When it comes to always being responsible and prepared, it’s important to ensure that your household is safe. This is why you need to ensure that you inspect every corner of your home to see what could be at risk in case any kind of emergency takes place. Even in the safety of our homes, we’re at risk of facing different kinds of emergency situations. From dangerous situations like floods or fires to relatively small emergencies like needing to fix something, there are a few items that would come in handy or a quick fix. To know more about those items, keep reading.
Fire Extinguisher
A fire extinguisher should be a basic necessity in every household, but surprisingly, not many people actually have one. Fires can be started in many ways but not all fires can be extinguished using water. Having a fire extinguisher ensures that if a fire emergency occurs, you’ll be able to handle it efficiently. It’s best to have the fire extinguisher close to places where a fire is more probably to occur, like the kitchen for instance. Keep in mind to not place it inside the area where a fire may occur to be sure that you can reach it without getting hurt. You also need to make sure that your fire alarm is in place and working so that it catches your attention if something goes down.
Tool Kit
Tool kits or toolboxes come in handy all the time. There’s always that frame you want to hang, that something that needs a fix, or the worker that comes in to fix something but forgot to bring a specific tool or a toolbox at all. There are a few basic items you need to have in your tool kit but you can add whatever else you think you might need. A tape measure has to be in all toolboxes in every household. Whatever you want to measure, a 25-foot tape measure will come in handy. It is small and light, so it can fit basically anywhere. Screwdrivers and pliers are essentials and it is better to add a variety of sizes and shapes. A few nails, a hammer, and a pencil would come in handy whenever you want to patch something up, fix a chair or hang a frame on the wall.
Portable Generators
Portable generators normally would have wheels or a handle to be easily moved. They can be moved by one person anywhere outside or inside the house. They are smaller and lighter than normal generators and they are also quieter. The folks behind Generator Grid believe it’s essential to have one because you never know when you might actually need it. They’re really useful and functional and they don’t take up space as normal generators do.
First Aid Kit
It’s crucial to have a first aid kit in your house for emergencies and injuries. First aid kits carry medical tools and medication that you might need urgently. You must have a few bandages of different sizes in there in case of an injury that needs to be tended to. You will need alcohol and different sizes of sterile gauze to clean up any injuries or wounds. An EpiPen is one of the essentials you need to have in your kit as well. Painkillers for all age groups would come in handy in a lot of situations. You will want to keep around an antiseptic cream, cream for rashes, and a pain reliever cream or gel for mosquito bites and insect stings.
Copies of Important Documents
Often you need a copy of any of your documents and you don’t have any around. Documents like birth certificates, ID, bank letters, or college certificates are often needed for a few legal or academic requirements. You would want to have a few copies of any document you might find important in a waterproof bag, especially if you live somewhere where it gets flooded often. You need to keep it somewhere safe as well, where no fire can reach it in case anything goes down.
Cash
A lot of people often use their credit or debit cards and just keep change around with no real cash. It is okay to only have your cards out, but you will want to have cash inside your house in case you urgently need it or in case you lose your cards. You need to keep the money in a waterproof container or wallet as well to keep it safe from fires or floods. It is preferable if you keep the money in a safe drawer that can be locked with a key or in a safe. You don’t want to leave the cash lying around your house, but also don’t make it extra hard to get to. Make sure that you have enough to cover a few months of expenses.
Flashlight, Batteries, Candles, and a Lighter or Matches
If there’s a power cut and the lights go out, you don’t want to live in the dark. Flashlights do come in handy and they are quite useful. Having the batteries around will ensure that you have your flashlight running for a longer time. Candles and matches are just other options to be safe. If you run out of batteries and your flashlight runs out of power, candles are your backup plan. You’d want to make sure when using candles that they’re not near a curtain that can catch fire. You will also want to have an adult around wherever there’s a lit candle, to ensure it’s safe. Never let children know where you keep the matches and candles to ensure their safety, but always leave a flashlight close by to them so they would feel safer.
Make sure that you have all the previously mentioned items around and add anything that you might find important for your own household’s preference. Be sure to not leave any medications, matches, or candles in children’s reach. Using the advice given here will ensure that you’re always well prepared for any kind of emergency that might take place.
Photo by amir shamsipur on Unsplash
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