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© 2010 Security Whip
I was reading the paper this morning and California is again getting hit with devastating forest fires. As someone who likes to be prepared, it got me thinking. What would I do in the same situation? If I had to evacuate my home in 10 minutes or less, what would I take? And, could I grab everything I wanted in such a short time? To get a better feel for this type of situation, here is snippet from the USA Today article.
Lane Butchko, a retired resident without a car, recounted desperately fleeing a half-mile down a mountain road before a motorist picked him up.
“I grabbed my dog and we ran for our lives. I forgot my teeth,” he said. “We were going at a full gallop and halfway down I fell, tripped on the dog’s leash. When I got up, I felt the heat of the fire on my back and I saw a tree burst into flames.”
Its quite obvious that Mr. Butchko had less than 10 mins to prepare, he only had time to grab the dog. So, would you be able to walk away from your home confidently in 10 mins? I’ve provided a few examples of ways to better prepare. As always, the lists are never exhaustive, they are designed to get you thinking.
- Do you have an evacuation plan? Go over it with your family and practice.
- Is your emergency kit ready and located where you need it?
- What is your communication plan? Do the kids know who to call? Do you have an out of state contact?
- Do you have a “meet up” location? You should actually have two meet up places incase the first is inaccessible.
- Do you have your important documents in a central location?
- Are all of your personal affairs in order? Home insurance, will, etc.
- Is your vehicle prepared and does it have any emergency equipment?
The whole point is to have some type of plan so you aren’t completely caught off guard if something bad does happen. If you aren’t sure where to begin or how to start an emergency plan, go check out Ready.gov. They have both online forms and down loadable forms which will help in designing your plan.
Thanks
Security Guy
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Great points but bad example I think. I mean really, he didnt know the fire was coming. I dont live anywhere near there and the fire has been front running news on radio, TV and internet. He can’t see the smoke? I think he was a victim of his own self. I know it’s hard to leave all you have worked for but it has to be done sometimes. I’m glad he and his dog are ok because in the end lives are what’s important.
Ok I’m off the soap box!
In order to combat this I have made a book with checklist for most types of emergency and left it with my family to follow. It was time consuming at first but well worth it. I left extra space at the end of every sheet to add in items as we grow in our preparations as well too.
Good points, One of the problems here in Eastern Washington are folks who continue to think it can’t happen to me. Even when warned by Deputies & Fire Officals they wait until the last minute.
On the communications plan, have an outside the area contact person that you & your loved ones know to call. That way you can call & give your status & they can call the same person to get that status, and to tell theirs.
Also the American Red Cross has a website for this called safe and well.
I lived in San Bernardino when the Panorama fire broke out. I remember seeing a little wisp of smoke about 11 am when I went to lunch early. After lunch and a few errands at about 12:30 the fire was huge spreading dramatically. I called my kids school, about 7 miles from the fire, to ask if I needed to pick them up and was told not to worry. An hour later after looking at the mountain side again I was shaken by how much the fire had spread so I took of from work intending to be at home when the kids got out of school and evaluate the situation from there. By the time I got home smoke was overhead, both my kids were already home (the school had released them without a call to me) and I needed to get them out of there. Grabbed some clothes, some money in a top drawer and a few personal items and hit the road by now 2:30 and the fire was covering 3-4 miles of the steep mountain slope. My next door nieghbor was on his roof hosing it down, I had no intention of staying. To make a long story short the fire covered over 7 miles laterally and somewhat downhill to within a block of my home in about 12-14 hours. I actually drove back home in the early AM (about 3 AM) less then 16 hours after I first saw the little wisp of smoke. There was a fire truck in front of almost every house that backed up to the trees and shrubs. The fire department saved most of the homes on flat land but over 400 homes burned. I am fully aware of how fast a wind driven fire on steep terrain can spread. Next time I will be gone at the first sign of wildfire.
P.S. My thanks to the fire fighters!!