Emergency Preparedness

[learnteach]

Ran across a number of posts on go-bags today.  Fairly interesting in a rather clueless way, as people squabbled about what to put in an evac bag (emergency pack, etc.) but never really asked the relevant question that I believe you MUST answer before you put a bag together.

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What sort of emergency would force you to be evacuated from your home/place of work/car?  (The three locations where you might put a gobag.)  

Secondarily, what role are you going to be playing in that emergency?

Where I live in Sunnyvale, I'd be evaced for a fire, or possibly a major flood.   Doubtful on both of those; the only other probability is a major civil disaster (earthquake, uprising, Bush becoming mayor and declaring war on Cupertino, whatever.)   In the first case I need to be able to walk out to the gather point.   In the second case I need to survive long enough to gather the clan and do the next step.

So what do I really need?

I need to be able to travel to my Mother's place in Mountain View by a number of possible paths.  If I'm at home, I've got the bike (motorcycle) and shank's mare.  Can I get there at night if the power is gone?  Do I know a safe route if major streets are down?   Can I walk the 5 miles reasonably?

I need to be able to communicate, if at all possible.  The cell system's fragile; the phone is better but not great on a floodplain in earthquake country.  Odds are after an emergency, when you get access to communication services the local last mile will still be out.  So, I'll call our a agreed upon emergency co-ordinator who everyone is supposed to call.  Where's the number?

So, the upshot of all of this is:  Take a long walk with a friend, it'll help in case of emergency.  More than most anything else.  

Serious emergencies--that's another matter.  Yes, I can survive 3 days.  Yes, I have a month's supply of food laid in (but not water...need to fix that.  Although I do have purification methods and a local creek, but...this is a superfund cleanup valley.)

******

More to the point, the most likely emergencies aren't general at all.  They are personal/family emergencies--accidents, illnesses,  the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.    I've seen a few of those (not like some) and my conclusion?  A good will, some estate planning, and taking care of my health as much as possible.  

Back to those long walks with friends.    Hmmm. 

There's a plan for next week....

Comments

[marysdress.livejournal.com]

Putting a Go bag together for my tribe isn't easy, although after reading about how a woman packed up for her asthmatic kids when one of those California fires threatened her neighborhood I made a plan, laid in some dust masks and have the meds set out so we could toss them and go. It's transporting enough food that's safe for all of us that would be the hard part. My children laugh about my hording of food in the basement pantry, but in a New England winter with those three I consider it sane and besides I stock up during sales, which is a necessity with three boys. That said, it's been a long time since we reviewed where we'd meet and who would be the phone coordinator. Duh. Will fix that.