Being prepared doesn't just apply to boyscouts anymore

McALLEN — Got a headache?

Don’t forget the aspirin. Broke down on the side of the road? Bring a cell phone.

If a hurricane is coming, make sure masking tape, bottled water, canned foods, a flashlight and batteries are readily available.

Of course, bottled water is a must for just about any emergency, and survival kits are crucial if you want to be prepared for any accident or crisis whether you’re at home or on the road.

If your car breaks down on the road or you get a flat tire, the first thing you want to do (especially at night), is set flares on the road, said Sgt. Joel Morales, spokesperson for the McAllen Police Department. Flares will reduce the chance of other vehicles plowing into your car (or you), turning minor car trouble into a major accident — especially if someone doesn’t have insurance.

“If you’re talking about a normal breakdown because their engine stalled out, I mean, yeah, I would recommend people should carry water with them and a blanket if they aren’t going to have help for several hours,” Morales said. “Down here it’s typically heat, where further up north you might have encountered cold weather so that even a blanket there would help a lot. Because if your car breaks down, there’s no heat. But down here, the blanket can be used for different purposes even, you know, to protect you from the sun as a shade, because I know the inside of the car can get hot in the sun.”

Of course, car trouble doesn’t necessarily have to be a simple break down. What if it catches on fire?

Manuel Varela, fire safety public educator for the Weslaco Fire Department, says a 2½-pound fire extinguisher will put out the blaze.

“We recommend in any car fires to be careful,” he said. “If it’s a small fire, go ahead and extinguish it. But when it’s in the engine compartment, they’ve got to be very careful, because it’s got the AC, the Freon, if that thing catches on fire it’s a very highly toxic gas. If they get a couple of breaths of that, they’re gone. If it’s a small fire, go ahead and extinguish it. If not, just stay away from it and call 911. Let the firemen do the job, they’ve got the equipment to do it.”

Morales also recommended a basic tool kit with wrenches, pliers, screw drivers and a reflector light. No car should be on the road without a jack, a tire iron and a spare tire.

“I think the best thing they need to do if they’re going to travel, make sure that their spare is inflated,” he said. “People forget to check that. They may check their four tires, but they don’t check the spare, and then they have a deflated tire.”

Morales also recommended keeping a car charger for the cell phone, which can be a lifesaver if your car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. With a cell phone, you can call Texas Roadside Assistance at 1-800-525-5555. The number is on the back of the Texas driver’s license.

If you are taking a long road trip, don’t forget your medications. Travelers should carry a basic first-aid kit - with antiseptic to clean simple cuts and scrapes, antibiotic ointment to aid in healing, and bandages - to take care of minor mishaps.

“They should carry some gauze with them to stop the bleeding,” he said. “Most discount stores carry them. They can find them at the local pharmacy, they can find them at the sporting goods store, they have the kits there.”

Travis Whitehead covers features and entertainment for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4452. For this and more local stories, visit www.themonitor.com.