Time to Change Your Clocks and Check Your Emergency Supply Kit

Public Service Announcement from Rockland County

Daylight savings time ends on Sunday, November 3, and County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef and the Rockland County Department of Health remind you to change your clocks and take time to check your emergency supply kit. Is it missing any items? Is anything out-of-date, leaking or damaged?

“The real life experience of Hurricane Sandy showed us how important it is to be prepared for emergencies. Natural events, like floods, or man-made events, like terrorist attacks, can happen with little or no warning – that’s why having an emergency supply kit is so important,” said Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert, Rockland County Commissioner of Health.

If you haven’t created an emergency supply kit yet, now is the time to do it! Have at least a three-day supply of food and water stored in your home, with at least one gallon of water per person per day. Choose foods that don’t need to be refrigerated or cooked such as peanut butter and ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits and vegetables.

Remember your pets! They need their own food and water. Your emergency supply kit should also contain flashlights, a hand-operated can opener, a radio, batteries and copies of important documents. Depending on your family’s needs, you may also need other supplies, such as contact lens solution or diapers.

If it costs too much for you to buy everything at once, pick up one or two items every time you go to the grocery store. Stock up on canned vegetables or batteries when there is a sale. Bulk “club” stores can also help you save money on your supplies, especially if you split a case with a friend, co-worker or neighbor, who can serve as your “preparedness buddy.”

Once you’ve gotten your emergency supply kit together, put it where you won’t be tempted to “borrow” from it the next time you run out of batteries or need beans for a recipe. Remember: your emergency supply kit is for emergencies!

Of course, this information is good year-round: you don’t have to wait for the clock change to create or update your emergency supply kit. And as always, don’t forget to change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors when you change your clocks, and check to make sure the devices are in good working order.