Preparedness

Maria Christina Concepcion

“It’s better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it!”

THIS quotation has been very helpful to me, and I really follow this especially when I travel alone or with my family. Personally, I have this fear, for example, of getting wet or dirty accidentally and then find myself without a spare shirt, pants, or skirt that I could change into. You see, I am on the heavy side and it’s not easy to find clothes in the malls that would fit me perfectly. So I make sure I always bring extra. And yes, this is the reason why I find it hard to travel light but I don’t mind the extra load (I make sure it’s manageable though), as long as I have what I need.

How about you? Can you think of a moment or moments in your life when this quotation might have saved you from a dilemma? I have, many times!  Below are some of the common scenarios you and I can surely relate to:

• You’re in the middle of taking a shower and you have shampoo in your hair then suddenly the water stops. Then you realize you don’t have water to wash yourself off because you never bothered to save water.
• You’re cooking dinner and suddenly the lights went off. You have a flashlight but you don’t have batteries because you never expected to have a blackout. You also don’t buy candles because you don’t really need it often.
• You’re baking a cake in the gas range when suddenly you notice you’ve run out of LPG.
• You got wet from the rain and you scold yourself silently because somehow you had a feeling already that it will rain because of the thick clouds but still decided not to bring your umbrella.

These are just examples of the times in our lives when we express regret over what happened and all we could think of are these sad words: “if only….”

So it is true! It is better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it! It’s better to have batteries and candles in case there will be a blackout. It’s better to set aside a tank of water (or a few galloons) just in case a need for it arises…

Let’s use the quotation in disaster preparedness.

A lot of people in Luzon right now are worried because of the series of earthquakes in the Batangas area. In preparing for disasters and calamities, the quotation is also very applicable. How? By preparing something that will surely save lives–yours and the people you love! It’s called by many names but the most common of all is the 72-hour kit!

The 72-hour kit contains everything that a man needs to survive for 72 hours when a calamity or disaster strikes. Think about earthquakes and storm surges. Usually, right after a calamity or disaster strikes, it takes at least two to three days for rescue to arrive. Therefore, it’s always best to have a survival kit while waiting for help. The 72-hour kit is a bag with survival essentials inside. A sturdy backpack or bag is ideal as both are easy to just grab and carry in case an emergency strikes. Each member of the family should have one, even the kids. And this is very important, it should be placed somewhere that’s easily accessible.

It is highly recommended that the 72-hour kit should contain ready-to-eat food like energy bars, candies, chocolates, canned food (but be sure they are in easy-to-open cans), one to two gallons of clean, drinking water, first-aid kit with essential medicines, matches, flashlight and batteries, candles, money, blanket, clothes, pocket knife, sewing kit, battery chargers (mobile phones), and copies of all your very important documents (birth certificates, land titles, passports, etc.) placed in wateresistant bags, among others.

You can add more to what you want to put inside your 72-hour kit but remember that you might need to carry it with you in the direst situations so plan it well. One very important thing to remember: be sure to check your food storage as they have expiry dates. Rotate food supplies and water every six months. Do the same with your medicines.

Again it is best to “have it and not need it than need it and not have it.”

(The author is a soft skills development trainer/consultant engaged in team development intervention and is a member of the Rotary Club of Kalayaan CDO.)