It’s National Disaster Preparedness Month. Don’t Panic, and Always Carry a Can Opener.

September is National Disaster Preparedness Month—a time to get ready for disasters.

We would like to help you do that! Join us this month as we break down some of the steps of preparing for, responding to and recovering from a disaster. If you have questions, or want to share your disaster planning experience, you can get in touch with us using your preferred mode of communication: phone, email, live chat, Tweet or Facebook comment.

We’re going to start by talking about the supplies you need to stock up on to be prepared for an emergency. Here’s a list:

• Water (3-day supply per person)
• Non-perishable food (3-day supply per person)
• Manual can opener
• Mess kits (plastic plates, cups and utensils and paper towels)
• Flashlights (batter-powered or hand-crank)
• Radio (batter-powered or hand-crank)
• Extra batteries
• Whistle
• Matches
• Hygiene items (toilet paper, hand wipes, feminine hygiene products, diapers)
• Dust masks
• Plastic sheeting, duct tape, towels (for sealing off an area)
• Blankets or sleeping bags
• Bleach and medicine dropper (for treating water)
• Paper and pencils
• Wrench or pliers
• Maps
• First-aid kit

See this list with full directions and explanations in NCFY’s FREE disaster planning manual, “Ready for Anything.”

Stay tuned for more posts on disaster planning throughout September. And visit us on Facebook or Twitter to tell us if we’ve missed any items you think should be on a youth-serving organization’s emergency supplies list.