Don't get me wrong, having a well-stocked kit is important. And myself being a gear junkie, I'll confess to sometimes making this priority numero uno, whether it's a good idea or not. But a kit without a plan is just a bunch of stuff gathered in one place. And it's only during the planning that you realize just what you're going to need for your specific situation.
There are a lot of questions that need to be answered before you can have a truly effective kit. Will you be leaving or sheltering in place? Different event's could cause you to do either, so it's best to prepare for both. If you do leave, where will you go? How will you get there? How long will it take you to get there? What will you do once you've reached your destination?
What happens if you're not at home when disaster strikes? We're at work and the kids at school a good percentage of the time, so this is a very real possibility. If you're not at home, will you try to make it back? Again, if so, how will you travel and how long will it take?
All of these things (and a lot more) should be considered before you start assembling a kit. Or should I say "kits?" Yup. You and your family could be scattered all around town when the good ol' proverbial poop hits the fan, so you're probably a lot better off if you don't just rely on a single house-bound kit for your survival. Everyone should have a small personal kit that stays with them, if they're at school, the store, the office, where ever, when something happens.
Your plan should be thorough, accounting for all conceivable events. It should be flexible, to handle the inconceivable events. It should be simple, so all family members will understand their role. And it should be practiced.
Practice What You Plan
Now, it's not possible to stage a full-blown mock disaster just so your family can work through your disaster plan. However, you can put together drills to help drive home what everyone should be doing. These drills will help make everyone a little more comfortable with what's going on and may help identify flaws or gaps in your plan that you can then fix.
For those with young children, you can make these drills into a game to help keep their attention and not scare or worry them. (Since I have a toddler, I'll be going into detail about this in future posts).
Also practice with your kit(s). Know how to use what's in it. It's not enough to have plastic sheeting to use as an improvised shelter. Can you build one with it? Does everyone know where your gas shut off valve is? Can they turn it off with the tool(s) you have in your kit? Can you safely build a fire? Can anyone else in your family? Can you effectively use a fire extinguisher? Again, can anyone else in your family? Don't leave these things up to chance. When we're under stress, we revert to our most basic level of skill. If you don't have that skill to begin with, then what?
While you may not be able to put together a mock disaster yourself, you may still be able to participate in one. Many local emergency management agencies and search and rescue groups periodically stage mock disasters to train the folks that'll be on the ground after a disaster has happened. You can participate in these events as a volunteer "victim." This can be a good opportunity to gain a unique perspective into a disaster situation, as well as a new found respect for those that have lived through a real disaster. Contact your local EMA office to find out if there's a mock disaster happening in your area. If there's not, suggest that they organize one.
Everyone has unique circumstances that need to be considered when preparing for disaster. Ready-made kits and cookie cutter plans are not a good idea, for this reason. You should assemble your own to assure that you have everything you need and the items are of decent enough quality to get the job done. In future posts I'll be sharing my kits and some of my plans with you. Don't take them as anything more than a rough template (if that) for your own preps, because, again, everyone's situation is different. You should put a lot of thought into what goes into your plan and kit. After all, your life (and your family's lives) may depend on it.
Below are a few sites that may be helpful in developing your disaster plan. Please feel free to offer other sites in your comments.
- FEMA - They've learned a lot since Katrina, and you can learn a lot from them.
- 72hours.org - A great site offered by San Fransisco's EMA.
- Prepare.org - A site ran by the American Red Cross.
- WeatherREADY - Planning tips from Weather.com
- ASCPA's Disaster Preparedness - If you have pets or service animals, be sure to visit this site
- Zombie Squad - Don't let the name put you off. These folks have a lot to offer.
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