It’s Time to Set Your Clocks, Check Your Stocks!

Daylight saving time begins this Sunday, March 9. As you set our clocks forward, it also is a good time to check your stocks; that is, your emergency stockpile of food and other essentials. These are the things you and your family will need if a disaster or disease outbreak strikes.

To prepare for an emergency, public heath experts advise everyone to have enough food and water stored for a minimum of three days for each family member, with one or two weeks of supplies recommended. This includes at least one gallon of drinking water per person per day.

You also should have an emergency kit that includes a flashlight and either a battery operated or windup radio. Your kit should contain a can opener, matches, some cash and food for your pets. Also, a first aide or medical kit, along with a supply of any medications you take, should be stored for an emergency, too.

If you already have an emergency stockpile of food and supplies, take time this weekend to check your goods and rotate out those things that have been in storage, replacing them with fresh supplies. It is a good idea to rotate your food supplies when you change your clock in both the spring and fall, so you know your emergency supplies are good, and you are able to use the food at each rotation. Don’t forget that your fresh water should be rotated, too.

We all hope our families and communities will never have to face a disaster or serious disease outbreak. But if something catastrophic would occur, we want you to be prepared. When you set your clocks forward this weekend, take a little extra time to make sure your family is prepared. To learn more about the American Public Health Association’s campaign to ‘Set Your Clocks, Check Your Stocks,’ please visit Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.