My concerns for safety and security in the Kearny area.
No matter what plans you make; changes in your family, living conditions, and location means you need to re-evaluate your plan. What you store, how you store it, and where you store it depends on your plan, your living conditions, and financial security.

06 February 2009

Should I stay or should I go? Going.

Fleeing the Scene:*

If you live where natural disasters like flooding or wildfire is a regular threat, you should be prepared to move your family to a safer location. This safer location can be a friend or neighbor's house, a family member's home, a hotel or motel, or a church building.

Leaving your home does not always mean leaving your community. Plan for various scenarios including moving to higher ground, moving to a safe area within your community, moving to your family to a nearby community, or relocating to a distant community. Before moving your family, be sure that you can legally move to a safe area, some areas may be off limits to civilians during an emergency.

Each plan should include a list of:
1) Who is going.
2) Where they are going.
3) What you are taking with you.
4) How you are getting there (Vehicle & Route.)

Each plan should be brief and concise. Spell out in plain language what each family member is responsible for. An unclean plan is worse than no plan. Don't use your sister's cousin's roommate's plan. Your plan should be based on the needs and resources of your family.

Once you have your plan you should:

A) Share it with others.
  1. All children in the family should know where to go in case of emergency. Will you pick them up from school or work, do they come home, or do they go to a specified rally point? Be sure everyone knows where they are supposed to go.
  2. Notify family members or friends if your plan involves staying at their house. Going to stay at your mother-in-laws place during a flood? Make sure she knows this so you don't show up to find her gone because she fled the scene.
  3. If your plans change, let those involved know about the changes. Nothing makes people worry when you don't show up because you changed your plan and went somewhere else.
B) Be sure of your destination before you leave. Again, if you show up at a house where they have been evacuated you will not be a happy camper.

C) Make sure you can get there. Since road and traffic conditions can change quickly.


D) Have at least one alternate route to your desired destination.


E) Be prepared to stay. Even if you are invited to leave, circumstances may arise that make your destination undesirable.

  • The natural disaster that affects you is also affecting your destination.
  • Your destination is being affected by a different disaster, caused in part by your disaster. Refugees can be a disaster for an unprepared area.(think Murder-Dome during Katrina.)
Remember that as your family changes, so do your needs. Update your plan at least yearly.

*This is not an official Gov't term...

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