Go Bags and Stay Supplies

To survive a disaster, businesses have to be back up and running at some level within five days. For that to happen, employees have to be ready and willing to return to work. Employees will not come back if their families are not taken care of. So it’s very much in a business owner’s interest to help employees to get themselves and their families prepared.

I’ve recommended that employers provide incentives for their employees to complete family emergency plans by offering them emergency supplies starter kits if they bring in a completed family plan. But what supplies do employees really need?

There are so many lists available online, and they do not agree with each other. In my opinion, many include items that make no sense and leave off items I consider essential. Their primary flaw is that they do not distinguish between go bags and stay supplies.

The response to almost every emergency will be either:

• Evacuate fast, or
• Shelter in place with no utilities and no open stores for up to two weeks.

Go bags are for evacuation. Stay supplies are for sheltering in place.

No single list is going to be perfect for every part of the country. In suburban and rural areas, most people will be evacuating in a car. In dense urban areas, most people will be evacuating on foot and public transportation, if it is running. Those evacuating in cars can carry more weight, so may be able to pack a full 3 gallons of water per person. That much water would be too heavy (25 pounds) and bulky to carry in a backpack.

If you will be evacuating, you need a go bag. This contains the things you will need to live away from home for up to three days, such as:

1. Water: as much as you can fit or carry, up to 3 gallons per person
2. Food: 3-day supply of energy bars or Meals Ready to Eat (MREs)
3. LED headlamp powered by lithium batteries, and extra batteries
4. Battery-powered or hand-crank radio (NOAA Weather Radio, if possible) and extra batteries
5. Substantial first aid kit
6. Plastic trash bags and ties (for personal sanitation use)
7. Minimum 3-day supply of medications and medical items
8. Extra pair of glasses
9. Small fire extinguisher
10. Multi-purpose tool
11. Cash: at least $200 in small bills
12. One complete change of clothes – long-sleeved shirt and pants, underwear, socks, closed-toed shoes or boots
13. KN95 masks, hand sanitizer, latex gloves
14. Toilet paper, personal hygiene wipes
15. Toothbrush and paste, comb, soap, contact lens supplies, feminine supplies
16. Copies of personal documents (medication list and pertinent medical information, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies)
17. Cell phone, charging cord, power bank
18. Family and emergency contact information
19. Emergency blanket
20. Map(s) of the area

You will need to customize this for your needs if you have a disability or special medical needs. People with pets or children should bring resources to accommodate them.

For an emergency, such as an earthquake or hurricane, that shuts down utilities in a large area, help my not be on the way in a few days. You may need to be self-sufficient in your home for weeks. Your go bag will give you a good start. These “stay supplies” will get you through a longer period on your own:

• Enough food, water, medications, hygiene wipes, and cash for an additional 11 days
• Additional batteries for headlamps and radios
• Non-breakable cup, plate, and utensils
• Camp toilet and chemicals, toilet paper
• Plastic tarps to cover broken windows and roof cracks
• Manual can opener
• Bleach and eye dropper for disinfecting water
• Work gloves
• Duct tape
• Camp stove and fuel
• Sunscreen

If your organization needs help setting up employees for preparedness success, Make It Happen offers complimentary preparedness strategy sessions to organization leaders. You can schedule an appointment clicking here.

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