Emergency tools are one of the "10 Basic Emergency Needs" that each of us should consider when preparing for any emergency or disaster. The complete list of 10 emergency basics includes water, food, breathing protection, First Aid, shelter, warmth, communication, light, tools, and sanitation & hygiene.
Effective response to many emergency situations requires some form of physical labor. Very often, tools will be necessary to accomplish emergency tasks successfully and safely.
While a wide variety of tools (including power tools) may ultimately be used in response to a disaster or emergency, I'll focus on basic tools that one might reasonably carry in their emergency kit or store with their emergency supplies. Given that these basic tools would potentially need to "travel", it will be important that any tool you select meets the "CLAD" test I discuss elsewhere in this emergency preparedness blog, and is thus (1) lightweight, (2) compact, (3) multifunctional, and (4) durable.
Tools that don't meet these tests (e.g. chainsaws, generators, etc) may indeed prove very helpful and might be a very good thing to have on hand, but a discussion of their merit will be left for future postings. For now, we will focus on "portable" tools.
The first step in selecting the emergency tools that are right for you, is to consider the types of emergencies that are common to your specific geography. As you identify these potential events, think about the types of emergency scenarios they might create that would cause you to have need of tools. Successful response to most disasters will likely require one or more of the following emergency activities (1) evacuation, (2) protection of self and/or property (3) search & rescue, and (4) survival living.
Before covering the types of tools that may be important for each type of emergency activity, I would suggest that one tool should be at the top of the list for any emergency or disaster: work gloves. I find that my ability to perform manual tasks is greatly improved when I have a pair of sturdy work gloves. This is why I consider work gloves to be a "tool" in and of themselves. When used alone, work gloves provide protection from injury and pain that can limit one's ability to complete manual tasks. When used with other tools, they often allow the application of greater strength and leverage to the job. A sturdy pair of leather palm gloves is inexpensive and can be a very effective tool for many emergency tasks.
Now let's consider four types of emergency activities that may require the use of emergency tools:
Emergency Evacuation Tools
The goal in an evacuation is to "get out and away." In some scenarios one's exit from a house, apartment, or building may be blocked by jammed doors or fallen debris. This can often be the case in earthquakes, tornadoes, fires, hurricanes, etc. My favorite tool for use in this type of scenario is the 4-in-1 Emergency Tool. This tool was designed by professional firefighters specifically to pry open jammed doors and remove debris created by a catastrophic event. This 4-in-1 Emergency Tool is an excellent example of one that meets the "CLAD" test as it is lightweight (about 1 lb.), compact (only 11 inches long), multifunctional (can also be used to turn of gas and water lines), durable (tough heat treated metal alloy that won't spark or rust).
This type of a tool may make the difference in your ability to successfully exit a structure and avoid injury or death. There are many scenarios in which one's bare hands will not be adequate to complete a successful evacuation.
Emergency Tools for Personal and Property Protection
Avoiding or limiting personal injury and property damage is one of the highest priorities in a disaster. Therefore, one of the most important types of tools to have is one that helps to protect you and your property. This often means being able to turn off utilities. In earthquakes and various types of storms including hurricanes and tornadoes, gas and water lines can be broken. This damage can threaten additional damage to property and may even be life threatening.
Shutting off the natural gas in a disaster may help avert an explosion that could injure or kill you and others as well as destroy your home or office and start a fire that can spread to other structures. The POGO (Pry Off, Gas Off) Pry Bar is a very effective emergency tool for turning off the gas at the meter. I like this tool because it is tough yet lightweight (1.25 lbs. - manganese steel), compact (only 15 inches long so it fits in most backpacks), and multifunctional (can also be used for a variety of prying applications).
Like the POGO (Pry Off, Gas Off) Pry bar, the 4-in-1 Emergency Tool can be used to turn off the gas, but it also turns off the water main and can help to stop flooding in the event that water lines break and that water cannot be turned off using the regular turn-off valve.
Emergency Search and Rescue Tools
All major disasters involve some type of operations to help find and rescue those who may be trapped or incapacitated in some way by the event. It is very common for average citizens to end up working side-by-side with professional responders or to have to conduct these operations on their own in the absence of emergency response professionals.
In search and rescue operations, emergency tools that can be used to pry open doors, pry off fallen materials, and clear or break through debris may be essential to reaching and freeing a victim. In too many instances we have seen that survivors are left to use just their bare hands to perform these functions. This limits their ability to help others after a disaster.
Emergency tools like the POGO (Pry Off, Gas Off) Pry Bar and the 4-in-1 Emergency Tool can be used for several prying and debris removal activities. A shovel can also prove very helpful in removing debris or digging under them to reach and release trapped victims. The 6-in-1 Survival Shovel Emergency Tool is a good multifunction shovel for such functions. I find it to be an excellent companion emergency tool to either the POGO Pry Bar or the 4-In-1 Emergency Tool. Once again, this tool is compact, lightweight, durable and multifunctional. It includes a shovel, hatchet, saw, hammer, nail puller and even a can opener.
Emergency Tools for Survival Living
Finally, one should consider what tools might be needed should they have to live outdoors (or at least away from traditional shelter) for a period of time. Not everyone who is forced to leave their home ends up in a comfortable Red Cross shelter within the first 24 hours of a disaster. Therefore, each emergency kit should have simple tools that might be used to "set up camp".
Certainly a tool that help one build or clear ground, set up shelter, cut or chop firewood, etc. might become very valuable in a scenario in which one must provide their own "survival living area" for even a day or two. Here again an emergency tool similar to the 6-in-1 Survival Shovel Emergency Tool would be very helpful.
One might also consider the need for basics like a knife, pliers, screwdrivers, can opener, etc. The need for such smaller, yet equally important tools, can often be met with a hand held multifunction tool such as this 14-in-1 Multifunction Emergency Tool. This is a basic for various needs around the "survival camp". While I won't cover cooking utensils in this article, a handheld multifunction tool can help meet many of the needs one might have around the "camp kitchen" should they be equipped with less than adequate cooking utensils.
What Emergency Tools do I Need?
So, "what emergency tools do you need?" Well, each of us needs simple tools that can help us to (1) evacuate safely, (2) protect ourselves and our property, (3) aid in search and rescue efforts, and (4) live in an outdoor survival situation. These tools should be (1) lightweight, (2) compact, (3) multifunction, and (4) durable.
Where do you start? Make sure to have a good pair of work gloves for every member of the family. Beyond that, consider what you can carry. It is usually not too difficult to have each family member carry at least one emergency tool. In a real disaster, you'll be thankful you have the proper emergency tools to help you be secure.
Every Life Secure