A few years ago we have some good friends who live in Bastrop, Texas who lost their home to a wildfire. They did get everyone out in time, but only with the clothes on their backs. They lost just about everything. They did have some livestock that made it OK. It just killed me to think about what they are going through. It made me think much harder about our bug out plans and our go bags. In fact, we inventoried our bags just last night. We also made a list. This list has 3 sections. If we have to grab and go, our go bags will be enough. But if we have time, we have a "need" list, a "want" list, and a "nice to have" list. We want to ensure our trailer is ready to hitch up and go. We also have taken items we don’t use very much, such as journals, photo albums, genealogy, etc., and put them in a central location in totes. This way all we have to do is grab and go. For other items that are irreplaceable, we have a list of items and their location so we can find them easily.
It’s also a good idea to keep your vehicles with at least a half a tank of gas so that you will have enough to go a distance.
We’ve talked about bugout bags (72 hour kits, GOOD bags, emergency kits) and how to keep them up. Your expedient evacuation should be clear. You should have bugout bags (BOB) ready and in a convenient location. You should have also worked a plan, where to meet as a rally point, and several locations you will evacuate to. You should have these written down and should have been practicing these plans. This is true of many disasters, man-made or not. Chemical spills, hurricanes, wildfires, any problem where you may have to flee. I would rather ride out any storm in my home. That is where I am most prepared, but if I have to evacuate I am ready for that too. I feel we are better prepared trying to pre-position items we want to grab.
If you have pets consider pre-positioning their carrier, collars, leash, some food, or anything else you think you’ll need for your pets.
Consider putting your EDC items in the same place all the time. Purses, keys, wallets, cell phones, and chargers are EDC items you would want as a minimum if you had to leave quickly.
Important documents such as birth certificates, passports, insurance policies, and other irreplaceable items should be kept in a fire proof box. That way they will be safe from fire and easy to grab and go. These things can be replaced, but the inconvenience would be overwhelming. Copies of these documents should be added to your go bags or to an off-home location. (I have a locker at work that I keep these in) You could consider keeping a external hard drive with your computer not only to back up your computer, but to grab if the need to leave in a hurry. Keep your lap top in the same place for the same reason, to grab and go quickly.
If you have a pickup and trailer, and are given more time, with things in place you could quickly evacuate with irreplaceable AND replaceable items! But you must keep the pick-up or trailer in good repair and ready at all times. Consider what that means. Tires, gas, those few things you’ve been meaning to fix, all of these things should be done now. Try to make your "grab" list as small as possible so that your evac will be fast. Pick a target time and practice. We think 10 minutes is a good target. Watch this video found on Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLtrntXifkY
This will help you to not only understand the need to practice, but how to go about it.
To put together a plan sit down with your spouse or family and talk about this. Many heads are better than one. The ideas will start to come out as you discuss evacuation. Make sure you write it all down. Don’t go into great detail. If it was up to us, we would all take everything in our house with us! Remember survival and things you can’t replace. That’s why I like the "need", "want", and "nice to have" lists. Be realistic. Two plans would be OK, one for 10 minute egress and another for hour egress. Once you come up with your list figure out what you can pre-pack and pre-position. Then make simple lists for the rest. Give out assignments so that all of you are working on different things at the same time.
It’s a frightening thing to think that in a matter of minutes all you have worked for can go away. Insurance can be a vital part of this preparation. But also remember, your family and maybe pets, are most important. Most worldly goods can be replaced. Even some pictures can be replaced (consider digitizing your pictures and giving copied CD’s to a family member living somewhere else). The most important thing is life. Always consider safety, smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, and fire drills. If you are able to evacuate, make sure you and your family are ready!
Semper Paratus
Check 6
Burn
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