It’s time to update your emergency go bag, a backpack with the essentials you need to reach safety in case of a fire or other disaster like an earthquake, hurricane, tsunami, floods, a wildfire or other extreme weather. If told to evacuate, grab your portable go bag, which should be lightweight enough for you to carry in case you have to walk or use public transportation.
Despite what you may hear, you do not need to haul gallons of water or days’ worth of food if you are staying at a shelter, another home or lodging.
Shelters most likely have food, water, first-aid supplies and toilet paper, but not your lifesaving medicines, driver license or some other form of identification, and spare keys to your house and car.
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Time spent getting ready now can get you safely on your way in an emergency. People who are rushed or panicked may forget a vital item like respirator masks that protect from wildfire smoke or bring too much. Every thing is replaceable, say disaster experts, except people and animals.
Check your emergency go bag every six months and replace medicines that will soon expire, says the Milwaukee Health Department. If you don’t have a sturdy, lightweight bag, Redfora.com sells a 3.8-pound Ready 2 Go Bag (on sale at $39.99), a compact sling bag with essential supplies and space for personal items.
Here’s how to make all of this easier on you and your household.
Redfora.com sells a Ready 2 Go Bag (on sale at $39.99), a compact sling bag with essential tools, supplies, food and water.Redfora
Before disaster strikes
“Knowing when to leave, what to take, where to go and how to get there will help keep you and your family from being caught in smoke, fire or road congestion while evacuating during a wildfire,” according to Oregon’s Ready Set Go.
Emergency preparedness experts suggest, at minimum, three actions you need to take now to improve your family’s safety during and after a disaster:
- Sign up to be informed of an oncoming hazard. Contact your county government to ask which alert is the best such as clackamas.us/dm/publicalerts.
- Have an escape plan: Make sure everyone in your household knows how to safely exit dwellings (do you need a fire escape ladder?), where you will all reunite and how you will contact each other in case power lines or phone signals aren’t working. Also plan how you will care for your pets in an emergency.
- Have a durable emergency go bag ready with essentials including four food bars, 4.25-ounce water pouches, a flashlight (smoke darkens daylight), folded flame-suppression blanket and small first-aid kit with bandages, hand sanitizer, gloves, ointment, pain reliever [ibuprofen] and ice packs.
- Set a pair of hard-sole shoes or leather boots near the go bag to put on before leaving. A pair of long pants, long-sleeve shirt or jacket and socks in a low-flammable natural fabric like cotton or wool are best to wear. But don’t delay finding items in an emergency situation. Read about major brands’ fire resistant clothing here.
- In advance of any disaster, uploading important documents to a digital folder skips the need to pack paper copies of documents that can be misplaced.
- Scan and store personal photos and receipts of big-ticket home improvement work. A photo inventory of your home taken now can save you hundreds of painful hours trying to pull together information for an insurance claim after a disaster.
Print out or keep links such as these resources:
- A list of phone numbers of physicians, family and friends.
- Paper copies of your prescriptions.
- RxOpen.org provides information on the operating status of healthcare facilities in areas impacted by a disaster.
- You can monitor fires burning in Oregon with the wildfire tracker at projects.oregonlive.com/wildfires/map.
‘Go bag’ essentials
It’s hard to think clearly when you’re told to evacuate. This makes it critical to put together a compact, waterproof, durable go bag filled with hard-to-replace essentials like medicines, spare glasses or hearing aid, and a portable phone charger that you can grab as you race out the door.
Keep bags as light as possible by including only essentials:
- Protective: Respirator masks or smoke masks to help filter fire particulates as well as protective goggles that cover prescription glasses), disinfecting wipes and travel-size toiletries.
- Extra cash (coins for vending machines), batteries, hearing aid, eyeglasses or contact lenses and solution and medicines. Ask your doctor, health insurance provider or pharmacist for an emergency supply of prescription and nonprescription medications.
- Food and drink: If you think stores will be closed, pack durable pouches of water and non-salty, nonperishable packets of food that are nutrient-dense and what you like to eat, such as protein bars, instant oatmeal, nuts and seeds.
- First-aid kit: The American Red Cross Deluxe Family First Aid Kit ($69.99) is lightweight yet packed with 100 essential supplies to treat injuries, from aspirin and triple antibiotic ointment. Add a pocket-size American Red Cross Emergency First Aid Guide or download the free Red Cross emergency app. See other first-aid kits.
- Simple backup light, radio and charger: If there’s no place to plug in a device, you’ll appreciate the American Red Cross Clipray crank-powered, flashlight and phone charger. Cranking for one minute produces power for 10 minutes of light. See other hand-crank chargers.
- A multitool can provide, at your fingertips, pliers, wire cutters, screwdriver, knives, metal or wood file, bottle opener and slotted screwdriver.
- Travel-size packs of personal hygiene items.
- Items for family members with special needs.
- Essential items for pet care: water, food, updated medical records (vaccinations such as Rabies), leashes, crates and carriers.
Other tips
- Keep your car’s gas tank at least half full in case you have to quickly evacuate. Gas stations may be closed during emergencies and unable to pump gas during power outages, says Ready.gov. Take one car per family to reduce congestion on roads.
- Keep a whistle in each bedroom to wake up family members in the night if there’s a fire or other emergency.
- Know how to locate and shut off the gas.
- Consider purchasing a smart water shut-off valve, which will automatically stop your water supply if a pipe bursts.
- Better yet, consider investing in smart home technology for real-time updates on everything from water leaks to abnormally humid conditions in your home. Insurance companies often offer discounts when smart home devices are installed.
- Test your smoke detectors and other safety equipment frequently.
— Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072
jeastman@oregonian.com | @janeteastman
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More wildfire prevention tips:
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• The latest news on wildfires and wildfire smoke dangers in Portland and around Oregon
• What to know about flame-retardant wool, denim and other clothing options
• What you need to know about home inventory and insurance after a fire or other disaster