Kim Kubsch
Whether you need to quickly get to the hospital or quickly evacuate your home, having a backpack, duffle bag, or shopping bag with zipper ready to grab and go is extremely useful. Clear containers or clear Ziploc bags are helpful to quickly identify contents by category.
Keep your Fast Exit Emergency Grab & Go Bag(s) stored near the door you exit most often, and have one for each person of the household. Make it simple to explain in the event you are instructing a firefighter or a child who needs to find it.
Quarterly Updates
Bag updates should be each quarter of each year: January, April, July, October. Items that will require updating include food, medications, emergency contact list, medication list, medical practitioner list, power of attorneys (if revised). Also, be sure that if you borrow an item from the bag, you replace it.
Food—Perishable and Long-Life
Filtered bottled or coconut water, iced coffee, Ensure or Boost high protein drinks, electrolyte powder, protein bars, nut mix, canned tuna (peel-off top), ginger mints to soothe the stomach, cough drops, and gum to chew while anxious. Also include eating utensils, napkins, and various-sized Ziploc bags.
Medical Documents (for each family member)
Emergency contact list, medication list, medical practitioner list, medical insurance card, healthcare power of attorney, durable power of attorney or power of attorney electronic records card, pre-arranged burial ID card
Medications
Supply of three days’ prescription meds in daily containers. Don’t overlook blood pressure pills. Blood pressure can escalate quickly during traumatic events.
Toiletries and Medical Accessories
First aid kit, travel packs of tissue, toilet paper, moist towelettes/disposable wipes, face masks, eye drops, ear plugs, Chapstick, nail clipper, feminine accessories, extra pair of prescription eyeglasses
Electronics
USB of computer files, cell phone, watch, iPad and laptop charger cords/plugs, power bank, airpods/charger. Be sure all items inside the bag are fully charged.
Safety
Flashlight and batteries, pocket knife
Clothing
Two sets of clothing, warm jacket, scarf/wrap
Currency
Cash (include small bills, too), debit and credit cards
Communication
Pens, highlighter, journal or notebook
Digital Vault
Digitize key personal information to recover faster and with less stress. For emergencies, digitize and securely store these important documents: IDs (driver’s license, military ID, employment ID, passport); insurance cards; mortgages and titles for homes, cars, and other high-value assets; financial details to include passwords to accounts; images of credit cards (front and back); contact lists for neighbors, financial planner, and insurance company. Photos and videos should all be included in the cloud, on a USB, or on a backup drive. My friend, who lost her house in the L.A. fires in January, videotaped each room of the house to show the overall room and all its contents. She found this very helpful when processing her insurance claim.
Jewelry and Coins
Disguise valuable jewelry and coins in something in your bag. If you take the bag to the hospital, pull the jewelry out. If you are escaping a fire, you only have seconds to grab and go before smoke or fire stops you.
Photos and Videos
Only if time allows, consider grabbing print or framed family photos and other irreplaceable items. If you digitize, your photos will already be in your Grab & Go Bag. Add photos to your backup device quarterly.
Play it safe. Plan today for your tomorrow.
To learn about Kim’s free 30-minute downsizing consultation, call 480-720-8566 or email [email protected].