Category: Emergency Preparedness

In recognition of “Get Organized Month” (January) I’m offering the Emergency Information list from Habitudes, our sister site, free to HabiTalk subscribers. Even if you think you don’t need it, download it today. It only takes a couple of minutes and it’s so comprehensive you’ll get ideas for things to add to your existing list. You can even gift Emergency Information to friends and family. Just attach it to an email. You can use and customize Emergency Information with any Microsoft Word compatible word processor. It normally sells for $9.95. Download it free today before the offer expires (11:59 PM ET, 1/31/24.)   How to Download the Emergency Information List Go to Habitudes Click “Shop” Add to cart Checkout Add Discount Code: GetOrganized2024 Review and Purchase. The discount code has been entered and the balance is zero. Click the “Download Now” link. You’ll also get an email with a link to the download. Some Items to Consider for an Emergency Grab List A “Grab List” is a list that you keep in a place that’s easily accessible in case you have to leave your home in a hurry. In case of fire, for instance. The list includes things you need […]

These days, it seems like there’s a natural disaster or emergency every day. I live in California, earthquake and wild fire country. Every time there’s a little jolt or a wildfire sparks, the media implores us to get our emergency supply lists and kits together. This time I really did it. Knowing our family will be as prepared as possible when “the big one” comes, gives me peace of mind. I hope these lists and the other useful info in the Emergency Preparedness category at HabiLinks will do the same for you. Before making your emergency supply lists, make a plan. Lots of resources offer to help with emergency plans for you and your family. But I find the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) site the most up-to-date and useful. Before customizing and printing your emergency supply lists, visit the FEMA site for help creating a plan for your family. At the very least Determine where family members will meet if you’re not together. Ask an out-of-state friend or family member to serve as a central contact point in case local cellular or phone services aren’t working. Create and practice an evacuation plan with your family in case of a home fire. Learn […]

If you have an electric garage door opener it’s important to read the instructions. If there’s a power outage you may have to lift the garage door manually. Most systems have a pull cord to disconnect the door from the opener. Make sure you know where it is and how use it. I learned the hard way one day when there was an outage and it was my turn to drive the soccer carpool. When I went to get the car I couldn’t open the garage door. Another mom came to my rescue, but I wish I’d known about the pull cord. It’s a good idea to try it before you need it. After you disconnect the door make sure you’re physically able to lift it. Garage doors can weigh 600 pounds or more! If the opener doesn’t have battery backup consider replacing it. Many of the new electronic garage door openers come with backup batteries. A new California law, effective July 1, 2019, requires homeowners installing new electronically operated garage doors to have openers with battery backup technology. Whether it’s the law or not, openers with battery backup are a good idea. Make sure all the adults in your […]

In San Francisco we’re having a hard time believing that spring arrives soon! It seems like we haven’t seen the sun in months and rainfall records are broken almost every day. But the calendar doesn’t lie. And along with spring comes Daylight Saving Time. The only U.S. states that don’t change their clocks twice a year are Hawaii and Arizona. Here are a few timely tips (pun intended) to help get your spring off to a good start. Clocks “spring forward” one hour Sunday at 2 AM. Change the clocks before you go to bed Saturday night. Don’t forget your watches…including the ones you keep in the dresser drawer. Remember to change the clock on your car dashboard. While you’re at it, change the smoke alarm batteries. Replace the batteries in hard wired smoke alarms, too. The batteries in hard wired alarms provide backup in case of a power outage caused by things like fire or natural disasters. Check the year your smoke alarm was manufactured. It should be shown on the unit. If it’s close to ten years old, it’s time to replace it. Make sure you have the right kind of replacement batteries for your smoke alarms. And […]