When we speak of personal and family preparedness, we should speak of foreseen, anticipated, almost expected needs which can be met through wise preparation. Even true emergencies can be modified by good planning. H. Burke Peterson
Standards of Preparation: Magna Central Utah Stake
Financial Preparedness Standard:
Each person establishes financial goals, pays tithes and offerings, avoids debts, pays obligations, uses family resources wisely, and saves during times of plenty for times of need.
Home Production and Storage Standard:
Each person or family produces as much as possible through gardening, sewing, and making household items. Each person and family learns techniques of home canning, freezing and drying foods, and where legally permitted, stores a one-year supply of food, clothing and if possible fuel.
Physical Health Standard:
Each person … practices sound principles of nutrition, physical fitness, accident prevention, weight control, immunization, sanitation, dental health, and medical care… Practice preventive measures to preserve good health. Practice first aid, and home care.
Heating Preparation:
Depending on your resources available, your heating could include coal or wood, if you have a stove in your home where you could burn these. It could include newspaper logs, propane, kerosene, and other fuels. Always know the precautions for each type of fuel you plan on using, so you do not cause your family further harm by burning something toxic.
Another form of heating preparation, blankets, especially wool, fleece and quilts. I know of many who have one blanket for their bed and that is it. Blankets will go a long way to keep your family warm, so if you can have two or three per person tucked away, that is a safe form of heating.
Make sure you have enough heating supplies to keep your family warm for up to 72 hours. If in an emergency of power outage or severe storm, it will take some time for services to be restored.
Lighting Preparation:
There are many forms of lighting, but some require more caution than others, like candles or any open flame. The sources of light could include things like: glow sticks, flashlights, candles of various kinds, kerosene lamps, propane lanterns of various kinds, and other sources of candles or heat in a can options.
Store them in a safe place, and out of reach of small children, especially if lighters or matches are stored with them.
You can never have enough sources of light, or so I think. Your flashlight on your phone will only last as long as the battery of your phone, and if you can’t recharge, that isn’t long in a power outage. Have safe resources. Practice using them just for fun, so when an emergency really happens, it will be second nature for your family to implement the lighting plan.
Happy and Healthy Prepping
Davilyn
