For those of us who have lived in British Columbia for many years, the impending disaster of the “Big One” may seem like a bit of a fairy tale. The bad kind, granted, but really, something that will probably never happen. It feels like people have been talking about this big earthquake since before many of us were born and so it almost seems to make sense to disregard the warning.
Many people choose to ignore the warnings because they don’t want to spend the time or money, or use up the space it takes, getting prepared. It’s easy to push the fear into a little corner of your brain and forget about it most of the time because it’s not enjoyable to face. But if you’re living with vulnerable family members—you probably think about it differently. Whether these people are your children, your disabled loved one or your elderly parents… they’re under your protection.
And suddenly, when you’re responsible for taking care of someone else, it’s much more motivating to get prepared.
Just imagine your loved one going hungry for a week after an earthquake strikes. Or not being able to dress your child’s simple injury because you don’t have a first aid kit in your home.
If you live alone, consider this: getting prepared is being community minded. The more prepared you are, the less of a burden you will be on your neighbours and the more you will be able to help those around you who might not be as prepared as you!
Being a stand-up citizen can feel like a lot of work that constantly means going above and beyond, but today, we’re keeping it simple. Once you’ve stocked your home with a basic earthquake kit, all you need to do is know to stop, drop, and hold on when an earthquake strikes. From there, your survival could make all the difference for those around you. Perhaps your neighbour on the left uses the tourniquet in your kit to save a life, or your neighbour across the street is able to charge his cellphone with your Hybrid Solar Flashlight Charger and let his loved ones know he’s alive.
However the story goes, you’ll be able to play a better role if you have supplies and get prepared, so take some time to consider your options today.
-Article contributed by Sophie Wooding – Avid gardener and cyclist in Victoria, BC and Content Writer for Frontier.io