Back in January, AMC announced that they had teamed up with First My Family to provide The Walking Dead Survival Kit, a fully functioning survival kit that contained a number of items to help in an emergency situation. For our latest Q&A feature, we reached out to First My Family's Andrew Torres and AMC's Theresa Beyer to learn more about how they came together to work on this project:
Thanks for taking the time to talk with us. Can you tell our readers a little bit about First My Family and your experience with emergency / disaster preparedness?
Andrew Torres: First My Family, LLC is a family-owned business dedicated to providing emergency preparedness kits and supplies to families, businesses and local communities. My wife, Angie, and I started this company on the premise that your family always comes first in a disaster. We use our 36-years of combined experience for the benefit of others to help protect you and your loved ones.
With the success of The Walking Dead, the survival kit is a great way to raise awareness about emergency / disaster preparedness. How did this partnership between First My Family and AMC come about?
Andrew Torres: The idea for the AMC The Walking Dead Survival Kit came about while Angie and I were watching The Talking Dead as a member of Zombie University discussed how important it was to be prepared for any disaster, listing some basic supplies. We knew immediately that we could do that for real, so we reached out to AMC via Twitter, Facebook and email about a potential partnership. Amazingly, they responded to us. It took about a year of discussions with them and a lot of design and bag samples but we finally ended up with a great kit that provides a real-scenario value.
Can you talk a little bit about the contents of the kit and why they were chosen over other items?
Andrew Torres: In any emergency kit you need basic items. We chose emergency food and water from Datrex which are certified by the US Coastguard, a solid first aid kit which is why we went with the premium 85 piece Lifeline First Aid Kit, and water proof matches. We chose the very distinctive multifunction Lifegear glow flashlight as it has a battery life of up to 400 hours and is lightweight so as to not add more weight to the kit. Other items like the work gloves are needed for moving around rubble and debris. Mylar blankets and ponchos to stay warm and dry and glow sticks for additional light. Our messenger bag is made extremely well and designed to withstand the rigors of disaster like scenarios. We’ve had other sources verify that if you were to go about assembling these necessities separately that the price is about the same, if not more when you factor in shipping and taxes, for each of the individual items.
Aside from the items in this kit, what other must-have items would you recommend that our readers have in an emergency situation?
Andrew Torres: A fully functional utility knife is always recommended, weapons for defense, physical medication like pain medication, small denominational money, duct tape, and, believe it or not, small bottles of alcohol for trading purposes.
Based on feedback and sales, are you planning to release additional Walking Dead-themed items/kits?
Andrew Torres: We’ve had an amazing response to the 2 person bags and one of the main questions we’ve gotten is about a single person bag which we’re coming out with in March.
With so many Walking Dead fans around the world, is this being offered world-wide or is it only available to purchase in North America?
Andrew Torres: Currently it’s only available in U.S. and Canada. Most foreign countries will not allow us to ship to them because of the customs issues surrounding the food, water and first aid items.
I've read that you're a longtime fan of The Walking Dead. How do you think you'd handle living in that world? What's your survival plan?
Andrew Torres: Our first priority would be to gather our family and then immediately get away to an isolated part of the country. We would get out of the populated area as fast possible making sure we have enough supplies to survive until the initial shock of the event died down.
Thank you for taking the time to talk with us. Is there anything else you'd like to share with our readers about My First Family or The Walking Dead Survival Kit?
Andrew Torres: Being prepared is the most important thing you can do. On our resources page you’ll find disaster preparedness plans. We also post preparedness tips daily on our Facebook page and our Twitter feed @FirstMyFamily. The tips are a great way to stay current with local preparedness plans.
Q&A with AMC's Theresa Beyer
Thanks for taking the time to talk with us. How did this partnership between First My Family and AMC came about?
Theresa Beyer: We have a number of official licensees for AMC's The Walking Dead ranging from action figures and video and board games to sneakers. But we were missing the one thing you would need the most in the type of "apocalypse" we might face today -- massive forest fires, earthquakes, tornados, hurricanes. The Walking Dead Survival Kit filled that need with items you rarely see together in one place: water, ready-to-eat meals that pack a significant nutritional punch along with many other necessities such as a foil blanket and first aid kit. There was a need and First My Family filled it.
With the success of The Walking Dead, the survival kit is a great way to raise awareness about emergency / disaster preparedness. Why was it important to you and AMC that you take part in this project?
Theresa Beyer: We've previously partnered with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Red Cross to help raise awareness for their important initiatives. The Walking Dead was also the subject of a season-long multiple open online course run by the University of California/Irvine and much of the conversation focused on lessons of survival learned from the series. Given the state of the world and the environment, you'd be foolish not to be concerned about preparing for disasters.
When it came to the contents of the kit, were you part of the decision making process? What were some of your must-have items?
Theresa Beyer: We were very involved with every part of the kit, from the bag to the contents. The ready-to-eat meals, water, Mylar Space Blanket, waterproof matches and first aid kit were critical. The beauty of the kits is that they can be enhanced for your personal situation by adding things you might need like an extra set of clothes and shoes, a knife or a folding shovel.
Before you got involved with The Walking Dead Survival Kit, did you have any items put together for an emergency situation? How has working with First My Family changed your point of view?
Theresa Beyer: Having personally gone through a number of tornados, typhoons, Nor'easters, blizzards, hurricanes and super storm Sandy where we were without electricity for two weeks, I've always had an emergency kit in my car and by the back door of my house. Even if I never use it, I always know it's there.
After working with First My Family, would you say that you're ready now to survive a zombie outbreak?
Theresa Beyer: Who can ever be fully prepared for a walker outbreak?!
Aside from this kit, do you have plans to work with First My Family or any other companies for additional Walking Dead-related survival items?
Theresa Beyer: We're always on the lookout for products that we think are a brand fit and will enhance the lives of our viewers.
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To learn more about First My Family and The Walking Dead Survival Kit, visit:
Survival Kit Details / Photos:
"Due to the high demand of this product, initial orders in January and February of 2014 will be placed through pre-orders. All customers who place a pre-order will receive a custom The Walking Dead Certificate with a single use code that will later be redeemable for a The Walking Dead Survival Kit. The Walking Dead Survival Kits are expected to arrive in limited volume in mid-March with large volumes to meet pre-order demand in late March and April."
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