Designing for Disaster: 15 Ideas for Preparedness & Response

Expandable Paper Shelter
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Disaster survivors congregating in communal shelter spaces could be a lot more comfortable if they were able to section off their own private little spaces. This expandable paper shelter by Molo is designed specifically for indoor use and is flexible enough to work in a variety of shapes and configurations. It includes magnetic door closures and clothes bars.

Baby Carrier & Swaddler

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It’s probably overkill to enclose your infant in a sci-fi-looking plastic shell you can pull behind you like a rolling suitcase, even in the event of a real emergency, but some paranoid parents would feel comforted knowing it was an option. The ‘Smart Baby Case’ has a built-in air purifier and an ‘auto-diaper’ function that sweeps away waste and moisture to a storage unit on the front of the case. It’s designed specifically for 2 to 3 hour periods in which your environment is unsafe.

UNICEF Bag of Life

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Made for rescue workers, the Life Bag contains a medical treatment kit linked to a tablet PC, sharing information instantly with fellow workers via the UNICEF data hub, ensuring that supplies and services reach disaster areas without delay and overlapping.

Flat Pack Emergency Toilets

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The flat-pack DR Toilet System is easy to ship to shelters and emergency response areas along with other supplies, and is quick and easy to put together. After use, the cart can be pushed to a special bin or pit to dispose of the biodegradable waste bag.

Wearable Disposable Emergency Phone
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Easy to fit in your emergency kit, this pre-paid emergency cell phone wraps around your wrist like a bracelet. Load it up with minutes, pre-program it with your contacts, and feel secure knowing that if something happened to your personal cell phone in an emergency, you’d have this one as backup.