Emergency Preparations

To preface this article, our union wants to say: this is not intended to be alarmist. We are very hopeful that the upcoming election will be typical and will ultimately end in a standard, peaceful transfer of power, with no violence or other deviations from the norm. However, this being 2020, we want to cover all angles. In that vein, we asked our resident preparation expert, Local 328 executive-board member Jim Chervney, about what items someone might want to have in their house in an emergency situation. Below are his recommendations. 

Food:

• At least five gallons of DRINKING water per household member

• Dried foods, such as dry beans, potato flakes, dehydrated milk and pasta

• Canned goods, including meat, fruit and vegetables

• Honey

• Peanut butter

• Rolled oats

• Olive oil

• Coffee 

• Protein powder

Medical Supplies:

• Vodka (no, seriously) -- this can be used as a sanitizer and a fire starter

• Apple-cider vinegar -- this can be used as an antifungal

• Bleach (don’t drink it!)

• Tylenol, ibuprofen, multivitamins

• Basic first-aid kit

• Neosporin 

• Diapers

• Toilet paper and flushable wipes

Household Items: 

• Duct tape

• Lighters and/or matches

• Flashlight

• Batteries 

• Candles

• Full tank of gas in your car

This list isn’t meant to be exhaustive, and there are plenty of emergency-preparedness resources available online (a good place to start is the Oregon Office of Emergency Management). Our hope is that none of this information will be necessary in the coming weeks, but these are helpful items to have on hand in the event of an earthquake or any other emergency situation we might find ourselves in.