Preparedness is for students, too
- posted: 19 June 2007
- scrollspecial@byui.edu
With ever-present natural disasters, church and government leaders stress the importance of food storage and emergency preparedness now more than ever; college students, whether at BYU-Idaho or not, are no exception.
BYU-I administration takes this counsel very seriously and has food storage stocked for every student and faculty member to survive for at least 72 hours in case of an emergency.
“The college philosophy is to ensure there are enough meals for 72 hours or more,” said Greg Carson, BYU-I food services manager.
“However, everyone has individual responsibility to follow the counsel of our prophet and provide for themselves a 72-hour kit.”
Sometimes, 72-hour kits are not enough. The American Red Cross now suggests being prepared with a 96-hour kit in case the Red Cross can’t take action as quickly as desired.
“We are a non-funded agency. We are required to respond to any emergency, but we are not funded to do so, and sometimes it takes a while to respond,” said Lee Goulter, administrative assistant for the Idaho Falls Red Cross.
During this time of waiting for the Red Cross or other forms of relief, students would be required to provide for their own hygiene or mental wellness.
“I have always kept a book in my 72-hour kit,” said Mary Jo Lutz, a senior from Brea, Calif. “It’s something that the Red Cross can’t necessarily give you, but may keep you sane in a time of panic.”
Out of 125 BYU-I students surveyed, 63 said that they have some sort of food storage in their apartment in case of an emergency.
“It’s a tough thing to do when I don’t have much money even for what’s at hand, but I know it’s a practice I’m going to have to integrate into my post-college life as well,” said Richie Frost, a sophomore from Prescott, Ariz.
The Red Cross recommends three things in order to be prepared for any disaster: obtain a kit, make a plan and be informed. According to the Department of Homeland Security, a basic disaster supply kit contains water, food, first-aid items, clothing, sanitations supplies, tools and special items.
People may need to survive on their own for a while after disaster strikes. Taking the necessary precautions could make not only the victims’ lives more bearable, but also the volunteers’.
“We don’t have people waiting around to help in time of crisis. We only have a few volunteers in Rexburg, and it could take a while to pull more volunteers from other areas. Even then, we are not allowed to go into an area until it’s marked safe,” Goulter said. “If people are prepared, it makes our job a lot easier.”
Some BYU-I students have decided to be prepared not only for large-scale emergencies, but personal crises as well.
“When you can’t be sure about your paychecks, you have to be sure you’ll have enough to eat,” said married student Theresa Flannery, a junior from Tucson, Ariz. “We have never, even when neither of us had jobs for over a month, had to worry about the basics, and I have no doubt that it is a direct result of our meager attempts to live God’s counsel.” 
