Do you have one of those people on your Christmas gift-shopping list? You know the type – one of those people who seem to have everything? Someone for whom you just don’t seem to be able to come up with a great gift idea, no matter how long you rack your brain?
You probably do have one of those certain someones on your list; most of us do. But you know what might be a great gift idea for that certain someone who seems to have everything?
A gift that might help them to avoid losing everything.
Emergency Preparedness: It’s No Joke
Most of us are probably quite unprepared for unexpected emergencies. After all, it’s just human nature to give little thought to unlikely threats. We tend to have challenge enough just in getting through each routine day.
But every once in a while, a routine day takes a horrifying, unpredictable twist.
There’s no need to constantly fret about all the many things that might possibly go wrong. But it is wise to be prepared for those unexpected circumstances. And one of the best ways to do that is to have equipment on hand that just might make all the difference in surviving an emergency.
That’s why the gift of emergency preparedness equipment is worth considering for anybody on your Christmas list.
Some Suggestions From FEMA…
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has a few suggestions for your Christmas shopping list. Each of these items could be potential lifesavers in extreme emergency situations:
- Emergency Radio: A battery-powered or hand-cranked NOAA Weather Radio – particularly one with a tone alert for emergency weather situations.
- Solar Charger: Cell phones can be lifesaving devices in emergency situations – but not if the battery goes dead while the power is out. That’s why a solar-powered cell phone charger is a great emergency preparedness gift.
- Disaster Detectors: Most people already have smoke detectors. But how about carbon monoxide detectors? Carbon monoxide is responsible for more deaths in the U.S. each year than any other type of poison. That can make a CO detector a true life-saving gift.
- First Aid Kit: In the worst of circumstances, first aid is often the only aid available. But many homes are lacking a well-stocked, well-maintained first aid kit.
- The Gift of Knowledge: Specialized emergency training – CPR training, for example, or first aid training – can spell the difference between life and death in emergency situations.
- Personal Hygiene Kit: Nope, not a lifesaver. But in an emergency situation, doing without personal hygiene items such as shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, body wash, etc. can make an unpleasant situation downright miserable. (Tip: you might want to clarify that this gift is for emergency situations, and isn’t intended to send a message about the recipient’s daily hygiene habits!)
What Better Gift?
Some of FEMA’s gift suggestions might seem rather mundane. But in reality, these gifts have the potential to save lives. And for that certain someone who seems to have everything, what better gift could there be than one that may prevent them from losing everything?
It sure beats a tie that gets shuffled to the back of the closet, never to see the light of day!