Without water

Situation for April—no clean tap water for two weeks.

Having readily available clean tap water is not something we think about often—until we don't have it.

Let's not find ourselves in that situation.

This month, make a goal to store a two-week water supply for your family.

Below are FEMA recommendations:

How Much Water do I Need?

You should store at least one gallon of water per person per day. A normally active person needs at least one-half gallon of water daily just for drinking. Additionally, in determining adequate quantities, take the following into account: • Individual needs vary, depending on age, physical condition, activity, diet, and climate. • Children, nursing mothers, and ill people need more water. • Very hot temperatures can double the amount of water needed. • A medical emergency might require additional water. How Should I Store Water? To prepare safest and most reliable emergency supply of water, it is recommended you purchase commercially bottled water. Keep bottled water in its original container and do not open it until you need to use it. Observe the expiration or “use by” date. If you are preparing your own containers of water It is recommended you purchase food-grade water storage containers from surplus or camping supplies stores to use for water storage. Before filling with water, thoroughly clean the containers with dishwashing soap and water, and rinse completely so there is no residual soap. Follow directions below on filling the container with water. If you choose to use your own storage containers, choose two-liter plastic soft drink bottles – not plastic jugs or cardboard containers that have had milk or fruit juice in them. Milk protein and fruit sugars cannot be adequately removed from these containers and provide an environment for bacterial growth when water is stored in them. Cardboard containers also leak easily and are not designed for long-term storage of liquids. Also, do not use glass containers, because they can break and are heavy. If storing water in plastic soda bottles, follow these steps: • Thoroughly clean the bottles with dishwashing soap and water, and rinse completely so there is no residual soap. • Sanitize the bottles by adding a solution of 1 teaspoon of non-scented liquid household chlorine bleach to a quart of water. • Swish the sanitizing solution in the bottle so that it touches all surfaces. • After sanitizing the bottle, thoroughly rinse out the sanitizing solution with clean water. Filling water containers Fill the bottle to the top with regular tap water. If the tap water has been commercially treated from a water utility with chlorine, you do not need to add anything else to the water to keep it clean. If the water you are using comes from a well or water source that is not treated with chlorine, add two drops of non-scented liquid household chlorine bleach to the water. Tightly close the container using the original cap. Be careful not to contaminate the cap by touching the inside of it with your finger. Place a date on the outside of the container so that you know when you filled it. Store in a cool, dark place. Replace the water every six months if not using commercially bottled water.

72-Hour Kits

For the this month's situation, let's pretend that your family had to leave your home and be indoors in a common area (like a stake center) with other neighbors. Pretend that for two days you would be without cars, stores, or electricity—but you would have your portable emergency kits.

Think through the situation and determine what you would be lacking. What would you eat and drink, would you be warm, would you have light? Use this month to update, replace, or even create what you would need so your family would have the essentials to sustain them for a couple of days.

Click on the link to the right for some items to consider adding to your list. Put together what works for the ages and health of your family members.

If you don't have kits for your family, don't let this overwhelm you. Any step you take to getting prepared is better than taking no steps at all. Start with baby steps and you'll eventually get there if you take a step every week.

Situation: Power Outage

So, how was life at your home last week when the power was out for several hours?

While it's still fresh, consider where you weren't prepared and get prepared!

I had flashlights handy in an upstairs kitchen cupboard, but didn't have any downstairs (where it's the darkest).

I needed another flashlight so I went to my 72-hour kit and got my flashlight but was sad to see that the batteries were dead! So this week, I'm off to get more batteries and a couple flashlights to store downstairs.

Share with us—what do you wish you would have had readily available, or what did you have handy that made the situation manageable? What will you do this week?

Review of Lehi 23rd Ward Emergency Prep Plan

At the end of January, many of us met during the last hour of church for a combined meeting to review our ward emergency plan.

If you missed it, or need a review, the following information will recap what we discussed.

The ward Emergency Prep Committee has two main goals: 1) to offer information to help families better prepare for emergency situations, and 2) to quickly determine the status of neighborhood households in an emergency situation.

To help meet the first goal, we've created this blog that offers monthly practice emergency situations, a place for discussion and ideas, and helpful links to emergency resources.

To meet the second goal we've divided our ward neighborhood into 12 "blocks" and assigned a block captain and co-captain for each. We've provided the contact information that you have provided to us to block captains so that in the event of an emergency, they will have important information readily available.

If there is an emergency where phone service is available, your block captains will be in touch via phone to determine what assistance your family needs. That information will quickly be passed to the Bishop who will make further assignments as necessary.

If there is no phone service available in an emergency situation, we ask you to use the Household Status Signs we have provided to you to help us quickly determine the condition of your household.




These signs were distributed as part of an emergency kit that we've asked all families to keep tacked underneath the kitchen sink. In an emergency situation where there was not phone service, we's ask you to select the appropriate sign and post it in your front window so a block captain could quickly determine the needs of your family.


So if you're thinking, "what can I do to be more prepared?" you've come to the right place!




1) Make sure we have your most updated information. Our forms ask for the following information: adult names; address; number of people living in home; work, home, and cell numbers; special needs; and skills and equipment willing to share in emergency situation. Please contact your block captain or the Emergency Prep Committee at lehi23emprep@gmail.com to submit or update any of the information for your household.


2) If you don't have a Status Kit, request one today at lehi23emprep@gmail.com.

3) Visit this blog often and engage in the monthly "situtations." These are simply pretend situations that we present for your consideration to determine how prepared you would be if you found yourself in such a situation. If you wouldn't be prepared for the situation, we suggest you work on becoming prepared for that situation until you become so.

4) Don't panic and feel you need to go into debt to get prepared for every emergency. Be realistic and make a goal to do something, anything, on a regular basis to get a little more prepared. Do something on a weekly or monthly basis and watch the difference. Watch for sales and purchase according to your needs. Perhaps it's a little extra soup one week and toilet paper the next week. A realistic, organized plan adds up and will make a big difference over time.



We encourage you to post comments, ask questions, and engage in conversation that will help us learn from each other in how to better prepare ourselves for emergency situations.

Prepare for house fire

We've recently had a house fire in our neighborhood. Gratefully, no one was injured. You never know when fire will strike, so it's always good to be prepared. Follow these tips from Tiffany Provost at How To Do Things.com to prepare for a fire.

For our February situation, pick at least one step to work on this month. Attack more steps if you can. Any step you take is a step in the right direction. Post a comment or share additional ideas/information.

Step 1
Check your smoke alarms often. Your best chance of surviving a fire is by having ample warning. A good smoke detector will alert you to a fire. But it can't do this unless it's working, and it's your responsibility to ensure that the smoke alarms in your home are running properly. Test them monthly, if not weekly. And change the batteries in them, no matter what, every time the clocks turn ahead or back. This will ensure that there is always a working battery in your smoke alarm.

Step 2
Have fire extinguishers handy. Some fires can be controlled and put out with an extinguisher. If you can stop the fire before it has a chance to travel, you can save many of your possessions. To prepare for a fire, have at least one fire extinguisher on each floor of your home as well as in the garage. You may want to also carry one in the trunk of your car in case of a car fire. The fire extinguisher should be kept in an accessible spot where anyone - tall or short - can reach it. It shouldn't be covered or blocked by anything. Have your local fire department check your fire extinguishers regularly to ensure that they will work properly in the event of a fire. And teach everyone in your family how to use a fire extinguisher because you never know who will need to use it.

Step 3
Have an emergency exit plan. Your family is not always together when they're home. So it's not likely that you'll all be able to walk out of the house together. You need to have an emergency exit plan that will help you family to prepare for a fire by leaving your home quickly and safely. Choose a meeting spot where your family can meet away from the fire, and run a few practice drills. For two-storey homes, you may want to have fire ladders in the bedrooms so that, in the event that a hallway is engulfed in flames, family members can exit through windows. Remind your family to leave everything behind and just focus on getting out of the house. Possessions can be replaced - lives cannot.

Step 4
Take inventory of your home. A fire can completely devastate a family. However, you can prepare for a fire by making a list of the items within your home. Your insurance company can then easily replace your items, and you won't be left making a list of what you lost after such a traumatic experience. Keep your inventory list up to date and take pictures of your possessions. Keep the list at a family member's house or in a safe deposit box, away from your home.

Step 5
Make copies of your valuable documents. You can also prepare for a fire by backing up your computer, pictures and legal documents. Make photocopies of anything that would be a hassle to replace, if not impossible. Such things may include wills, deeds, or investment certificates. You should also copy all of your digital photographs on to a CD and store the CD away from your home, either at a family member's home or in a safe deposit box. These memories are irreplaceable, so it's good to have a few copies.

Step 6
Make sure that you're covered. You may assume that your home has fire insurance, but many families are shocked to find out that they're not covered for all (or any) types of fires. Familiarize yourself with your home insurance plan and make sure that you have complete fire coverage.

Step 7
Have an emergency fund. In the event of a fire, you may not be able to find your wallet or purse. In that case, you will need to have some money to live off of until your insurance claim goes through. You can keep a credit card at a family member's house, or you can have a separate fund at your bank that you agree to access only during emergencies. You'll be grateful to have something set away when disaster strikes.

Homebound During Winter Storms

Last week a terrible storm threatened our area. Even though it wasn't as bad as predicted, it was cold and miserable for anyone traveling or stranded.

What if the "storm of the century" truly arrives in Lehi this winter? Is your household prepared? Some storms last several days. Do you have enough essentials on hand if you had to stay indoors for three days?

For this month's situation, pretend that a huge winter storm hits the day you are reading this blog. Assume the power would be out for 12 hours. If you couldn't leave the house for the next three days, do you have what your family needs?

Consider medications, water, food, light (batteries/candles), warmth, etc.

Look at your home and identify at least one area where you could use more preparation for this situation. Take this opportunity to prepare today BEFORE the time of emergency arrives!

Please post any ideas or helpful suggestions.

Is your car restocked?

We hope that the "Stranded at the Point" situation helped motivate you to look at the emergency supplies in your vehicles.

If you are just getting started, see the checklist posted in the Reference section. It's a good start, but keep the specific needs of your family in mind when packing.

If you don't have the time or resources to complete the checklist now, at least make sure you have some food, water, and blankets in a tub or backpack in your vehicle.