The 72-Hour Survival Kit

As Japan went through such devastation, countries through their emergency management organizations collectively concurred on the necessity of having a workable contingency plan amongst families. Under the concept of mitigating such devastating effects of earthquakes and tsunamis', having to cope with it within the next three-day period experts say would be the most crucial part of survival. It is also in this context that one has to prepare to help himself while awaiting for a sustainable level of rescue operations by private and government agencies.

Nature induced calamaties such as the "Katrina event, Malaysia, China and other heart melting reminiscins of killer disasters, the level of rescue and relief operations take place in three normal phases. The first responders both private and government local to the disaster site has to be the first teams to provide help, relief, rescue and medical proceedings. This escalates in our case in the city level, regional and so to the national level. And as what Japan has experienced in between this crisis, help started to arrive coming from foreign countries in merely a week or two after the event. It is at this point wherein full scale help, rescue, relief, medical and retrieval operations transpire.

The sight of families rich or poor now dwelling in various evacuation areas has become a common sight in any disasters, be it nature or human-induced such as those in Libya, Bahrain and Yemen. And in this light, the so-called 72 - Hour Survival Kit plays a significant tool in helping families deal with it as it happens. This importance has become part of a consistent security information from foreign governments such as the U.S. Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Organizations and that of our own the Civil Defense Office. Just few weeks back, a common household item "balde" (pail) was seen in a tv broadcast with its importance and the manner to use it. Shared here are just but few information on what a basic 72-Hour Kit should contain.

Food and Water Supply

• Water (1 Gallon/4 Liters per person)
• Canned Meat/Tuna/Chicken/Sausages
• Canned Beverage/Juices
• Cereals/Dried Foods/Crackers

Equipment, Fuel & Light

• Pocket or Utility Knife (Multiple Use)
• Rope, Duct Tape, Can Opener, Utensils,Foldable Shovel/Axe
• AM/FM Radio, Extra Batteries, Pen & Pad
• Flares, Candles, Torch, Windproof Lighters/Igniters
• Mini-Flashlights, Zip-Lock Plastic Bags

Personal Clothings/Beddings

• Rain Coats (Covering Full Body)
• Pants, Long Sleeved Clothings, Shorts, Socks
• Undergarments, Shirts, Hand Gloves
• Blankets, Extra Sheets of Cloth would be useful

Medication & Other Supplies

• Regular Medication a supply of at least a week
• First Aid Kit with basic supplies
• Sanitizers, Repellants, Water Purifying Tabs, Sun-screens or Sunblocks
• Toiletries and Toilet Papers, Detergent Soap, Shampoot, Toothpaste

Important Documents & Cash

(This should be contained in water-proof plastic container (zip-lock plastic bags)

• Personal ID Cards, Passport, Credit Cards
• Medical Transcriptions, Medical Records
• Personal Documents, e.g. Birth, Marriage and other government certificates
• Insurance Documents, Prepaid Phone Cards
• Emergency Contact Numbers Card

The kit is better off contained in a camping/travelling/back pack as this type allows a comfortable grab and go carry.

There maybe a dozen that i have overlooked, but you can always have a personal list of items depending on your type of need. The idea somehow is to acknowldge which items you think is of immediate importance.

A 72-Hour Kit container ideally should be a grab-and-go and one that can deal with adverse weather.

Mitigating through Personal Contingencies

Inspired by a STRATFOR Global Intelligence publication authored by Scott Stewart dubbed ‘Taming Chaos with a Personal Contingency”.

Recent events unfolding in Japan, a surge of uprisings and political instabilities in Bahrain, Yemen and Libya had forced people in the midst of these chaoses’ to depart from their normal lives. While it is of utmost criticality to prepare for either man-made or events brought about by natural calamities, one common event has become a familiar scene in televisions over the past weeks. Its the endless sight of people fleeing from cities and neighborhoods in a relentless effort to avoid disaster stricken sites.

Better Plan yet Fail, than to Fail for not Planning at All..

In Scott Stewarts so informative publication, it hopes to express mitigating sudden abnormal events which would lead families to evacuate from their respective havens and in this light, the importance of having a “personal contingency plan” plays a pivotal role in dealing with similar crisis situations. The fact that emergency procedures and contingency plans have proven effective in companies and other business environment, the existence of a contingency plan within the family will effectively place family members in a better footing in the event of any crisis such as those happening globally at present. True that natural event such as typhoon, earthquakes and tsunami are indeed inevitable but with a well communicated family emergency crisis plan, victims and those directly in the midst of such absorbs a lesser degree of the impact as against those who naturally succumbed to the chances of survival without planning something at all.

Few essential elements of a personal contingency plan should speak of the manner you intend to evacuate, a safe meeting point where you can reconnect with family members, provisions such as food medicines including pet safety procedures as necessary.

A Safe Area – Point of Contact
The designation of a safe area agreed upon by all family members plays a crucial part in the plan. In a common set up nowadays where both parents are into daily office routine jobs, an agreed safe area where family members can convene before, during and even after a crisis places each family member a foot forward whether an event happens at home, school or at their respective workplaces. A safe area could be a relative or a friend’s place of residence or a conducive place not far enough but where basic food and other provisions can be easily accessed. Depending on a given crisis scenario, the place could be situated within a safe proximity away from the immediate disaster site. The idea is for family members to re-connect and re-group within a considerable time period possible.

Crisis Communication – Tell someone! Call someone!
One integral part of this plan should also exists which is the crisis communication plan. This will indicate means and types of communication and designation of third external alternate communication channel. In situations wherein internets, mobile and phone-lines are clogged or no less destroyed within the immediate disaster site, systems in neighboring cities might not be otherwise. This would mean that an alternative contact number of a friend or another family member may well likely serve as a channeling station to keep other family members informed of your location and current situation in the midst of any crisis events. As what was declared in Scott Stewart’s advisory, it might be difficult for someone from Point A to communicate with someone at Point B. But a greater chance is prevalent that either someone from Point A or B to be able to communicate to someone from Point C who dwells in a neighboring city or away from the proximity of a particular disaster area.

Route of Escape – Plan your way out!
A safe route of escape of at least three areas should be pre-identified. In between a disastrous event, your immediate neighborhood would be sprawled out with emergency response and rescue vehicles using predictable routes and these routes expectedly will be cut off or at the least close to impassable. In identifying these routes, geographic information descriptive of your location and the disaster site is of material importance.


Situational Awareness – An essental factor!
Situational awareness has always been a significant tool in mitigating unlikely situations. By keeping abreast of a progressing issue, this will naturally place an individual or an entity into a wider frame of mind to prepare for a looming or potentially disastrous event. Often, a seemingly comprehensive contingency plan doesn’t buy you optimum guarantee to prevent a crisis situation from happening, having foreknowledge about an unfavorable event will however help you through it.

Photos:
Los Angeles Times Photography - Japan Aftermath

Understanding Crisis

In its simplest definition - A crisis may be defined as a state of danger or difficulty or a turning point of something with adverse consequences that results to damage and/or loss of lives. A crisis management plan in parallel is a process or a series of actions to deal with a crisis in order to minimize its impact.

In anticipation of an inevitable crisis scenario, a crisis management plan can only be as effective as to how you well understand a crisis situation. Regretful events such as the Bali and New York 11 are just but few pictures of a large crisis leaving all those involved seemingly unprepared. Lessons were unfolded from those events.

A crisis management plan may not be a fail safe guarantee to save lives and keep properties intact as a situation happens.. but a well-laid out crisis plan will certainly place an organization into a good position to respond to such. Henceforth, the importance of a crisis management plan should be borne from the inner core of the corporate level and consequently respected upon down to the lowest line of command.

While operational emergency procedures are formed to counter minimal crisis incidents and essentially designed to prevent destruction or save lives.. But more often, it is the ability to interact and communicate that saves an organization in its entirety. With this perception, a crisis communications plan is no less important.

After all that transpired in the MV Princess of the Stars tragedy, it is apparently in this aspect where management failed to extend due recognition.