Prepare an earthquake first aid kit

A red first aid kit bag with supplies to keep in your first aid bag.

Make sure to store your earthquake first aid kit in a secure location that will be accessible after an earthquake. You must rotate all supplies in your kit to keep them fresh, especially if it’s kept in a vehicle – exposure to heat can shorten the shelf life of your supplies. It’s recommended that you update your first aid supplies twice a year. A good rule of thumb is to refresh them when you change your clocks for daylight savings time, or when you check smoke detector batteries.

Essential medications and supplies:

Antibiotic ointment
Extra prescriptions for all family members, as well as children’s aspirin and other age-specific over the counter medications
Diarrhea medication
Eye drops
Cold/Cough medicine
Benadryl
Insect repellent
Ear and nose drops
Hydrogen peroxide
Skin disinfectant spray
Old pairs of prescription eyeglasses

Also include these medical materials in your kit:

Band-Aids
Latex gloves
Surgical mask
Instant heat and cold packs
Ace bandages
Butterfly bandages
Gauze pads
Cotton swabs
Adhesive tape
Sterile bandage rolls
Triangular bandage for a sling
Tongue depressors
Splint material
Spray bottle with 10% bleach solution for disinfecting

Remember that you need to be able to get to these supplies after an earthquake, so store them in an area that has minimal chance of being buried under debris. A good receptacle for storing these items is a large, weatherproof trash can. The following items are essential to earthquake survival and recovery.