Now That You Have a Disaster Supply Kit…Maintain!

Remember the mad rush for duct tape and plastic sheeting when the terror alert moved to orange in 2003?  At the time, the government kicked off its “Make a Kit, Have a Plan, Stay Informed” campaign.  Many Americans did indeed respond to the media blitz and built a disaster supply kit.  Now, eight years later, these fully stocked and well organized kits are sitting in basements and closets across America collecting dust.

Like testing your smoke alarms and your carbon monoxide detector, maintaining your disaster supply kit should be incorporated into your routine.  To ensure you are prepared, you should check your kit every six months.  If your kit is one of the many kits currently collecting dust, please pull it out, dust off the cobwebs, and walk through the check list below. 

Food

• Check your canned food for dents and corrosion, anything that looks suspicious should be thrown out. 
• Check your boxed and packaged food to ensure that the product is still sealed.  Again, anything that looks suspicious should be thrown out or added to your compost.   
• Check the expiration date on all your food, anything that is expired should be replaced. 

• Keep your food in a tightly sealed metal or plastic container to keep it safe from animals and pests. 

• I recommended trading out your food every six months.  That will help to ensure that you are not disgusted by the prospects of eating eight year old beans when and if you should use your kit!

Water

• Check the integrity of the package; throw out anything that is leaking or with a broken seal.
• Check the expiration date on you water, anything that is expired should be tossed or used to water your garden. 
• Like food, I recommend replacing your water every six months.

Electronics

• Test the device to ensure it is working. 
• Ensure that you are not storing batteries in your electronic devices.  As with all electronic devices, if you are not planning to use if for more than 30 days, the batteries should be stored separately. 
• Look at the expiration date of unopened batteries and exchange batteries that will expire in the next six months.
• Test any open batteries in the devices to ensure they are working.

First Aid Kit

• Review the contents of the First Aid Kit and replace any items that have expired.

After you have finished updating your kit, label the outside of the container with the date; this simple step will make it easy for you to remember when your kit needs updating again. 


Written by Kate Schweigart

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