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Survival Food Kits May Save Your Life Someday

It's better to have them and never need them than to need them and not have them.

Every first Monday of the month, at precisely 11:00 AM, my work stops for about five minutes -- and I think about survival food kits.

That's when St Louis City and St Louis County test their emergency warning system, so a loud siren sounds through the air, followed by a short announcement that this was only a test. Had it not been a test, we'd have been given instructions about what to do.

I can't work through loud noises, so I just sit and let it go. And I'm glad it's only a test. Because maybe someday it won't be.

And I'm annoyed because I don't like loud noises, but when I think rationally I'm glad that my local governments have a disaster preparedness plan. I wouldn't want them to test the system during a real emergency only to discover that key circuits have shorted out or the loudspeakers are punctured or something's too rusty to work.

I can't say they're really on top of things, though. Last election, we the voters just approved a measure to increase sales taxes slightly to extend the emergency response system throughout the entire county. And to put the police, fire departments and emergency responders on the same communications system.

I thought the entire nation learned the folly of not having that on September 11, 2001? St St Louis is only eight years behind . . .

I wonder how many people hearing that warning alarm test every month have their own personal and family and disaster preparedness plans? How many have emergency food stored away in their homes? In their cars? At their jobs if that's possible.

At my former day job we did have periodic drills, with a designated shelter in place (the woman's bathroom) including a small stock of bottles of water, and plastic to put over the door in case of biological or chemical attack. And duct tape to hang it up with. As popularized by Tom Ridge of the Department of Homeland Security.

I'd hate to have my life depend on that, and some made fun of him and the entire color coding alert scheme, but all I've seen the current head of Homeland Security do is target military veterans as potential terrorists. Gee, that makes me feel safer already. If there's a problem, give me a vet over a bureaucrat any day of the week.

Everybody should have at least one gallon of water per person for three days. Preferably two weeks. You can keep it in clean glass containers (plastic if necessary). For long term safety, add a drop of chlorine bleach per gallon. That will kill micro-organisms. Yes, I know that many people say that chlorine is bad for you. It is a poison. But there're many bacteria that will kill you a lot faster if you don't kill them. If you can find a non-chlorine based water disinfectant, great.

Also have at least three days of freeze dried foods or dehydrated foods per person. Again, two weeks is preferable. One year is even better.

Keep a hand-cranked radio and flashlight. And a pipe wrench to shut off utilities. And waterproof matches. Cell phone with hand cranked charger.

Hopefully you'll never experience anything worse than a short-term storm or other natural disaster. Unfortunately, we live in a dangerous world and someday war, revolution or civil war may make you wish you had as large a store of survival food kits as you can afford.