Library

Guides

40 chapters. Open one, work the checklist, print it.

• System 01 · PriorityWater you can trustA gallon per person per day is the floor. Treatment is the backup when the tap is not.
• System 02 · PriorityPower, light, and coldThe dangerous part of a blackout is not the dark. It is carbon monoxide, heat, and a warm fridge.
• System 03 · PriorityShelter that holdsA house is only shelter if you can get out of a fire, stay cool in a heat wave, and know when to leave.
• System 04 · AssessFood that still feeds youStore meals you can eat if the stove and the fridge both quit. Rotate them or they are decor.
• System 05 · AssessMedical, medicines, hygieneA kit you can find, a week of prescriptions, and the judgment to call 911. This is not a clinic.
• System 06 · AssessWarnings and a way to reuniteA charged phone is not a plan. Alerts, a paper list, and a meeting place are.
• System 07 · AssessHome safety, quietlyAlarms, locks, and the discipline not to advertise what you store. This is not a fight manual.
• System 08 · AssessLeave, or stay on purposeTwo kits. Two routes. A full enough tank. Pets in the plan, not in the driveway.
• System 09 · AssessPeople and rolesA plan nobody has heard is a rumor. Name who grabs the bag, who gets the child, who checks the neighbor.
• System 10 · AssessCash, papers, continuityCards die when the network does. Small bills, copies of proof, and photos of damage keep a household solvent.
• Hazard · Reaction timeNuclear survival guideWhat to notice, what to do in the first minutes, and how long to stay in. Official steps from Ready.gov, CDC, and FEMA’s fallout-shelter sheet.
• Hazard · Desert summerExtreme heatHeat is a medical emergency with a slow start. In Arizona it is the hazard that shows up every year.
• Hazard · Moving waterFlood and monsoon waterSix inches can knock you down. A foot can take the car. Washes that were dry at noon are not a trail at dusk.
• Hazard · Leave earlyWildfire and smokeEmbers travel farther than the front you can see. Smoke is its own emergency, even downtown.
• Hazard · Cold snapsFreeze and broken pipesArizona still freezes. A burst pipe at 3 a.m. is a water emergency and a shelter emergency together.
• Hazard · Pull asideDust stormsIf you cannot see the road, you are not late. You are stopped. Lights off, foot off the brake.
• Hazard · Drop, cover, hold onEarthquakeArizona is not California. It is also not zero. The action in the first seconds is the same.
• Hazard · Wind and surgeHurricanes and tropical stormsWater kills more than wind. Know your evacuation zone before the cone is on the news.
• Hazard · Minutes, not hoursTornadoesA watch means get ready. A warning means go to the room you already picked.
• Hazard · Snow, ice, wind chillWinter storms and extreme coldStay off the roads if you can. If the car gets stuck, stay with the car.
• Hazard · AshVolcanoes and ashfallAsh travels farther than lava. Sign up for the warnings, then stay inside when told.
• Hazard · Go high, go inlandTsunamisIf the ground shakes hard at the coast, the earthquake is the warning. Do not wait for a siren.
• Hazard · Weeks, not daysPandemics and outbreaksPlan for closed schools and a long stay home. Share only information you can source.
• Hazard · Slow waterDrought and water shortageDrought does not arrive with a siren. It arrives with a utility notice. Waste less now.
• Hazard · Air you can't seeChemical and hazardous-material releasesSome toxic chemicals have no smell. Go upwind, or go in and seal one room — whichever officials say.
• Hazard · SecondsActive attacks and explosionsKnow the exits before you need them. Run first. Hide if you can't. Fight only as a last resort.
• Hazard · Accounts and gridCyberattacks and scamsMost damage starts with one click. Lock down the accounts that hold your money and your identity.
• Hazard · CrowdsCivil unrest and protestsStay away, stay informed, and tell family you're okay early. Phones and roads may go down.
• Hazard · The bank, the job, the shelfFinancial shock and economic disruptionCash in small bills, papers you can grab, and food you already rotate. That is the official version.
• Skill · Carry itThe 72-hour go-bagOne bag per person who can carry one. Water, meds, papers, a light. Everything else is optional until those are in.
• Skill · Eat what you storeA two-week pantryCount meals, not vibes. Rotate what you cook on ordinary Tuesdays.
• Skill · Names and placesFamily communication planTwo meeting spots. One out-of-area voice. Every adult can say them without looking at a phone.
• Skill · ProofPapers you can grabA folder you can carry beats a filing cabinet you cannot reach. Copies are enough to start a claim.
• Skill · HealthSanitation when the toilet quitsHands first. Waste second. A clean method beats a clever one you will not actually use.
• Skill · They come tooPets in the planIf the animal is family on a normal day, it is family on the worst day. Pack for them before you need to.
• Skill · Extra timeInfants, elders, and accessThe basic kit assumes an adult who can carry it. Adjust for the people who actually live here.
• Skill · The clockFood safety in a blackoutFour hours for the fridge. About a day or two for the freezer. Then the food is not a debate.
• Skill · AfterComing back homeWait until officials say the area is open. Then photos, utilities, and spoiled food — in that spirit of order.
• Skill · PeopleThe week after, in your headFear, irritability, and bad sleep are common. They are also a reason to use a real helpline, not to tough it out alone.
• Skill · Get taughtFree training worth your SaturdaysA manual can point. A class can correct your hands. These are the public courses, not a private club.