圣诞节即将到来之际，美国联邦紧急事务管理署建议为亲朋好友送上个人灭火器或急救包等应急物品做为圣诞礼物。该管理署署长克雷格•富盖特表示，人们可能不会想到送这样的礼物，但对于那些什么都不缺的人，这可能是最好的礼物，因为这样的礼物在关键时刻能挽救一个人的生命。另外，圣诞节是全家团聚的时候，同时也是全家人在一起讨论家庭应急方案的理想时机。联邦紧急事务管理署列出的应急类礼物还包括可折叠的梯子、烟雾报警器、手电筒，以及急救培训课程。
　　
Imagine tearing open that large present under the Christmas tree with your name on it and finding inside... a fire extinguisher.
　　
Or a foldable ladder.
　　
Or a smoke alarm in that smaller box.
　　
Those, plus a home disaster kit including food, water and prescription medications for 72 hours, or a first aid certification course are just some of the gifts that the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is suggesting Americans give their loved ones this holiday season.
　　
Giving a gift of a fire extinguisher might not be the first thing that springs to mind, but for the guy who has everything, it might be perfect, FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate told AFP.
　　
For tech geeks, you might get one of those emergency crank-up radios. And I'm a big fan of those little flashlights as stocking fillers. You can never have enough flashlights when there's a power cut, Fugate said.
　　
You're giving them a gift that can save a life and keep them safe in an emergency, he said.
　　
FEMA also advised that, in addition to reading "The Night Before Christmas" to the kids, you take the occasion of having the whole family together to "develop a family disaster plan."
　　
I'm not trying to be a Scrooge and saying that this Christmas should have disaster as the theme, said Fugate.
　　
What we're saying is that the holidays are the only time families really get together. So it's the ideal time to talk about a family communication plan in the event of a disaster, Fugate said.
　　
The talk could always wait untilBoxing Day, he added.