Failing to prepare… Harris N. “Hershey” Rosen

by Harris N. “Hershey” Rosen, author

Organization is the name of the game for emergency weather preparedness. As Rhode Island and the immediate coast faces Hurricane Henri, making a fast track for us, regardless if we get hit with its full force, or wind that will take out our electricity, or necessitate moving from our homes, now is the time to get organizing and – prepare.

Here is a weather map with best predictions as provided by our meteorologist, Jack Donnelly – check our weather for updates.

The American Red Cross is an excellent resource for information on what you will need and how to prepare. In our state it is usually prolonged electrical outages and flooding that will cause problems – not widespread horrific destruction.

If you have a boat or a summer home near the water, you probably have many skills well-practiced to prepare, but for your primary home here’s a basic list of supplies and information you will want to gather – TODAY.

As Benjamin Franklin said, “Failing to prepare – is preparing to fail”

There are THINGS to gather and prepare – and there is INFORMATION to gather and organize. My book, “Why? Because I Love You” is a good guide that will help you have systems for putting this information together – for you – and your family. It makes a good gift for family members, too, who might not yet be prioritizing this critical task.

“WHY? Because I Love You” is available at most local bookstores – and at Amazon – here:

https://amzn.to/32iXJqq

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Gather Emergency Supplies

• Gather food, water, and medicine.  Organize supplies into a Go-Kit and a Stay-at-Home Kit.
• Go-Kit: 3 days of supplies that you can carry with you. Include backup batteries and chargers for your devices (cell phone, CPAP, wheelchair, etc.)
• Stay-at-Home Kit: 2 weeks of supplies. Stores and pharmacies might be closed.
• Have a 1-month supply of medication in a child-proof container.
• Keep personal, financial, and medical records safe.

Plan to Stay Connected

• Sign up for free emergency alerts from your local government.
• Have a way to charge your cell phone. Update your apps – don’t forget to download a local radio station and weather service app.
• Have a battery-powered radio.

Learn Emergency Skills

• Learn First Aid and CPR – you can actually learn much online, today.
• Be ready to live without power.
• Learn how to use a generator safely.
• Plan how you will use powered medical equipment.

Here’s a Checklist from the ARC which will give you more detail:

More information from the RI EMA:

http://www.riema.ri.gov/resources/citizens/prepare/threats/documents/Hurricane%20Preparedness.pdf

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Harris “Hershey” Rosen, is the author of WHY? Because I Love You, a book that says it like it is – “What you need to know when I die”. His book details methods to organize your important personal and family information for those who are left behind.

A graduate of Harvard, Hershey Rosen has focused on controlling chaos since 1954. He was a Financial Control Officer in the U.S. Army, where he received a Letter of Commendation for improvement to its worldwide accounting system. Next, on to satisfying everyone’s sweet tooth, he ran a candy company for 40 years, developing a system for locating ANY item housed in five factories, covering 600,000 square feet.

Following “retirement,” Hershey went on to become a mediator and settled over 200 disputes for the state of Rhode Island and The Community Mediation Center of Rhode Island. He was also asked to team-teach management courses at the University of Rhode Island, where he enthusiastically challenged the text book with real-life experiences, to the delight and edification of the students.

Always passionate about assisting others, Hershey has been a director or trustee of numerous boards and organizations. He has written Creating A Guide So Your Loved Ones Can Go On Living! to help others protect their spouses (and families) from the intense stress that will occur if one does not share financial information and knowledge critical to a functioning home. He then wrote My Family Record Book, expanding on the information in his first book, and finally, in 2020, WHY? Because I Love You was published.

Hershey, who lives in Providence, Rhode Island, can now relax (ha!) with his beloved wife, Myrna, and enjoy visits with their combined five children and ten grandchildren.