How many times have you been confronted with a natural disaster looming around the corner and not been ready. Hi, I am a Lieutenant with the Sarasota County Fire Department in Florida. I have been working on the fire department for 23 years and have seen these situations arise and found that people are not ready for thes situations. When I personally get ready for these disasters I use ebay to acquire my supplies for the upcoming Hurricane season and other emergencies. Everything from safety gear such as flashlights, strobe lights, all weather matches candles, a the like to basic human needs such as preserved food stocks, vitamins, medicines, shelter and water. Yes I said water from ebay and the equipment for these items. Maybe not the water directly but storage and distribution equipment.

A sad but true statement that 99% of the people in my area say is "I wish I would of been ready". I have seen where people are scrambling around at the last minute trying to find these and other items for their safety and security just to find that store after store is sold out. If this occurs in my area I am sure it happens in every other area as well. I have been actively acquiring supplies to assemble a basic emergency disaster kits to offer on Ebay when the time comes. It is somewhat cheaper to buy in large quantities and separate them into smaller kits which keeps the prices economical for all people. Below I will present a short list of the basic items that I keep personally for such an emergency. The time to act is before the season and some things are not available as needed. Face it high demand items are items the stores stock up on and not for future actions. Wether you acquire your items from a local store or on Ebay you need to be ready when the time comes and not trying to play catch up during or even worse after the disaster occurs.

You need to consider a secure storage container weather proof and sturdy. Make sure it is large enough to store all your necessities without overflow. The more containers you have the more space that is needed and less accountability.

Safety and Security items:                      

Medical equipment- Bandages, tape, assortment of dressings of different sizes, antibacterial ointments, triangular bandages, pressure bandages. Most importantly a basic first aid book. This book will help in identifying the necessary supplies but also how to use them. Important Point! Make sure you check and keep enough of your prescribed medication because it may be a while before you can get a refill.

Visual Aids:                      

Flashlights, Strobe Lights ( to get attention of you need assistance from outside sources), lanterns (propane {not highly recommended due the the fire hazard associated with them}or rechargeable battery) candles with holders for extra safety, all weather matches, and don't forget extra batteries for these items (there are crank charging systems available to help recharge your rechargeable items.

Audio Aids:                      

Battery operated radios and Televisions to keep abreast of any important information that is being disseminated through the media such as evacuation routes and shelters. Notification of areas being actively searched or will be searched. Special hazards or hazard areas to avoid. General overall information being given (just being with any communication or information adds extra stress).

Personal Security:                  

A subject that needs to be covered for which I will leave up to you to determine your needs is personal safety items. During these times "people do not have, want" and some will try to take advantage of the lack of Law Enforcement and do things which would not normally take place. Only you can determine what you need for your personal safety.

Basic Human Needs:

Preserved food stocks:     

There can be a long delay before food and supplies can be disseminated so you need to keep a stock of these basic items. An important point about this is to keep a track of food and water and make sure you conserve so these items will last throughout the time of need. I found a logbook is helpfully to keep track of what is being used and what is left.

Freeze dried food, canned food, MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat), juices and especially water. We have a procedure that each person is to have at least a gallon of water for drinking per day. Try to keep from storing empty nutritional value supplies such as diet sodas or food. Use the room for things to keep you alive.

Water is of utmost importance!!!! Human beings can only last for 3 days without water so it is vital that you store enough. Individual bottles are fine but I found out that the five gallon water cooler bottles are the best. There are hand pumps available to use with them. As a last resort and not highly recommended are water purifying chemicals and equipment. Special note do not use any standing water that is open to the enviroment. During these times contamination is a definite hazard. Which leads us into the next item.

Cleaning Supplies:

Antibacterial Soap, Regular hand soap, bleach, laundry soap and a supply of not potable water for these necessities. This water should be retained just for cleaning. Cleanliness at this time is very important. When help is not near an infection could be fatal.                                                                      

Sheltering:

Camping supplies such as tents, sleeping bags, tarps, tape, staples, hammer and nails and other things of this nature should be stored. The time may come where you will be in your home or some other place and you will have to make your own shelter. Important point on this!!! Make sure you have plenty of mosquito repellant because during these times the mosquitos will have an opportunity to visit other places and become contaminated. I am referring to dead people and animals and they can deliver potentially fatal contamination.

I did not write this to scare anybody. My main concern is to educate you on things that can and do happen during these events. Take any one of these items listed above and search for them on Ebay and you will find them and quite a bit of them. Unfortunately I have not found these items sold as a kit or build a kit. You should buys these items before the season starts up again. Thak you for your time. I know it was a long informational sheet but it is one that could just possibly save your life and the lives of your love ones. Keep your eyes open hopefully someone, maybe me, will provide these kits and the information you will need to survive a natural disaster!!!!