Disaster Preparedness Supplies for Schools
If a catastrophic disaster happens during school hours, students and staff may be stranded at school for days until roads are cleared for safe driving. If the building suffers structural damage, students may be forced to shelter outdoors at mercy to the elements. Electricity may be out for days to weeks leaving everyone in the dark and causing water treatment plants to shut down. There may also be injuries requiring medical attention when no emergency assistance will be available. Not only do you want to keep your students safe, but it is also your responsibility to take measures to protect your school from foreseeable dangers.
Below is a summary of the different categories of emergency preparedness supplies that you should have in your school building.
Emergency Food
Schools should have a minimum 3-day supply of emergency food for each student and staff member. This food should not require any cooking or preparation and should be non-thirst provoking. Quake Kare 72-hour kits for the classroom include ER Food Bars that are U.S. Coast Guard Approved to maintain freshness for up to 5 years.
Emergency Water
Your school should also keep a minimum 3-day supply of emergency water per student and staff. Our school emergency preparedness kits come with 3-day supply of emergency drinking water which is U.S. Coast guard approved to store safely for up to 5 years. Ideally you should have a gallon of water per person for emergency preparedness because running water will likely be unavailable or unsafe. The cheapest and easiest way to store large amounts of water for drinking and sanitation is to store water purification tablets and 55-gallon water storage barrels.
Emergency Shelter Supplies
The possibility exists that your school building(s) may be unsafe to occupy after a major disaster. In the event students are forced to spend time outside our emergency school preparedness kits also come with the emergency shelter supplies to protect students from the elements. These supplies include emergency thermal blankets and rain ponchos which offer protection from harsh weather conditions. Additional supplies recommended for storage include a canopy shelter, body warmer pads, and tube tents.
Emergency Lights
Following a natural or man-made disaster classrooms will likely be without electricity. Emergency lighting is necessary to help students and teachers navigate around dangerous debris in the dark. Don’t rely solely on battery powered devices. Batteries have a limited shelf-life and should be regularly replaced. Quake Kare deluxe classroom emergency preparedness kits come equipped with a solar/hand crank radio and flashlight that does not require batteries. The kits also include 12-hour emergency lightsticks and candles.
Emergency Radios
Emergency radios ensure your students will receive life-saving updates and evacuation notices. Due to the limitations of battery use, we recommend an AM/FM solar and hand crank powered radio with built-in flashlight.
Emergency First Aid Kits
Students may become injured as they evacuate the building or campus due to dangerous debris. Schools need to have available comprehensive emergency first aid kits that can easily be mobilized. We include a basic first aid kit in our School Survival Kits and recommend the Trauma Central Supply Kit as an additional purchase which contains the appropriate supplies to treat up to 75 people for injuries and is ideally suited for both school and office emergency preparedness.
Emergency Search & Rescue Supplies
Natural disasters create dangerous amounts of broken glass and other debris that could trap survivors. It may take Emergency Personnel hours to days to arrive with Search & Rescue equipment. Your students and teachers may be forced to dig survivors out of debris. To aid in search & Rescue efforts, Quake Kare School Emergency Preparedness Kits include leather-palmed work gloves, vinyl gloves, and dust masks for protection from dangerous debris. We also highly recommend the additional purchase of our emergency search and rescue kit which comes with OSHA approved hard hats, safety goggles, emergency rescue pry/crow bars, and much more.
Emergency Sanitation Supplies
Plumbing and running water will likely be unavailable after a major disaster or during a lockdown situation. Because it is important to avoid employees getting sick during a time of disaster, your office needs to have emergency sanitation supplies to maintain sanitary conditions. Our school emergency preparedness kits packaged in 5 gallon containers are designed to be used for emergency sanitation. They also include the necessary toilet bags, toilet chemicals, toilet seat cover and lid, and tissue packs for each student.