It’s daylight savings time yet again. Normally that just means we lose an hour, but for those in the know it means we gain an opportunity to check up on our family’s safety. We do this by using the twice-a-year time change as a reminder to review the parts of our family emergency plans or gear that might need to be updated.
Here’s a quick list of but a few things to look at:
- Change your smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector batteries.
- Check the batteries in your emergency gear (you should always write the dates of purchase on them).
- Expiration dates of medications (including over-the-counter stuff and meds for your pets).
- Conduct a fire drill along with a seasonal / regional drill such as a tornado or hurricane drill.
- Check the expiration dates on important documents and policies (and list all dates in a calendar program).
- Check the dates on any stored water you’ve put away.
- Review maintenance needs for your vehicles.
- Rotate and/or use any food in the pantry that is approaching its expiration date.
- Look at the purchase or inspection dates on your fire extinguishers (do this when conducting your fire drill).
- Change your password and run an anti-virus and anti-spyware scan and backup your computer.
- Put any stored gasoline in your vehicles and refill the spare cans with fresh gas.
- Health improvement: review your exercise plan or get a medical / dental checkup.
- Update your emergency contact information.
- Log on to www.disasterprep101.com for additional how-to articles.
- Log on to www.1800prepare.com to find updated gear for your safety.
Again, these are but a few of many ideas. Once you start with these, more opportunities that are unique to you and your family will present themselves.
Feel free to pass this list along to others! (Provided all portions stay intact that is; Copyright 2010 – Paul Purcell.)
Author: Paul Purcell
Paul Purcell is the lead security analyst and preparedness consultant for InfoQuest Investigators in Atlanta, GA. Having grown up in a military family that moved constantly, and having spent the early part of his career in hospitality industry risk management, Paul has been exposed to numerous risks, threats, disasters, and emergency situations.
Paul Purcell is the lead security analyst and preparedness consultant for InfoQuest Investigators in Atlanta, GA. Having grown up in a military family that moved constantly, and having spent the early part of his career in hospitality industry risk management, Paul has been exposed to numerous risks, threats, disasters, and emergency situations.
The combination of a lifetime of preparedness experience with risk management and business continuity consulting led him to create the comprehensive disaster education package Disaster Prep 101 which is now a part of the 1-800-PREPARE family of life-saving products. Paul is a member of our advisory team and is part of our consultant educator lineup for onsite presentations. His areas of expertise include:
Corporate Security Analysis (including Red Team work) to include:
-General Risk Management & Site Security
-errorism Preparedness and Reaction
-Disaster Preparedness and Reaction
-Workplace Violence Prevention and Reaction
Business Continuity Consulting to include:
-Human Resource Preparedness
-Workplace Disaster / Terrorism Reaction
-Pandemic Influenza Preparedness
-Private / Public Sector Relationships / Liaison
Previous presentations based on his areas of expertise were made to such groups as:
-DeKalb County Homeland Security
-Emergency Management Association of Georgia
-State of Georgia PTA
-United States Security Institute Foundation
-Georgia Department of Public Health
-GA Association of Professional Private Investigators
-Colorado Division of Emergency Mgt
-Soldiers for the Truth Foundation
-Coastal Health District of Georgia
-Morehouse School of Medicine Homeland Security
-GA Public Health for the 2004 G-8 Summit held at Sea Island, GA.
-and many others.
Paul Purcell's Homepage is: Disaster Prep 101
