Pitkin County - Sheriff's Office - Community Information: Preparedness Information

72 HOUR FAMILY EMERGENCY KIT
Colorado Office of Emergency Management
Pitkin County Sheriff Office
Aspen Police Department

You are probably aware of the possibility of disruptions in utilities to your home (electric, phone, natural gas). Preparing is everyone's job - not just government agencies, but all sectors of society - service providers, businesses, civic and volunteer groups, neighborhood associations, as well as every individual citizen.

This brochure will help you get ready for the possibility of disruptions of the services we take for granted. Preparing for any emergency is important - a serious three-day snowstorm, for example.

Remember if there are utility outages, calls for emergency services may vastly increase. Every possible officer at the Sheriff 's Office, Aspen Police, Ambulance and Fire will be on duty. However, if there are an overwhelming number of calls, life threatening situations must receive the highest priority. Other lower-priority services may be severely limited. Prepare yourself and your family now to be self-sufficient.

The 72-hour Emergency Kit should be individually tailored to meet the basic survival needs of your family. Most families prefer to store their emergency supplies in one location that is relatively safe yet easily accessible if evacuation is required. Items may be stored in a 32-gallon trash can, suitcase, duffel bag, footlocker or individual pack.

Emergency Needs

Battery powered radio
Flashlight with extra batteries
Water storage (1 gallon/person/day)
Manual can opener
Essential medications
Waterproof/windproof matches
Sleeping bags and blankets (wool and thermal)

First aid kit and manual
Extra clothing
Extra eyeglasses/contact lenses
Non-perishable foods
Utility knife
Water purification tablets
Emergency candies

Non-Perishable Food Items

Powdered milk
Ready-to-eat goods in unbreakable containers
Peanut butter
Canned meats, juice fruits and vegetables

Crackers
Freeze-dried and dehydrated goods
Infant care foods

Sanitation Kit

Plastic bags and ties
Improvised toilet seat
Paper cups and plates
Baby supplies
Personal toiletries
Aluminum foil
Toilet paper

Personal hygienic needs
Paper towels
Soap
Plastic utensils
Plastic bucket with tightly fitted lid
Disinfectant

Other Emergency Needs

Pen and paper
Money
Address and phone numbers

Any special medical needs
Work gloves
Basic tools

Standard First Aid Kit

First aid manual
Aspirin or pain relievers
Scissors
Rubbing alcohol
Syrup of Ipecac
Petroleum jelly
Soap
Gauze
Band-Aids
Triangular bandages (36"x36"x52")
Small splints, popsicle sticks
Elastic bandages
Baking soda (1/2 teaspoon salt + 1 quart water for shock)

Cotton balls
Cotton swabs
Needles
Thermometer
Heavy string
Sanitary napkins (pressure dressing)
Matches
Salt
Diarrhea medicine
Laxatives
Tweezers
Micropore adhesive paper tape
Individual medical needs
Disposable diapers (dressing/splint/padding)

Car Survival Kit

Always maintain at least 1/2 tank of gas
Non-perishable food stored in can
Bag of sand, shovel and tools
First aid kit and manual
Radio and batteries
Flashlight and batteries
Class ABC fire extinguisher
Jumper cables

Blankets or sleeping bags
Bottled water
Reflectors and flares
Waterproof matches and candies
Short rubber hose for siphoning
Sundry kit, paper and pencil, map, tissues, pre-moistened towels, plastic bags, essential medications

Make copies of all legal papers

Vacation home/ property ownership
Trailers, snowmobiles, boat papers
Marriage license
House mortgage

Automotive ownership appraisals
Motor home ownership
Insurance policies
Drivers licenses

Establish an Out-of-State 24-hour Telephone Contact

Calls out will not overload phone lines as will calls coming into a disaster area.
All relatives should be informed now on procedures to call the phone contact, not after a disaster has occurred.
Individual location and status should be requested.
Take color pictures of every room of your home plus pictures of valuables.
Send one copy of legal papers and one copy of pictures to an out-of-state contact.

Plan How Your Family Will Stay In Contact If Separated by Disaster

PICK TWO MEETING PLACES
A location a safe distance from your home in case of fire
A place outside your neighborhood in case you can't return home

When Assembling Emergency Supplies for the Household, Include Items for Pets

Extra food (The food should be dry and relatively unappealing to prevent overeating. Store the food in sturdy containers.)
Kitty litter
Large capacity self-feeder and water dispenser
Extra medications

Meet with Neighbors

Plan how the neighborhood could work together after a disaster. Know your neighbors skills (medical, technical). Consider how you could help neighbors who have special needs, such as elderly or disabled persons. Make plan for child care in case parents can't get home.

Traffic Signals

Any driver who approaches an intersection and faces a traffic control signal which is not operating properly, shall treat the traffic control signal as if it were a stop sign. When two vehicles approach an intersection from different roadways at approximately the same time, the driver of the vehicle on the left shall yield the right-of-way to the vehicle on the right.

How to Store Water

Store your water in thoroughly-washed plastic, glass, fiberglass, or enamel-lined metal containers.
Never use a container that has held toxic substances.
Remember that your hot water tank is a source for 40 to 50 gallons of drinking water

Emergency Outdoor Water Sources

If you need to find water outside of your home, you can use these sources.

Rainwater
Streams rivers and other moving bodies of water
Ponds and lakes
Natural springs
Snow

Be sure to purify the water by:

Boiling
Disinfecting with bleach (16 drops/gallon of water, stir and let stand for 30 minutes)
Distillation (Boil 1/2 pot of water and collect the vapors by tying a cup to the upside-down pot lid.)

Other Considerations

Stock supplies to last several days to a week for each family member
Be prepared to relocate during a prolonged power outage.
Have extra cash on hand in case electronic transactions (ATM card, credit cards, etc.) can not be processed
Talk with your family about the steps each needs to take to be ready if disaster happens

For Additional Information Contact:
Pitkin County Sheriff's Office		970-920-5300
American Red Cross		888-545-7800
Local Government
City Of Aspen		970-920-5000
Pitkin County		970-920-5200
Aspen Police Department		970-920-5400

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