30 Days to Better Preparedness. Day 14. Emergency plans.

We are really following on from yesterday.   This task is something I want you to take a few days to think over.  Well thought out plans take a while to make.

Most of us have a hard time thinking straight when either in shock or panic.   Naturally enough.   Mistakes are made because of shock and panic.  So we are going to plan. 

Get out a work book or some paper.   I want you to identify the most likely threat/threats you normally face in your area.   For me they are fire or storm.

So I have two plans.   One for fire,  One for Storm.    

Set up a sheet of paper for each scenario. 

Now add other scenarios that take planning.   I had Andy in and out of hospital, Dad in and out of hospital and Mum had several medical scares.... all required me to leave home at a moments notice.   So now I have a list in case I have to leave home fast anytime.   You want a sheet of paper for each thing you want to plan for. 

Now while you are calm thinks through.   I would set my lists out where you can resist them over the next few days as you will think of things to add in.   You will be amazed how well you can plan given time to think it over and also talking to family members.   Our end goal is a well written up list for each event and placed somewhere you can grab or see it.   Inside my cupboard doors is where I keep mine.  

Everyone in the family needs to know where this is and everyone needs to know what they re responsible for.   You can achieve so much more in a short time if everyone that is capable carries out their responsibilities.  

To get the ball rolling my fire plan is:

Communicate with Chloe and neighbours... all their phone numbers are written in.

Dress well, shoes, protective clothing. 

CFS Emergency numbers.

Sprinklers go on in wider yard.

Animals brought in close and given water.

Dog inside. 

Clothes off line,  door mats inside.

Bags ready to go.  Document bag ready to go. 

Car ready.  Fuel checked.   (Car set up is another post coming up as already there is water in the car, pure wool blankets etc.)

Mobiles charged.

Communicate plans and meeting points.

Andy has readied generator and done a test run on the roof sprinkler system ready to go. 

And so on.    I can look at the list and get going.   I don't have to get in a dither and figure it out.

As you can imagine I can't get everyone in the car so I can only move them to safer places. 

In a few days time when you have good plans thought out then write them up in a pretty good ORDER OF PRIORITY as we don't know how much time we will have.  So do the most important things FIRST.

In our new world of an epidemic and shortages we have a new thing to prepared for...  shut downs and lockdowns.   I am really hoping that overall with all the other steps we have taken with our freezer meals, pantry and pantry meals etc we can largely avoid a panic if we are locked down.   Whatever the emergency is we do not want to be the ones in the long queues.    We want to be the ones home safe and sound and out of it because we are ready.  

When we had the state wide blackout we saw that in less than two hours there were people who were pushy, loud, impatient and upset.   Ok actually I didn't see it, I heard about it!   So imagine after a couple of days?  We do not want to be out there battling for basics with a stressed crowd.  

The last couple of months have been stressful on everyone.  Even more so I think than the last two years.   But I keep feeling the same thing over and over.  That is now we are blessed to have the opportunity to prepare.   We might find ourselves looking back at this time fondly as a good time that we could have done so much and that now that chance has passed.  I hope this is not the case.   But when we began 2020 none of us would believe where we are now.   In July I would never have imagined where we are now.   Give me back July!   Will I look back at September in the same way?    So yeh,  I better use the opportunity.  

Make-Hay-While-The-Sun-Shines. xxx