Emergency Preparedness: Medications

Most first aid kit supplies are for common injuries. There are numerous websites devoted to basic First Aid training we should all be familiar with. 

Many of us are on prescription medications. What will you do if these medications are no longer available. For many of us on necessary medications, the collapse of a national infrastructure could mean that you might be cut off for weeks at absolute best, most likely far longer.

If you have life threatening concerns, NEVER let your med supply drop down to only a day or two before refilling.  If there is a way for you to safely and legally have a supply of several months on hand of crucial medication, do so now. It just might buy the time needed for survival.

Also, look into herbal and alternative medicines. Review family health concerns and decide which herbs would be needed for those health issues, should Rx meds be unavailable. (ex: Hawthorne Berries for BP; Turmeric for Arthritis)

Put together an Herb Kit. Include a broad spectrum herb (such as Olive Leaf, Oregano) w/antifungal, antibacterial, & antiviral properties. Include an immunoenhancer (Olive Leaf, Echinacea, Aloe) Our bodies may be weakened due to the overuse of antibiotics; so store a supply and use only if absolutely necessary. Fish tank antiobiotics have a similar strength to what humans consume. http://www.upco.com/antibiotics-click-more-info-to-see-list-tetracycline-penicillin-ampicillin-amoxicillin-metronidazole-cephalexin-doxycycline <http://www.upco.com/antibiotics-click-more-info-to-see-list-tetracycline-penicillin-ampicillin-amoxicillin-metronidazole-cephalexin-doxycycline>   Fish Cephalexin is a great broad spectrum antiobiotic. Most adults would take 2 capsules 1 or 2x / day for GI, Respiratory, Urinary Tract infections. Tetracycline is another inexpensive antibiotic, but it is not recommended for use past its expiration.

Start obtaining herbs NOW.  The FDA S510 bill that has passed thru Congress has some sections that would prohibit growing garden fresh vegetables and herbs (right now for commercial gain; but it’s not to say that they could ban all backyard gardens altogether). The Govt also ultimately may have control over seed, and nonhybrid (heirloom) seed will not be available. Herbs such as Comfrey, Brigham Tea (ephedra), Chapparal are becoming more difficult to obtain because of rigid governmental control. 

Grow fresh herbs , when able, at home--aloe, peppermint, basil, onion, etc. 

Did you know that you can make your own capsulated herbal “pills”. Google capsule machine. Research which herbs/spices you need for your particular health concerns and make your own alternative meds.

Nasal Saline Wash—1 part baking soda/3 parts salt in 8oz water (use NeilMed rinse bottles or Netti pot). Make sure you tilt head back to allow solution to flush sinuses completely down past ear Eustachian tubes and back of throat.

Colloidal Silver—great for wounds, conjunctivitis, sinus infections, etc;  inexpensive to make. Need pure silver (jeweler) and small generator. See handout from previous meeting or summary on Herbal Medicine chart.

Emergency Preparedness: Water Purificaiton

Sanitation/Disease Prevention in an emergency situation.

Clean water and food will be essential in an emergency situation. How do you purify your water to clean vegetables and utensils. How do you purify your water to drink if your water source is compromised or contaminated.

8 drops of bleach added to a gallon of water will kill 99% of the bacteria. Let set for at least 20 minutes. Or you can get a WAPI to pasteurize water. Boiling for at least 10 minutes will also kill most of the bad stuff.

However, if you are including bleach in your long term storage, be aware that bleach has a 3-6 month shelf life whether the bottle has been opened or not.

A Clorox Bleach rep said, “We recommend storing our bleach at room temperatures. It can be stored for about 6 months at temperatures between 50 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. After this time, bleach will begin to degrade at a rate of 20% each year until totally degraded to salt and water. Storing at temperatures much higher than 70 degrees Fahrenheit could cause the bleach to lose its effectiveness and degrade more rapidly. However, if you require 6% sodium hypochlorite, you should change your supply every 3 months.”

There is an alternative. Use Calcium Hypochlorite for Disinfecting Water.

A 1-pound bag of calcium hypochlorite in granular form will treat up to 10,000 gallons of drinking water

Calcium hypochlorite is one of the best chemical disinfectants for water, better than household bleach by far. It destroys a variety of disease causing organisms including bacteria, yeast, fungus, spores, and viruses.

Calcium Hypochlorite is widely available for use as swimming pool chlorine tablets or white powder that is much more stable than chlorine. This is often known as “pool shock”.

How to Disinfect Water Using Calcium Hypochlorite

Using granular calcium hypochlorite to disinfect water is a two step process.

   1. To make a stock of chlorine solution (do not drink this!) dissolve 1 heaping teaspoon (about one-quarter of an ounce) of high-test (78%) granular calcium hypochlorite for each two gallons (eight liters) of water.

   2. To disinfect water add one part of the chlorine solution to 100 parts water to be treated.

   3. Let the mixture sit for at least one-half hour before drinking.

Be sure to obtain the dry granular calcium hypochlorite since once it is made into a liquid solution it will begin to degrade and eventually become useless as a disinfecting agent. This also means you should make your treated drinking water in small batches, for example enough for a few weeks at a time at most.

Another plus for using calcium hypochlorite to disinfect water for emergency use is that a little goes a very long way. A 1-pound pag of calcium hypochlorite in granular form typically costs only a few $US dollars and can be obtained in any swimming pool supply section of your hardware store or online. This amount will treat up to 10,000 gallons of drinking water, which is enough for a family of four for some six or seven years at a gallon per day per person!

Calcium hypochlorite will store for a long period of time and remain effective as a chemical drinking water treatment. So get rid of the household bleach and buy a can of Calcium hypochlorite for your disaster emergency water disinfection needs. It lasts far longer and treats far more water than the traditional chlorine bleach water disinfection treatment.

Emergency Preparedness: Where to start?

Natural or Man-made disasters: It can happen here, too.

So where do you start? Safe water and food are your starting point. If you already buy bottled water, save the bottles and recycle them. Just refill with filtered water, seal, and put in the basement or a closet so that you have at least a week’s worth on hand, though the more you have stockpiled the better off you are.  


Containers

• Use only food-grade containers. Smaller containers made of PETE plastic or heavier plastic buckets or drums work well.
• Clean, sanitize, and thoroughly rinse all containers prior to use. A sanitizing solution can be prepared by adding 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of liquid household chlorine bleach (5 to 6% sodium hypochlorite) to one quart (1 liter) of water. Only household bleach without thickeners, scents, or additives should be used.
• Do not use plastic milk jugs, because they do not seal well and tend to become brittle over time.
• Do not use containers previously used to store non-food products.

Water Pretreatment

• Water from a chlorinated municipal water supply does not need further treatment when stored in clean, food-grade containers.
• Non-chlorinated water should be treated with bleach. Add 1/8 of a teaspoon (8 drops) of liquid household chlorine bleach (5 to 6% sodium hypochlorite) for every gallon (4 liters) of water. Only household bleach without thickeners, scents, or additives should be used.

Storage

• Containers should be emptied and refilled regularly.
• Store water only where potential leakage would not damage your home or apartment.
• Protect stored water from light and heat. Some containers may also require protection from freezing.
• The taste of stored water can be improved by pouring it back and forth between two containers before us

The longer you stock pile for, the better off you will be, though even a week or two of supplies could be crucial.   Again, this is something anyone in a hurricane, earthquake, or tornado zone is already aware of.

More tips to come. Stay tuned.

First steps for going off the grid!

Our wind generator is finally up and turning! We almost always have some wind, so we will be generating power almost all the time. The wind turbine powers a battery bank first, then goes to the house. Just one step closer to energy independence!

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