20220124 Word of the Week Evacuation

Author: danielkilburn 2022-01-24 1 Comment

Word of the Week Evacuation

During a natural disaster or emergency, one of three things will happen.

Number one, you will be able to shelter in your home, ride out the event until its conclusion, and then come out to determine damages and recovery needs.

Number two, you will need to evacuate immediately because your home is not safe due to the nature of the emergency or disaster.

Number three, you will be sheltering at home and find that your home is no longer safe, and you must evacuate immediately.

Preparing an Evacuation Plan

There are two types of Evacuation:

Evacuation from your house.

An evacuation plan for your home is appropriate for disasters, fires, or other incidents in your home.

And Evacuation from your community.

An evacuation plan from your community is appropriate for major natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, and wildfires.

Important points to remember when creating an evacuation plan for your home are:

1. You should have at least two (2) escape routes from each room.
2. You should mark any escape ladders locations or other special equipment.
3. Identify the locations of fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, first aid kits, disaster “Bug-Out-Bags.”
4. Know how to shut off gas, water, and electricity.
5. For people with medical conditions or disabilities, mark their location and the location of any special equipment they will immediately need.

Important points to remember when creating an evacuation from your community are:

1. You should know all of the routes out of your community.
2. Have a preplanned primary, secondary, and alternate route out of your community
3. Know where you are going.
4. Contact your out-of-town contact and let them know what your plan of action is.

Evacuation Inventory

If you have to evacuate your house, you may have as little as two (2) minutes. Trying to think of what to save is very difficult. Take time now to think about what items you need to take with you. Then, make a list of the must-have things you would take if you only had two (2) minutes to evacuate your house. Remember, you may have to carry everything.

Have physical maps on hand:

Community evacuation centers.

Routes for leaving the city in North, South, East, and West directions.

Meetup spots outside the affected areas.

For example, I live approximately 50 miles south of a nuclear power plant. If there is an accident or an attack and the wind is blowing in a Southerly direction, we plan to head east and meet up in a town approximately 60 miles east of my home.

 Choosing An Out-of-Area Contact:

• During an emergency, local phone service may be limited. Arrange with someone outside your area to be your family contact.
• Ensure that every family member knows that they should listen to the radio or TV for telephone use instructions, then phone your out-of-area contact person to say how and where they are and what their plans are.
• This is part of your communications plan.

Choosing A Place to Meet:

• At the time of an emergency, your family may not be together. It is important to choose family meeting places. Your Rally Points.
• Remember that bridges may be out and roads may can be blocked by debris, so choose your meeting places carefully with access in mind.
• Pick places that are easy to identify, that can be reached on foot if necessary, and that is in an accessible, open area.
• Take into account where each of you will likely be at different times and on different days.

Plotting Routes

 The evacuation plan for your neighborhood can be handy in a large disaster. By plotting out potential routes on a city map before the disaster, you will save yourself from having to figure something out while in a hurry. Things to think about when crafting your neighborhood evacuation plan include:

1. Plan two (2) routes for each direction. (North, South, East, West.)
2. Avoid routes with obvious hazards or routes which are likely to be impassible in a disaster. (You probably will want to drive the routes before deciding.) And avoid common routes that may be congested during an emergency.
3. Establish plans with other family members for meeting up outside of the evacuated area. Make sure each member knows the location of the established meeting points.
4. Have a phone list of 3 contacts, outside of your area. Each family member should carry a personal copy of this list.

In an emergency, communications may be down in your area. Family members can contact the persons out of the emergency area to pass along messages and to check on the welfare of other family members.

Be sure that each family member has a copy of the evacuation plan, maps and telephone numbers. You should also allow for an evacuation scenario while at work.

As with any plan, you must practice it. Use the opportunity to grow closer to your family loved ones. Please take the opportunity to instill leadership, communications, and a legacy your children can take with them long after you are gone. For more information.

https://www.ready.gov/evacuation

https://www.emergencyactionplanning.com/2018/05/28/week-nine-emergency-evacuation/

https://www.emergencyactionplanning.com/2016/03/14/evacuate/

Keep your evacuation plans in a safe location with your “Go Pack”.

Till next time

“Be Safe”

Take action now. Sign up for the Don’t Burn Your House Down online course for detailed information on evacuating your house.