Gifts that can help you in an emergency this holiday season

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – In this Nov. 18, 2020 file photo, a woman, wearing a protective face mask due to the COVID-19 virus outbreak, wheels a cart with her purchases out of a Walmart store, in Derry, N.H. Shoppers on Walmart.com who pay a $98-a-year membership fee will get free shipping on orders of any size starting Friday, Dec. 4. Walmart announced the membership perk on Wednesday, Dec. 2 doing away with a previous requirement that orders amount to at least $35 to qualify for free shipping. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) According to a release from the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency’s Office in Harrisburg on Wednesday, the administration of Governor Josh Shapiro is letting Pennsylvanians know that when you are looking for a gift, prepare for a future emergency. According to the release, here are some items that are gifts can keep you safe in either your house or your vehicle: 

  • Water (one gallon per person for at least 3 days) 
  • Nonperishable food (enough for several days) 
  • First-aid kit 
  • Extra phone charger 
  • Flashlight with extra batteries 
  • Basic tools 
  • Battery-powered or hand crank radio 
  • Manual can opener 
  • Extra clothes/shoes 
  • Blankets/sleeping bags 
  • Hygiene items 
  • Whistle 
  • Paper maps 
  • Trash bags 
  • Duct tape 
  • Jumper cables 
  • Ice scraper/snow brush 
  • Shovel 
  • Kitty litter/sand for traction 

Pennsylvania State Fire Commissioner Thomas Cook suggests that since fires in homes can increase this holiday season, to get a fire extinguisher or an alarm to either track carbon monoxide or smoke.