Benjamin Franklin famously said, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!”
In Utah, we’ve seen flooding, flash flooding, wildfires, and severe winter storms. Nationally and worldwide, there have been hurricanes, tornadoes, supply chain disruptions, war, civil unrest, earthquakes, pandemics, and many other disasters. What are we going to see in the future? Will you be ready?
This is the time of year when we reflect on the past and we look forward to the future and a new year. We make resolutions for a healthier lifestyle, more quality time with loved ones, and maybe learning a new hobby. Why do most resolutions fail? Because we fail to plan.
The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.
Emergency preparedness is all about making plans, learning skills, and gathering supplies for difficult times in the future. Though being ready for a disaster does not have to consume every thinking moment of your day, it is something that becomes a way of life as you learn about potential hazards, protective actions for those hazards, and how you can mitigate their impacts on your life. Plans are reviewed and updated, supplies are rotated and upgraded, and skills are practiced and mastered.
What about those who are just starting to think about emergency preparedness? Many people are reluctant to prepare for disasters and emergencies because they don’t know how or where to begin. There are concerns about money for supplies, time to organize and make plans, and even fear of doing it wrong. They see other people who have been working for years on emergency plans and preparations and get overwhelmed. Oftentimes, discouragement leads to not doing anything.
Remember: Something is always better than nothing.
Do the best you can with what you have. You have more resources than you realize. It may just take a little time to organize and inventory. Don’t expect perfection in your beginning plans, emergency kits, and supplies, but don’t get complacent either. As time goes on, think about how you can upgrade and improve as circumstances allow.
Set goals for the new year of something you will do each week to be more “ready” for a possible emergency in your life. Write it down. A goal without a plan is just a dream. Plan on a specific day and put it on a weekly calendar as a reminder of that next step you will take in your preparedness journey.
Be Ready Utah’s suggested one-year Preparedness Basics in 52 Weeks plan can help you and your family get started.
- Download and print the Preparedness Basics in 52 Weeks brochure to use as a guide and checklist. Post it somewhere in your home where it can be a reminder of your goal to “be ready” by the end of the year.
- Do one bulleted action item per week. Click on the links on each listed item on the Preparedness Basics in 52 Weeks webpage for more information. The links will give you additional help and ideas on how to best accomplish that task.
- There is no particular order to the items on the list. If you need to shuffle the list to meet your own needs, do so. Some items, like setting aside emergency cash, may take more than a week to complete. It may be spread throughout the year. Do the best you can. Something is always better than nothing,
- Make these preparations a priority. If you get behind, do not give up. The important thing is that you keep working at it. You CAN do this!
- Asking others to join you on your preparedness journey can help you meet your goals. Invite family and friends to take part in this activity and challenge each other to finish by the end of one year. Sharing ideas and resources is a great way to succeed. Make it a contest!
No amount of planning and gathering supplies can prepare you for every possible event, but the more you are prepared, the more you will increase you and your family’s ability to survive potential emergencies with dignity and comfort.
Just as we said last month, holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries are great times to have the “excuse” to give the gift of preparedness to yourself and those you love. If you are limited on budget, one way to meet your resolution goals is to ask for and give preparedness gifts.
Transportation and Navigation
This month’s Be Ready Utah topic is “Transportation and Navigation.” Winter is coming fast and winter storms don’t care if you need to go “over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house.” Keep a supply of blankets, water, warm clothing, and other emergency supplies in your vehicle in case you break down or get stuck in the snow. See Be Ready Utah’s Vehicle Emergency Kit List.
Before you leave on your journey, check the weather. If the outlook is not good, decide whether the trip is worth the risk. If you must go, let someone know where you are going, what route you are taking, and when you expect to arrive. If you don’t show up on time, they can send for help.
Visit the following page for more information on Transportation and Navigation.
Do This: Make a resolution to be prepared with emergency basics in one year. Review the Preparedness Basics in 52 Weeks webpage and form a group to help meet your goals.
Put a vehicle emergency kit in each vehicle and practice trip safety each time you go out.
Videos: Watch and share with someone you care about
- The Be Ready Buzz: Fuel Tanks (1 min)
- The Be Ready Buzz: Shoes in Emergency Kits (1 min)
- The Be Ready Buzz: Emergency Community Communication (2 min)
- Preparedness with a Bow – Holiday Gift Ideas (62 min)
Printable brochures: Read and share with someone you care about
What’s New:
- December 17, join Be Ready Utah On KSL Newsradio 102.7 FM, 1160 AM during the 11:00 AM news hour.
- Be Ready Utah created a new newsletter subscription platform to help you receive monthly shareable preparedness reminders and action items you can use for your household, church, workplace, and more. Please tell others they can subscribe.
For the Workplace: Do you or a co-worker drive a company vehicle? Do you have transportation vendors that support your supply chain? Share this Vehicle Emergency Kit with your employer and supply chain vendors to help protect your transportation needs, and keep your goods and services available. Learn more through the free online Business Continuity Training Unit on “Supply Chain Resilience”. Consider sharing this training with your employer to help your workplace be more prepared in 2025.
For the School: Does your child ride the school bus? Or do you drive your child to school? Before roads get slippery, share this Vehicle Emergency Kit with your child’s bus driver, and see about improving your own vehicles preparedness so you can continue to get your children to school and back safe and sound. Also, if your child’s school has to evacuate the school for any reason, do you know what the school plans to do with your child, and how to reunite with your child? Consider asking your school about their evacuation protocols and what to expect as a parent. Schools can also Make a Plan to be more prepared in 2025.
For the Community: One great step to help you be prepared in 2025 is to take the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training. The CERT course teaches you basic disaster response skills to enable you to help yourself, your family, and others around you when professional responders are delayed. This course teaches useful life skills. Check out this CERT webpage to learn more. Many cities offer this training for free or at a minimal cost to cover classroom materials. Contact the city you live in and ask them when a CERT course is happening so you can register to take it. If your city does not offer it, contact your county and ask where you can find a CERT class near you. If you have already taken the CERT training, discover more ways you can get involved and consider taking a refresher course.
Subscribe to receive the Be Ready Utah newsletter.
Prepare and share what you learned with someone you care about.
- Individuals can use this for family and household activities and learning.
- Schools can share this with employees, students, and parents.
- Workplaces can share this with employees.
- Community, faith-based, and other social groups can share this with their community.
- And much more…