Building a 96 Hour Kit

With September being Preparedness Month, the Fire Department is partnering with the Police Department on a program to help us all become more prepared for disasters by building a 96 hour kit. (Past experience has taught us that a 72 hour kit may not be enough.) We’ll build our kits over the next 12 + months. Each month we will go over some essential items that you might want or need for your 96 hour kit. We are going to try and limit our monthly kit expenditures to around 100 dollars or less. Some months you may go over a little, some months you may spend less. We will also go over different kinds of items and let you decide what is best for you or your family. In the first few months you should have some essential items that should make you feel a little more at ease if something big were to happen.

Many of us know we need an emergency kit, (what we’re calling a 96 hour kit) but a lot of us don’t have one (this even includes firefighters, police officers and other first responders).  There are three basic areas that stop us from having an emergency kit, not fully understanding the need or internalization, too costly and lack of knowledge.

Internalization is the reality of the importance of the kit. Yes, most people know they need a kit, but they don’t have one. They somehow know a disaster can happen, but they don’t really believe it will happen to them.
Cost always seems to be an issue. By spending a little each month, until the kit is complete, should make it easier. We will talk about one aspect of an emergency kit and suggest purchasing products that fit that aspect. Since we will be building the kit a little at a time, it will take a year or so to have a complete kit and plan, but we will have some essentials in just a few months. In the end, it will be a complete kit, with everything you need to feel confident that you and your family can take care of yourselves in a disaster. We’ll put together an emergency plan, and a disaster financial first aid kit too.
Knowledge - how to do it. There are many ways to build a kit, and many things that go into a kit, and plan. No one way is best for everyone. This is a suggested way that hopefully will work for most, but your needs may be different.
After the kit is complete we will test the kit by having an in home drill. Then we will have suggestions to make it better, rotate expiring food, water, and batteries, and then resupply any used items.
Join your public safety partners, Pleasant Grove Fire Department and Police Department in building a 96 hour kit. Make a commitment today to spend a little bit of time and money each month to prepare for your kit. Now, follow along on-line as we post a new article each month. Look on the Pleasant Grove City Newsletter that comes to your home each month (or look it up on pgcity.org) for each month’s installment of Building a 96 Hour Kit.

• Step 1 - November Storage Containers
• Step 2 - December Water Storage
• Step 3 - January Water Purification
• Step 4 - February Food Storage
• Step 5 - March Shelters
• Step 6 - April Emergency Cooking Appliances
• Step 7 - May Radios, Flashlights and Solar
• Step 8 - June First Aid Kits
• Step 9 – July Emergency Hygiene Toilets
• Step 10 - August Tools
• Step 11 - September Final Thoughts

Brought to you by Your Public Safety Partners

Pleasant Grove Police Department

Pleasant Grove Fire Department