My concerns for safety and security in the Kearny area.
No matter what plans you make; changes in your family, living conditions, and location means you need to re-evaluate your plan. What you store, how you store it, and where you store it depends on your plan, your living conditions, and financial security.

26 February 2009

It's not a 72-hour kit

The concept of a 72-hour kit is to provide necessary items in an emergency situation when you have to leave your home without prior notice. The reason for leaving isn't important.

This isn't about the 72-hour kit.

This is a kit of useful items to be stored in your vehicle for as variety of situations including accident (yours or someone else's), mechanical difficulties, or poor judgment.

The List:
  • Water: Arizona is a desert and being stranded anywhere without water can be a death sentence. We can get a long without food for a couple of weeks, but as little as 1 day without water can be the end.
  • Reflective Triangles: warn other drivers of difficulties. These should be used according to the instructions of the package.
  • Flares: warn other drivers of difficulties or signal potential rescuers. While other drivers may ignore triangles, burning fire in the road is a different matter. Use flares sparingly and only when other items just don't do the trick.
  • Ductape: useful in making emergency repairs of many types.
  • First Aid Kit: For performing first aid on others. Your kit should be based on your skill at first aid. It doesn't do any good to have first aid supplies you can't use.
  • Flashlight: so you can see in the dark. Remember to keep extra batteries and a spare bulb.
  • Basic tools: Cressent wrench, Channel locks, Vise grips, hammer, screwdrivers, jumper cables.
This is by no means a comprehensive list and the items you keep in your vehicle should be based on your needs and abilities. Remember, this isn't just for when you have an emergency, but to assist others in their emergency.

How you store your kit is also important. Letting your stuff roll around freely in the bed of your truck will probably mean useless gear when you need it. I suggest a wide mouth bag or duffle for loose items like tools, and ductape. A first aid kit should be in it's own secure container in an easily accessible part of the vehicle, like the glove box or under a front seat. Flares are sensitive to damage and should be stored in a hard sided container.

Once you have you chosen kit assembled and stored in your vehicle be sure to inspect it regularly. Water should be replaced on a regular schedule. Other items may have expiration dates. And items like ductape will lose their usefulness after a few seasons of hot and cold. Do not risk your life on items that you haven't seen in 3 years, check your gear at least yearly to make sure everything is there and in working order.

The reason:
In Arizona it is the law that the first person to arrive at the scene of an accident must stop and render aid. This doesn't mean pulling an injured person from a vehicle and performing life saving first aid, but you are required to stop, even if it's only to stand up the road a ways and warn people that there has been an accident. We should be prepared to render aid as we can, even if it's only giving a stranded motorist a drink of water and helping them change a tire or patching a radiator hose with ductape and filling the radiator so they can drive to the next town.
You can save a life with even simple actions, but you can't help if you are helpless yourself.

A story:
I was on my way back from the valley one day when I came across a van at the top of the divide between Kearny and Superior. They had overheated and were stuck at the top of the pass and needed water. For some reason I hadn't replaced the 2 gallons of water I normally carry for just such an emergency and couldn't help them. All I could do was drive into town and notify DPS that people were stranded there. If I had had water they would have been good to go, but because I had let it slide, they had to wait for other help.

The Idea for this post was supplied by Jerry Magee.

No comments:

Post a Comment