You don't become prepared just by joining an organization like HOPE. You must invest time, money, and effort in acquiring the right equipment, learning how to use it, and understanding how you can use it to help others out in a crisis.
To help our members our, we're maintaining a collection of tips that will make this process of being prepared easier.
Of course, this collection of tips is by no means comprehensive. If you have a tip you think is useful, please let us know.
A silica pouch packed in your toolbox and storage containers helps absorb moisture and keeps things from rusting.
Change the batteries for the flashlight(s) you carry in your truck every Spring and Fall to ensure that they will work when called upon.
Check for loose or corroded battery cables, clean cables as needed. With all the radios and electronics that we HUMMER owners install on our trucks, this is a must do item.
Also load test the batteries in your truck every two years. You can get this done for free at most auto parts stores.
Periodically check that your fire extinguisher is fully charged.
Periodically unpack and inspect all the supplies in your first aid kit. See what needs replenishing due to use or replacing due to age.
Always include a HUMMER Tire Repair Kit in your toolkit. When in the Gulf Coast, nails were like blades of grass - everywere.
Only use the official HUMMER tire repair kit or an equivalent. Any kit without metal handled tools will not be strong enough to penetrate a HUMMER style tire. They break when you need then most!
A neon, high-visibility type vest should be carried for each passenger in your truck, if you are out in bad weather or darkness on the trail. It may help prevent you from packing over your spotter or passenger.
Every year, numerous construction workers are killed in backing-up accidents. Let's be careful out there.
At some point, you will get locked out of your truck.
Make a set of spare keys to your truck and keep it in your deployment supplies. Give this set of keys to another member of your deployment team so that they can get you in to your truck ifwhen you get locked out.
Remember: you do not want to become a liability for your team.
Avoid learning this trick the hard way. If you carry any instant ice or heatt packs, store them in heavy duty freezer bags to prevent them from leaking inside of your first aid kit.
If you take a cooler with you on deployments to keep water and food cool with ice, get a model of cooler that has a spiggot in it. If water is in short supply, this will make it easy to use the water from ice-melt for something useful rather than just dumping it out at the end of the day.
A pair of Tyvek coveralls takes up virtually no space at all and will help keep you from getting dirty doing basic repairs such as changing a flat tire.