For example, the first month is January, and the topic is "Make A Plan". That makes sense, of course, that we would strive to make a plan first. So, taking the knowledge we gain from reading online works, books, and other reference, we might have blog entries for the following:
- Establish threats and priorities for our area
- loss of job
- extreme weather
- home invasion
- home fire
- pandemic outbreak
- emp
- Make basic emergency plan (Shelter in place as well as evacuation)
- Make a plan specifically for each threat
- Create "Go Bags" for each member of the family
- Create "Emergency Car Kits" for each vehicle
- Train each member what's in the go bag and how to use it
- Learn different ways to start fires
- Volunteer at a homeless shelter - maybe not really related to making a plan, but we've always wanted to do this, and it might help us all understand what COULD happen to families who never got a chance to prepare.
These are just some ideas we have from a little family meeting. But there could of course be many more. The goal is to involve all members of the family. And most important, as we learn, we look forward to teaching from our experience. With each new adventure we look forward to uploading new information throughout the month and sharing with our friends and family.
Just for general information, here is a list of the topics directly from the "Do 1 Thing" website.
- Make a Plan
- Water
- Sheltering
- Food
- Work School and Community
- Unique Family Needs
- Family Communication Plan
- Get Involved
- Be Informed
- Power
- Emergency Supplies
- First Aid
Obviously, within each general topic, there can be many subtopics, as seen above. We hope that planning each month will really build some great knowledge and help us to grow - as a family, as preparedness-minded individuals.
A word from the woman of the house...
A few years ago, the local Baltimore news station ran a piece on emergency preparedness. In that piece the local FEMA director said that every family should be able to evacuate their house with needed supplies within 15 minutes... 15 MINUTES!! Just grabbing our new cat and trying to get her in the cat carrier can easily take 10 minutes! 15 minutes can only be done with preparation. We happened to live in an area at that time that had only one street for evacuation. So getting out quick,with everything needed, before the crazy neighbors blocked up the street, was the priority.
In general, the Mid-Atlantic area would be very hard to evacuate from quickly. Knowing routes and friends and family with resources would be paramount in such situations. So that challenge from FEMA, years ago, has haunted me ever since.
This year, the police had to barricade part of our neighborhood to investigate an incident. Many elementary age school kids were taken back to the school and held there until parents could be reached. This made me wonder how many parents and children were full of fear that day - because of lack of preparation. Our neighborhood situation turned out fine in the end. But we all have heard of tragedies where things did not end well. We have been blessed! And I hope we all continue to be blessed. However, when things do go awry, I want my family to have courage and assurance that comes from preparation. Not crazy prepper stuff... rather simple plans and simple supplies with clear directions being carried out thoughtfully.
We hope you also enjoy hearing about our adventures. Please don't hesitate to comment, and maybe share your own experiences.
The Marshall Clan
Way to go you guys
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