Written By: Farah Vitale

Fire season is approaching and Reno residents are encouraged to start planning for fire evacuations. They are also encouraged to start making emergency go-bags. These disaster kits will have basic items your household may need in the event of an emergency.

Since you may have to evacuate at a moment’s notice, have your kits ready to go.

It’s a good idea to have your kit all ready in advance. You can’t predict what can happen, so it’s better to be prepared for an kind of emergency. You’ll need to pack the essentials to make sure your equipped for survival. This means having enough food, water and other supplies to last for at least 72 hours. Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster but they cannot reach everyone immediately. The time it takes to get help could range from hours to days depending on the situation.

Here are some important things to note for kits:

• Keep canned food in a cool, dry place.
• Store boxed food in tightly closed plastic or metal containers to protect from pests and to extend its shelf life.
• Throw out any canned good that becomes swollen, dented or corroded.
• Use foods before they go bad and replace them with fresh supplies.
• Place new items at the back of the storage area and older ones in the front.
• Change stored food and water supplies every six months. Be sure to write the date you store it on all containers.
• Re-think your needs every year and update your kit as your family’s needs change.

It’s important to remember that basic services such as electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment and telephones may be cut off for days or even a week, or longer. You should stalk your disaster kit with supplies kit with items to help you manage during these outages.

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