June will be an exciting month for the Do 1 Thing theme, Unique Family Needs: Talk with family members to identify your household’s unique needs. What kinds of things can members of your household not be without for 72 hours? Here are some examples of things that can create unique needs for your family:

• Infants and young children

• Prescription medication (keep a three-day supply with you)

• Health-related supplies (For example, diabetics need insulin syringes, alcohol wipes, and glucometer supplies)

• Assistive devices (glasses, canes, etc.)

• Pets

When you are in a hurry, it is easy to overlook small and important items. Common items like diapers and pet food might not be easy to find right after a disaster. Trying new brands of food or formula, or not having a comfort item, can make disasters more stressful for both children and pets. Talk to your kids about what to do in a fire, a medical emergency, or a disaster. Make sure they know where emergency supplies are kept, how (and when) to call 911, and who to call if they can’t reach you in an emergency.

This is the month to get creative for your preparedness. Each person, each family, each household will be different concerning what should be in a kit. Different medical needs or daily needs need to be considered. As mentioned above, something as simple as your eyeglass prescription could be forgotten. Do you even know your numbers for this prescription? As usual gather essential and unique items needed for preparedness and get ready.

 

Rob Herbstreith is a Michigan State Police trooper. Questions or comments can be emailed to TrooperRob53@yahoo.com