Allstate Foundation and Pocatello Fire Dept. giving away 1,000 disaster kits

The following is a news release from the Allstate Foundation.

POCATELLO — With Idaho’s 2018 wildfire season on the horizon, local Allstate Agents, in partnership with the Pocatello Fire Deptment, will be giving away 1,000 disaster kits this week to better prepare families and local communities.

The kits are part of a $10,000 donation by Allstate to the Junk the Juniper program. Junk the Juniper is an initiative led by the Pocatello Fire Department to encourage homeowners to get rid of ornamental juniper trees because they are a wildfire hazard.

“Although it might be the last thing on your mind, a disaster could occur in any community at any time across the state of Idaho,” local Allstate agent, Scott Bowen said. “Many people — 85 percent, in fact—aren’t prepared. Allstate is here to help Idaho communities prepare and be less vulnerable in the event of a sudden disaster. Creating an emergency kit for you and your family is step one.”

This is especially relevant for Idaho residents as the state is ranked number five in the top 10 “Most Wildfire Prone States”, according to the Insurance Information Institute. Idaho alone has 171,000 households that are at a high or extreme risk from wildfires. And in 2017, nearly 1,600 fires took place across the state, burning more than 685,000 acres.

Pocatello residents who wish to pick up a disaster preparedness starter kit, can stop by any participating Allstate agency in Idaho for more information, or stop by the Pocatello Fire Department booth at the Portneuf Valley Environmental Fair on Saturday, April 21.

To help local residents prepare for a disaster, The Allstate Foundation recommends three important safety tips to help communities be aware of the risks in their lives and to protect themselves and their loved ones.

Step One: Build a basic disaster preparedness kit. Your disaster preparedness kit should contain these basic supplies:

• Water (one gallon per person, per day)
• Ready-to-eat, nonperishable food (for family members and pets)
• Battery-powered or hand-crank radio
• Flashlight
• First-aid kit
• Whistle (to signal for help)
• Dust mask, plastic sheeting and duct tape
• Antiseptic and plastic garbage bags with ties (for sanitation)
• Wrench or pliers
• Local maps (to locate emergency services and shelters)
• Extra batteries
• Prescription medication

Step Two: Create a household emergency evacuation plan. A household emergency plan should include the following information:

• Emergency contact names and numbers – mobile and landline (As an extra precaution, everyone in your family should program “In Case of Emergency,” or ICE, contacts in their mobile phones so emergency personnel can contact them if needed)
• Family meeting place in your neighborhood and an alternative meeting place in the region
• Personal details for each family member (date of birth, important medical information, recent photos)
• Addresses and phone numbers of the places family members frequent on a regular basis (work, school)
• Contact information for medical providers (doctors, pharmacist, veterinarian)
• Important medical and insurance information, including photocopies of your medical insurance card(s)
• Check out Digital Locker: Digital Locker is a free app open to everyone that lets you create an inventory of your home’s items and stores your information securely. The app has simple, step-by-step instructions to help you quickly set up your account and start adding items. You can take pictures of the items in your home or upload existing ones. Digital Locker also totals the cost of all items in your locker and keeps your private information safe in our cloud based technology.
• For a fill-in-the-blank household emergency plan and cards to download, print and keep close at hand, visit www.ready.gov/make-a-plan.

Step Three: Help your community get ready for a disaster. The strength of a community comes from each person who lives in it. By raising your hand to help your community prepare for a potential disaster, you can help people respond to and recover from an emergency situation. Contact your local Red Cross or Fire Dept. to gain more information on how to prepare your community in the event of a disaster.