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Emergency and disaster supplies, once an extension of the camping market, has emerged as an important market in its own right.
The growth of sales of emergency supplies has been given impetus by natural and man made disasters in recent years, including earthquakes in California in 1994 and Japan in 1995, the Y2K scare, 9/11, the 2004 Tsunami, and Hurricane Katrina.
"Anytime there is a fear, our sales go through the roof," said distributor Peter Kalaydjian of Emergency Preparedness Products in Camarillo, California.
Originally a surplus retailer, Kalaydjian woke up to the potential of a specialized emergency preparedness market following the 1994 Northbridge earthquake in southern California, where his store is located.
"We had to go to about 15 different sources to supply our customers. There was no one stop supplier," Kalaydjian said.
While it is reasonable to prepare for a natural disaster, Kalaydjian observed that the media stirs up public frenzy. "The whole survival business pivots on paranoia. People will buy products they don't know how to use," he said.
An example is a trauma kit containing scalpels and other surgery tools. More expensive than a standard first aid kit, it is useless unless the buyer has medical training.
Following 9/11 Kalaydjian sold more than 100,000 gas masks.
"Gas masks are the epitome of the emotional Band-Aid," he said. "After 9/11 people were buying old WW I gas masks, movie props and gas masks that simply did not work."
Israeli and Spanish gas masks were biggest sellers because they retailed for $100-200, Kalaydjian said. But a functional gas mask would retail for $300-$400 and the buyer would also need a supply of filters.
More than just a gas mask
And a gas mask is only part of the outfit.
"You would need a full chemical suit," he said. "But the chemicals and biological agents that we deal with today are odorless. And even of you had a chemical suit and a gas mask, you would have to cart it around with you all the time."
The most sensible type of preparation, he said, is for natural disasters, such as earthquakes in California and Hurricanes in Florida.
Kalaydjian categorizes emergency supplies in order of priority. Water is number one followed by food and then first aid. Next come sub-categories including lighting, alternative shelters and Mylar blankets.
The Mylar blanket is important for all disasters regardless of weather because victims may experience symptoms of shock and need to stay warm.
Mylar blankets absorb sunlight, are lightweight and compact and perform better than wool blankets although they are less comfortable.
He recommends that the consumer store his emergency supplies in a backpack, preferably kept in a closet near the exit of the house.
"You want to have these accessible in one place ready to go," he said. "In the event of an emergency, you won't have time to parade around the house gathering everything together."
Kalaydjian recommends Coast Guard approved emergency food bars and Coast Guard approved 4.2 oz water pouches. Both have five-year shelf lives. Water in plastic containers, he said, will only last about eight months before ultra-violet radiation generates bacterial growth.
Each food bar is about half the size of a brick and will supply complete nutrition for an adult for three days.
Kalaydjian has also sold MREs, but, he notes that food bars retail for half the price.
He advises retailers to install a designated emergency supply department and to set it off from the rest of the store with yellow emergency tape, flashing lights or even a traffic cone.
For unhappy campers
Although there is considerable crossover between emergency supplies and camping equipment, Kalaydjian advises merchants to display such supplies in both departments. A customer who has to go to several parts of the store to stock up is likely to leave out items that he would purchase from a one-stop section.
Elite First Aid in Durham, North Carolina, sells general purpose first aid kits, designed for a wide variety of outdoor, emergency and travel requirements. Peter Sweere of Elite notes that it's a good idea to add some protection against nuclear radiation to any first aid kit.
"Most general first aid kits do not include NBC-type products, and it's easy to add a basic level of protection against exposure to radiation by including some potassium iodide tablets," Sweere said.
Elie Markin of Ledmark Industries, Lakewood, New Jersey observed that many camping and outdoor sports products are valuable as emergency supplies.
"Mosquito nets, blankets, LED flashlights, incandescent or LED headlamps and binoculars are all important additions to any emergency kit. Retailers should include these in their pre-packed kits, since items like LED flashlights also add significant profit margin," Markin stated.
Got you covered
David Willis, sales director for NBC Safety of San Diego, California, recommends respirator systems and escape hoods that meet the government's new CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear) testing standards.
"Any of these products that are bought with federal funds must meet these standards," Willis advised.
For the army/navy retailer, Willis suggests stocking consumer-friendly escape hoods such as the MSA Safe Escape hood.
"An escape hood should be easy to put on, fasten and activate," said Willis.
Ideally, a well designed escape hood will provide CBRN protection along with ballistic and fire safety features.
The company sells chemical and fire protection suits, ballistic headgear for law enforcement professionals, and gas mask kits that include a built-in hydration system consisting of a tube attached to a canteen.
In a worst case scenario, the filter packs on escape hoods and gas masks are good for about 15 minutes of heavy use. Shelf life for filter packs is approximately seven years, according to Willis.
Candlepower in the darkness
Chemical light sticks are ideal for emergency use, according to Rick Callihan of Ameriglo, based in Atlanta, Georgia.
Callihan notes that light sticks are available in general novelty use versions and, as in the case of AmeriGlo's products, full mil-spec quality.
"The higher quality mil-spec sticks are only slightly more expensive, have a much more stable shelf life, greater burn time and brighter luminescence," Callihan said.
Chemical light sticks also contain non-toxic and non-hazardous materials.
Jean Dimick, manager of emergency supplies for Smith and Edwards in Ogden, Utah keeps a fully stocked emergency preparedness department section in the 170,000 square foot retail store and also prepares a variety of 72-hour disaster kits.
Utah law requires schools to keep enough emergency supplies on hand for every child in the building, Dimick explains. Many municipalities also order supplies.
Kits range from basics starting at $24.99 to deluxe versions, which retail for $144.99 The latter includes food, water, emergency blankets, ponchos, light sticks, flashlights, batteries, chemical hand warmers, dextrose candy, candles, matches, jersey gloves, a knife, a solar powered radio, a first aid kit and a small stove with hexamine fuel to which Dimick adds trioxine. She puts a survival whistle in all kits.
Dimick also sells kits on the installment plan, allowing customers to add to them each month and pay as they go along.
"In emergency situations you have two types of people," Dimick said. "Those who prepare and those who are always thinking about preparing but never do."
Dimick will put together a kit with supplies chosen by the customer. But she advises against including perishables and non-essential items.
"Sometimes people want to make up more of a gourmet kit and include things like beef jerky and powdered soup," she said. "But these have limited shelf life, and you run the risk of getting weevils in your kit. You want to have a kit in which you don't have to replace anything for five years."
"Buying a 72-hour kit is like buying a life insurance policy," she added. "You hope that you never have to use it."
Recon-1 in Tarzana California, located just outside Hollywood, is third largest knife retailer in the US, according to spokesman Sako Rouchanian. Originally a surplus store, Recon-1 has specialized in cutlery and emergency supplies since 1994.
Business surges after a disaster anywhere in the world Rouchanian said. "People don't know when a disaster will happen in your neighborhood and they buy supplies."
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Rouchanian shipped supplies to New Orleans and Mississippi by the pallet.
During a disaster, the person equipped with emergency supplies may find himself and his supplies in danger.
"It is like carrying around a bundle of money in a financially depressed area," he said, noting that for customers for emergency supplies often add pepper spray and stun guns to their purchase.
Although Rouchanian emphasizes preparing for natural disasters, he sells potassium iodide tables in the event of a nuclear hazard. One of the first effects of radiation exposure is swelling of the thyroid, and the thyroid can grow so large that the victim chokes to death, he said. Potassium iodide absorbs radioactive iodine.
Nevertheless, Rouchanian acknowledges, there is no real protection from a nuclear attack. Only a radiation suit, which he does not sell, costing thousands of dollars could protect the body from radiation.
However, Rouchanian does sell chemical suits, but he is careful to inform customers about their limitations.
"When people come in for a gas mask or chemical suit I tell my staff to make it clear to them that many of these killers are colorless and odorless."
But many customers buy the gas mask and chemical suit anyway for peace of mind.
"Everything you buy in emergency supplies is more or less for peace of mind," he said.
author: BY HOWARD PROSNITZ