Be prepared for disruptions and crises

Summary:

Stock up on a 72-hour emergency reserve. 

 Read more tips on how to be prepared at: 72 hours - 72 tuntia.

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Home emergency food supply is the best way to avoid panic – how to start preparing

When life goes on as usual, few can think of, what they would do in a power outage, if the water that comes from the tap is undrinkable, or if there would be temporary shortages of food availability. These are situations, which are regularly experienced in Finland – sometimes as short disturbances and sometimes as major crises. The officials recommendation is clear: every household should prepare themselves to survive at least 72 hours by themselves.

"Home emergency food supply is not just canned food in the cupboard, but it is also water, medicine, heating, and access to information during a crisis. When the basic needs can be secured by yourself, the society´s help can be directed to those, who need it the most. Preparedness should not be viewed only from the perspective of large-scale conflicts, but through everyday incidences", reminds Anni Knuuttila from Central Uusimaa rescue services.

Everyday life can quickly become difficult

Power outage is one of the most likely disturbances. It can occur, for example, from a technical failure, a storm, or vandalism. Power outage can rapidly cause difficulties in many everyday functions:

• cooking food is becoming difficult
• the refrigerator and freezer are starting to get warm
• lights and heating are gone
• internet and telephone networks are starting to fade
• credit cards and ATMs stops working
• shops can close their doors
• public transportation is prone to disturbance and stops finally.

Also, water supply is prone to disturbance. Water supply outages can be caused by electrical faults, pipe breaks, or water contamination. A person needs about two litres of drinking water per day, in addition to which water is needed for cooking and personal hygiene. The total need of water is 1–2 buckets per person per day. Also, the pets need of water should be taken into account when calculating the home emergency supply.

When the water supply outage continues, a water distribution point will be set up, for which households should have clean containers with lids for collecting water.  It is also advisable to think of alternative toilet forms for water closet in advance, because during water supply outage the toilet can only be flushed once.

Food for 72 hours – normal, food with long shelf life and easy to prepare

Home emergency supply can be stored in two ways: in a separate box kept apart from other supplies or as a part of the dry content in the kitchens cabinet. The risk when stored on other places can be that the products get old, or that the home emergency supply in the cabinet can is easily be eaten, so there is not enough food for problem situations.

The content in the emergency home supply shall suit the family´s diet, be stored long times in room temperature, be prepared without electricity and above all, it should be something you would eat anyway. When the electricity goes out, the refrigerator will warm up within a few hours. The freezer will stay cold for several days, as long as the door is opened as little as possible.

"It can be good to think in advance, what kind of alternatives you have to warm up food and cook water. Would it be possible to purchase a camping stove or keep the possibility to barbecue year-round? In the beginning of the year, we got a concrete example from Portugal, when the wind reached hurricane levels made the prize of camping stoves triple", Knuuttila says.

Staying warm as the house cools down

During power outages, houses can start to cool down pretty quick and therefor an emergency heat source and right clothing are important. It can also be good during the summer months to store warm clothes and blankets so, that they are easily available when needed.

As the temperature goes down, it can be good to choose one room, where everyone can sleep at the same time. Cooling is slowed down, if the room has as few windows or exterior wall surfaces as possible.
When the temperature drops below 15 degrees Celsius, you can use the dining table and blankets to make a tent, which will help keep the heat concentrated inside. In cold weather, setting up a regular tent indoors is also a good option. If your home has external heating sources, such as a fireplace, you should have it sooted regularly, ensure it is in good working condition, and keep a sufficient supply of firewood at hand.

Security of supply is built in homes

The core in the societies security of supply is, that people survive with at least the basic things independently. Maintaining a home emergency supply is therefore part of broader national preparedness. When households are doing well, the impact of crises on people’s daily lives and on public services are significantly reduced. A key aspect of preparedness is not only ensuring the well-being of your own household but also making sure that your close relatives and neighbours can cope.

It is important to remember that although preparedness is usually associated with major crises and emergencies, it is not intended solely for those situations. Unexpected situations can arise in everyday life—such as illnesses, brief disruptions, or other interruptions—and that’s when having supplies at home can be an immediate help. That is why it is a good idea to view preparedness as part of everyday life: it increases the sense of security and makes it easier to cope without urgency or uncertainty, in every situation.