Emergency Kits

72 Hour Emergency Kits

A disaster could occur at any moment of the day. Create a 72 Hour Emergency Kit to be prepared if a disaster strikes. A 72 Hour Emergency Kit is comprised of food, water, and supplied that you may require during an emergency that will last your family for three (3) days. These are some common items to consider having as part of your kit:

  • Water: Store at least three (3) days worth of water for each family member, this equals approximately one (1) gallon per person per day
  • Food: Pack non-perishable items that require no refrigeration or cooking to consume
  • Flashlight(s)
  • Batteries (various sizes)
  • First Aid Kit
  • Medications
    Sanitary Supplies (sanitary wipes, water purifiers, hand sanitizers)
  • Money (cash only since during an emergency power may be out, thus use of credit/debit/ebt cards will not work)
  • Rotate Food & Water supplies for your kit every six (6) months

Things To Consider

As you assemble your emergency kit and develop your plan, whether for family or business, it is important to consider some important information about Gunnison County. One of the appealing aspects of living in Gunnison County is how rural and isolated the area is. While we embrace this type of lifestyle it does present unique challenges for preparing for, and responding to, large scale emergencies or disasters. Gunnison, Crested Butte, and the smaller surrounding towns in the county are some of the most isolated and hard to reach communities in Colorado. If the unthinkable happens it can take outside help longer to respond even on good days. Inclement weather or obstructions (avalanches, rock falls, mud slides) could complicate the issue exponentially including closing of roads or the airport.

Our winter time temperatures are frequently some of the coldest in the nation with sub-zero/sub-freezing temperatures being common, sometimes lasting for weeks at a time. When assembling your emergency kit and designing your plan take into consideration the time of year, weather patterns, and possible chances of support taking longer than normal to reach the area. A good plan never used it better than executing a bad or no plan. Take into account some of the following ideas:

  • What time of year is it and how is the weather (do you need specific clothing/gear as part of your emergency kit)
  • What is your elevation (since this can affect temperatures & available resources)
  • Do you/will you have access to other forms of sustenance/protection (fishing, hunting, housing, tents, warmth)
  • Do you know the location of your nearest safe locations (fire, police, sheriff, hospital, clinics, forest stations)

The following links can provide assistance in creating your emergency plans and 72 Hour Emergency Kits