Add this reminder to your calendar and be ready for disasters!

We all have a lot to keep up with these days — pick up tomatoes for tonight’s salad, send a gift card for a relative’s birthday, schedule teeth cleaning. Staying on top of things is important, but life sometimes intrudes.

Creating a schedule for activities, appointments and special days, whether big or small, can help you relax and feel prepared for upcoming events. That’s where APHA’s Get Ready: Set Your Clocks, Check Your Stocks campaign comes in. The campaign advises Americans to use the twice-a-year clock change as a reminder to check your emergency stockpile.

Having an up-to-date stockpile — with nothing missing or expired — comes in handy when the lights are out during a power outage, if your tap water is undrinkable during a flood or you have to shelter-in-place during a storm.

Quick! Add these dates into your calendar right now: March 8 and November 1. Those are the 2015 dates for the clock change. You can even use the handy “Add to Calendar” button on our website to add this month’s reminder to your Outlook, Google or Yahoo calendar. Look at you, already on your way to being prepared!

To be even more ready for a disaster, visit the Get Ready site for a handy checklist of emergency supplies, a grocery list and even delicious recipes. While you’re there, check out our new infographic and share a photo of your stockpile.

You’ve changed your clocks, now check your stocks

Daylight saving time ended last weekend, bringing us one step closer to winter. But before you break out your scarves, mittens and holiday decorations, there’s one more move to make: checking your emergency preparedness supplies.

It’s easy to forget about your emergency stockpile, particularly if you have it tucked away in a closet or basement. But if a disaster occurs, you want it to have everything you need — and that means checking up on it every so often.

APHA’s Get Ready: Set Your Clocks, Check Your Stocks campaign recommends using the twice-annual time change as a reminder to check your stockpile.

You should make sure nothing’s been removed from your emergency stockpile, that batteries or water haven’t leaked and that food hasn’t expired. Use our supplies list to double-check that you have everything you need in your stockpile, and add items as needed.

If your life has changed since you assembled the stockpile, such as a new family member or a change in medical condition, you should add supplies to account for that.

If you haven’t created a stockpile yet, now is the time to put one together. All Americans should have at least a three-day supply of food and water stored in their homes, with at least one gallon of water per person per day. Choose foods that don’t require refrigeration and aren’t high in salt. Your stockpile should also contain flashlights, a manual can opener, a radio and batteries, among other items.

And if you haven’t tested your smoke alarm and changed its batteries, you should do that as well.

Visit our Set Your Clocks, Check Your Stocks page for tools and tips for creating the perfect stockpile.

Do you know what to put in your emergency stockpile? Get tips in our new podcast

Daylight saving time is here, which means you probably set your clocks ahead an hour this weekend. But did you remember to check your emergency supplies as well? It can be hard to remember to update your stockpile, which is why APHA’s Get Ready campaign uses the clock change as a reminder.

 

Creating and updating your emergency stockpile is important, says Cheryl Kravitz, director of communication at the American Red Cross, National Capital Region, in our latest Get Ready Report podcast.

 

It’s important to have emergency supplies — including food, water, batteries, flashlights and a first-aid kit — ready to use in the event of an emergency. Kravitz offers tips on other items to keep in your stockpile, such as cash, a manual can opener and prescription medications.

 

When you think about making a stockpile, keep in mind that you never know when and where an emergency can happen, Kravitz says, noting she personally has three stockpiles — “one in the front closet by my front door, one in my office and one in my car.”

  

Wait, an emergency stockpile in the car? Yes, it’s important to have one there as well.

 

“If there’s a snowstorm and you get stranded on the road, it would be really awful to be stranded on the road without having a blanket, food, the necessary items to survive in your car for eight or 10 hours,” says Kravitz.

 

Here are some tips to create or update your emergency stockpile:

• Keep at least three days worth of food and water in your emergency stockpile. Download this checklist from the Get Ready campaign to build or update your stockpile.
• Make sure to include items for children or other family members with special dietary restrictions.
• Rotate your stockpile. Get tips from Get Ready’s Set Your Clocks, Check Your Stocks campaign on when and how to do so.
• Don’t forget about your pets! Make sure you have at least three days worth of food and water for them as well.
• Be sure to keep your emergency stockpile in an accessible, cool, dark place.

The key to staying safe during any type of emergency is planning and preparation, says Kravitz.
 
“The American Red Cross really encourages everyone with the phrase of, ‘get a kit, make a plan and be informed,’” she says.
 
Listen to the podcast now or read the transcript. Check out our Get Ready: Set Your Clocks, Check Your Stocks page for information to download and share, including fact sheets, e-cards and games for kids.

Spread the word: It’s almost time to set your clocks and check your stocks!

Set your clocks, check your stocks

Daylight saving begins March 9.

How often should you refresh your emergency supplies? At least every six months, experts say. But with everything else that’s going on in life, remembering to do so can be hard.

 

That’s why APHA’s Get Ready: Set Your Clocks, Check Your Stocks  campaign uses the twice-a-year clock change as a reminder. The campaign advises people to refresh their stockpile, such as their emergency food, water and batteries, when they adjust their clocks for daylight saving time.

 

And guess what? The next clock change is just around the corner. Daylight saving time starts Sunday, March 9.

 

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 experts. Other supplies that should be on hand include a first-aid kit, a can opener, flashlight, battery-operated radio and batteries.

 

Now that you know to check your stockpile, you can help your friends, family and community be prepared for disasters, too. Here are just some ways you can remind people to check their stockpiles:

• Check out our free materials for info on building and updating an emergency stockpile, including a list of what should be included, information on rotating stored food and water and games for kids. Add a link to your website!
• Share one of our free e-cards to remind people to check their stocks.
• Tell your Twitter followers or Facebook friends. Use our sample tweets and the #clocksstocks hashtag.
• Share our Set Your Clocks, Check Your Stocks video.

Thanks for spreading the word and helping your friends, family and community get ready!

You’ve changed your clocks, now check your stocks

Daylight saving time is over, which means that we’ve all changed our clocks back (except for Arizona and Hawaii, which don’t take part in the practice).

But there’s one more step you may still need to take: checking your emergency preparedness supplies.

It’s easy to forget about your emergency stockpile, particularly if you have it tucked away into a closet or basement. But if an emergency occurs, you want it to have everything you need — and that means checking up on it every once in awhile.

APHA’s Get Ready: Set Your Clocks, Check Your Stocks campaign recommends using the twice-annual time change as a reminder to check your stockpile.

You should make sure nothing’s been removed from your emergency stockpile, that batteries or water haven’t leaked and that food hasn’t expired. Use our supplies list to double-check that you have everything you need in your stockpile, and add items as needed. If your life has changed since you assembled the stockpile, such as the addition of a new family member or a change in medical condition, you should add supplies to account for that as well.

If you haven’t created a stockpile yet, now is the time to put one together. (And if you haven’t tested your smoke alarm and changed its batteries, you should do that as well.) All Americans should have at least a three-day supply of food and water stored in their homes, with at least one gallon of water per person per day. If you have the space, experts recommend a week’s supply of food and water. Choose foods that don’t require refrigeration and are not high in salt. Your stockpile should also contain flashlights, a manual can opener, a radio and batteries, among other items.

Visit our Set Your Clocks, Check Your Stocks page for tools and tips for creating the perfect stockpile. If you are on a budget we have you covered. See our fact sheet for compiling an emergency stockpile without spending a fortune.