AHHHHH! Apartment Emergencies You Should Be Prepared For

February 6th, 2012 by Caitlin Morgan| Posted in Apartment Guide, Apartment Interiors, Apartment Living, College Housing, Etsy & DIY, Healthy Apartments, Off Campus Apartments, Resident Life, Safety Issues, Tips & Tricks | 2 Comments »

It’s 2012, people, you know what the Mayans said. There’s never been a more appropriate time to use your paranoia to a good end, i.e. preparing for the worst so you can make the best of things.

Fire

Smoke detectors and fire extinguishers. You might never need them, but if you do, you’ll REALLY need them. These should be some of the first things you move in to your new place. Change the batteries regularly, and check that extinguishers haven’t expired. And while you’re at it, install a carbon monoxide detector, too.

Leaks, Leaks, and Other Infrastructure Problems

Gas leak? Water leak? Ceiling collapsing onto your living room? (I have it on good authority that that last one is a real bummer.) Keep a list next to your phone with the numbers of your landlord, plumber, electrician, etc. Keep important documents in water-tight containers, and for goodness’s sake, get renter’s insurance.

Power Outages

Not the worst thing that could happen—unless Grandma is visiting and breaks her hip while stumbling around in the dark. Buy several flashlights and maybe even some battery-powered lamps. If your stove is electric, have another way to keep everyone from starving.

Bleeding Out

Also known as: Why don’t you have a First Aid kit? A little tape and gauze goes a long way when it’s 30 minutes to the nearest hospital. Don’t know what you should include? The American Red Cross has a list for you, and if they don’t know what they’re doing, we’re all screwed anyway.

The Apocalypse

Whatever form it takes, it won’t be pretty.  Keeping a stash of water, non-perishable food, survival blankets, flashlight and batteries, battery-powered radio, whistle, and anything else that might help you survive those first few End of Days. Seriously, though, only a small percentage of people don’t believe in climate change (and 9 out of 10 of those weirdos are linked to ExxonMobile), so all this strange weather we’ve been having? We might get even more of it. Stock up.

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