After Tuesday nights Emergency Preparedness Fair, which was spearheaded by Tamie Rodke and Michelle Dewsnup, those in the community have been made more aware of how to get prepared for an emergency. It was held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day-Saints (LDS) on Spruce Street in Gridley.  This fair was for the whole community from 6 P.M. until 9 P.M.
Eighteen booths were set up in the Cultural Hall, most encircling the parameter, with an inner circle in the middle of the large room. This allowed easy access to each booth.  Individuals were encouraged to roam from booth to booth and listen to each presentation.  A wealth of information was available with handouts containing descriptions, websites, contacts, how-to and how much about each area of concern for emergency preparedness.

Just this year, our nation has seen the torrential effects of fires and floods, earthquakes and tornadoes.  The prices of fuel rising and crops being destroyed all add up to rising prices of our food supply in stores. In some cases there has been a lack of such supplies.  It is for this purpose the Emergency Preparedness Fair was brought into play. The need for our community to be ready for natural disasters is a concern.  Awareness and knowledge are key factors in being prepared.

The LDS church encourages self-sufficiency.  This is not a new concept to it’s members.  For years, the members have been counseled to store up anywhere from 72-hour emergency kits to a one-year food supply.  For many, this involves gardening, canning, and hitting the two for one sales.  For others, it is in the strategic planning of knowing where to buy in bulk and how to store it.  Many members choose to work at the Bishops storehouse, volunteering to assist in canning mass amounts for those in need.  Fast offerings go into supplying these things for those who have suffered loss of jobs, home, or health.  The welfare system in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints allows each member to put in service hours, a kind of ‘pay-it-forward’ concept.  This principle ensures a sense of dignity and productivity for individuals who may at one time or another find themselves in need of assistance.

Individuals such as Al Stewart and his son, Darrell Stewart, who enjoy the gardening, and Denise Pratt, Barbie Squires, Sam Kilian and her daughter - Elizabeth Gonzales, who tends to enjoy the homemaking portion, are renowned in our area for their home canning and homemade goods, such as pickles, jams, and breads, etc. Each had booths displaying gardening calendars and advice, canned goods, such as jam, and diverse types of grains and wheat and various ways to grind and use them in daily cooking.  One of their specialties was also in rotating food storage to keep it fresh and updated.

Carol Brown shared the process of using a three months supply, with menus and recipes that entailed breakfast, lunch and dinner. Her emphasis was on realizing “grocery stores don’t even keep back stock anymore, they rely on deliveries every day.  When power and/or transportation are stopped, so is access to all store supplies.”  Knowing what is in your food-storage, and having recipes specific to those foods is important.  Keep track of what you use, so you can replenish it.  Store the kinds of foods your family will eat.

Those interested in bulk storage of dry pack canning such as flour, rice, oats, and wheat, could find wonderful tips of what, where, and how from Udell and LeRoy Smith and Nancy and Carl Rizor.  A website they frequent is: www.providentliving.org. Storing in air and watertight containers is important for food quality, longevity, and safety.

The Emergency Preparedness Fair gave insight on how to help us be self-sufficient in our homes.  Being prepared in more areas than just food storage, is of importance.
Jay Adams set up a booth with substantial information on using a Power Generator in energy preparedness.   Knowing how to set up a generator appropriately with sufficient wattage to keep necessities of the home going during a time of power outage is essential.  Roy Storer shared space next to Jay with emergency back up light sources.
 

Our area just went through a power outage earlier in the year.  Many suffered losses of cold food items because freezers and refrigerators could not keep things cold long enough.  Some sat at home with the winds howling outside and feeling chilled to the bone because there was no source of heat.   The information shared at the fair should help eliminate such problems in the future if put to good use.
Judy Quist offered information on Basic First Aid and CPR. These are skills that could be useful in any given emergency situation.  For those interested in certifying in CPR and/or First Aid there are Red Cross Preparedness programs in first aid, CPR and AED, which are available for any age.  These can be modified to the needs of groups and individuals. You can find classes on http://www.redcross.org/SERVICES/HSS/courses/.  David Riech, a Red Cross volunteer for the fair, encourages all who would like to volunteer their time in helping disaster victims to contact your local Red Cross Unit.

Josh ans Angela McClean illustrated Family 72 Hour-Kits.  These have become an essential in most LDS homes.  The kits entail enough basics to keep you and your family alive and well for three days. Some of the items focused on range from: toilet paper, medications, energy snacks, bottled water, matches, space blankets, necessities for children and infants, a change of clothes, toiletrites, are just a few things needed your kit which could be a backpack, five gallon bucket, or any container that is easy to grab and go in case of an emergency evacuation.

Do you know how to evacuate your homes and/or the town during a natural disaster?   Does your family know where to meet up in case you are separated in this sort of instance?  David Daddow and Frank Gomez had an abundance of information on how to master a plan for such emergencies.  Considering this and helping your family map out an evacuation plan before hand can save time and lives.

When caught in a natural disaster having to live without simple essentials such as running water and toilets can be a real health issue, but Bruce and Susan Cameron gave great ideas and guides on Sanitation and use of a Portable toilet.

Ion Cunningham taught some concepts of cooking without power.  Simple ideas like turning an old wheelbarrow into a B-B-Q pit or using foil to make a solar oven over a child’s old toy wagon can make an extreme situation into a fun family cook out.

Returning to a home that has been destroyed by fire, flood, or earthquake can be very devastating on anyone.  To help get your life back into order there are some things you can do before disaster hits.  For instance, do you know where your important documents and records are?  From Home and Life Insurance Plans, birth certificates, titles and deeds, to copies of your driver’s license, important photos, etc., it is important to have copies made and stored somewhere safely in case of such a loss.  One place is a safe deposit box at your local bank. Cindy Dunsmoor of Butte County Emergency Services had an ideal suggestion: “Make copies and send them to a trusted family member out of state.  This way if you experience loss of the originals due to area disasters, you will have something to fall back on without all the hassle of replacing such important documents.”

How is your water source?  Do you know what to do if your well or city water supply is contaminated?  Water storage is an overlooked source in many cases and next to air it is the most vital life-sustaining source we have.  Bert and Charla Nielson gave clarity on this concept by showing how important it is to have at least one gallon of clean drinking water per person per day stored up.  If you are concerned with cooking and hygiene, then it is important to store at least three gallons per person per day.  In most cases a 72-hour to 3-month storage is sufficient, but remember, this is in case of an emergency- the more you store, the better prepared you’ll be.

One more tip:  Keeping your tank filled in your family vehicle will allow a less hectic evacuation when an emergency arises. I

If you would like to gather information to help you prepare for an emergency please contact any one of the available sources. Booklets and handouts are available from many Internet sources or companies: PG&E has information, which explains how to prepared for Earthquakes and floods.  Finally, we could all do well to ask ourselves the words from FEMA’s booklet, ‘ARE YOU READY?’