Week 9 March 4
Make it Monday:
Remember when we talked about a generator and the fact that they need to be recharged so it’s important to have alternatives? This is a great alternative when heat is needed in a small area as very little heat source is needed. You can use small candles, sterno, or tuna can heaters, or even a small piece of wood.
Terracotta Pot Heater
Terracotta pot heaters will become very hot to the touch. It is important to keep them away from children. They will not heat an entire large room, but will heat a small area. They are safe in a tent but will be very hot to the touch. If you do not want to put your heater together to try it out gather all the elements into the same place so when it is needed you have it all together.
Gather:
2 Un-Glazed Terra Cotta Flowerpots one 8-inch and one 10-inch pot
2 Empty and cleaned tuna cans or other small container to hold candles
Unscented tea light candles
Wooden cutting board or piece of scrap wood
2 bricks
A cooling rack like you would use for cooling cookies
Small piece of aluminum foil
Place the tuna can in the center of the wooden board.
Place 2 or 3 tea lights in the tuna can.
Place a brick on either side of the tuna can.
Set the cooling rack on top of the bricks to prevent the heater from tipping over.
Place a small flowerpot upside down over the candle.
Place the the larger pot upside down over small pot.
Crumple foil and place it in the drain hole of the larger pot completely sealing it.
Light candles with long matches or a long lighter.
To replace the candles, use tongs to slide out the tuna can. Be careful, the can and pots will be hot.
After use clean any candle wax that may have formed inside the pot.
NEVER leave the heater unattended when candles are lit.
Tuesday:
Create a phone tree. When a disaster happens how will you let friends and family know? A family phone tree with family calling family, a friends tree with friends calling friends, and a neighborhood tree with neighbors calling neighbors.
During the San Diego fires a few years ago an entire block of families survived, although their homes did not, because they had a phone tree and called each other to warn of the danger and advise their neighbors to get out.
Be sure your Out-of-Area Contact has phone numbers for every member of your family and extended family. Place a copy of your phone tree in the envelope to be mailed to your contact.
Wednesday:
Create a Resource List of friends and family who may be able to help with some of your preparedness needs. This is a great dinner activity. Children have great ideas and may also know what their friends’ families do for a living or what equipment they have in their homes.
Think about those who garden, can teach you to sew, can, or repair a lawn mover. Is there a contractor who may have scrap lumber that could be used to build a food storage shelf or as firewood? Empty nesters may have canning jars they no longer use. Who might have a chainsaw if a tree falls during a storm? How has medical skills? Think Creatively!
Thursday:
1. Does your family know how to turn off the water to the house?
2. Does your family know how to turn off the gas to the house?
3. Does your family know how to turn off the electricity to the house?
4. Does your family know how to open the garage door in a power outage?
Friday:
Now that you have completed a list of people who can help you prepare, it is time to make of list of the skills and resources you have to share with others. You may be able to: create a home inventory for an elderly couple, teach someone to can or sew, fix a computer problem, or build extra shelves in a closet. You have skills to share, You will be surprised how many once you start listing them.
Saturday:
Teach your family the self-assessment skills from Thursday.
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