Preparedness

The ministry of the Light goes much deeper than the voices you hear on the air each day. Our team is made up of an incredibly gifted group of men and women that all serve with the same purpose…to encourage our listeners in spiritual maturity and active service for Christ. It is always a privilege to get to meet many of our listeners through local and regional events, but we continue to hear that you want to learn more about the people that make up this ministry. With that in mind, we’re privileged to introduce you to some of our team members through this blog avenue. While serving at the Light is a huge part of what we do, we also have many other “hidden” talents and gifts that help define us. Today you have the opportunity to meet Steve McPeters, our Accounting and Administration Manager, as he shares some tips for preparedness during natural disasters…something he knows first hand from his time spent in the fire service.

Written by Steve McPeters

With a recent magnitude 6.0 earthquake in Napa Valley California, wildfires across the northwest, hurricanes in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, tornados and flooding across the country, news reports of house fires happening daily across our country and September being National Preparedness Month we should be reminded that disasters can strike with little or no warning.

All too often we act like none of these disasters will ever happen to us so that when they happen we are caught with little or no time to prepare. Having served in the fire service I have seen firsthand the results of natural and accidental disasters in my community and how important being prepared is. Preparation can be as simple as replacing the batteries in your smoke detectors every six months; or as complex as preparing to survive for 3 to 5 days without assistance from outside help. No matter how simple or complex here are three steps we can follow to become prepared.

1. Become informed – Contact your local Emergency Management Agency to learn what types of risk your community could face and then learn how you should prepare for each risk. Know what to do before, during and after a disaster. Find out what supplies and how much you should keep on hand.
2. Develop a plan – Where will your family meet or gather for each type of risk you face which might be yours neighbor’s driveway for a house fire or a local shelter when an evacuation is necessary? How will you communicate with each other if you are not together when the disaster strikes? What will you do if there is no power or water for several days? What supplies will you need to survive for 3 to 5 days without outside assistance? How will you protect important papers? Put it in writing, keep it up to date, share with each family member and practice the parts that you can.
3. Collect supplies – Use the plan you developed to purchase/collect and store the any needed supplies. Use lists prepared by your local Emergency Management Agency or other governmental agencies that specialize in emergency preparedness. A few items you may want to consider are non-perishable food, water for drinking and hygiene, battery powered radios, flashlights, spare batteries for the flashlights, radios and cell phones, maps of your local area, can opener, fire extinguisher, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, matches, sleeping bags, blankets, first aid kit, paper products, cups, plates, utensils, paper, pencil, garbage bags, extra clothing for all family members, tool kit. Store in a suitable container in an easy accessible location and let everyone know where it is.

While no amount of preparation can completely take away the difficulties of weathering a natural or accidental disaster it is comforting to us and our families to know that we have taken every step possible to prepare.

Most of us already have in our home the greatest resource manual on preparedness ever written. You may not recognize it as “Basic Instructions before Leaving Earth” but maybe you will as the BIBLE.

1 Peter 3:15 (NIV) But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…