Exercising Preparedness Items
Net Control: N0KMO
N0KMO – How do you exercise your preparedness items? For training and maintenance purposes. How do you do this? Do you have a plan? Do you have a schedule?
We’ve been talking about how to get items and how to maintain them. Some of our buying might slow down. I have been doing more communication preparedness. Using battery and solar power. Talking about maintainability and practicing.
I have been working on preparedness for a while now. Working on business continuity and personal disaster preparedness. There’s a lot on the internet from FEMA and other prep groups. A lot of groups out there have been talking about the idea of maintainability of equipment. Continuous maintaining and testing schedule, many outlets have been talking about this lately.
After talking to a few groups, I found there is a good schedule for us to test during the summer and winter. Every once in a while will start the generator and let it run 5 to 10 minutes every weekend. Make sure gas level is good. Also exercise batteries for radio, then charge them. I have a consistent schedule to do that.
As I have been buying different battery equipment, I have been getting known as being a brand snob with batteries. Hopefully as a prep minded individual, when doing research and prep equipment, choose a brand that you are comfortable with.
KE0OHF – As far as batteries go, my shack is 100% solar battery powered. Once a week cycle if down and bring down about 200 amp hours from the battery. Then he knows it works since it’s 100% solar and battery.
N0KMO – I am solar and battery powered. My batter runs about 300 amp hours currently. Like to get out once a week and test away from home. A lot of fun maintain the station.
Kf0CJA – Maintain smaller items too, just stuff in the get home bags and make sure that stuff is good. Also camping is a great way to test out equipment. A lot of the camping items double as emergency items.
N0KMO – Camping and travelling is a great way to try out equipment. We also have when we’re travelling carry enough items with us to have a couple days of food and small cook set and stove, as well and sleeping bags, etc. When on the road do I have enough items in the vehicles that we can stay our for a while.
Another thing I keep thinking about is first aid kit. Haven’t been rotating out first aid supplies, so this week have been talking to family, every month having a first aid talk. Every other month have first aid practice. Good training and practice and it also gets the family together.
Last thought: If you have time and you think about check dates on things with experation date. Englewood water system has had an issue, so there has been a run on bottled water, so if you have a chance, rotate your water. Practice, practice, practice. Make sure that items are being maintained so when you need to use it, it will work. A lof things to cosider when preparing for disasters.
Not just practice with the items, but get training.