Crumbled buildings, broken infrastructure and abandoned neighbourhoods: The devastating news out of China is a stark reminder of the need to be ready if an earthquake hits home
Experts say we need to be ready to survive without aid for 72 hours or longer. Yet many of us just aren't prepared.
A quick survey on the streets of Vancouver found several people who admitted they didn't have an emergency kit. If that includes you, maybe you just need someone else to pack an emergency kit for you.
First Aid and Survival Technologies Limited (F.A.S.T.) in Delta, B.C., is a major manufacturer and supplier of kits to relief teams heading to disaster zones and kits you can keep at home.
"We manufacture the food and water rations; we make the bags here; we pack them," said Carmen Funk of F.A.S.T.
Food and water packets in the fast kits are good for five years. The kits are designed to be grab and go, providing the bare minimum for survival so that you can carry it.
"That's why we put two separate handles on them so two people can carry them," Funk said.
The main ingredients:
A litre of water per person for a bare three day minimum
Three days worth of food in foil wrapped packages containing combined 3600 calories
A long lasting military-grade light stick good for 12 hours without batteries.
If you want more than the basics, Funk recommends you pack scarves, gloves, goggles, and rescue items like pry bar vice grips if you need to shut off the gas because of a possible leak.
The advantage of a pre-made kit is it's ready to go. You don't have to shop for the different items. Just keep it by a door in case you have to get out right now.
Go through it every four or five years and replace what needs replacing. The cost of that sort of convenience is $35 for a basic kit or up to $200 for a four-person home kit.
For more information on earthquake preparedness follow this link to the Provincial Emergency Program's Earthquake and Tsunami Manual.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Chris Olsen.
