Latest news with #Prepare
Daily Mirror
30-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
Brits urged to stockpile AA batteries in their homes right now
The government runs a website called which aims to ensure as many households as possible are ready for emergencies such as freak weather, power cuts, major accidents or 'infrastructure failure' as well as attacks Planning for emergencies can be likened to taking out insurance – it's a necessary precaution that you hope will never come into play. The UK government has rolled out a comprehensive set of guidelines for households nationwide, detailing the steps everyone should take to brace themselves for any conceivable eventuality, including the accumulation of vital supplies like batteries. Although the UK's Prepare website has been operational for some time, this week saw ministers underline the importance of societal readiness in the face of potential threats, such as 'war on our doorstep', as well as the risks posed by cyber attacks, extreme weather conditions, or even another pandemic outbreak. The national security strategy released on Tuesday conveyed the stark reality that the UK is now navigating "an era in which we face confrontation with those who are threatening our security". Ministers are amplifying their calls for society at large to bolster its resilience and are planning a comprehensive cross-government drill to test crisis response capabilities. The government's website is dedicated to ensuring that as many homes as possible are equipped to handle emergencies ranging from severe weather events and power outages to significant accidents or 'infrastructure failure', as well as deliberate attacks. Amongst its crucial recommendations, the government is advising households to stockpile essential items, including batteries for radios, backup mobile phone batteries, and battery power for any necessary medical devices. The UK Prepare website is sounding the alarm: "Get prepared for emergencies. Emergencies happen every day in the UK and across the world. They can be caused by severe weather or other natural hazards, by deliberate actions, or as a result of accidents or infrastructure failure." The site warns: "They can be events that happen quickly and are over in a few hours, or they can develop and continue over the course of several days, months, or sometimes even longer." It advises the public to: "Consider what supplies you and your household might need during an emergency lasting a few days, such as a power cut or water outage, or situations where you are advised to stay at home or to leave your home (evacuate) for safety reasons." Tips for readiness include: "It can be helpful to keep these items in one place in your home and ideally somewhere easy to find if the lights aren't working - if you are escaping your house due to a fire you should not take anything with you at all. "You could consider keeping items you might need to take with you if asked to leave your home quickly in a spare bag - you might hear some people call this a 'grab bag'." In addition to recommending the preparation of documents, the testing of smoke alarms, and conversing with neighbours, the government strongly suggests stocking up on batteries and vital battery-powered equipment, reports the Express. The guidance also states: "Put together an emergency kit of items at home. This could include: "Battery or wind-up torch - torches are safer than candles. Portable power bank for charging your mobile phone. Battery or wind-up radio to get updates during a power cut - a car radio can be used, however in severe weather it might be safer to stay inside. "Spare batteries for torches and radio and a backup battery for any medical equipment you rely on." In addition, the government advises households to accumulate supplies of tinned food, bottled water and baby essentials, if necessary. It further suggests that you can gradually build up your stockpile: "Rather than buying all the items at once, you could just add to your emergency kit when you are able and build it up over time."
Daily Mirror
30-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
Full list of what every home needs in 72-hour survival kit
The UK government has issued new advice to Brits, encouraging them to have an emergency kit packed with at least three days' worth of supplies - but what should be in it? Guidance from UK authorities has urged residents to assemble 72-hour emergency kits within their homes, leaving some perplexed over what should be included and where to store their items. Governments in both the UK and Europe have begun to encourage people to put together essential supplies that could sustain them for at least three days in times of crisis. In the UK, this message has been reinforced by the unveiling of the Prepare website by Oliver Dowden. This portal provides practical advice for ensuring households are better equipped to deal with various emergencies such as floods, power outages or pandemics. According to the website, emergency kits should ideally contain: The UK government has acknowledged that buying all these items at once may prove challenging for some. Instead, the advice is to build up supplies gradually as and when possible, avoiding panic buying, reports the Daily Record. The European Commission is also pushing for greater disaster preparedness among EU citizens. They are asking individuals to stock at least 72 hours' worth of food, water, and vital necessities in anticipation of various crisis situations, including natural disasters, health emergencies, or armed conflicts. This initiative is part of a wider strategy to improve community resilience and standardise disaster response mechanisms across Europe. For those with limited space, experts have offered advice on how and where to store these emergency supplies. Creating and stocking an emergency pantry Not all homes have the luxury of a full-sized pantry, but even the smallest kitchens can make room for 72 hours' worth of supplies. Allocate one kitchen cupboard for long-lasting food such as canned meals (like ravioli or baked beans with sausages), tinned fruit, dry pasta, UHT milk, and high-calorie snacks like energy bars. Building up a pantry all at once can be pricey, so spread out the cost by adding a few extra items to your weekly shop, and rotate them regularly to ensure they're within their use-by dates. A mini pantry can prove invaluable during power cuts or if the household falls ill and can't get to the shops. Use stackable clear boxes for essential items Emergency supplies are useless if you can't find them when needed, so consider investing in some stackable, clear storage boxes. These can be used to store essentials such as spare power banks, batteries, torches, tools, first aid supplies, hygiene products, baby necessities, and additional blankets or foil blankets. Once you've packed each box by category, store them in a central yet out-of-the-way spot, such as under the stairs or in a low kitchen cupboard. These should be easily accessible to everyone and kept indoors, not hidden away in the loft or garage. This is also a perfect place to keep bottled water and extra loo rolls. Create a Grab-and-Go bag In the US, professional preppers might refer to this as a 'bug-out bag', but essentially it's a small bag packed with essentials you'd need if you had to leave home in a hurry. This could prove invaluable in situations like evacuations due to flooding or other local emergencies. Choose a compact yet sturdy bag, about the size of a school backpack, and ensure it includes: a torch, charging packs (don't forget the cables), a plastic pouch for medications and important documents, snacks like cereal or energy bars, a few small bottles of water, and any essential medication. Ideally, this should be stored somewhere easily accessible to all, near the front door – perhaps in a hallway cupboard. To ensure it's instantly recognisable as the emergency grab bag, consider tying a colourful ribbon around a strap so everyone knows which bag it is. Don't forget the car boot After securing a 72-hour survival kit for your home, it's wise to equip your car as well. The boot is the perfect spot for an emergency stash, invaluable during breakdowns or when stuck in traffic due to severe weather. Key items to have on hand include blankets, lightweight yet warm clothing such as fleeces, a high-visibility jacket, snacks rich in energy, and bottled water. Sarah Day, a storage expert from Pay Less for Storage, said: "While this news might understandably be worrying for some, remember it's not intended to scare you, just to ensure that everyone is well prepared in the event of an emergency. And remember, preparedness doesn't mean panic buying or anxiously hoarding - it means planning for the worst and sensibly storing what you need. "A pre-packed emergency kit can make a big difference in stressful situations, whether it's a blackout caused by cyber interference or flooding caused by mother nature. The key to this is accessibility and suitable storage, think boxes you can find in the dark, home insurance documents carefully placed to grab and go, food you'll actually eat if the lights go out, and storage systems that fit your space. "Many of us already have most of the items we need, but they're lost in cluttered cupboards or overstuffed drawers. With a few small tweaks, you can repurpose those spaces to make your home not just tidier, but more resilient too."
Forbes
02-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Third Law: How You Accumulate Wealth Shapes Your Family's Lineage
What is the heart of your family that must remain intact well into future generations? Our greatest asset is not real estate, equities, or intellectual property. Our lowest thinking is used to make money on money, but our highest is engaged when money is used to enable that which cannot be bought or sold. This becomes your family's index of purpose. To be primitive is to preserve the character or the spirit of an early stage in the evolutionary development of something. It means to preserve the heart even as the body grows. What is the heart of your family that must remain intact well into future generations? This type of safeguarding, this type of moral retention, requires more than intent. It requires a system. Thinking creates systems, systems create behaviors, and behaviors create sustainability. The method and means by which wealth is accumulated will shape our family's lineage. It would be a mistake to think this only refers to excess capital. In fact, monetary wealth is the smallest part of our discussion here. This begs the question: What other type of wealth is there? I answer this and other related questions in my book, The Spirit of Wealth Preservation, but for our discussion here, let's briefly expand a systematic approach to maintaining the heart culture of our families. As discussed in previous articles, a life worth living is one that continues after we die. I also discussed how a collective purpose allows our family members to align into a mission bigger than anyone's personal goals. While we pursue and promote individual talents, the greatest talent is the collective ability of the family to continue thriving throughout life's losses and gains. This is the thinking; now for the systems. Great systems are simple, repetitive, and resistant to antagonistic human touch. When we institute methods to remind our family who we are and where we intend to go, there will invariably be those who disagree. Those who would prefer a different objective altogether. A great system has taken this negative catalyst into account and operates in excellence regardless. The mechanical systems of our automobiles do not take into account our emotions. Whether we are happy or sad, when we turn the key, the engine starts. There must be a touch of this mechanical practicality in our family systems. Systems that include the ideas of those using them have the greatest probability of avoiding entropy or expiration. Our family meets regularly to repeat our mission and values, but more importantly, we take inventory of the personal mountain and valley experiences of our children. We ask them to be candid about where they are emotionally in life, whether good or bad. We want to know their thoughts so we can place the same back into the systems and increase its value and relevance with each meeting. We call our annual meetings Reflect, Assess, Prepare (RAP). The hip-hop reference gives us about an hour's worth of 'street cred' with the young ones in the group. Some of the questions asked are: These questions validate individual needs, in addition to reviewing the family's collective mission, strengthening the unity of the whole. What questions do you believe would cultivate cohesion among your family? Are you willing to create quarterly or annual meetings to begin solidifying your unit? If you haven't done any of this before, be encouraged to start today.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
When the lights go out: How to prepare for a massive power outage
After Spain and Portugal were just hit by an unprecedented blackout, which saw the two nations plunged into chaos for hours, you might be wondering how you would react if the same were to happen in your country. While such longer nationwide outages are extremely rare, it can never hurt to be prepared. Because when the power goes out, that doesn't only mean the lights go out. Here's a selection of basic amenities that will be impacted by a power outage: The main water supply, including the toilet flush. At worst, there is only enough water left in the tank to flush once. Mobile networks and landlines. While you might have a full phone battery and the mobile network has an emergency power supply, both will run out eventually. Landlines will also be down shortly after a blackout. ATMs and supermarket checkouts won't work either, so you won't be able to take out cash or stock up on groceries at short notice. Petrol stations, as their fuel pumps also run on electricity. Local and long-distance public transport. Heating. Your doorbell. What to stock for an emergency There are several things you can do to prepare for a prolonged power cut. Prepare, a British government campaign providing tips on what actions to take before and during a power outage, recommends keeping a battery or wind-up torch as well as spare batteries at home as using your phone's torch will quickly drain the battery. A battery or wind-up radio is also essential, according to the experts, as it will allow you to receive updates on the blackout when the internet is down. You should also consider storing some bottled water and non-perishable food. Germany's civil protection agency recommends keeping at least 1.5 litres of water per day and adult so you have enough to drink and brush your teeth. Add another half a litre for cooking. In terms of food, the experts at Prepare recommend to stock up on ready-to-eat tinned food, including fruit and vegetables that doesn't require cooking. Make sure you have a tin opener. Dried fruit, nuts and granola bars are also handy to have at home, the German agency notes. Don't forget to stock up on baby formula and baby food or pet food if needed. To be able to heat up your food, consider keeping a gas-powered camping stove at home, though you should make sure never to use it indoors due to a risk of poisoning. Having a stash of cash at home can prove immensely helpful during a power outage, as it will allow you to make purchases even if checkouts are down. Last not but least, make sure you have warm clothes, a first-kid aid and a supply of all the medication you need. What do do in case of a blackout Once the lights are out, you can try to reach out to your network operator, local fire brigade or municipality for information or help. Use your battery-powered radio to receive news updates. The Prepare campaign urges people to stay away from power lines, and turn of electric appliances including irons, ovens, electric fires and fryers. You should also unplug your TV and computer "as they can be damaged if there is a surge when power goes back on." Make sure to check in on vulnerable people, including neighbours. To be able to coordinate without your phones, it might be worth discussing with your family beforehand where to meet up in case of a blackout. Last but not least, try to keep calm, as the power will come back eventually.
The Guardian
29-04-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Cash, emergency food and wind-up radios: How to survive a power outage
If the lights went out in your home or office, on your train home, or in your local supermarket – would you know what to do? That question became more urgent this week, after almost the entire Iberian peninsula suffered a mass electricity blackout, leaving tens of millions across Spain and Portugal without power. As a result of the two countries' outage on Monday, millions were left without the means to get home from work, take out cash, buy food or in some cases escape lifts that were stuck between floors. Both nations declared states of emergency. While that event came out of the blue, governments all over Europe have for some time been urging their citizens to be more prepared for an apocalyptic roll call of potential crises: power outages, extreme weather events, pandemics or even military attacks. As the recent power failure at Heathrow showed, what begins as one small event – in that case, a fire at an electricity substation – can have immense global consequences. EU advice issued last month urged citizens to stockpile at least 72 hours' worth of food, water and other essentials to help them cope in a potential future crisis. The UK government, too, launched a campaign last March called Prepare to encourage Britons to be ready in case of emergency. It advises signing up for emergency alerts, planning your household escape route, and stocking up on urgent supplies, among other things. Is it time to panic? No, says Lucy Easthope, one of Britain's leading experts on emergency planning and disaster recovery – but it is wise to be more aware of our vulnerability. 'Certainly, things are [currently] quite geopolitically unstable, and there's a lot going on climatically. But if you were an emergency planner, these risks were always there, [it's just] there was a slight lull in people's awareness of it.' Preparing for future calamity can still carry a stigma – 'even I'm afraid of looking a bit bonkers', admits Easthope – but while 'these are not end times', she says, it is still worth knowing you would be able to cope if something went suddenly wrong. She has a cupboard full of essentials – torches, a first aid kit, dried food, a can opener – and a 'go bag' packed with daily essentials like a phone charger, battery pack, underwear and washbag and some medication. 'People [used to] say to me, this is ridiculous, you're stirring up fear,' she says. But increasingly, 'people want to understand this, and the knowledge dispels some of the fear.' Ian Freeborn, one of the founders of the Live Off Grid network, which advises those living self-sufficient lifestyles, says: 'If you can make sure your phone is charged that is half the battle these days,' he says. 'So that might mean having a small solar setup that can charge your phone, or certainly a USB power bank. 'The main thing is to keep it charged in any eventuality – then it's a backup to keep me going for a couple of days at least.' Secondly, he says, keep some cash to hand. 'If the card machines aren't working, people can't get food and water, essentials. At least, having a bit of cash, you'll be able to go to the shop.' Angela Terry, an environmental scientist who advises on clean technology and staying safe in weather and other crises, advises that everyone should have a 'blackout box' comprising several days' worth of food, torches and batteries, medicines and a first aid kit. 'Also, put in a pack of cards or something to keep your entertained. We don't have to rely on screens all the time.' And if you're stuck for emergency gift ideas, she says, 'Honestly, solar or wind-up radios are a really good idea.'
