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Emergency Readiness Priorities: Essential Skills for Any Crisis

Quick Summary​

When facing any emergency situation, certain priorities determine your chances of staying safe and getting help. This guide covers the universal readiness priorities that apply whether you're dealing with a natural disaster, vehicle breakdown, or getting lost in the wilderness.

Why This Matters​

Emergencies don't follow scripts. Your car breaks down on a deserted highway during a snowstorm. A hurricane knocks out power for a week. You take a wrong turn on a hiking trail and realize you're lost as darkness approaches.

In these situations, panic kills more people than the actual emergency. Having a clear priority system keeps you focused on what matters most: staying alive and getting help.

The Universal Readiness Priorities​

Regardless of your situation, these priorities remain constant:

  1. Immediate safety - Get out of immediate danger
  2. First aid - Address injuries that could worsen
  3. Water - Secure drinking water (you can only last 3 days without it)
  4. Shelter - Protect yourself from the elements
  5. Fire - Provide warmth, signaling, and water purification
  6. Food - Sustain energy (you can last weeks without it, but days without water)
  7. Signaling/Communication - Get rescued or call for help

Priority 1: Immediate Safety​

Get Out of Danger First​

Before anything else, move away from immediate threats:

  • Get off the road if your car breaks down
  • Move to higher ground during flooding
  • Find sturdy shelter during severe weather
  • Stop moving if you realize you're lost (prevents getting more lost)

The 5-Minute Rule: Take 5 minutes to assess your situation before taking major action. Ask yourself:

  • What immediate dangers do I face?
  • Where is the safest place nearby?
  • What resources do I have with me?

Priority 2: First Aid and Health​

Address Life-Threatening Issues​

Follow the ABC priority:

  • Airway - Can you breathe clearly?
  • Bleeding - Stop any serious bleeding
  • Circulation - Treat for shock if present

Common emergency injuries to address immediately:

  • Deep cuts that won't stop bleeding
  • Suspected broken bones
  • Burns covering large areas
  • Signs of head injury or concussion
Important

For serious injuries, your priority is getting professional medical help, not treating it yourself. Signal for rescue while providing basic first aid.

Priority 3: Water​

Secure Your Water Supply​

You need approximately 1 gallon (3.8L) per person per day for:

  • Drinking (2 quarts/2L minimum)
  • Cooking (1 quart/1L)
  • Basic hygiene (1 quart/1L)

Water procurement steps:

  1. Use what you have - Check your supplies first
  2. Find natural sources - Streams, lakes, rainwater
  3. Purify everything - Assume all natural water is contaminated

Quick purification methods:

  • Boil for 3 minutes (most reliable)
  • Water purification tablets (follow package directions)
  • Portable filters (if you have them)

Priority 4: Shelter​

Protect Yourself from the Elements​

The Rule of Threes: You can die from exposure in 3 hours in harsh conditions.

Shelter priorities:

  1. Use what's available - Car, building, cave, large tree
  2. Insulation - Ground insulation is critical (you lose heat 25x faster to cold ground)
  3. Wind protection - Even light wind dramatically increases heat loss
  4. Size - Smaller spaces are easier to warm with body heat

Basic shelter requirements:

  • Waterproof roof
  • Windproof walls
  • Insulated floor
  • Ventilation (to prevent carbon monoxide buildup)

Priority 5: Fire​

Multiple Benefits from One Skill​

Fire provides:

  • Warmth - Can be the difference between life and death
  • Water purification - Boiling kills harmful bacteria and viruses
  • Signaling - Visible for miles, especially at night
  • Psychological comfort - Reduces panic and improves decision-making
  • Food preparation - Makes food safer and more digestible

Fire starting priorities:

  1. Tinder - Fine, dry material that catches easily
  2. Kindling - Small sticks that catch from tinder
  3. Fuel - Larger wood that sustains the fire
  4. Ignition source - Matches, lighter, or friction method

Priority 6: Food​

Energy for the Long Term​

While you can survive weeks without food, energy affects:

  • Decision-making ability
  • Body temperature regulation
  • Immune system function
  • Overall morale

Food priorities:

  1. Use existing supplies - Check pockets, car, backpack
  2. High-energy foods first - Fats and proteins over carbohydrates
  3. Avoid risky foods - Don't eat anything you can't identify
  4. Conserve energy - Don't burn more calories hunting than you'll gain eating

Priority 7: Signaling and Communication​

Get Rescued​

Make yourself findable:

  • Cell phone - Try calling even with weak signal
  • Visual signals - Bright clothing, mirrors, fires, ground signals
  • Audio signals - Whistle (carries farther than shouting)
  • Stay put - Rescuers find stationary targets easier than moving ones

The Rule of Threes for signaling:

  • Three of anything indicates distress
  • Three whistle blasts
  • Three mirror flashes
  • Three smoky fires in a triangle

Common Mistakes​

Mistake: Trying to do everything at once Why it's wrong: Leads to panic and poor decision-making Instead: Focus on one priority at a time, starting with immediate safety

Mistake: Ignoring the "boring" priorities (like water) to focus on "exciting" ones (like finding food) Why it's wrong: You'll die from dehydration long before starvation Instead: Follow the priority order - water always comes before food

Mistake: Moving around trying to "find a better spot" Why it's wrong: Uses energy, makes you harder to find, and often leads to worse situations Instead: Improve your current location unless there's immediate danger

When to Seek Help​

Call for professional rescue if:

  • Anyone has serious injuries
  • You lack the skills/tools for a critical priority
  • Weather conditions are deteriorating rapidly
  • You've been missing for more than 24 hours

Signs you need immediate medical attention:

  • Difficulty breathing or chest pain
  • Severe bleeding that won't stop
  • Signs of hypothermia (uncontrolled shivering, confusion)
  • Head injuries with confusion or loss of consciousness

Building Your Readiness Kit​

Essential items that address multiple priorities:

  • Multi-tool - Cutting, preparing food, first aid

  • Fire starter - Waterproof matches or lighter

  • Emergency blanket - Shelter, signaling, warmth

  • Water purification tablets - Safe drinking water

  • Whistle - Signaling without exhausting your voice

  • First aid supplies - Address injuries before they worsen

  • Next step: Water Procurement and Purification

  • Advanced: Signaling for Rescue

Practice Makes Perfect​

Start with low-risk practice:

  • Practice fire starting in your backyard
  • Build a shelter in fair weather
  • Try purifying water on a camping trip
  • Test your emergency kit items before you need them

The 10-10-10 rule:

  • Spend 10 minutes a month reviewing these priorities
  • Practice 1 skill for 10 minutes each week
  • Test your complete readiness plan every 10 months

Remember: The best emergency plan is the one you've practiced. These priorities work because they focus on the most critical needs first, keeping you alive long enough for rescue or self-recovery.

Source

Adapted from Field Manual FM-3-05.70

Last updated: January 18, 2026