Time to check your emergency supplies, says APHA

When's the last time you've checked your stash of spare batteries? How about your first aid kit?

APHA's Get Ready: Set Your Clocks, Check Your Stocks campaign is calling on people to refresh their emergency supplies long before a disaster happens — and to use the upcoming clock change as a handy-dandy reminder. When it's time to change your clocks back on Nov. 2, remember to check your preparedness kit to make sure your emergency stockpile isn't missing any items and that the food hasn't expired.

Haven't created a stockpile yet? Now is the perfect time! Every American should have at least a three-day supply of food and water in case of an emergency, including one gallon of water per person per day, according to preparedness advocates. Other supplies that should be on hand include a first aid kit, medicines, a can opener, flashlight, battery-operated radio and batteries.

To help people create and update their emergency stockpiles, the Get Ready: Set Your Clocks, Check Your Stocks campaign offers free materials on its Web page, online at www.getreadyforflu.org/clocksstocks. Materials include a list of what should be in an emergency stockpile, information on rotating stored food and water and games for kids. For the first time, bilingual materials are available as well, with both a stockpiling information fact sheet and a supply checklist in Spanish.

Check out our materials, then scoot over to your closet or under the bed and look over your supplies. Chances are they are in need of updating. Checking your supplies twice a year with the clock change is a great way to make sure that your emergency supplies are there when you and your family need them. And thanks to APHA, you won't forget.