National Preparedness Month Tips of the Day
There are a few simple steps you and your family can take to become better prepared for an emergency: Get a Kit, Make a Plan, Be Informed and Get Involved. This September, during National Preparedness Month, please follow these "Tips of the Day" from the American Red Cross and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to help you and your family get started today!
- 9/30 Get Involved
- 9/29 Local Alerts
- 9/28 Older Americans and Individuals with Disabilities or Special Needs
- 9/27 Explosions and Fire
- 9/26 Be a survivor
- 9/25 Chemical hazards
- 9/24 Floods - even shallow water can be deadly
- 9/23 Earthquake Readiness 101
- 9/22 Recovering financially
- 9/21 Understand shelter-in-place and evacuation
- 9/20 Know how to turn off utilities
- 9/19 Know how to treat contaminated water
- 9/18 Surf the 'net
- 9/17 Office kit? (cont'd)
- 9/16 Car kit
- 9/15 What's in YOUR kit? Part two
- 9/14 What's in YOUR kit?
- 9/13 Water is essential
- 9/12 First Aid
- 9/11 Food for thought
- 9/10 Be ready to go!
- 9/9 What's the plan, boss?
- 9/8 Work together
- 9/7 Get emergency help
- 9/6 What about the kids?
- 9/5 Make it a habit
- 9/4 Pet project
- 9/3 Make a connection
- 9/2 Oh, the places you'll go
- 9/1 Best Way Out
9/19 Tip Of The Day - Know how to treat contaminated water
Always use bottled water for drinking and cooking if it is available. Unsanitary water can be very dangerous to your health. If you don't know the level of purity of the water, it should always be treated.
Use one or a combination of these treatments:
- Boil
- Boiling is the safest method of treating water. Bring water to a rolling boil for 3-5 minutes, keeping in mind that some water will evaporate. Let the water cool before drinking.
- Chlorinate
- You can use household liquid bleach to kill microorganisms. Use only regular household liquid bleach that contains 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite. Do not use scented bleaches, color-safe bleaches or bleaches with added cleaners. Add 16 drops of bleach per gallon of water stir and let stand for 30 minutes. If the water does not have a slight bleach odor, repeat the dosage and let stand another 15 minutes.
Flood water can also be contaminated by toxic chemicals. Do NOT try to treat flood water.
