Prepare in a Year: Introduction

We created the Prepare in a Year program to help people who are just getting started readying their households for emergencies. The program breaks down preparedness tasks into 12 concrete topics so that people can complete one task per month and then, by the end of a year, achieve a solid level of preparedness.

January: Water

Basic

• Store enough water for 30 days. You need a minimum of 30 gals./person and 15 gals./animal. Store more if you can: In a disaster you will need water for drinking, cooking, bathing, and cleaning.

• Treat and seal the water in BPA-free containers and store in a cool, dark, dry place where it won’t freeze.

Advanced

• Buy water filtering and purification methods so you can use additional water sources if needed. These methods include LifeStraws and Aquamira Tablets.

• Know how to turn off your water at the pipe.

• Store a portable toilet system.

• Keep TP, disposable wipes, rags, hand sanitizer, and liquid soap on hand.

Pro

• Connect rain barrels to downspouts.

• Know how to check your well for damage and get water from it when the power is out.

• Know how to check your septic system for damage.

• Work with neighbors to store supplies and identify locations for outdoor showers and latrines.

• Store extra water for your apartment building or neighborhood.

February: Food

Basic

• Store enough food for 30 days.

• Store it in a cool, dry place where it won’t get damaged or freeze.

Advanced

• Start a garden in your yard, on a balcony, indoors, in a shared area, or on a rooftop.

• Store a campstove or outdoor grill plus fuel so you can cook outdoors if the power goes out.

• Keep cooking utensils and supplies on hand for emergencies.

Pro

March: Communications

Basic

• Choose an out-of-state contact.

• Make a hard-copy and digital emergency contact list (local, state, and regional) for all household members.

• Sign up for local emergency alerts.

• Store tools for charging your phone.

• Identify contingency contacts for all dependents in case you are away and unavailable.

Advanced

• Add handheld radios to your communications kit.

• Sign up for satellite phone service or text message device if you don’t have a satellite-compatible phone.

• Include a solar charger in your communications kit.

• Keep NOAA weather radios on hand and in vehicles.

Pro

• Learn Ham radio operation and invest in a Ham radio.

• Create additional communications plans whenever you travel:

  • Opt in to local emergency alerts

  • Notify someone back home of your travel plans.

  • Learn about climate hazards in the area you are visiting and prepare accordingly.

April: Medical

Basic

• Keep a first aid kit that reflects your training and skills. You can buy a ready-made kit from a reputable provider like MyMedic or Adventure Medical Kits or build your own.

• Get some training. Be sure to take a CPR/AED class.

Advanced

• Take a Stop the Bleed class and a First Aid class.

• Expand your first aid kit as your knowledge expands.

• Add first aid kits to your vehicles.

• Keep a small first aid kit on your bicycle.

Pro

• Take a Wilderness First Aid or Wilderness First responder course.

• Add first aid kits to your go bags and get home bags.

May: Transportation

Basic

• Create a go bag with emergency supplies for evacuation.

• Create a get home bag with emergency supplies for getting back home.

• If you have a vehicle, create a vehicle bag with emergency supplies for when you’re driving.

• If you have a vehicle, don’t let your electric charge or fuel tank drop below 50 percent.

• If you don’t have a vehicle, prepare for evacuation in another way: Make a plan for riding with a neighbor or keep cash on hand for a bus ticket, for example.

Advanced

• Make a plan for evacuation of your pets.

• Make transportation plans for dependents like aging parents who live elsewhere.

• If you have a vehicle, keep it in working order.

Pro

• Invest in an alternative vehicle appropriate for your region (snowmobile, bicycle, kayak, etc.)

• Add a trailer to your alternative vehicle that you can use to tow supplies or even injured people.

June: Safety

Basic

• Keep safety supplies under your bed: hard hat, gloves, sturdy shoes, goggles, headlamp, whistle.

• Put a fire extinguisher in your kitchen (appropriately rated for kitchen fires), in your garage, on each floor, and in each vehicle.

• Keep a stash of cash in small denominations.

• Test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors semiannually.

Advanced

• Determine that chemicals are stored safely.

• Make sure your home is bolted to the foundation.

• Make sure your water heater (if you have the large tank kind) is bolted to wall studs.

• Get backup supplies of prescriptions.

• Make paper and digital (stored on a USB key) copies of important documents and keep them in a safe and easily accessible place.

Pro

• Put together a household safety kit

• Use safety straps to attach large furniture to the walls.

July: Energy

Basic

• Analyze your household energy needs. What is eesential? What can you do without for 30 days?

• Make sure you have the following supplies:

  • Chargers for all devices

  • Outdoor grill or camp stove (outside use only)

  • Solar power bank

  • Solar and battery-powered lanterns

• Learn how to turn off your utilities in an emergency.

Advanced

• Store the following supplies:

  • Portable ceramic heaters and fans

  • A solar-charged portable generator with portable solar panels

  • A power inverter to convert the DC charge from solar panels or vehicle batteries to AC.

  • “Cigarette plug” connectors and cords so you can plug your inverter in your vehicle.

Pro

• Invest in a generator and fuel.

• If you’re on a well system, install a generator for your well so you can pump water during a long power outage.

August: Meeting Places

Basic

• Select an outside meeting place for all members of the household.

• Make sure everyone understands that in an emergency, if you need to evacuate outside, everyone should immediately go to the meeting place.

• Practice evacuation. Ideally, practice when it is dark outside.

• Know where the nearest two Disaster Hubs are located. If your community doesn’t yet have Disaster Hubs, work with neighbors to select neighborhood Meeting Places where you can treat injuries and set up ham radio.

Advanced

• Know the location of your neighborhood meeting place.

• Select household meeting places outside of your community in case you are caught by a disaster away from home.

Pro

• Keep extra cash on hand so you can afford a hotel if you need to evacuate suddenly from your home.

• Know where you can evacuate with your pets and livestock if you need to.

September: Leadership

Basic

• Designate one household leader or multiple household leaders with different responsibilities.

• Create a Meeting Places Plan for your household in case you are separated during a disaster.

• Create a Communications Plan for your household.

• Create a Supplies Plan for gathering, storing, and refreshing supplies.

• Make copies of important documents and financial information. Keep hard copies on a thumb drive and on paper sealed in a plastic bag and store this in your go bag.

Advanced

• Create a Recovery plan. How will your household manage recovery in terms of rebuilding, getting an insurance payout, and managing finances?

• Get some training: Stop the Bleed, First Aid, CPR/AED.

Pro

• Once a year, practice your emergency plans with other household members.

• Make additional plans for vulnerable household members including the elderly, disabled, or medically dependent and pets.

October: Ready Your Street

Basic

• Find out if your street is part of the Ready Your Street (RYS) program.

• If it is, reach out to your neighborhood captain and find out what you can do to help.

• If it is, find out the location of your neighborhood Meeting Place.

• If it isn’t, read more at prepareyourcommunity.org/foundation/rys.

Advanced

• Start the RYS program on your street.

• Find other ways to increase the resilience of your neighborhood: plant a community garden, host monthly emergency training classes, or work together on Prepare in a Year (prepareyourcommunity.org/foundation/prepare-in-a-year.

Pro

• Become a neighborhood Co-Captain.

• Talk to people in other neighborhoods about RYS.

• Volunteer for your local emergency readiness organization.

November: Education & Training

Basic

• Take a CPR/AED class so you can save a life.

• Take a Stop the Bleed class.

• Take a First Aid class.

• Learn about household hazards: Read more here.

Advanced

• Learn about utility safety. Read more here.

• Learn how to use a fire extinguisher. Read more here.

Pro

• Take a Wilderness First Aid or Wilderness First Responder Course.

• Get trained and certified in using ham radio.

December: Resilience

Basic

• Imagine disaster scenarios, like earthquakes or wildfires, and see your way through to recovery. Picture your family and neighbors surviving and adapting together.

• Make sure to have a neighborhood get-together at least once a year.

• Work with a partner or several neighbors on the Prepare in a Year program.

Advanced

• Increase your neighborhood resilience by taking into consideration the special needs of your family and your neighbors. Figure out a way to work together to help one another.

• Create a food garden in your yard or on a patio or balcony. If you grow extra produce, share it with neighbors or your local food pantry.

• Host a neighborhood learning party.

Pro

• Make sure that when giving gifts throughout the year, you include some preparedness items, like lanterns or chargers or water purifiers.

• In partnership with one or a few neighbors, set preparedness or learning goals for the upcoming year.