Back to Basics-October Challenge

Today I stood before our lovely Relief Society sisters in the capacity of "Preparedness Specialist" and gave them the October Challenge. Every month (except the last 3 months because I was out of town, and then recovering from surgery)I have been choosing a monthly theme to help us all in our preparedness efforts.

I challeneged the sisters today to acquire 4 kinds of items:
1. Water ( 1 gallon per person per day)

2. 13 gallon kitchen trash bags (for bagging toilets if there is no water to flush with)

3. Lanterns (for light...solar LED lanterns are great. You could have rechargable flourescent lanterns, battery powered lanterns or flashlights, those round touch lights, glow sticks, etc.)

4. Transistor Radio (battery or solar operated or crank operated) for keeping up with news.

If your have these 4 items in the right quantities, you are on your way to being prepared.

I deemed these the top 4 things to have:
Why?
Water...You need water to survive (you can live three weeks without food, but only 3 days (or less, depending on your age, and the weather conditions) without water.

Bags for sanitation...to bag your toilets. What if the city water system shuts down? How are you going to flush? Lift the toilet lid and put the bag in, and position the edges of the bag around the toilet, then put the lid down. It is better than sitting on a bucket.

Light! ...What if the electrictiy goes out in the middle of the night? Have a working lantern or 2 or 3 or 4 handy. We put ours next to the regular lamps, so we don't have to scurry around and try to find a lantern that has been stashed away in a closet or something.

Radio..with electricity out, you have no access to your TV or computer, so that little radio wil save the day by keeping you informed.

OCTOBER 2008 Challenge

Preparedness: THE VERY BASICS

Dear Sisters and Brothers,


The very basics items you need are food and water for 3 days AT LEAST ( the governement recommends 2 weeks worth), water being the most important. Have one gallon per person per day. Here is a saying to remember... You can live
3 minutes without air
3 days without water
and 3 weeks without food.
(Of course, if it is in the middle of a hot summer, you will need more water.)

The easiest thing to do is to buy bottled gallons of water. Buy canned food -it will not need to be cooked. You can eat it out of the can. You can cook or warm things up with your camp stove. Crackers have a 6 month shelf life, so if you have those, rotate them.

You should have sources of light such as battery or solar operated lanterns and flashlights and camping lights.
Candles are not recommended.
You should have a radio that is battery operated or solar operated.

Plan for things to do to pass the time...games, books, drawing, writing, etc.

We are advised by all government agencies and preparedness experts....to have water and food and other supplies for 2 WEEKS. BUT 3 DAYS' worth is a good start. If you get paid at the first of the month, which is coming in 6 days;
that would be a good time to purchase your 3 days' supplies. Instead of going to a movie and out to eat, buy your 3 days supply of water and any more canned goods you may need. It is worth the sacrifce

Find out the favorite canned foods of each family member...or go shopping together as a family for the food and water.

If the water coming out of your faucets is dirty, you can flush with it, but do not take showers. If no water is coming out of your faucet, you will need to "bag" your toilets with 13 gallon white trash bags. Lift the toilet lid, put the bag in and drap sides over the toilet bowl and put the seat back down.

A very good site is www.ready.gov

WATER !

The U.S. government advises each household to have a 2 week supply of water. That is one gallon per day per person in the family.

Here is a very simple directive regarding water during an emergency from
www.ready.gov The follwing post (Water Purification) is more detailed.

"Always use bottled water for drinking and cooking if it is available. Unsanitary water can be very dangerous to your health. If you don't know the level of purity of the water, it should always be treated.
Use one or a combination of these treatments:
Boil
Boiling is the safest method of treating water. Bring water to a rolling boil for 3-5 minutes, keeping in mind that some water will evaporate. Let the water cool before drinking.
Chlorinate
You can use household liquid bleach to kill microorganisms. Use only regular household liquid bleach that contains 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite. Do not use scented bleaches, color-safe bleaches or bleaches with added cleaners. Add 16 drops of bleach per gallon of water stir and let stand for 30 minutes. If the water does not have a slight bleach odor, repeat the dosage and let stand another 15 minutes.
Flood water can also be contaminated by toxic chemicals. Do NOT try to treat flood water.
http://www.ready.gov/america/npm08/tips/091908.html

Water Purification Information

WATER PURIFICATION
1) Clear water is a sign of pure water. Always drain long-standing pipes for 30 seconds to one minute before drinking! (Cheap remote motels?)

2) 1 Gallon water is disinfected by 8-16 drops of regular household bleach (visually about 1/4 of a teaspoon) - double that for cloudy water. Shake and let stand 30 minutes. One teaspoon will disinfect 5 gallons. Immediately after treating, water must initially have a slight smell of chlorine. If it does not - repeat the process.

3) Household bleach is relatively harmless. The smell or “waft” of chlorine is not bad: it indicates that water is treated and germ free. Once treated and disinfected, the chlorine smell will go away in a few days.

4) Regularly used water from large tanks may be treated once or twice a month with 1 Oz. bleach per 200 gallons or 5 Oz. bleach per 1000 gallons.

5) Long-standing water in tanks will be disinfected w/ 1 pint household bleach per 1000 gallons. (2500 gal tanks are fine with 3 pints.)

6) Bleach effectively kills bacteria and viruses, stops smells and then breaks down. It's effective germ killing alkaline property is completely neutralized very quickly. It does not stay chemically active in tanks for more than a few days. Most germs require sunlight to grow. Store water in the dark.

7) If water is relatively clear: but has a noticeable smell of chlorine: it is drinkable, disinfected, and harmless. Humans need 2 quarts per day.

Comments
The above text is designed to be printed, cut-out, and taped inside a cabinet door, or saved as a reminder.

6 % sodium hypochlorite solution, referred to as " common household chlorine bleach", is not a seriously poisonous substance to humans. It is an alkaline salt. It is not an "acid". However It very, very effectively kills bacteria and viruses upon contact. It is the world-wide chemical of choice for treating drinking water, or for effectively sterilizing everything from shower stalls to surgical instruments.

Truthfully, very heavily chlorinated water may be more irritating to the lungs - if it is used for showers, than it is harmful to the intestinal tract if used for drinking purposes.

Even drinking straight household bleach rarely results in death. The alkaline properties of undiluted bleach may cause painful chemical burns to the esophagus and stomach - but it is not deadly poisonous. Bleach must always be kept out of the reach of children - because not only might they drink it - they may get it in their eyes.

All long-standing water that is exposed to air and sunlight grows bacteria and other organisms which may include the very troublesome protozoa, Giardia. These organisms may cause people to become very sick. Iodine has long been carried by back-packers for cases of emergency because very small long-lasting tablets effectively disinfect germ infected water.

Iodine is at least 1000 times more toxic than is sodium hypochlorite (bleach). Unlike sodium hypochlorite, iodine does not break down. It does, however, cause an unpleasant taste in treated water. This is why back packers are given the option to carry a taste neutralizing tablet for use if water has been treated with iodine. Iodine does remain in the body. Iodine poisoning is of greater concern for longer term situations than is the slight smell of bleach. In any regular situation, bleach is the by far the preferred method for purifying drinking water because it effectively kills harmful organisms, and then it breaks down and is quickly chemically neutralized.

It should be noted that fish, mosquitoes, algae, etc. can not - and do not live - in poisonous water. Given the choice between two still ponds in the wild: one with mosquitos, or algae growing in it -- and another near-by it, which may be seemingly clear - I would prefer to drink the water that has the organic life growing in it. The other standing water, even though it appears clear - is obviously unusable or undesirable to other living organisms and therefore it may be poisonous.

New well-water should ALWAYS be tested by the drilling company to determine if the water coming from the ground is truly safe for drinking. Ground water can be unsuitable for a number of reasons, but in general it is very good water.
Without any doubt, the easiest way to insure clean, safe, pure drinking water, is to instal a water purification system that acts both as a filter, and a purifier. These are the common water purification systems available everywhere. They filter particles and purify the water from bacteria, viruses and other harmful chemicals. An EXCELLENT portable water purification device can be purchased for emergency use for under $70.00.

Home water purification systems, even purifiers that attach directly to the water tap - are absolutely excellent! This is the best way to actually insure that the water you are drinking is clean and pure. These systems, which act both as filters, and purifiers - are the systems of choice for any rational person. It is nice to know the ratio's of bleach necessary for disinfecting water if one fears that water may be contaminated - but this is intended for people who use large water tanks, or to be guide-lines for serious emergency situations. For normal living, modern water purification systems are definitely the methods of choice for eliminating bacteria, viruses, smells, and other undesirable substances.

http://www.newjerusalem.com/PureWater.htm

Unsafe Water in Downey, CA

This morning, as I did my physical therapy exercises, I was watching the news on TV. An important report came on telling the residents of Downey, California to boil any tap water they plan on drinking. I was wondering how many people got this message and how many didn't. Now I feel like the best thing to do is keep some boiled water in the fridge, just to be safe! The people in Downey are being told to discard all their ice cubes, brush their teeth with bottles water and ...well...Here is the full report. Good to know this stuff!!!!

CITY OF DOWNEY BOIL WATER NOTICE
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
September 25, 2008

Q. Why is the City issuing a Boil Water Notice to Downey residents and businesses?
A. As a result of weekly routine testing of our potable water distribution system, water quality tests results indicated the presence of Total Coliform bacteria at three of our twenty-five sampling locations.

Q. What does a positive Total Coliform test result mean?
A. Total coliform bacteria are generally not harmful themselves. Coliforms are bacteria which are naturally present in the environment and are used as an indicator that other, potentially-harmful bacteria may be present. Coliform bacteria were found in more samples than allowed and this was a warning of a potential problem.


Q. Were any harmful bacteria found as the result of the water quality testing?
A. E. coli and fecal coliform bacteria, which have the potential to pose a serious health problem, have NOT been detected.


Q. What steps are being taken to address the problem?
A. The City of Downey has been working closely with the California Department of Public Health since the first positive Coliform test was reported. City crews are flushing water from the fire hydrants in the impacted areas, and chlorine is being added to disinfect the pipelines.
Additional water quality tests will be taken on a daily basis until the results indicate that the water is again safe to drink.

Q. Why aren’t you chlorinating the entire City?
A. System wide test results only found the Coliform bacteria in the three areas that we are currently flushing and chlorinating.

Q. What steps do I take to boil the water?
A. Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one (1) minute, and let it cool before using. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water and is the preferred method to ensure that the water is safe to drink.

Q. Is it safe to take a bath or shower?
A. Yes, as long as the water does not enter your mouth. Babies and children should be closely supervised to ensure that they do not fill their mouth with, or swallow, the water.

Q. Is it safe to brush my teeth with tap water?
A. No, use either boiled water or bottled water for this and other oral hygiene activities including the cleaning of dentures.

Q. What about infant formulas?
A. Formulas should be prepared using boiled tap water or bottled water.

Q. Is the water safe for washing dishes?
A. The water is safe for washing dishes, but you should use hot, soapy water (you may add one tablespoon of bleach per gallon as a precaution) and rinse dishes in boiled water. The dishes should then be left to air dry prior to being used. Attempting to wash and sanitize dishes in the same sink at the same time is not recommended because soap, grease and food particles interfere with the sanitizing process.

Q. Can I use my dishwasher?
A. Yes, but to optimize the disinfection of your dishwasher you should use the highest temperature setting and use the heated dry cycle.

Q. Is the ice in my ice maker safe?
A. It is important to note that freezing does not destroy all bacteria. Discard any ice in your ice trays or ice maker. Once the Notice has been rescinded, make three or four batches of ice and discard in order to flush the supply line.

Q. What if I have a filter system on my faucet or refrigerator?
A. Most point-of-use (POU) filters are designed to improve the aesthetics of water (improve taste and odor), not remove bacteria. You can review your user’s manual or contact the manufacturer for further information. We recommend that you use boiled or bottled water if you are not sure.

Q. What about my pets?
A. Drinking water for pets including dogs, cats, birds and reptiles should be boiled tap water or bottled water.

Q. How long will the Boil Water Notice be in affect?
A. We expect the Notice to be in affect through Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Once the Notice is rescinded, we will contact the local radio and television stations, and will post the information on the City’s web site. Until the Notice is rescinded, we are asking all residents and businesses to continue boiling their water.

http://www.downeyca.org/boilwater.php

Report on Surviving "Ike"

Hi everyone....This letter was forwarded to me by a friend...it emphasizes how being prepared is so important.

Dear Friends:

Just to let you know that the Rittman's are doing well. We have a 6'x6' hole in our roof, no electricity or running water, Trees down everywhere. However, because we listened to the counsel of our Prophet we are prepared. In fact it seems to me that it's only the members of the church who seem to be calm, prepared, and helping one another with trees in roofs, flooding, etc.

There is a POD or Point of Distrubution in Tomball where we live.There you get water and ice IF you have enough fuel to wait in the 3 hour lines. We don't have to do that because we have 3 full water barrels, 75 juice bottles filled with water, and our pool which is dirty but we use it to flush.

It is very difficult to get gas. Police guard the stations when fuel is delivered and you might wait half a day to get up to the pump just to have them say, 'Too bad, we are out'.

I am grateful that we have a generator. We run it 4 hours a day to keep our fridge and light. I am grateful that we have had fuel for it. You can't even by gas containers as they are rationed. We can only by bread once a week and limited to 2 loaves at a time. Water is rationed by the case at the grocery store. 3 cases per family.

The Atm machines do not have power. For the past 6 months I have stashed small bills away because I have had such a feeling of foreboding. We have cash because of that. LISTEN TO THE SPIRIT. Get cash in small bills because the stores can't make change and credit and debit cards often don't work. I had to pay 5 dollars more for an item because they couldn't make change for me.

PHONES ONLY WORK OCCASIONALY.

Believe it or not...I have not had a bath in 4 days, Today was the first day I got to wash my hair with pool water. I haven't fixed my hair in a week!!! It just doesn't matter anymore. We can not do laundry because we don't have water. So, we wear our clothes until they are literally disgusting.When we do finally get water we will have to boil it since it is contaminated.

I am grateful for my parents. When we got low on generator fuel they drove 45 minutes to help us. They filled up thier cans and brought us 10 gallons of fuel which kept us going until this morning at 6:oo am when we finally found some gas.

A prepared Family and a loving extened family is the key to survival and making it through right now. I kno w that my parents would drive to the end of the earth to help me and it's nice knowing they are there. I know that I would do the same for my children.

I want all of you to know that I have such a testimony of following the counsel of our living prophet. There really is safety and peace in your heart if you are prepared. Please get your generators, 5 gas cans full of gas, canned goods, baby items, baby wipes to bathe, and all the water you can store...even if you have to trip on it in your home. Have your lanterns, crank flashlights, tarps, rope, etc.. ready to go because you never know when it will be your turn to endure the test. It's overwhelming, but it's going to be ok eventually. I have a home, I have food, I have water, because i listened to the counsel of the prophet. PLease make sure you do the same. It's time to have your life in order. Tomorrow may be too late.

I love you all so much. I wish you were here. Take care!
Jyl