School Kit

Everyone knows that emergencies aren't age selective.  Hopefully, you have been teaching your child or teen the layers of personal emergency preparedness--and helping them learn the skills they need, to face trouble with as much calm and success as possible.  If this seems a bit scary for you, then remember that FEMA, the Red Cross, and a lot of other professional emergency personnel out there already have a ton of information on how to teach children and teens what they need to know.  You can build on that. 

Now, your child or teen should already have their own EDC and Personal Emergency Kits already--and know how to use both correctly.  Obviously, you will have helped them make these things appropriate to their age, skills, level of responsibility, training, etc.--just as you made your kits. 

But don't stop at just those first two kits.  After all, just like you need the layers of emergency preparedness, so do they.  So keep working with them.  You can teach positive self-reliance and independence to your children, you just have to make a real consistent effort.

So, just as you have a Work Kit, your child or teen needs one, too--their version is called the School Kit.

School Kits take some extra thought--because they are specifically for a child or teen to use.  You must remember to:

*Follow all school rules (on top of local, state and federal ones).
*Keep the kit completely child or teen 'user friendly'.
*Watch the size and weight of the kit with particular care.
*Focus the kit on providing comfort while waiting for parental pick-up.
*Include emergency contacts and provide basic child/teen personal information.
*Recheck and restock the kit frequently.

Schools are very particular about what is brought onto their grounds.  Do not get your child or teen expelled or facing criminal charges because you put something in the School Kit that is forbidden.  Remember, you aren't packing your child or teen to take on SkyNet--you're just packing them to stay comfortable and safe at school until you can come get them.  It is also very important that you know the school's emergency procedures--lock downs are fairly normal for most emergencies and there are usually requirements as to when, where, and how you can get your child or teen.  These procedures are not designed to just annoy you.  They are designed to try and protect your child and keep the school's liability levels to something remotely manageable.  So behave yourself--you may be worried about your child or teen--but the school has hundreds of them to worry about.

The School Kit will only be effective for your child or teen if they can actually use it.  Themselves.  So make sure they are trained in how to use it.  This sounds obvious, but adults often overestimate things like child hand-eye coordination, strength, knowledge base, reading/comprehension abilities, etc.  Even something as simple as an item's packaging can mean your child can't get into it at all.  So sit your child or teen down and make sure they not only know what everything is, know how to use everything, but actually CAN use everything.  Don't count on an adult being able to help--all adults present will be very, very busy riding herd on an entire school of children or teens and they just might not have the time to give any individual attention beyond the most basic.

Keep the kit size and weight appropriate for your child or teen.  The kit needs to fit into the corner of a desk or locker--and be able to be stuffed into their backpack and carried if they have to move from one part of the school to another to wait for pick-up.

The School Kit, like your Work Kit, is intended to make an emergency at a specific location easier to handle--until you can go home.  However, as children or teens in school aren't allowed to just 'walk off' by school administrators as you can in an emergency from your workplace, they have to stay in place until you come to get them (or emergency personnel move them to a safer location).  So keep the School Kit focused specifically on comfort while waiting.  Remember that the electricity may be out or the building damaged--include light and warmth sources (think glow sticks, flashlights, emergency blankets, hand warmers, etc.--base your choices on their abilities), food and drink, stuff to do, and things to offer psychological easing (like a favored item, snacks, or laminated family photo, etc.)

Laminate a card containing emergency contact information and any basic personal information necessary to protect your child or teen.  Don't give information which could be used illegally (like social security numbers!), just basic information that school administration, emergency personnel or your child/teen could use to contact you or other trusted adults for pick-up--or which would help them receive correct medical care (allergies, current medications, medical conditions, blood type, etc.).  Put this card into the kit.  Make sure you have all the information and any emergency instructions also put into their school records, as well, or there could be confusion.

Remember that children and teens have a tendency to take stuff out of things and not put them back.  Work hard on teaching them not to do that with the School Kit--and why.  But be the responsible adult and plan around them, just in case.  Check the kit frequently--add back in anything that is missing and change out anything that needs it.  Be sure and change the kit as your child or teen grows, receives more training, develops more skills, etc.  Just remember rules when you do it, so neither of you get into trouble!

Now you have the foundation of a School Kit.

So now that you know where to start--start!  Do your research from professional emergency resources, think through the six areas and focus it on your child or teen, and then sit down with them and do some real talking together!

After all, you want them to be as self-reliant and independent as they can be, too.   And they need knowledge, skills and their own layers of emergency preparedness to help them do it.

Work Kit

Clark Kent was a reporter.  Bruce Wayne was a corporate businessman.  Wonder Woman was an ambassador.  But they never counted on villains politely waiting until after work hours before trying to take over the world.

And neither should you.

Whether you work in the classic corner office, lay claim only to a locker, or just shove your bag into a crew room somewhere--it doesn't matter.  You can plan to take on an emergency just the same.

You just need to make your own version of Batman's utility belt and create a mini-me Bat Cave.

You need a Work Kit.

First, once again sit down and go through the six areas we've talked about in previous posts--but this time, consider the areas centered from your workplace.  After all, this kit is for emergencies that might happen while you are at work.  So do some serious thinking about your workplace.  You need to know at least the following:

*What kinds of hazards or dangers are already present in my workplace--before anything new happens?

*What possible assists to me are already present present?  (Think of tools, supplies, skilled personnel, etc.)

*Are there any workplace emergency plans already in place?  Are they current and competent?

*Am I going to stay at work for the duration of an emergency or will I leave to go home?  (For some jobs, staying is a requirement--so know your job's requirements and plan accordingly!)

*Do I have any duties or responsibilities to perform in my workplace in the event of an emergency?

*How many other people are here regularly--any maintenance or supply delivery workers, fellow employees, customers?  Will I be facing an emergency with any of these or just by myself?  Are there any non-humans regularly present? 

Remember, every workplace has rules--so check them out carefully.  Getting fired for bringing in a pocket knife is silly--especially when there are other non-knife edged options available to you.  Use your brain.  This is where all the encouragement for you to be thinking according to need and not by item comes back in.   Think:  I need to be able to cut things in an emergency.  Not:  I need a knife.  After all, EMT shears, heavy duty scissors, box cutters, multi-tools, even pop top food cans, etc. all allow you to cut things, too.  So if your workplace doesn't allow one thing, don't freak out--just pick something else.  And don't forget local, state and federal rules, either.  Breaking those can get you a lot more than just fired!

Now, before you begin gathering your Work Kit's items, you need to think first about its mini-me Bat Cave.  Some workplaces have lockable spots or at least designated 'personal' spaces--some only have general employee rooms.  Theft may be something you need to counter--so either only put items you can stand possibly being lifted or store your kit in some kind of 'distraction safe' to increase the odds you'll keep your stuff. 

Distraction safes are simply containers designed to look like one thing, while actually being another.  They come in all sizes and you can make them yourself--check out Instructables in my Cool Sites to Check Out.  A hardback book just doesn't get the kind of curiosity an unwatched purse does.  Just don't forget, the size of the place you can store your Work Kit, will determine the size of the kit, itself. 

Just whatever you pick, if your kit can't be locked away, don't store it in anything that just screams 'steal me'.  No purses, no briefcases, no laptop bags.  Duffles are okay in some places.  Regular boxes, totes, tins (a fruitcake tin could probably hold gold and be safe), postal shipping boxes (sealed and addressed to yourself), etc., are all possible ideas.  If you need distraction safes:  books, fake plant pots (put the kit inside and arrange the plant on top to look like it is potted), Kleenex boxes, shaving cream or foot fungal cream containers, diaper boxes, feminine hygiene boxes (even better than a fruitcake tin for warding off curiosity), or anything else your clever mind and careful crafting can build.  You're not storing illegal or rule-breaking stuff at work--again, that would be stupid--you're just trying to improve the chances that when you need your kit, it's actually where you left it.

So don't get into it where other eyeballs can see you doing it--and only when you're updating or rotating items or when there is an actual emergency.  Using up your stuff or forgetting to put it back is bad--having someone else take it, isn't any better.

Okay, so now begin choosing items based on your workplace, the six areas you've considered, and your answers to the questions above.   If you find yourself stumped, think of filling the following categories:

*Safety--both things to stay safe in the workplace and to get out of it safely
*Medical and Hygiene--injuries, medical conditions, and sanitation concerns
*Light and Warmth--personal and area lighting, non-hazardous heat sources or retention items
*Needed Tools--to get out of the workplace as well as to successfully deal with stuff in it
*Food and Water--sealed, long-lasting food and water
*Entertainment and Comfort--things to do, snacks

Remember, you may not have the luxury of electrical power--this means lights may be out, elevators not working, the heat off, restrooms not functioning or backed up, piped water not running or contaminated, ventilation systems off, electrical tools unable to be used, even automatic emergency doors unintentionally locked or unlocked.  You might have a heavily damaged workplace--which means debris (large impact risks or respiratory hazards), gas shutoff needs, chemical spills, injuries, blocked or risky passageways, structural failures, etc.

Protect your eyes, breathing, hands, head and feet with special care.

Always remember to rotate, update, or change your Work Kit as items come up for expiration or your skills or needs change.

Hopefully, you'll have your EDC Kit on you and your Car Kit in your vehicle just outside.  But don't rely on having either of them when you plan your Work Kit--you could have forgotten to bring your EDC with you that morning, or your car could now be a super compact beneath a parking garage collapse.  Build your Work Kit as a stand-alone and then any other kit you end up having access to, will simply be added happiness.

So take the time to plan this kit out--do your research, get any training, and practice anything that will give you an edge in any emergency.  Don't just slide through this, hoping someone else will cover your backside.  You are responsible for yourself.  And you need to actually be able to trust yourself.  Always keep in mind that you might be the only one at your workplace who has taken any training or prepared any supplies for an emergency.  In fact, you might seriously want to plan for it--or rather, around it.  Which means either getting management and fellow employees to take professional training and put in proper emergency plans and supplies, or realizing that you might find yourself either unofficially in charge or unfortunately even in possible conflict with others in an emergency. 

So plan carefully.

Just think:  What Would Batman Do?

And get to work building your Work Kit.

Every Day Carry (EDC)

Perhaps the most dangerous part of any emergency is its unexpectedness.  While some trouble can be 'seen coming', most can't.  So what do we do? 

We plan.

But how do we plan?

We use those six areas talked about in the post Planning the Layers:  Personal Emergency Preparedness:  skill levels, area, duration, needs, responsibilities and duties, previous and projected events.

Because we rarely if ever know where we'll be when an emergency happens, we need to plan to take care of ourselves everywhere we go--24/7.  This preparation is called Every Day Carry (EDC).

An EDC kit is, obviously, very personalized.  To actually be effective for you, you need to sit down someplace quiet and go through the six areas--and honesty is more than a virtue here, it could literally mean the difference between your life and death!  So while Rambo could happily take care of himself with just a knife, you might not.  Don't let that discourage you--in fact, let it motivate you to learn more, to practice harder and more consistently.

Some of the questions (but not all of them) you should answer in these six areas are:

What are my actual emergency skills?  Where am I usually at?  How long could an emergency last--and how long could its recovery last? What are my needs?  Who is depending or relying on me to come through for them (human or not)?  What are the emergency events that have happened in my area before--and what events could possibly happen in the future?

Depending on how you answer these and other concerns in the six areas, will be the deciding factors that build your EDC kit.   If you need some basic starting help, FEMA and the Red Cross both offer websites with instructional assistance.  They also offer education help.  For an even better source of emergency preparation and in depth skill building--and particularly for anyone wanting to be as independent and self-sufficient as possible--I recommend The Hoodlums Adventure Team Forum noted in my Cool Sites to Check Out.

As your education and skill levels change, you'll find that you will consider the six areas differently--so be prepared to change your EDC kit as you learn.

So let's start with a basic EDC kit.  Obviously, you need to follow the laws (local, state and federal)--or the rules of the places you'll be going into.  What is allowed 'on the street' is not the same as what is allowed in a federal building!  Don't let this frustrate you--just use your brain to make your choices.  I have found that it really helps to think of things according to the need, not the specific item.  This lets me 'think outside of the box' and encourages me to improve my adaptability.  For example, think:  I need a way to start a fire.  not   I need a lighter.

At an absolute minimum, I recommend the following baseline EDC kit with some suggested examples of items to fill its needs:

EDC Kit

*sharp edge (pocket knife, multi tool, box cutter, EMT shears, heavy duty scissors, sharpener, etc.)
*fire starter and tinder (lighter, matches, ferro rod or other manual spark based source)
*light source (LED squeeze light or a small flashlight--a non-battery one is best or change out often)
*communication, both electronic and manual (cell phone, phone card, pencil/paper, whistle, etc.)
*personal identification and support (State ID, Driver's License, insurance cards, etc.)
*currency (cash, credit card, bank card--remember power outs affect card readability!)

A kit is only of use to you if you actually have it--so keep this kit on your person.

I like using my pockets and a cool Wonder Woman 'cigarette' wallet--everything is on my person at all times, but it takes up very little actual space.

Obviously, you can expand this baseline kit for some useful additions.  I strongly urge you to keep your baseline kit on your person--and the expansion items in an accompanying carrier of your choice (other than the personal protection section, which should remain on your person as well).  That way the likelihood of getting physically parted from your base needs are reduced.

EDC Kit Expansion:

*personal hygiene  (toilet paper, hand wipes, sanitizer, feminine articles, handkerchief, comb, etc.)
*medical  (prescriptions, first aid kit, eyeglasses in a hard shell case/extra contacts, etc.)
*sustenance (water in a bottle, packaged long-lasting/non-melting food, gum/hard candies)
*repair/maintenance (sewing kit, safety pens, duct tape, ziplock bags, small but strong cording, etc.)
*location assistance (maps in ziplock bags, gps, cell phone--for MapQuest, etc.)
*environment protection (face mask, large bandanas, umbrella, contractor garbage bags, poncho, etc.)
*personal protection (self-defense training, permit, and tools/weaponry)
*rescue assistance (car window punch, safety gloves, seat belt cutter, flare, glow sticks, etc.)
*entertainment (ipod, book, cards, travel game, etc.)

Remember that one part of your EDC Kit that most people forget to consider every time is what you are wearing.

You might not have access to a vehicle or the safety of a building--you might have to walk back home or even defend yourself--the weather might shift drastically or you find yourself suddenly exposed to it--you might have to assist in evacuations or rescues--you could have to escape from a heavily damaged building--the point is, you never know.  So plan what you are wearing with some care to more than just fashion.  If work requirements mean you need heels or a suit, then keep a duffle with a change of comfortable but sturdy shoes and good socks stuffed into your office.  Have your coat handy--and if it is winter or weather could be an issue, keep a skullcap and gloves in its pockets.

Now you know the baseline EDC Kit and its Expansion.

So sit down someplace quiet now and get started.  Go through the six areas carefully.  Then go through the EDC needs and choose the starting items of your kit.  Decide how you are going to carry it every day, every place you go, 24/7. 

You can do this!  And you need to do this.

Start now.