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 November
2, 2007
Now is the time to have an evacuation plan
By Gail Paparian
For the Record Gazette
I'm sitting here writing this and I continue to be
concerned about friends I cannot find during this worst fire storm most have
ever witnessed. Bill and I lost a home in a fire over 30 years ago and I still
think about it.
When it first happened, we literally got out with our lives and nothing else. It
took forever to regain identification, get keys made for the cars and the safety
deposit box. After that, every night before we went to sleep, Bill would put his
wallet and keys in my purse. That way, if we were ever forced to evacuate, we
wouldn't have to go through the horror of losing everything AND trying to
re-identify ourselves.
When we moved to Charleston, South Carolina, we were quickly taught to prepare a
“Hurricane Survival Kit” and have it up and running before the season officially
began in May. We kept it in tack until late October when hurricanes were no
longer a strong reality.
With the brainstorming of some friends after the “hurricane season” had passed,
we would take the kits; made up of water, canned goods, dry food, toilet paper,
flashlights and batteries and donate all of it to a worthy charity.
This solved several needs: we would give things to people who needed them and we
were forced to reconstruct the kits the next spring. When we left Charleston,
hundreds of people had caught the survival/donation fever. The only thing we
would add to the kits was one week's worth of each of our medications and
several changes of underwear!
I have purchased several survival kits at various expos. I keep one in the house
and one in my car. I have copies of my important papers, including bank accounts
numbers, policies, credit card numbers, my will, advanced medical directives and
anything else I might need to conduct business if some catastrophe were to catch
up with me. My dog is microchipped and licensed and I keep an extra collar and
leash in my vehicle. I also stow enough water for me and the dog.
As soon as my insurance agent
is not being inundated with desperate calls from people who have lost their
homes, I will have him/her check to see if my insurance satisfactorily covers
what I own. Actually, I might even find a new insurance agent!
It seems to take some kind of natural or personal
disaster for people to put themselves and their paperwork in order. Well, now's
a good time! Why not make the time now before you might have to execute an
evacuation plan. If you fall victim to a fire, it is likely you will not have
the opportunity to prepare your departure in leisure. It does make sense to have
what you need ready.
Here are a few things I am going to handle after I
finish writing this column:
Have an evacuation and reunion plan. Map out a meeting
location and ways to get there. Establish this plan with family and friends.
Keep your tank filled. Do not allow your vehicle's
fuel supply to get to low. Keep your tank filled on a normal basis.
Emergency contact numbers. Keep them close to you and
make sure you have at least one out of state number in this list.
Cell phones. Too many people have them and do not make
the best use of this important communication's devise. Always keep your cell
phone charged and make certain to take the electric charger with you. If you
have one for your vehicle; make certain it is always accessible.
Do you wear glasses? Make certain you have an extra
pair packed in your emergency-evacuation kit.
Keep at least a week's supply of medications for you,
or spouse or housemate and your pets. Make certain to check expiration dates. If
it is getting close, rotate the meds into your regular supply and replace those
in your emergency kit.
Make certain your batteries and flashlights are tested
and usable. I keep a flashlight in my car and one in my purse. I also bought a
hand-crank flashlight for emergencies.
First aid kit. Keep one and keep it current. Again, I
keep one in my car.
We lived through Hurricane Hugo in Charleston, SC. It
wasn't pretty or easy but we did the best we could to be prepared. What we
didn't remember to take was toilet paper and insect repellant; which we wish we
had brought!
If you have a companion animal, I strongly urge you to
have a simple microchip implanted. It is about the size of a grain of rice and
injected into the animal's muscle. It is simple and painless and may be the only
way you have to keep track of your pet in an emergency.
Too many people have said to me, “my dog/cat never
gets out.” This may/may not be true on a normal day to day basis. However,
during an emergency, like what we have been experiencing with the fires
throughout southern California, one could get separated from one's pet.
A microchip inserted and then properly registered is
probably one's best chance of being reunited with your pet should you be
separated.I'm sure I will think of a dozen more “to-dos” when I finish writing
but this is a good start. Right now, I'm going to check all of my papers to see
that everything is current and my evacuation kits are up to day. I humbly
suggest that you do the same.
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