This is the first in a series of blog posts called “What
I like about you.”  My name is Tricia Stone, and I have been in
the emergency business for a few decades, and would like to offer some insights
into preparedness gear.  Let’s not swerve
into “how old are you” thoughts, but if you must know, the Romantics released the
song, “What I like about you” when I graduated from high school. The words aren’t much, but it’s got a good
beat and you can dance to it.

I have been a volunteer with the Red Cross since 2009. I
retired from the San Diego Fire Department in 2008 after 21 years of service. From my experience, I’ve learned that we need
to be prepared for anything: fires, floods, winter ice storms, tornadoes, Cascadia
Subduction Zone earthquake, aliens, and zombies … if you are prepared for all
of that, then you are pretty much good to go!

In my first “What I like about you” post, I want to focus
on flashlights. When I was a firefighter, I had three different lights on my
turnout gear. I had one light attached to my helmet, one clipped to the front
of my jacket and one on my side cargo pants pocket. When you are in a bad environment, you want
back ups to back ups.

Let’s talk about flashlights for the home. I looked
at many different kinds but ended up choosing Etόn
American Red Cross Blackout Buddy flashlight. I have six in my house: in
bedrooms, hallways and even the bathroom.

What I like about you:

• It is a low-profile plug in
  light. It is always charged and ready to go.
• It can also serve as a night light. The
  slide switch on the side of the light turns it into night light.
• You know where it is because
  it is plugged into outlet, not hidden in a junk drawer or under the bed. So you
  walk by it everyday. You get familiar with where it is.
• It is bright enough to get
  the work done, or find your super bright light, or find your Go Bag in the dark
  and get out of the house safely.
• LED means minimal electrical
  draw while it is plugged into outlet

Last night my two dogs went crazy barking in the back
yard. I grabbed my flashlight off the wall and headed out back. I never did
find what they were after – I suspect a cat – but they were insistent an
intruder had wandered through our fenced yard. I was at least prepared for that!

Next time: Flashlights for your Go Bag

Tricia Stone