Author: Volunteer

Now, I’m always on the lookout for ideas and activities that help spread the word about emergency preparedness. Since you’re here, I assume that fits you, too. If you’re in business,

Here’s a way to use emergency preparedness to make your business stand out from the crowd!

It’s a simple idea. Just copy what one of my friends does so well!

Jacque is a longtime and very successful real estate sales professional. She’s also a CERT graduate. Now, while I don’t buy a house every year (!), Jacque and I do enjoy meeting up at various trainings, city meetings, etc.

Like many business owners, every year she delivers a holiday gift to clients and friends.

Of course, corporate gifts are common, particularly among professional service providers. I’m sure you’ve received boxes of candy, coffee cups with a company logo, maybe even a fancy bottle of wine in a tote bag. (Most of these gifts are worth less than $25, the magic number as far as IRS deductibility is concerned.)

These promotional items work to retain connections and create goodwill, and that’s why businesses continue to include them in their marketing plans.

What Jacque does that is different, though, is to deliver gifts with an emergency preparedness theme!

A couple of years ago, when our part of the world experienced multiple deliberate power shut-offs because of fire danger, Jacque’s gift was a bright red battery-operated lantern! (Collapsible style)

Last year, after we’d been threatened by evacuation, she handed out emergency radios pre-tuned to the city’s AM emergency channel.

And this year, she announced to me that for 2021 she wants to hand out “two or three of your mini-books” to help people get settled in their new home and feel more confident about what to expect in their new location.

We got together via Zoom and picked three (Shelter in Place, Custom Go-Bags and Power Outage) with two alternates. She placed her order and the books have already arrived! (I am eager to see how she packages them. Her gifts are always so stylish and tasteful!)

Emergency Preparedness gifts are a win-win promotion.

Of course, as author, I am proud to see my books being shared. And I earn a few pennies for every one sold.

But as a “Preparedness Activist,” I’m even more pleased. Getting people to take action has become our mission here at Emergency Plan Guide. Jacque’s clients and friends are a part of our community. The more prepared they are, the better off we will be, too!

Emergency Preparedness is a marketing message unique in our community. It can be a unique marketing message for your brand, too.

How can YOU take advantage of it to make your business stand out?

Joe and I stand by to join in a discussion of how you might offer tools or planning, discuss, gift or distribute emergency preparedness items to prospects, customers, and employees. There are many, many ways to turn your own expertise and this special interest into value for your business.

If you’d like to talk it over, send an email to get the conversation started!

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

P.S. Some links to items (similar to those) mentioned in the Advisory:

• A set of colored lanterns – blue, green, purple and black, collapsible
• Small black emergency radio (AM, FM), battery-operated
• All our mini-books

Covid-Fatigue is a Big Problem

Yesterday I had a video-visit with my doctor. It was a regularly-scheduled check-up, and as soon as it was clear there were no medical issues to discuss, the conversation went to my state of mind. (On the list of interview questions these days, I am assuming.)

Then I turned the question around and asked about HER state of mind. As a kidney specialist on the front line, she laid it out clearly and starkly. “Virginia, I haven’t had one of my patients walk out alive.”

Punch in the gut. Then the call was over. And I can’t forget what she said.

Later the same day I was struck by the title of this recent article about Covid-fatigue, coming from The Atlantic: The Pandemic Has Erased Entire Categories of Friendship

The author writes about all the people and simple social interactions she has missed, “without fully realizing it.” Her list includes watching sporting events in a crowd of fans, saying hello to the local barista, even discussing the weather in the break room at work.  Ordinary conversations with people not so close but people who “were all, in some capacity, my friends, and there was no substitute for them during the pandemic.”

My own list of missing people doesn’t include sports bar fans (!), but I miss greeting the stylists at the salon. I miss discussing books when I visit our neighborhood library. (Only one person at a time allowed in the room.) My world has become strangely silent since all those people that used to make up my day are staying safely invisible at home. Has your circle of friends gotten smaller, too?

Some Ideas for Covid-fatigue Relief

So let me report on a couple of ideas that may work to help. Of course, they are related to emergency preparedness. Happily, preparedness isn’t controversial. Pretty much everyone can relate to the topic. So you may find more response to either of these than you might have expected!

Idea #1: How about a one-time Zoom call featuring a police officer on the topic of personal safety?

We’ve had more neighborhood reports of cars being broken into and stolen, wallets disappearing from shopping carts, packages scooped up by strangers right out from under the Ring porch cameras. Facts are hard to come by – mostly we get stories via fearful or angry online messages.

People in our neighborhood are calling me, too, because I’m head of our local emergency response team. They want to report on “strange people” they have seen in the street, or worries about elderly neighbors being abused . . . things that I can do little about. But I listen and offer what little advice I can.

These negative stories, mixed in with misinformation about the availability of Covid vaccine, started taking over our daily communications. We needed facts and realistic recommendations, not more rumors.

So I took the initiative and scheduled a zoom call with the police. I invited everybody on my neighborhood email list to join in. For some, this was their first ever Zoom call. For most, it was useful info. And for all, it was a chance to see smiling neighbors’ faces WITHOUT MASKS, and to hear voices!  Yes, a social interaction! 

I recommend you call your police department immediately and set up something similar! (I’ll be happy to share the invitation I used, with the questions I wanted to be sure to get answers to.)  In a future Advisory I’ll be sharing all the tips we got.

Idea #2. How about a multi-session group activity designed to make new friendships while helping everyone in the group get better prepared?

You know we’ve been publishing a series of booklets on preparedness topics. It’s called the Emergency Preparedness Q&A Mini-Series. One topic to each mini-booklet; 14 topics in all.  

What you may not know is that as the series developed, it became clear that each of these little booklets could be used as the basis for a group discussion – on Zoom or in person.

The whole series can be a tool for building community – and fighting Covid-fatigue!

When I say “community” I’m referring to groups. Which kinds of group do you have in your life?  

• Church group
• Scout troop
• Service organization
• Neighborhood group
• Etc., etc.

The secret that makes this idea work for any group? “Shared Leadership.”  That is, your group doesn’t need an “expert” to lead the group. With the help of the mini-series booklets, members of the group make it all work by themselves!

The last booklet in the series, Prepare & Share, goes into great detail about how to use this tool to help your group reconnect with current members, or attract new ones.

If you and family or neighbors are struggling with COVID-fatigue, either or both of these suggestions may put some welcome “social activity” back into your lives. If I can be of any help setting them up, please let me know.

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

P.S. Visit this separate webpage for full details on the Prepare & Share concept!

Sometimes you think you’re pretty well up to speed on preparedness – and then a real emergency hits. You get the chance to see how your plan holds up. Today, I want to tell you about the recent breakdown of our evacuation plan – and what we’ve done about it since.

(Oh, I know the saying that “No plan withstands first contact with the enemy.”  Source? Graf Helmuth von Moltke, Prussian field marshal during Franco-Prussian war of 1870, known as Moltke the Elder – just in case you wanted to know. I always want to know these things.)

But back to the story of our evacuation plan breakdown. It happened only two months ago.

Not only did our plan break down, but we discovered we hardly had a plan at all!

It’s taken us a while to dig out from under, but now’s the time to share just what we discovered and what we had to do as a result.

My goal is to encourage you to spend some time looking at your own emergency response plans to see if you can spot some holes.

If your plans are as bad as ours were, you’ll want to take remedial action!

What happened that day. . .

You’ll recall earlier Advisories about our “near miss” with a wildfire in the final weeks of October. It was during one of Southern California’s well-known Red Flag (high wind) events. A vegetation fire started in the early morning. By afternoon it had exploded to over 5,000 acres – and it was barreling right toward our town.

Evacuation orders were issued and extended, covering zone after zone of the town. By 5 pm they had reached the apartment complex right across the street from us.

I’ve detailed a lot of what we were doing that day to alert neighbors, keep them up to date with evacuation warnings and orders, where shelters were being set up, etc. (If you didn’t read my “Diary” of that day, please do. I think you’ll find it useful to get the blow by blow.)

As it turned out, late in the afternoon the winds changed direction. We never got a mandatory evacuation order.

But by 5 pm we had learned a whole lot of why evacuation would never have worked.

In the following four weeks we learned even more. Here were the realities in our senior retirement community:

• More than half of our neighbors received no emergency alerts. Either they hadn’t signed up, or they’d turned them off. By afternoon everyone did realize that there was a fire because of the heavy smoke in the air.
• The 30% (or more) of our community without internet access had no idea about evacuation routes or where shelters were to be found. (The shelter location map put out by the city was excellent – but it was online.)
• Around 40% of our neighboring households could not evacuate without assistance, i.e. help with physically getting out of the house, or help with transportation. We didn’t know who they were.
• Neighbors with pets had no emergency supplies: crates or carriers, leashes, and ID papers that would allow the pets to accompany their owners to shelters, hotels, etc.
• Despite multiple calls to various city offices, we got no useful answers about what official help to expect.

We are a community that has actually won awards for being so well prepared! How could so many failures have existed?

The answer is amazingly simple.

Over 10 years ago, following multiple wildfire tragedies, our neighborhood emergency response group hosted a series of meetings. Local fire department, police, utility companies, community managers, and experienced neighborhood response group members attended.

We discussed how to evacuate the community. We identified many of the same issues that are listed above. It was agreed that evacuation would be so challenging that it would have to be the very last resort. Professionals advised us that our energy would be best used helping neighbors be ready to shelter in place.

So for the past 10 years, that’s what we have done!

What we did differently after this evacuation plan breakdown.

Our “near miss” was so traumatic that Joe and I wasted no time is raising the alarm. We wrote to the mayor. We gathered more facts by surveying neighbors and the property managers via phone, zoom and email. We contacted our city’s emergency manager, who helped pull together a virtual meeting that included all the key players, just as had happened years ago.

This time, the results were different.

First, we discovered that a new evacuation plan for the city had actually been completed just before COVID hit! The shutdowns meant that where we normally would have had a community meeting to reveal the plan, it never happened.

Second, members of our group spent hours tracking down the answers to questions that still remained. The next step was to share this information.

Getting more information out to the community.

The only way we have of reaching all our neighbors is via flyers. Accordingly, members of our neighborhood emergency response team researched, wrote, duplicated and distributed a series of flyers – in multiple languages — to all 360 homes in our community.

(Photo of actual flyers, slightly crumpled and purposefully blurred since they contain phone numbers specific to our community. See more details below.)

The flyers reminded people that they are responsible for their own evacuation . . . and urged them to take immediate steps to be more prepared.

• Flyer #1: Get Connected! reminded people how to sign up for various emergency alert programs and suggested multiple sources for emergency news.
• Flyer #2: Get Packed! reviewed the importance of having an already packed evacuation Go-Bag and listed what needs to be in it. (Supplies for pets, too.)
• Flyer #3: Get Out! listed evacuation transportation options, with particular guidance for people who need assistance. Most important: make sure your needs are known before an evacuation is called! By the way, here was my original sentence that the Fire Department asked me to soften, “If you refuse to leave, First Responders will not come back for you.” (Even though it’s the truth!)
• Flyer #4: Know where to go!  provided a map of our city showing likely shelters, complete with addresses and phone numbers. (This was particularly for neighbors who do not own cell phones.)

Our flyers were written specifically for our community, taking into consideration its cultures and languages, ages, role of property managers, and resources of our city. If you have questions, or would like to see the actual flyers, just let me know.

For the time being, we’re confident that our community’s evacuation plans have been strengthened. Now our job will be to repeat and remind neighbors of all its recommendations – without overlooking the continuing emphasis on shelter in place.

What should be your next steps?

I urge you to take another look at your family’s evacuation plan and at the same time, your community’s evacuation plan. After all, one doesn’t exist without the other. Ask a lot of questions!  “What do we do if . . .?” “Where do we go if…?” If you have questions with no good answers, become an “activist.” Get to know your city’s emergency manager!

I can assure you, you won’t forgive yourself for an evacuation plan breakdown.

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

P.S. This Advisory has touched on just a few aspects of evacuation. I hope you’ll consider getting our Mini-series book on the topic. It covers more questions and offers answers that may fit. (Click the link above, scroll down on the page until you get to Evacuate!)

The news is so frightening these days!

Threatened bombings, actual shootings and beatings, rape. Awful. Disheartening. And, unfortunately, reality. Here at Emergency Plan Guide we try to be as upbeat and level-headed as possible. At the same time, it seems sensible to be aware of personal safety options.

One option, legal in most states, is a stun gun.

You hold the stun gun in your hand. Press it against the body of an attacker, and its “electrical punch” can completely disable and disorient him for seconds or minutes, giving you the chance to get away. In fact, the zapping sound and electric blue flash of a stun gun being set off may discourage the attacker from approaching in the first place.

Here are a couple of examples, available at Amazon where we are Associates. They come in pink and black, and in different “strengths.” (The more the jolt, the more expensive the gun.) Personally, I prefer the pink because it’s a lot easier to find in a purse or the glove compartment. You can click on the images or on the link below to do some “shopping.” Read the “shopping questions” below, though, first!

Is this really something to consider carrying for personal safety?

I asked these questions as I was researching for this post on personal safety.

1. Is a stun gun legal?

Stun guns are treated differently in different cities, different counties and different states! Sometimes you have to go through a registration process to own one.

To give you an idea, one stun gun advertised on Amazon carries this disclosure: “We do not ship to the following locations: Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, Connecticut, New Jersey, Illinois, New York, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, District of Columbia, Annapolis, MD, Baltimore, MD, Chicago, IL, Philadelphia, PA, Baltimore County, MD, Crawford County, IA.”

If you intend to purchase one, I recommend you check carefully to find out the LATEST rules governing buying and carrying stun guns in your town. If you plan to travel with your stun gun, then check again, because different rules apply there, too. (Mostly, it appears as though a deactivated stun gun can be carried in checked luggage. But don’t take my word for it!)

A good place to start your legal research: http://www.stungunbuyersguide.com/stun-gun-laws/

2. Is a stun gun the same as a taser?

Legislation sometimes lumps stun guns together with tasers, and sometimes treats them separately. For our purposes, there is a distinct difference.

• A taser is a “long-distance” (15-20 ft.) weapon. It shoots out wires that carry the electrical current, and once it’s shot, you can’t quickly reload. Tasers start at around $400 and the “professional” models used by police cost more than $1,000. These tasers are of colored plastic in the shape of a pistol, with a hand grip and trigger, and are worn in a holster.
• The stun gun, on the other hand, is a close-up self-defense tool. It has to be pressed against the body to create the circuit. You can use it repeatedly as long as its battery is still charged. Stun guns start at just over $10 and there are many available in the $20-40 range. They could be carried in a purse or pocket.

You can see more about tasers and stun guns for personal safety here.

3. How do you charge the stun gun?

Obviously, your stun gun needs to be charged to have any impact. The typical gun comes with rechargeable batteries and a cord that you plug into the wall. You’ll get instructions to charge it fully (10-12 hrs?) when you receive it and then to “top it off” on a monthly basis.

A solar-powered charger suitable for charging your computer or phone would likely work to charge your stun gun, too. Check.

4. Other features to consider?

Stun guns have been incorporated into other personal items. We mentioned the flashlight/stun gun style above. Stun guns have also been incorporated into iphone lookalikes, into actual iphone cases, and into batons and other professional law enforcement tools.

There are many sizes and styles.

Pick the one that suits your own needs and lifestyle.

If I felt threatened, or were heading into an unsavory or dangerous place, I’d have my stun gun in my hand and ready to use. I personally like the “safety disable pin” that comes with the example above. This gun also comes with a wrist strap attached to the pin. (Scroll over all the images to see the wrist strap.) If the stun gun is taken away from you in a struggle, the pin will be pulled out. This stops the stun gun from working so it can’t be turned against you.

In my opinion, the stun gun is closer to being a weapon than other personal safety items we’ve talked about. I’d investigate carefully before deciding to carry one or to give one to a family member.

It might, however, be something that would give you new peace of mind.

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide Team

P.S. Do you already have a stun gun? Have you ever used it? What more information can you share with Emergency Plan Guide readers to help us make our decisions?

This is one of my favorite topics. Or rather, it is one of the topics that I spend time researching. I am worried about busy business owners being held personally liable for not taking steps they should have taken to protect the business.

As we reach the end of 2020, the pandemic is absolutely raging. Cyberattacks threaten our government and a number of major U.S. corporations. The threat of lawsuit is more critical than it’s been in all the dozen years I’ve been maintaining this blog!

And as a business owner, your threat of being sued continues to intensify.

You could be sued by employees or customers who claim they got sick in your establishment. You could be sued by customers or shareholders who claim you didn’t protect confidential data. You’ve heard this saying: “You can be sued by anybody for just about anything.” Well, it seems true.

We are not lawyers. We aren’t saying you will get sued. We can’t keep you from being sued and we can’t help you if you do. Our goal is to raise some of the important preparedness issues that may serve to protect you. For sure, these are issues you need to be aware of.

It all starts with “The Prudent Man rule.”

The concept of “the prudent man” (or more likely today, “the prudent person”) is well established in the world of finance. It says that if an incident occurs, a money manager will be examined to see if he or she made the decisions that “a prudent man in the same position with the same training would make.” Often, those prudent decisions are closely tied to what might be considered “best practices.” If best practices have NOT been followed, then that manager might be held personally liable for negligence.

Today, the prudent man rule is being expanded.

This means your problems may be expanding, too. Three examples with important questions . . .

1. With cybercrime increasing exponentially, what are considered “best practices” for information, cyber and network security continue to evolve. Are you keeping up with other “prudent people” in your industry as regards information security for your business?
2. With health policies changing rapidly (even erratically) as a result of the coronavirus, is your business keeping up with regulations from OSHA, your state, county or city? Are you taking and documenting the steps that a prudent person in your similar business situation would take?
3. Given this year’s economic upheavals, not just from the pandemic but from storms, wild fires and other disasters, have you updated your business continuity plan to include coping with all likely disasters? (Was “pandemic” even included in your previous plan? Have you included it in your updated plan?)

If your answer to any of the questions above is “No,” you could be personally liable if your business gets caught up in a lawsuit!

Unfortunately, keeping up with industry “best practices” isn’t easy. Here at Emergency Plan Guide we regularly attempt to bring readers’ attention to business-related issues, including those associated with cybercrime and even public health policies. Since we’re not specialists in either of these areas, this sort of information is tough to stay on top of. We do what we can.

However, we do feel confident reminding all our readers about building and updating their business contingency plans.

It’s an ongoing effort. Just like individual families, some businesses have an “exit plan” aimed at getting employees out of the building in an emergency. (OSHA requires such a plan if you have more than 50 employees.) But at least half of small businesses have no workable plan for getting back to work following an interruption. Even fewer — only about 30% — have even consulted with an insurance agency about business interruption insurance.

An emergency exit plan may save lives, but, the lack of Business Continuity and/or Disaster Recovery Plan means that there may not be a company to come back to. In that case, everybody loses . . . employees and their families, owners, investors, creditors and customers.

No-cost or low-cost help is readily available.

If you are concerned about being personally liable because your business doesn’t have a reasonable business continuity plan, you can start putting the pieces in place using some or several of these resources.

• Many cities, in conjunction with FEMA and other local organizations, offer the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training to residents, businesses and employees of businesses to help save lives and property in a disaster. Most classes are free and some actually issue equipment to aid in light search & rescue, triage, etc. (Lots more about CERT here.)
• The American Red Cross offers classes and online information. Look at www.redcross.org.
• The Small Business Administration provides an online guide for drafting a business continuity plan.
  https://www.sba.gov/content/disaster-recovery-plan
• The Insurance Institute for Home and Business Safety® offers a guide to help small businesses stay open, called OFB-EZ. (“Open For Business – Easy”)
• Many insurance companies offer documents and assistance in evaluating risk and risk mitigation efforts before helping you purchase any business interruption insurance. Start with a conversation with your own property insurance carrier.

Taking advantage of these services should be the logical first step for the “prudent” business owner. When you’ve done some research, or it you want to get right to creating your plan, consider our book:

Emergency Preparedness for Small Business

We wrote this book for the busy, DIY business owner who isn’t ready to hand over planning to an outside consultant. The book trusts in-house expertise to build your plan and give employees “ownership.” Joe’s military experience led him to come up with the “file folder” approach that is so easy to delegate!

If you’ve been with us a while, you’ll recognize our straight-forward, step-by-step approach in Emergency Preparedness for Small Business. Plus there’s a companion WORKBOOK that will make it even easier for you to get started on your small business continuity plan. Click the links to go directly to Amazon for full details.

The resources listed here may not cover everything the business needs, but with them you will have made a solid start. Use your own industry experts to fill in any blanks about current “best practices.”

Going back to the Prudent Man rule, it says that a person making decisions for others can’t simply rely on what he or she knows. The Prudent Man will be held accountable for what he SHOULD know.

Don’t get caught on this one!

Joe Krueger and Virginia Nicols
Your Emergency Plan Guide Team

OK, so you have been working for a while on being prepared for disasters. You’ve made it this far, and think you’re in pretty good shape, ready for whatever rain may fall! 

Maybe you even qualify as an expert?!

Last year Joe and I took an emergency preparedness quiz at a meeting sponsored by the Great American Shake-out. Sure enough, although we’ve been “Activists” for years, we were missing several key items!

That inspired me to put this quiz together for all the Emergency Plan Guide readers. (I’ve updated it for 2020, too.) The questions were gathered from a variety of sources. See how well you do! Score yourself at the end!

Emergency Preparedness Quiz

1-Is your house ready to take a hit from a disaster? Check if YES.

• No heavy/dangerous items over the bed, couch or desk (or wherever you spend a lot of time).
• Bookcases, TV, speakers, computers, printers, mirrors — bolted to table or to wall. Need a stud finder to finish this job?
• Water heater and other appliances secured.
• Outside of home squared away to protect against sudden fire (trash cleared away) or wind.
• Home adequately insured for standard risks also local risks (flood, earthquake, etc.).

2-Does your family know how to respond to a natural or weather-related disaster? Check if YES.

• Everybody knows and has practiced: Drop-Cover-Hold On (earthquake), Drop-Roll (fire). Grandma, too.
• Family members know and have practiced 2 ways to get out of house: doors, windows, second floor. Can you get down the escape ladder?
• Everyone knows where fire extinguishers are, and how to use them. How many fire extinguishers do you need, anyway? And are they all workable?
• Adults know where water and gas shut-offs are, and when to shut them off. Tools attached near shut-off valves.
• You have a back-up plan for pets if you’re not home. Decal on front door or window alerts emergency workers that you have a pet.
• Everyone in the family has memorized out-of-town contact phone number.
• Everyone who has a phone has a battery back-up (Power bank), knows how and to whom to text.

3-Are survival kits (72-hour kits) packed and ready to go?

• Do all evacuation and survival kits have masks so you can operate within COVID guidelines?
• A survival kit in the house for every family member, customized to size, skill, medical needs, etc.?
• A kit for every pet?
• A kit in each car?
• A kit at work for every worker?

4-What about handling the immediate aftermath of a disaster?

• Every room has emergency lighting – lantern and/or flashlight.
• All first aid kits are fully stocked with up-to-date items.
• We have at least one emergency radio (solar, hand crank, battery) tuned to local emergency station, with extra batteries.
• Everyone has sturdy shoes for safely getting around, clothing/gloves to protect against cold or broken items. Pets have protective booties/jackets, too.
• Supply of warm clothing, blankets.
• Everyone knows ways to report in that they’re OK.

5-Are you prepared at work for the immediate aftermath of a disaster?

• Every room has emergency lighting – lantern and/or flashlight.
• First aid kits are fully stocked with up-to-date items.
• Emergency radio tuned to local emergency station, with extra batteries.
• Everyone has sturdy shoes for safely managing stairs, getting out. (Particularly important for female employees whose footwear may be stylish but impractical. Stash an extra pair of tennis shoes in the bottom drawer of the desk.)
• Partners check on each other’s situation. People with disabilities have designated partners who know how to help them evacuate.
• People responsible for shut-down or evacuation procedures step into action.
• Everyone knows how to report in assuming phones are out.

6-How about an extended recovery at home after a disaster?

• Supply of food that doesn’t need cooking. Can-opener. Utensils.
• If camp stove, supply of food that uses hot water or heating. Fuel for stove. Fire igniter. Pot. (Have you practiced setting up and starting the stove? A challenge under the best of conditions!)
• Condiments: salt, pepper, ketchup, mustard, chilies, soy sauce, sugar, honey, other.
• Water supply. Clean water supplies, a way to filter and/or disinfect other water.
• Pet’s food, water and hygiene supplies.
• Personal hygiene supplies: temporary toilet, toilet paper, wipes, paper towels, Clorox. Trash bags.
• Personal supplies: lotion, bug repellent, sun screen, soap, sanitary supplies, condoms, deodorant, toothpaste, etc.
• Medicines and prescriptions for at least 2 weeks.
• Clothing for cold, rain; ponchos, umbrellas.
• Tools appropriate for making repairs: saw, hammer, nails, tape, plastic sheets, tarp, crow bar, ax, shovel, emergency lighting.
• If someone can handle them and manage fuel: generator, chain saw.
• Emergency two-way communications: walkie-talkies, ham radios.
• Entertainment: books, games, cards, paper and pens.

(When it comes to extended recovery at work, that’s another quiz. It will be based on the type of work place, key functions of the business, number of employees, etc. Emergency Preparedness for Small Business can give you nearly all the guidance you’ll need to answer THAT quiz!)

7-And here’s a bonus emergency preparedness quiz item:

• I’ve completed CERT training. (I know, CERT training is being postponed until we can get back to meeting face to face. But at least, you can put it on your to-do list!)

And your score on this Emergency Preparedness Quiz?

There are 41 questions in this quiz, plus the bonus. They don’t have equal importance, so there’s no real way to rate yourself based on the number of boxes you checked off.  Still, just in reading the quiz you should have a FEEL for whether you are:

• Rookie – 10-15 check marks: A good start but still have a ways to go
• Solid – 15-30 check marks: Comfortable with your progress; won’t feel (too) guilty if something happens
• Expert – Anything above 30, plus the bonus! Heck, you should be teaching this stuff!

If you’re not actively “teaching this stuff,” you can use this emergency preparedness quiz to help yourself and other people you care about get started on their own preparations.

How to get started?

Start slowly — but get started!

Did some of these items jump out at you as being really important?

Start with just one or two. Work on a new one every week.

If you are part of a neighborhood group, maybe pick a couple of items to work on every month. (Our new Mini-Series was designed PERFECTLY for groups! Schedule one topic per week or per month, get people together — in person or via zoom — to discuss and share.)

Every small preparedness action you take will add to your family’s and your community’s resilience. Since your neighbors are most likely to be the people who end up rescuing you in a disaster, this step-by-step method has a double pay-off!

Let us know how it goes, and what YOU would add to the quiz to make it even more useful. We are all in this together!

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

Over the past several weeks my neighbors and I have been caught up in the aftermath of our “almost evacuation.” (The next zone to evacuate was across the street, and we were just waiting for the police call.)

While I was fighting gusty winds and dust to get my own stuff packed up, I was particularly conscious of all my neighbors who have pets. In our senior community, pets are small. But many dogs are astonishingly aggressive. Few dogs and certainly no cats have any obvious obedience training. Many don’t seem to like a leash.

How would these pets and their owners fare in an evacuation?

Well, the threat never materialized for us. We were lucky. But as our neighborhood emergency response group continues to examine what should have gone better, pets take their place among the concerns at the top of the list. So today, let’s take a closer look at how to evacuate with your pet!

As it turns out, over this very same period I was putting finishing touches on the last book in our Mini-Series – entitled Protect Your Pet. Our booklet goes through fully a dozen situations that help define what it takes to be a responsible and loving pet owner. Throughout, it focuses on what really happens to pets in emergencies.

If you aren’t confident you’ve thought it all through, grab a copy of the book! You’ll feel a whole lot better once you’ve answered the dozen or so questions that it contains! They cover how to evacuate with your pet, but also how to cope with everyday emergencies, pet first aid, lost pets, etc. Every pet owner needs this information.

As far as this Advisory goes, though, I’d like to focus on just two things.

1- Does your pet have what it needs to evacuate with you or with someone else’s help?

A pet go-bag.

Just as you need a custom go-bag for yourself, each of your pets needs one too. It contains basic food supplies, water, a dish, medicines and identification. Yes, the pet go-bag can contain a lot more, but these are the absolute essentials. (We have a whole chapter on pet survival kits in the Mini-book.) The go-bag accompanies your pet and . . .

Your pet’s travel carrier.

One of my neighbors contemplating being bussed to a shelter said, “Oh, I’ll just take my cat with me, on her leash.”

Here’s the problem with that. Vehicles sent to pick up senior evacuees can’t manage loose animals! Can you imagine being on a crowded bus with a dozen or so pets pulling, twisting, climbing, barking, etc.?  

To be confident your pet will be allowed to accompany you, and to be sure it will be safe during the trip, it needs its own familiar and comfortable carrier. And you need to be able to manage that carrier yourself or have arranged with a partner to help.

There are hundreds of pet carriers on the market. If you don’t have a carrier for each of your pets, you really need to consider getting one. Here are some things to look for:

• Size. Is the carrier the right size for the pet? Some pets will feel comforted by a snug, closely fitting carrier, but most will want to be able to turn around and lie down. (Some carriers even have expandable sides to add extra room.) Before you start your search, measure your pet’s shoulder height and length in addition to knowing its weight. (Remember, only one pet to a carrier.)
• Weight. Some fabric carriers weigh less than 3 lbs; hard-sided plastic crates can easily weigh as much as 10 lbs. Add the weight of your pet. Remember, you will be carrying this! (You’ll see one option below that doesn’t require too much carrying!)
• Balance. A child strapped to your chest is easy to manage. So is a pet – and yes, there are chest pet carriers! But a small pet in a large backpack with a solid bottom may move around so much that you find it hard to walk safely. Moreover, while a pet may ride happily in a backpack, it can’t be left on the floor inside that soft-sided pack. Think about where you might be going and how you’ll carry your pet.
• Airline approved. If you think you might be flying with your pet, check now to find out the size and weight limitations placed on travelers by the airlines. In-cabin pet travelers must stay in their carrier the entire time, and that carrier must fit under the seat in front of you. Caution: Not all airlines have the same restrictions! 

Below you’ll find some examples of carriers. But first,

2- Does your pet know HOW to evacuate?

Every dog we’ve had has loved “taking a ride.” From what I hear, though, other animals absolutely HATE it! Some like to be able to see out, some cower under a blanket. Some pets welcome being in a crowd of strangers, others get aggressive or frightened.

If you want your pet (and yourself) to make it through the stress of evacuation travel and perhaps prolonged confinement, you need to train your pet HOW to evacuate! This involves obedience training and crate training. We offer suggestions in the booklet. Suffice it to say for this Advisory that as a beloved member of your family, your pet deserves these trainings!

Now, some examples of carriers and crates to help you evacuate with your pet — safely and comfortably.

Click on the links beneath the images to get to Amazon where you can get full details and prices, and compare with other similar styles. As you know, we are Amazon Associates and may get a small commission if you buy through our links.

Rolling Pet Carrier. I would choose this carrier immediately for one reason – I wouldn’t have to carry it! The telescoping handle doesn’t take up much room but would make walking through airports or bus stations or a high school gym shelter a whole lot easier. This carrier also includes washable mattresses to keep it clean and comfy for your pet.

There are other rolling carriers, of course. It looks to me as though the simple ones with just two wheels won’t stand up by themselves if you need to have both hands free for a moment.  

Katziela Pet Carrier with Removable Wheels – Soft Sided, Airline Approved Small Dog and Cat Carrying Bag with Telescopic Walking Handle, Mesh Ventilation Windows and Safety Leash Hook (Black)

Something a bit more fashionable!

This classic bag from well-known manufacturer Sherpa looks very secure and comfortable, even stylish, with quilted sides and flexible leather handles (and additional carrying strap). It has side plus top entry – absolutely something I’d want.  Flexible frame helps bag keep its shape, adjusts to fit under an airline seat.   

Sherpa Original Deluxe Charcoal and Camel Pet Carrier, Large, Gray

Yes, a hands-free pet carrying sling!

I carried my baby boy with a sling – so convenient! This one for pets comes in a variety of colors, three sizes to fit pets up to 14 lbs. Obviously, your pet can’t stay in the sling in an emergency shelter, but this would be excellent for quickly getting out of an emergency situation.

YUDODO Pet Dog Sling Carrier Breathable Mesh Travel Safe Sling Bag Carrier for Dogs Cats (S up to 5lbs Pink)

Very basic folding crate.

Mesh all around for plenty of visibility – and so you can see instantly how your fur-baby is doing. Removable stiff floor; plush blanket included. This one comes from the Amazon Basics collection.

AmazonBasics Soft-Sided Mesh Pet Travel Carrier, Medium (17 x 10 x 10 Inches), Black

Portable dog house!

During the recent evacuation members of our family had to remove by car to a hotel with their LARGE dog. He traveled with his wire crate. Something like this soft-sided crate might have been far more convenient and comfortable. (And would look a lot nicer as a piece of furniture in the house while he’s getting crate trained.)

EliteField 3-Door Folding Soft Dog Crate, Indoor & Outdoor Pet Home, Multiple Sizes and Colors Available (36″ L x 24″ W x 28″ H, Navy Blue)

One last thought about evacuating with your pet.

In reviewing articles and comments about pet owners and their experiences with carriers, it seems that some pets are simply determined to escape. They claw, chew, scratch, pull and twist until they are FREE! So keep pet and carrier under close watch until you are sure everything is secure!

Do you have experience evacuating with a pet? Share your story below in the comments. Everyone will appreciate it!

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

Being stuck at home due to Covid-19 has given us the chance to finish our Mini-Series of booklets on emergency preparedness. As of this week, there are 14 booklets lined up and ready to go! Today I want to give you some insight into what we discovered along the way as we completed this project.

Why a Mini-Series?

We’re always trying to make it easier for people to get started on preparedness. The Mini-Series booklets cover just one topic each. Pick the topic you feel is most urgent or that you want more details on. (Here’s the link to a page that describes the “why” behind the series.)

Now, if you’re a writer, you know that writing even a short booklet takes a lot of time. And although we were comfortable with each of these topics, we wanted to be sure to add solid background so readers could make useful decisions. So we did research on every topic to see what more we should include.

The bonus from the Mini-Series research?

We learned a lot! And while we got great ideas for people just starting we also uncovered needs for those of us who have been working on preparedness for a while.  

Here are a few of my favorite discoveries from some of the booklets.

They may be just in time for Black Friday or whenever you start thinking seriously about holiday gifts! The links below take you to Amazon; if you buy through these links we may earn a small commission.  

Need #1 — Ever more clean water

About 10 years ago my son somehow caught a bug from water in a high mountain stream. (He wasn’t even drinking the water, just crossing the stream.) It put him into the hospital for 5 days! Since then I’m particular about clean water.

And as I was reviewing how we will fare in an emergency, with no municipal water, I read more and more about FAMILY SIZED water purification systems. Yes, individual water purifiers like the LifeStraw are handy and effective, but in a longer term situation you’ll need more capacity. Check out this Berkey. (Berkey is hands down the favorite of so many of our preparedness colleagues.) As you might expect, there are several models and sizes. This travel version is gravity-fed, filters enough for 1-3 people a day. (Note it comes with two types of filters.)

Travel Berkey Water Filter with 2 Black Berkey Filters and 2 PF2 Fluoride Filters

Need #2 — More medical competence

I learned more writing this booklet than any other in the series! It’s clear that relying on common sense only goes so far when it comes to medical emergencies. We have to get training! So in addition to the trainings recommending the booklet,  I have two recommendations you can start with right now.

I bought and devoured The Ultimate Survival Medicine Guide by Joseph Alton, MD and Amy Alton, ARNP. And then I discovered there is a newer version, out now, and I recommend it highly! (There’s a deal whereby you can actually get 3 copies for the price of 2.) The Altons’ books are totally readable and make you fee a WHOLE lot better about addressing wounds, sickness, etc. I cannot recommend them more highly.

Along with the first aid Guide we all need a better quality first aid kit. I’ve complained consistently about cheap first aid kits. And I still will. It’s time to step up to a more complete collection of first aid tools and supplies.

The kit shown below comes from SurviveWare. At Amazon you’ll see several kit options: bigger, smaller, for home, for truck, etc. You may not be ready for the most comprehensive (and most expensive) kit, but you can certainly feel more confident with the basic pack shown here.

Surviveware Large First Aid Kit & Added Mini Kit for Trucks, Car, Camping and Outdoor Preparedness

Need #3 — Better emergency communications

As I described a couple of weeks ago (seems like ages, so much has happened since!) we came close to a mandatory evacuation in the face of a wind-blown wildfire. At 7 that morning we were wakened by the property managers looking for the bullhorn owned by our team.

Joe got it out (see photo above!) and used it to wake up neighbors in our immediate vicinity. Later we used an automated emergency telephone message to alert everyone. If power had been out, that bullhorn would have had a more important role to play!  

If you work with a group, you may want to take another look at having a bullhorn available. But first off, a cautionary note. While we consider this to be an important addition to your emergency equipment, many people report quality control issues on even the reasonably priced units. More professional products such as used by police and First Responders cost more but are likely to be more reliable. We like to recommend products with a high reliability — this is one area where we may be challenged to do that.

(Our own budget doesn’t allow for multiple high-end products. We have had good experience with the moderately priced one Joe is holding, but if our budget allowed we’d look at more expensive models.)

In any case, here are some features to compare: how is the bullhorn powered? Rechargeable or C batteries or either? Voice, siren and ability to record a message that can be repeated automatically? Built-in or handheld microphone? If there’s a question, remember that Amazon offers returns for items only within 30 days of receipt of shipment.

Pyle Megaphone 50-Watt Siren Bullhorn – Bullhorn Speaker w/ Detachable Microphone, Portable Lightweight Strap & Rechargeable Battery – Professional Outdoor Voice for Police & Cheerleading – PMP57LIA

 Need #4 — More emergency lighting

It should be pretty clear what one item is important in each of these two emergency situations! So I really don’t need to write much more. We have stocked up and we continue to find the VONT lanterns simply the best!

We have one in every single room in the house and one in the shed. We use them as night lights and when we work on the plumbing under the sink. We give them away as prizes and as Christmas presents. Other people seem to like them too, because they are the top seller of everything we write about! Lightweight, bright (adjustable), not expensive. And now, VONT has packaged the lamps with companion headlamps. When there’s no power, you’ll want both.

Vont 2-Pack Spark Headlamp + 4-Pack Lantern Bundle – Must-Have for Biking, Camping, Hiking, Hunting, Other Outdoor and Night Activities – Ideal for Emergencies and Outages During Storms, Hurricanes

The Mini-Series started it all.

We’ve highlighted a few volumes of the Mini-Series here. Just this week we came out with Protect Your Pet — a whole new adventure in emergency preparedness! You can see more about each book here on our site, or even jump directly to Amazon where the whole series is featured!

As I’ve mentioned, the next and final step with the series is to turn it into a course meant to help a group build community and skills at the same time. Watch for more!

In the meanwhile, take a closer look at some of the resources and equipment mentioned in this Advisory. I think they are all important.

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

We live in a senior community right in the center of our Southern California city.  One edge of the city butts up against the wildland interface: hills cut by sharp ravines, covered with dry grasslands and brush. The other side of town runs gently downhill toward the Pacific Ocean (about 8 miles away). Every year we endure strong winds coming over the mountains off the desert – the so-called “Santa Anas.” Every year the winds carry with them the threat of a wildfire. This week the winds started with a vengeance on Sunday night. This is what happened here on Monday.

7:14  Waking up. Whew. Smell of smoke is strong! So windy last night, with strange booms and flopping sounds. And our motion-activated porch light was driving me crazy – it kept going on and off, on and off.

7:18 Banging on the door! I open to great loud gusts of wind and clouds of dust and the community managers, disheveled and out of breath. Are we awake? Do we have the bullhorn? (As head of our Emergency Response Team we keep some supplies in our shed.) They rush off.

7:23  I log on and get the official notification: “Vegetation Fire 6:47AM in the area of Santiago Canyon Rd / Silverado Canyon Rd. Firefighters on scene of a 10 acre fire, wind driven with a moderate rate of spread. Crews aggressively attacking the fire with air units en route.“

7:46 Phone call from neighbor. “I drove up to see what the fire was doing and am sending you a photo!” (Dramatic shot of fire topping a ridge.)

9:11 (I send email to my team) “Please turn ON your M.E.R.T. walkie-talkie to your Division channel. Have your fire extinguisher close at hand. Be on the lookout for flying embers and attack fire immediately – IF IT IS SAFE TO DO SO. Command will be monitoring on Channel 7. You can follow our local fire department on Twitter @OCFA_PIO.”

9:15 Phone call to a M.E.R.T. member I know sleeps late (with earplugs). Unable  to raise her.

9:22 Phone call to neighbor who has guide dog. She has called the “Help” number for people with disabilities. All she got was, “If you need help we can send a car for you.” We have dozens of people  in our senior community with one or another disability, and “sending a car” is not a plan!

9:35 Finally get a shower and get dressed. Phones are ringing. I end up digging out my vest so I can carry all phones with me at the same time. I am in constant contact with someone. (Many are known procrastinators in our community!)

10:00 Phone call to neighbor across the street who is housebound and on oxygen. “I’m scared!” she says weakly. I tell her to get dressed “in real clothes” and put on shoes and pack up her medicines, just in case. (She has no car and no nearby family.) “We won’t leave without you,” I promise.

11:05 Branches have come down onto our garage roof from big redwood tree.  (Those booms from last night!) Joe puts on gloves, grabs ladder and rake, and pulls them down. We see more downed branches in our neighbor’s back yard and remove those too. Winds continue, stronger than ever. Joe coughs and his eyes are irritated from the smoke. Mask is no help.

12:00 Evacuations start up the hill at the wildland interface. Our daughter is in the first evacuation zone.

12:21 I track the growth of the fire on TV. Fire Department reports: “150 firefighting units are working the Silverado Fire. 20-30 mph erratic winds that can reach up to 60-70 mph. Approximately 20,000 homes evacuated.“

1:00 pm “Silverado Fire has grown to 2,000 acres. All air support has been grounded due to high winds. If you are in the evacuation area please evacuate immediately. See below for school list evacuation.”  Seven city elementary schools are being evacuated, with 9 more recommended. Parents told to pick up kids at their schools or later at one of area high schools.

City reports 2 emergency shelters have been set up. I send out email to my response team members and management repeats it to everyone via our reverse phone service. Before that report has even registered both shelters are full and 2 more shelters have been opened. (Over the course of the day our city opens 9 shelters. They fill fast. Only 3 have room at end of day.)

Call from neighbor. “Should I take bottled water to the shelter? How much?” (I sigh and put on a friendly voice.)

Call from another neighbor. “I can’t find the pink slip for my car!” (I retain the friendly voice, refrain from reminding her that we put out a full list of emergency documents just a couple of weeks ago.)

1:00 or so Joe and I build a couple of boxes and start putting file folders with important original documents into them. Our Go-bags sit by the door, waiting for last minute additions. (I add snacks.)

1:22 Response team member calls via walkie-talkie. We are interrupted by Morse Code messages from another group somewhere using the same channel.

1:25 A neighbor calls to check on traffic conditions. She has to travel into the evacuation zone. What?? “My cat needs special food that I can only get at that particular pet store.” I wish her good luck, noting that I need to go back and add this story in our Protect Your Pet book, scheduled for publishing this weekend!

1:35 Our daughter calls. “Can we evacuate with the dog to your house?” (How do you answer if you’re worried about COVID? If you are busy helping neighbors and getting ready to evacuate yourself? ) We decide it would be better if she went to another family member closer to her.

2:17 Text message from Food Delivery service. “No food delivery today.”

2:21  I send email to NextDoor website with basic info about evacuating and link to our website. The email is acknowledged by at least one reader!

2:46 Life goes on as previously planned. I get a cellphone call from my doctor’s office to confirm a video appointment set for tomorrow. We test the video technology.

3:00 My neighbor with the guide dog calls via cell saying she has been in touch with local bus service that provides transportation to seniors. What that organization can actually do for us remains unclear.

3:00 I receive email from City. “CERT will NOT be activated.”

3:15 Evacuation zones expanded further down the hill, now about 1/2 mile away.

3:19 I receive phone call from another neighbor telling me she has arranged for her children to pick her up later, “Just wanted you to know.” As people leave, it is clear there is no way of keeping track who is here and who has gone.

3:34 Emergency Alert arrives via text and phone announcing mandatory evacuation for parts of neighboring town. Traffic jams reported.

3:35 I notice a big ad on the police website: “Sign up for emergency notifications. Now is the time.”

4:42 Email arrives from team member saying she has discovered a HAM radio operator out there who is scanning emergency airwaves and reporting on fire and police activity. I can’t seem to find the right channel.

4:44 Team member sends email message that Red Roof Inn takes people and a pet up to 80 libs.

4:49 Community management sends out call: “The Wildfire Evacuation Warning Area now extends to the street bordering our community. All people with disabilities or with pets should leave.”

4:55 I make third call to City hall to remind Community Services that if mandatory evacuation is called our community will need buses and social workers to help evacuate those neighbors who are disabled, lack transportation and/or money. Even though I reach a couple of live people no one has any knowledge of a plan.

5:00 Joe’s daughter calls to say they have re-evacuated to a hotel closer to the coast. The dog is with them.

5:32 I finally get through (via a helpful assistant) to Emergency Operations Center. The assistant transmits this report:

“You are not likely to become even a secondary evacuation warning zone. If things change, we will call you personally. We are fully aware of the circumstances in your community and will be prepared to assist as necessary.”

Well, this is a big step in the right direction! The fire seems to be trending south and away from us. I can now take a deep breath! I send out my report via email and get relieved answers.

Of course, the threat of immediate evacuation may be over. But the day goes on. . .

5:41 Police Department: “The Police Department has issued an additional IMMEDIATE EVACUATION ORDER (Mandatory) for all residences between Great Park and Bake, and north of Toledo until the city limits.” (This isn’t us.)

5:44 Police Department tweet: “Expanded instructions . . .”.

6:30 I see car pulling in to neighbor’s driveway. He has recently had surgery. It’s his daughter. She decides to take him with her, and comes over to offer Joe and me a place if we need one!  (Never met her before.)

7 pm. Tweet sent to City from a resident: “Please issue WEA alerts! Since not everyone is on AlertOC [our local alert platform]. WEA is helpful for those who are deaf, disabled, or those that need assistance!” (FYI I wrote about WEA here.)

7 pm announcement: “Silverado fire:  7200 acres •500 firefighters •0% Containment.“

Somewhere in here we finish dinner, watch the news, take a shower to get rid of the worst of the smoke smell.

9 pm We fall into bed. A neighbor calls to report her reservation at a local hotel was not honored and all hotels are full so she has had to come back. . .

Yes, the day ended. At 7:00 am the next morning the update read: Silverado Fire update: 14 helicopters 11,200 acres More than 750 firefighters 5% contained 10-15 mph winds with ridge top gusts reaching 35 mph Residents under evacuation order: 70,000 Irvine 6,000 Lake Forest

And so it continued.

There are many more stories from this day, but you get the idea. It wasn’t fun.

But what would it have been like if that red evacuation zone on the map had inched over one more street and into our neighborhood?!

Over the years we have met with members of five different city and county agencies on the topic of emergency response. We’ve discussed many times the challenges of evacuating from our location and the needs of our most vulnerable neighbors. On Monday, we did not get any real reassurance that authorities were ready with a plan for us. Now, there may be a plan and it just wasn’t on the top of anybody’s clipboard. . . ?

In any case, there will be more to this story!

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

I’ve been asked more than once why I keep on promoting emergency preparedness, particularly when it’s so often an uphill battle. (You’ll see that uphill-ness in last month’s report on the National Preparedness Survey.) Well, my answer isn’t because I’m a wilderness survivor wannabe, though I was an enthusiastic camper in earlier years.  And it’s not because preparedness is a get-rich-quick scheme.

Still, the questioners have a point. Why DO I keep working year after year on sharing preparedness ideas and tips? And if you do this too, then the question is a good one for you!

Here are some of the reasons why I promote preparedness.

I’m an educator at heart.

Want to see me perk right up? Simply give me a white board or a microphone and any size audience. Or just a small kid trying to understand how a tool works. When it comes to sharing information about emergency preparedness, if you’re like me you see people around you who – to put it bluntly – are just waiting to become the victims of whatever disaster comes along! I always feel that just a few sensible changes could do so much to protect them!

Education is the impetus behind our weekly Advisories. In particular, it’s the impetus behind our 2020 “Q&A mini-series” of simple, educational booklets. Pick just one booklet, follow through with some of the questions, and it could make a big difference for your safety and security!

I’m on the last booklet in this series, now. It’s all about protecting your pet in an emergency. Just last night I finished a question and answer about the five different kinds of emergency shelters you might encounter in an evacuation situation. And only two of those shelters will accept your pet! If you’re a “pet parent,” plan to get your hands on this booklet as soon as it gets published! (In the meanwhile, here’s the link to all the booklets that are already available.)

A second reason that I promote preparedness is because I believe in “lifelong learning!”

Now, this is closely aligned with curiosity, defined by Merriam-Webster as “inquisitive interest.” (My daughter goes so far as to describe me as “indiscriminately curious!”) For example, I am currently doing research and setting up interviews for an article on the topic of “helicopter water hydrants.” You got that right. These are big water tanks strategically placed where a helicopter with a snorkel can quickly fill up to fight a nearby fire. You can bet I’m learning a whole lot more about aerial firefighting – all the equipment, and what it costs!

Perhaps you’ve also noticed that I often produce Advisories in response to readers’ questions. The first Advisory about face masks, for example, came about when a reader asked about smoke after the fires in Northern California. And the Advisory on pepper spray and stun guns was prompted by a granddaughter. Invitation: if you have an emergency preparedness topic you’d like to see more about, please let me know. We might be able to work on it together.

Result? Over the years, taking an emergency preparedness lead becomes a way of life.

After getting the CERT training Joe and I added more classes of one sort or another nearly every year. We “improved” our collection of gear by researching and then buying better quality stuff. (I share a lot of that kind of research.) We follow our own advice to always have gas in the car and toilet paper in the cupboard – so when COVID resulted in an overnight shut-down, we sat back comfortably and didn’t have to go to the store for several weeks. (In fact, we traded some of that toilet paper for peanut butter, if I recall.)

So I think you could say that for me . . .

Sharing the “preparedness way of life” has become a mission!

(Now, I wouldn’t classify it as a passion. That’s a bit too wild and exciting. We’re more interested in a steady, common-sense approach!)

How do you measure the progress of a mission?

As already mentioned, we haven’t witnessed a massive improvement in preparedness in the country or in our community. Our surveys reveal our community to be a bit better than average, but since the community keeps changing . . .! But I do look for signs of progress like these:

• A continued stream of well-attended community meetings featuring preparedness experts. (Remember the “digital fire extinguisher” meeting I described last year? A perfect example of getting neighbors engaged and involved!) Of course, those meetings have stopped for now. We’re having to promote preparedness via online meetings these days!
• Steady activity at Amazon where our little books and our recommended products keep selling. In the marketing world, a favorite saying is “Nothing happens until somebody buys something.” Activity at Amazon means something is happening!
• Emails from readers wanting sample worksheets or a chance to discuss the outreach they are doing in their own community. These personal interactions are the highlight of my work.

So while the progress toward more preparedness isn’t dramatic, it does feel as though our work is leaving the world a little better than when we found it. That feeling alone is enough to keep us motivated!

What’s your reason for promoting preparedness?

Now, I have taken a whole page to describe our Emergency Plan Guide “mission.” Traditionally, a business’s “mission statement” is just one or two sentences about goals and purpose! I’m not sure I could condense everything to something that short without a lot more effort! (You’ll remember what Mark Twain said about not having time to write a short letter . . .)

Long or short, what would your “mission statement” answer be if someone asks you about why YOU keep promoting emergency preparedness? Let us know in the comments!

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

P.S. The why question isn’t an idle one. The more we know about why, the easier it is to identify people who share that why — and the results you can get by working together will be magnified!