Generally, the two most important things on people’s minds after a disaster are getting away from the danger and finding their loved ones. I am constantly amazed at what people can forget during an emergency. Last summer a part of the city I live in was evacuated due to wildfires. Many residents went to stay with extended family in other cities until the wildfires had been put out. A local church served as an emergency shelter and over 100 people went to this facility. Most of these people had 72-hour kits, but not one person brought theirs. People were so concerned and panicked that they didn’t even do the most basic thing: grab the 72-hour kit they had set aside for a situation just like this.

I watched news coverage of the California wildfires and one person talked about leaving their home so quickly that they forgot to close the front door, they left it wide open! Another man described how in the chaos of evacuating, he and his wife failed to take her multiple medications that she needed for a heart condition. By taking a few steps ahead of time, we can be reassured that we will know what we need when an emergency strikes. When we make a plan, we are much less likely to panic.

So, if you had to evacuate your home, what would you need? What is most important? What is most precious? Would you know where to find everything? There are 4 steps you can take to be prepared to get out quickly in an emergency.

1. Save yourselves. The first priority should be your own life and the lives of your family members. Nothing is more important…no photo album, no momento. If danger is immediate, get out and don’t worry about anything else. If you have time, grab essentials like water and your 72-hour kits. Don’t forget about medications. Think about the basics: shelter, water, and sanitation. Take provisions for your pets. Most shelters will not accept pets unless they are service animals. For our family, we have made a list and posted it on the door going from our kitchen to the garage. It lists essentials like an Epi-pen for my daughter who has a life-threatening food allergy and a sippy cup for my baby who hasn’t yet learned to drink from a straw. Make sure you include not only the item, but its location since you may forget or your spouse may not know where you keep the extra first aid kit.

2. Save your home. If you have time, you need to try to save your home. Lock all doors and windows, and shut off any utilities that you are directed to. If you have to leave a vehicle, put it in the garage and shut the garage when you leave.

3. Save your precious things. Maybe you have a quilt your grandmother made or a painting. You may have antiques, baby books, or photo albums. Store your negatives in a binder so that if you need to evacuate, you’ll have all the photos without loading your car with 20 years of photo albums. Keep digital photos in the same binder on CDs. It’s a good idea to keep copies of important documents like birth certificates, social security cards, as well as home and auto insurance policy numbers and contact numbers in your 72-hour kits.

4. What can make my life easier? Think about travel games for your kids or a word search for you. Grab an extra blanket for your baby or a pillow for your toddler. These are things that are non-essential and only to be taken if you have the time and space.

Tomorrow we will talk about how to develop a family emergency plan so that you can make sure you and your loved ones are together and safe from harm.

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 17th, 2008 at 9:13 am and is filed under 72 hour kits. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.