What's inside the kit? Family has walking route mapped out

Dr Leachim Semaj laughs heartily when The Sunday Gleaner asks him what brand of canned sardines he packs in his earthquake kit. "Brunswick with hot pepper," he replies.

He has a dozen tins, but that is not the largest single set of items in the backpack that is a fixture in his vehicle. That distinction goes to "a comfortable pair of walking shoes. A solid pair of leather that can work anywhere". Semaj points out that he is prepared to take to his feet if necessary as he walks three miles every day.

Also in the earthquake backpack - his wife Cecile also carries one - is "a fairly compact first-aid kit, fairly light". That takes care of cuts, abrasions, and also includes painkillers. He also has a first-aid book, and there are extra supplies of medication that are taken under normal circumstances. A "good hunting knife" is part of the equation.

Multivitamins, vitamin C tablets, a flashlight, matches, six to 12 medium-size garbage bags, antiseptic, iodine, and a disposable raincoat are in the backpack, many of the items kept in Ziploc bags to keep them dry if the backpack has to be taken out into the rain.

At any time there are four or five bottles of water in the vehicle, which Semaj points out comes in handy in everyday situations such as when he had a cough on the way to the radio station to do his programme and had no time to stop and buy water. Semaj points out also that he does not keep the same food stock in the backpack, eating and then replacing the items on a monthly basis.

Smartphone vital

Semaj's cellphones are not in his backpack, but are a critical part of his earthquake plan. "Facebook and Twitter will be vital. For me, having a smartphone is not an option. It is a must. The haves and have-nots refer to the people who have information and those who do not. Usually I have a computer, but the next best thing is a smartphone," he said.

And having a postpaid phone is optimal, as accessing call credit may be an issue. A GPS tracker is part and parcel of the kit.

It is highly likely that family members will be apart when an earthquake hits, and there is a plan in place to get back home. "There is a family plan: Where would you go to? What is the route to go home? We have family members in the city, if you can't go home, you can head there," Semaj said.

"What I have done with my son who goes to Campion, we have mapped out a walk-home route that does not take you through any major areas that may have disturbances. You would not walk through Barbican Square," Semaj said.

So it is a route that the family members would expect to encounter each other on if many or all of them have to leave a vehicle and walk home. And in preparing for an earthquake, driving the walking route is all part of the plan. "It is a route we have driven," Semaj said.

- M.C.