from panicking.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day from First My Family, stay safe!