Low-Cost and No-Cost Emergency Preparedness Measures

Small steps today, mean a safer tomorrow for you and your loved ones. 

Low-Cost and No-Cost Emergency Preparedness

So far in our series for National Preparedness Month this September, we’ve already covered How to Make an Emergency Plan for Your Household and How to Build a Home Emergency Kit. This week, we’re focusing on low-cost and no-cost measures you can take to enhance your emergency preparedness. Being prepared doesn’t always require a significant financial investment – there are many things you can do that cost little to nothing but can make a big difference in an emergency.

Understanding the Importance of Preparedness

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), 61 percent of Americans have not created or practiced an emergency plan, while 80 percent live in counties that have experienced natural disasters. With unpredictable weather patterns affecting most of the world, there’s no excuse for not being prepared. Remember, preparation is far less about expensive gear and much more about planning, practice, and controlling panic.

1. Know Your Risks

• Understand what disasters and hazards could affect your area. Visit FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center or check Floodsmart.gov to know your neighborhood’s level of flood risk.
• Plan for the types of disasters that can happen where you live. You may need to prepare for a snowstorm instead of a hurricane.

2. Create Your Emergency Plan (No-Cost)

• Develop a family emergency communication plan. See our recent article on How to Make an Emergency Plan For Your Household.
• Practice emergency drills with your family annually.
• Plan evacuation routes away from flood sources such as rivers, lakes, and ocean fronts.
• If you live in an evacuation zone and would need help evacuating, contact your local emergency manager to see what resources and assistance are available.

3. Stay Informed (No-Cost)

• Sign up for your community’s warning system and emergency alerts.
• Download the FEMA App for local alerts, preparedness tips, and emergency planning information.
• Learn about different emergency alerts, like Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), NOAA Weather Radio alerts, and the Emergency Alert System (EAS).

4. Learn Life-Saving Skills (Low to No-Cost)

Master the 5 Steps to Save a Life

1. Call 9-1-1

• • Don’t assume someone else has already called
  • Let 911 operators coach you through the situation

2. Stay Safe

1. • Assess the situation using all available senses
   • Decide whether to stay and help or get to safety

3. Stop the Bleeding

1. • Apply steady, firm pressure on the source of bleeding
   • Consider a tourniquet if manual pressure isn’t enough

4. Position the Injured

1. • Lay the injured on their side, legs slightly bent
   • Raise the chin forward with mouth pointed downward

5. Provide Comfort

1. • Share names and ask basic questions
   • Keep them warm and offer a hand to hold

Additional Skills

• Take an in-person or online CPR course. Check online for free or discounted courses.
• Learn how to purify water:
  • Boiling is best
  • Use water purification tablets
  • In emergencies: Use 6 drops of 8.25% bleach or 8 drops of 6% bleach per gallon of water
• Practice “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” techniques for earthquakes

5. Prepare Your Home (Low-Cost)

• Install and/or check the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms. Contact your local fire department for possible free smoke detector programs.
• Learn the location of the main electric, water, and gas connections to your home, and how to shut them off.
• Clear loose vegetation and debris from around your house to minimize flying objects during high winds.
• Secure or remove hanging items and loose items on bookshelves, especially in bedrooms, kitchens, and living rooms where you may find yourself during a natural disaster.
• Reinforce the underside of overhanging eaves.
• Make sure rain spouts and gutters are clear of debris.
• Create a 30 to 100-foot safety zone around your home in wildfire-prone areas.

6. Build Your Emergency Kit Gradually (Low-Cost)

• Start with items you already have at home, like flashlights, batteries, bandages, and non-perishable food.
• Add to your kit gradually. Buy an extra item each time you go grocery shopping, especially if it’s on sale.
• Use coupons and shop sales for emergency supplies.
• Buy in bulk and split costs with neighbors or friends.
• Store water in clean, reused containers like 2-liter soda bottles.
• Choose non-perishable foods that you normally eat and enjoy.

7. Protect Important Documents (No-Cost)

• Store important documents (passports, birth certificates, insurance policies) in resealable, waterproof plastic bags on a high shelf or upper floor.
• Digitize important documents for easy access.
• Document or video household items for potential insurance claims.

8. Review Your Insurance (No-Cost, Potential Future Savings)

• Review your home insurance or renter’s policy annually.
• Check what disaster-related expenses are covered.
• Consider adding flood insurance if you’re in a flood-prone area.

9. Community Involvement (No-Cost)

• Join local Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT).
• Participate in neighborhood watch programs.
• Volunteer with local disaster relief organizations.

10. Budget-Friendly Tips

• Make emergency preparedness a regular budget item, even if it’s just $20 a month.
• Request preparedness items as gifts for birthdays or holidays.
• Trade one night out to fund your 72-hour kit. The cost of a family movie night could cover essential supplies.

Remember, any level of preparation is better than none. Start with what you can afford now, because whatever you can do will make you more ready for an emergency. 

Being prepared brings a peace of mind and can make a significant difference in how you and your family weather an emergency. Take the time to prepare now (no matter how small the steps), and you’ll be thankful for you did if an emergency does occur.

Tune in next week for the next part in our National Preparedness Month series, where we will go over teaching youth about preparedness.

As always, stay safe, stay healthy, and stay prepared. 

– Your partners in preparedness: Jase.com