Now What, Part 2.

Well you let your plan sit for a while but now that you have thought about it, ideas keep popping into your head. Maybe no ideas came and you just became worried if you thought to much about it!!! No big deal either way. People react differently when the subject of emergencies, disasters or a 'bad day' is brought up. Lets bring your thoughts either up to what is just some common things we all should do or back down from planning for the alien invasion.

For those of you on one end of the spectrum, "I don't want to think about this!", you are usually better at doing these things then you think. Why? Because you are not going to get online and buy three hundred military meals and call it a day. You tend to think things out a bit more than some of us. Let's address what you can do this coming week, which won't cause the "I don't want to think about it." reaction. We can plan for all kind of 'crazy' situations but let's focus on ones we might face tonight.

I know they remind us to check our smoke alarms twice a year. Have you done it? No really get up and go check, I'll wait............... Ok no big deal, right? Your smoke detector works and you know the family is a little bit more prepared if a fire happens. Do you have a fire extinguisher in the kitchen? A lot of fires in the home start in the kitchen when folks are cooking. Should one happen and you have some way of putting it out quickly you end up with a good story to tell at the next party. Just pick up a small one. Make sure you read the box it needs to be one you can use of grease fires!!!! Remember, water and oil do not mix! You could spread the fire using water!

Here is a link to amazon where you can get one.
http://www.amazon.com/Kidde-FX10K-Kitchen-Fire-Extinguisher/dp/B000IHUR58

Now you have done the basics of planning for a home fire!!!!!!! See not a big deal and you should have just a little bit more piece of mind knowing you have insured your family is a little safer. Let's add to this.

How do we get everyone out if there is a fire? How many exits are there from your home? Do you live on the second floor?

For this plan every opening in a wall counts as an exit. Kids need to know it is ok to use a window as an exit if there is a fire. This is real important if they are old enough and big enough to get out on their own. You do not want them afraid of getting into trouble for climbing out an window during a emergency!!!

If you sleep on a second story or live in an apartment on anything other than the ground floor do you have a safe way to get to the ground? Jumping down if you do not know how to do it is not a very good idea. You become a casualty and could add to the problem. A simple ladder which attaches to the window will do the trick and help make sure everyone is in one piece when they reach the ground.

Here is link, yes on amazon. I love amazon!!!
http://www.amazon.com/FIRST-ALERT-EL52-2-Escape-Ladder/dp/B0069HG97Q/ref=sr_1_6?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=undefined&sr=1-6&keywords=fire+escape+ladder+2+story

Now let's review. We have made sure we have an early warning system incase something bad is happening while we are asleep, we have a way to stop a small problem from becoming a larger one and we have a plan with the means to get everyone out if there is a fire in the home. Good to go!!!! All that for just some brain using and costing under a hundred bucks!

Now what?

Where does everyone met to get a head count? Maybe the mailbox can serve this purpose? Everyone knows where it is and in most cases the mailbox will be a relatively safe distance away to allow you the time needed to get a head count. With everyone out and accounted for whatever happens to your house or apartment does not matter! Let it burn, heck ask the neighbors if they got stuff to make smores with! All that is in there is stuff and stuff can be replaced.

Let's take this out to the next step. Do you have insurance? Is it up to date and paid? Do you have friends or family you can stay with for a day or two? Who would you call?

Now take a moment, open a blank document or the one you were using to write down ideas after reading the prior post and write down your answers to everything we just read about. Then go back and write down your answers to each of the items brought up. Guess what? You just wrote your plan for a house fire!!!!

For the other end of the spectrum.............. slow down on buying 300 MREs and 20,000 rounds of ammo! We need to focus on this first

Before we worry about this!!!!!

Take note of the burning buildings people would have to get out of before they could lay waste to the alien invaders!!!

Now that you have a good idea on how to start making plans I'll try and show you a way to organize the planning in a format to make sense in the next post. Till then, as always

Stay Safe!!!