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Some of this first list is an edited excerpt from an article
that was printed in the XWARN March 2002 newsletter. the concept
here is to have a short term ( 4-6 hour ) kit ready at a moments
notice.
Be Ready to Roll
Have a kit or small bag packed ready to grab
it and go. In that bag pack the following
Keep in mind - the area that you are going to assist in will
probably be without power/heat, water and telephone services:
also, most business in the area will not be open due to this
fact, so keep this stuff packed and ready to roll.
Kit One - Radio Bag
- Your GCARES ID and Drivers license
- 1 or more HT’s, at least one being a Dual Band (remember
Murphy's Law)
- The dry cell battery pack and extra batteries. (It
is easier to find a store selling alkaline batteries enroute
than a
place to plug in your charger for 6 hours in a disaster.
Remember, - no power. The batteries can be rotated out semi-annually
)
- The car charger cord for your HT's.
- A copy of your radio manual or a cheat sheet. (make this up ahead of
time)
- A headset w/ mike - can keep both hands free
- Your GCARES Binder - See recommended contents HERE.
- A notebook / logbook and clipboard.
- Several pens and pencil's, (they always seem to disappear.)
- Your "favorite" pain relievers - aspirin / Tylenol
/ Advil / sinus / Rolaids / Chap stick / hand cream / throat
lozenges / Imodium / sun block / mosquito repellant / etc*.
- Any prescribed medications.- (Most non-refrigerated
medications have a shelf life of up to 18 to 24 months. You
can safely keep a 2 day supply in a small bottle in your kit
and rotate them thru about every 6 months.**
Check with
your Doctor or Pharmacist about your particular prescriptions.) Ed
Determine the number of hours / days your jump-kit is set-up
for and plan for how many of each type of OTC and RX
medication you will need.
- A multi-tool like Gerber or Leatherman or a Swiss Army
knife. Get a good one. Lesser brands are not reliable.
- Any special size tools your radio uses like tiny
screwdrivers, etc.
- A GOOD flashlight! AND Extra batteries! (I recommend NOT
keeping the batteries in the flashlight. Flashlights have a
habit of turning themselves on in the bag and burning out
the first set of batteries.)
- A "Top Spot" "Head light" that fits on your head or clips
on a hat.
- For product suggestions, go to N8ACU web site HERE
- $$CASH$$! If the phones are out, so will be the ATM
Machines.
Oversized Items
- Mag-mount antenna(s) for your radio(s)
- Don't laugh - a Pizza Pan. - works great as a portable
ground plane on 5/8 wave 2 meter magnetic mount antenna's.
This way, if your assigned an inside post, you don't have to
keep running out to your vehicle.
- A green or orange day-glow vest imprinted with
"Emergency Communications" for visibility and
identification / recognition.
- Magnetic "Amateur Radio Communications" signs - identifies your vehicle.
- Jumper cables.
- A serious First Aid Kit.- For detailed suggested list, go HERE.
- Battery operated AM/FM radio or mini AM/FM radio /
TV.
The perishable items can be replenished a
couple of times a year to prevent batteries or medications from
becoming stale. Prescription and OTC drugs usually have a shelf
life up to 18 to 24 months.
*Brand names
listed here are registered trademarks of the respective
companies.
Being listed here is not a recommendation of any
particular product, but simply used as examples.
** This information comes from the author's 18 years experience
working in the Pharmacy industry.
As always, talk with your Doctor or Pharmacist about your particular
prescriptions. |
11/12/02