Unprepared for the Unpreparedness
During our last evacuation due to fire, my wife and I and
our two cats lucked out with a hotel twenty-three miles
away from our home. They had a room for us and were nice
enough to break a rule or two and allow us to keep the
cats with us. We learned a lot from that experience.
When
we lived in Malibu, California, mudslides shut down our
highways so we couldn’t get in or out. The market
ran short of supplies because delivery trucks couldn’t
get through. After the Northridge earthquake, we were
without electricity for almost three days. We had no
running water
for at least two or three days. It was a difficult time,
coping under these conditions. I decided then to be prepared
for the next crisis.
Depend on Yourself
Disasters happen. No insurance policy is going to provide
food and survival supplies. You can't depend on The
Red Cross, FEMA, and the United States Government to
be there
fast enough,
when disaster strikes. The good news is that you can
do it yourself. You can develop your own emergency
plan, and
gather
your own emergency supplies, even if you have to stow
it away little by little as you can afford it.
The time
to prepare is now. The time to prepare is before
the crisis arrives.
A banker once told me to go for the
credit line when you don’t need it. Similarly, right
now, before a crisis, survival supplies are easy to buy.
And, what
you spend
is not an expense--it is an investment.
A Good Feeling
With so many natural and man-made disasters happening
all over the world, I took my own advice. I needed
to create
a plan for my wife and me. I consulted with experts.
State licensed contractors in a number of fields
helped me draft
my plan. A doctor and a paramedic assisted me in
selecting first aid kits for our grab-run
bags--one for
my wife,
one for me, and one for our two cats--and a more
elaborate BLS
(Basic Life Support) bag.
We are prepared for the
two most likely disaster scenarios. You should
base your plan on the disasters most likely to occur
in your
area. The first situation is an emergency that
confines us
to our home. The second situation is an emergency
such as
a fire
where we are forced to evacuate to a shelter.
Now
our plan is in place.
I love the feeling of security that
being prepared gives me. I'd like to share that feeling. Please
Accept My Invitation to Browse the Chapters of My Online
Book
What I have mainly focused on in
this Website is presenting the various components of
my own plan.
Each chapter
discusses my solution to one category of the many
needs that arise
during an actual emergency. And, each problem's answer
is constantly scrutinized to determine if there is an
improvement to be had that will make the situation less
stressful and more like the comforts of home.
All enhancements
will
be quickly included in my online edition.
Feel free
to use my ideas in developing your self-dependence—in
completing your preparations for your disaster
emergency living.
Remember, it’s all up to you.
A
Few Notes for Your Preparations
Before you start your
own planning, determine what emergency you
are planning for,
and for how long. Here’s what my wife
and I did. We considered our location. We live
in
Calabasas, California, located in Los Angeles
County. We live within beautiful hills that
frequently suffer drought conditions. Wild
Fires are not
uncommon. Because we live in earthquake country,
we could have a tidal wave. Sometimes we get
some bad rains that result in flooding. Los
Angeles County makes us a bit more vulnerable
to nuclear,
biological, and chemical threats, than if we
lived in a small town somewhere in Arizona.
Our environment was the starting point for
determining
our unique home plan and evacuation plan.
Also
for your consideration:
1. In your location, is there a history of:
- Tornados?
- Hurricanes?
- Earthquakes?
- Tidal
Waves?
- Wildfires?
- Flash floods?
2. Do you have a shelter that will
protect you from the above threats?
3. Are there any special health requirements
for you or your family members?
4. What will you need to care for your children?
5. Do you have pets?
When the emergency comes, you’ll know what to do, and you’ll
have the tools to do it. Good planning to you!
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