Are You Ready For the Next Big Emergency?

A colleague of mine is the volunteer Emergency Preparedness Coordinator for a large geographic area in our County. He is responsible to provide hundreds of area families with emergency preparedness warnings, specific how-to-be-prepared instructions for any emergency, and other helpful suggestions and communications assistance. It's a complex and difficult assignment. He reports to an regional supervisor and has contacts with County and State Health Departments.

The most recent impending emergency could become among the worst in our history--the bird flu pandemic that many epidemiologists and government agencies believe is certain to arrive. In 1918-19, the US and the world suffered an estimated 60 million deaths from the Spanish Flu pandemic. It was an absolute disaster worldwide and had many long-term economic impacts that are still apparent. Experts today believe that a bird flu pandemic would be far worse in terms of potential deaths and economic impacts.

Epidemiologists have written that a rather simple mutation of the existing bird flu virus into a virulent and very dangerous form that could be transmitted by air and spread rapidly from human to human. They say it is not only possible, but their only question is not whether it can happen, but when it will happen. The Federal Government is so concerned about the mutated bird flu virus, they have provided millions of doses of Tamiflu, a medication that they hope will help control the disease and help people who get the flu will have access to the medicine in time and hopefully will survive the disease. Tamiflu is not a vaccine, however, as a vaccine can only be prepared when scientists have isolated the bird flu virus after it has mutated. Only then can they make a vaccine and that would take time and great investment. In the meantime, millions of Americans might perish.

More about preparedness: Among the strongest preparedness suggestions that have been made to date refer to storage items that families should have on hand, items that might prove crucial to your survival in case a big emergency occurs in your area. FEMA, The State, the County and many city emergency agencies all suggest that every family have 72-hour emergency kits readily available in case of emergencies, especially if evacuations are declared. The listing below is the basic, 72 hour emergency kit that should include such items as:

· Enough portable and easily prepared food for three days for each family member

· Enough potable water, at one gallon per day per person

· Sanitary supplies, prescription and OTC medications

· Clothing for each family member for three days

· Bedding, such as sleeping bags and blankets

· Comfort items for children, special foods, books and toys etc.

· Emergency lighting and camp stoves plus fuel

· Personal documents and $200 in cash in small bills

· Portable coolers for items that need to be kept cold

· Emergency radios/cell phones

· Vitamins and minerals for all

As a firm believer in being prepared, I suggest that families rapidly get your 72-hour emergency kits together in a safe, readily accessible place. Since we always need vitamins and minerals, you might consider storing and using our Acai Juice as a healthy super food. Packed with vitamins and minerals and three essential fatty acids, it also contains proteins and fiber. Acai Juice and is widely known as a truly healthy liquid food source that would help preserve your family's health during any emergency. Each ounce contains the equivalent of five servings of fresh fruit, and is high in anti-oxidants an proteins.

Store a case of Acai Juice and number the bottles from #1 to #12. When # 1 is empty, buy one more bottle, number it #13 and then rotate the bottles in numerical order as you use them. Rotating and replacing a bottle at a time assures freshness. A case of unopened Acai can be safely stored for two years, but don't forget to refrigerate opened bottles. Using Acai Juice as a super food in this way, all family members will benefit from the natural healthy goodness in the juice.

Christian Wilson - Born in North Hollywood and raised in Mexico, Brazil, New York, Idaho, Utah and the beautiful islands of Tahiti and Hawaii. Graduated from BYU Idaho and BYU Hawaii where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Christian spent the last 25 years in business, computers and marketing - primarily as a computer programmer, retail manager, nutritional supplement manufacturing consultant and as a marketing and SEO consultant.