Author: Nicole Czemeres

While you hope you never have to use one – this is not a bad idea.  (Taken from fivegallonbucketideas.ca)

With regular large scale disasters already common in North America, it’s a good time to talk a bit about disaster preparation and how a 5 gallon bucket can help provide some good physical insurance against a catastrophic situation.

Image Credit: SafetyKitStore.com

A well designed emergency kit will contain the best bits of modern technology and heathcare needs packaged neatly in a five gallon bucket.

Organizing the 5 Gallon Emergency Kit

AE has divided his emergency kit into a few broad categories to keep his supplies organized and well rounded:

• General Supplies
• Hygiene Supplies
• First Aid Kit

Every item is listed in detail in a printed contents document. On the back is a list of important phone numbers such as relatives, insurance companies, local law enforcement, fire department, etc. Did you catch the line second from the top? It’s the most important detail on the loadout document – the date. This helps you remember when the bucket was put together so you can keep track of all your expiration dates. A good emergency kit can easily last 5 years or more, but not everything inside will be good for that long and may need to be replaced periodically. For example, an EpiPen – they only last about 20 months from the day they are made. Replacing an expired EpiPen could be a life or death matter!

General Supplies

• glow sticks (12 hrs)
• flashlight
• liquid candle
• matchbooks
• mylar thermal blankets (link)
• hand warmers (link)
• AM/FM radio
• whistle and lanyard
• sewing kit
• blank notebook
• pencils
• extra batteries (for flashlight and radio)
• zip ties
• P-38 can opener
• trash bags
• N95 dust masks
• duct tape
• small tarp
• paracord (link)
• safety goggles
• split leather gloves

Hygiene Supplies

Hygiene supplies are packaged inside their own separate bag. These basic supplies should look familiar – it’s similar to a toiletries bag you might take on vacation.

• bar soap
• kleenex
• floss
• baby shampoo
• hand lotion
• sunscreen
• toothpaste
• toothbrushes
• feminine hygiene pads
• comb
• toilet paper
• washcloths

First Aid Kit

The first aid box is packaged with a list of contents taped to the inside of the lid. Moist towelettes and antiseptic towelettes and latex gloves kept on top so you can clean your hands before digging through supplies.

• basic first-aid guide
• moist towelettes
• antiseptic towelettes
• latex gloves
• acetaminophen (Tylenol)
• ibuprofen (Advil)
• aspirin
• diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
• loperamide (Imodium A-D)
• burn cream
• sting relief towelettes
• hydrocortisone cream
• triple antibiotic ointment (Neosporin)
• cough drops
• earplugs
• instant ice pack
• tweezers
• nail clippers
• scissors
• digital thermometer
• cotton balls
• waterproof adhesive tape
• gauze rolls
• gauze pads
• moleskin
• band-aids
• butterfly bandages
• ace bandage
• triangular bandage
• hand sanitizer
• Q-tips
• petroleum jelly
• RAD sticker (personal radiation dosimeter) (link)
• potassium iodide (radiation emergency thyroid blocker) (link)

Additional Items Suggested by You

These pieces of kit weren’t included in the example bucket build above but are listed here by popular demand. (links will open in a new browser tab)

• Lifestraw ultracompact Water Filter (link)
• 24-inch Pocket Chainsaw (link)
• 3600 calorie ration bars with 5 year shelf life (link)
• 4-in-1 Emergency Gas & Water Shutoff Tool (link)
• 12,000 Strike Firestarter and whistle (link)
• Hand-crank Flashlight (link)
• Everstryke Match (15000 uses) (get one free)
• Foldable Drybags (link)
• Foldable credit card knife (get one free)

Just reading the news and it reports an area has burned that is 85,000 hectares in size.  This is equivalent to 210,039 acres or 1,312 quarter sections or 328 sections.  It is essentially the size of the whole Municipality.

So a reminder:

• Be very careful where and when you are starting a fire.  Refrain from doing so if at all possible.  The conditions are favourable for the burn to become uncontrolled.
• Keep your emergency kit up to date.  Have an evacuation plan.
• Thank a firefighter or emergency responder.

This questions was asked a few times lately so here is your answer:

YES under the following conditions:

• It is on your own land
• It is done to protect your property, livestock or grain

April APAS in Action

RCMP are investigating what they call three separate suspicious fires in eight days near Punnichy.

On April 2, fire crews responded to a structure fire in the RM of Cupar around 5 p.m.

RCMP say the fire was on an uninhabited farm yard, but a house, outbuilding and vehicle were all destroyed.

On April 7, at approximately 7 p.m., RCMP say a large wooden barn was burned on an uninhabited farm yard in the RM of Mount Hope.

Two days later, Mounties say another structure fire occurred on an uninhabited farm yard.

At approximately 11 a.m. Friday, an outbuilding and home were destroyed. Police say due to the high winds, the fire spread to surrounding fields. Fire crews worked several hours to control the blaze.

RCMP say all three fires are deemed suspicious and arson is suspected.

New Forage Insurance Program a Small Step in the Right Direction

On February 25th, 2016, the Ministry of Agriculture and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada announced the 2016 Crop Insurance Program. The Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) believes that many of the changes announced are positive ones, although there is still more that needs to be done to improve forage insurance and increase the benefits to producers under the program.

“Both crop and forage insurance are important programs that provide relief to producers. The changes announced yesterday are indeed positive, especially a much needed increase to the crop insurance budget to $166 million for 2016,” said SARM President Ray Orb. Specific changes that have been announced to the forage insurance programs include the removal of the 50 per cent cap on the Variable and In-Season Price options, an increase in forage establishment coverage from $55 to $70 per acre, and making it easier to update individual yield history with a producer’s own production records.

In late 2015 SARM was a part of a working group that consisted of the Saskatchewan Cattleman’s Association (SCA), the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (SSGA) and the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation (SCIC). This group was assembled with the purpose of discussing the forage insurance program, identifying gaps in the program and then providing recommendations to SCIC to address those gaps for the 2016 year.

While some of the changes announced this year are positive, the recommendations given by the working group were not enacted. SARM is thankful for the opportunity to provide comments but is hopeful that the positive relationship and open dialogue will continue in the hopes of further changes in the future. “Overall SARM is fine with the changes to the forage insurance program and so we look forward to a continued collaboration to resolve the issues” says SARM President Ray Orb.

For more information please contact:

Jay Meyer

Our Valentine Tea + Bake Sale on Sat. Feb 13/16, at the Legion Hall (library) from 1:30-3:30.  There will also be a Toonie Trail of prizes.  Admission is $2/person and you are entered in for a doorprize, plus there will be coffee/goodies to eat.  Funds raised will go towards the automated computer bill in the spring.