This is not about tea and crumpets or having your neighbors over for dinner, these are Hard Cold Facts of Life as it is now with Terrorism or a Natural Emergency which too many people do not want to talk about or even think about.
We must prepare whether it be a Hurricane or a 9/11 situation or worse.
Our Government did not set up Homeland Security just to help the jobless it is to ensure the safety of the United States, it is our duty as citizens to do our part to maintain our families.
Now what can we do one asks,
we can educate everyone we know about the basic skills of Surviving, not hard if done in the right manner .

1. Do Not Panic, it will only make it worse.
   
   
2. Have a plan, much of what I say is on websites that we are fortunate to have, and we can teach those that do not have internet access.
   
   
3. Read the Disaster plan that is available in your town or city.
   
   
4. Your family must know what to do without instilling fear in the children. Have everyone know what to do no matter what the emergency as if it were a fire drill and have a few practice drills, if it be a natural disaster or a terrorist one, it will not wait until everyone is home and in bed.
   
   
5. Water is a big concern, stock up, I found juice & soda bottles that have the unscented bleach added to your water that is recommended by the Red Cross not the condensed version of bleach, the bottles hold up better then those flimsy water jugs. If an emergency hits fill the bathtub your washing machine and pots with water.
   
   
6. Food, stock up on non perishable canned food and a can opener enough for at least a week, months if you can but rotate it. Should this be a terrorist disaster, ration the food to start with till you get a handle on the status of the situation. Get your pet food also. Keep anything that comes in bags or boxes in a sealed containers. If you do canning all the better.
   
   
7. Medical supplies, medicines, aspirin, pain relievers, antiseptics, extra tooth brushes , toothpaste or baking soda, soap, feminine supplies, sterile bandages , pillow cases or sheets that came out of the dryer are sterile as you can get on the inside that is folded, the list is on websites for medical supplies.
   
   
8. Clothes, have at least a 3 day supply of clean clothes, blankets and also clean winter clothes, you may not have heat. They have thermal blankets that are thin sheets of a silver material that keeps in body heat that mountain hikers use.
   
   
9. Paper plates, cups and plastic utensils are good till you get situated.
   
   
10. Make a solar oven, it`s easy , have your kids help but don`t worry them it can be an experiment and do try it out.
    
    
11. Get seeds just in case you have to plant food if it is a really bad situation, Sprouts from seeds may be the only fresh produce you will have till you plant your seeds.Heirloom are best they will produce well and you can save the seeds for the following year.
    
    
12. Keep your car gassed up, but if it`s a major disaster camouflage it if possible as it can be taken by law enforcement or people posing as them and they have the right to take it.
    
    
13. Don`t advertise everything you have to local people, you will have more friends then you knew you had, try to stash in a hiding place and also money they were warned and did nothing.
    
    
14. Have candles, lanterns , flashlights , batteries, matches also those flint lighters, radios that run on batteries and know your Emergency Stations.
    
    
15. Keep some games, cards, books and your Bible, the children have to be kept busy.
    
    
16. Sanitation will be a major concern because of disease, so set up some kind of a portable toilet nearby and have lots of plastic garbage bags.
    
    
17. Get the Iodine Pills ahead of time, they will keep you from getting Cancer of the Thyroid Gland, some Health Deparments give them out free and some internet stores sell the kits, know the doses for your children. (special note* please make sure there is no alergy to the iodine before use)