How To Plan Your Escape Route When Disaster Strikes

Some emergencies (e.g., a fire or gas leak) may require a quick exit from your home, either all together or individually. Other types of emergencies may require you to get your family out of your community or city as fast as safely possible. You need a “master plan� for each type of situation and you also need an alternate plan for each.

Evacuating the Home

In the event of a fire or some other threat that requires your family to leave the house immediately, there may not be much time to figure out the safest way out of the house.

Have a master plan and an alternate plan and stress to all your family members that vanity and modesty are unacceptable during emergencies -- everyone needs to get out as fast and as safe as possible.

Make sure that everyone is aware of all possible exits and how to use them. Always feel a door before opening it, if its hot go through another door or out the window.

Almost every room has at least one window for a quick exit.

Each second floor room needs to be equipped with some type of emergency ladder to allow a safe window exit. The emergency ladders need to be stored right at the window and everyone should learn how to use them.

Stairways should always be kept clear to avoid unnecessary accidents while leaving the house in the dark. (To avoid that dark you might consider battery-powered, emergency lighting.)

If there is a lot of smoke, crawl -- there is more air near the floor.

Once everyone gets outside they need to stay outside -- no reentering the house.

Call for the fire department from a neighbor's house.

Your family should have a pre-arranged meeting place and also an alternate meeting place if (and only if) the main meeting place is unsafe or inaccessible.

Everyone should have some form of identification that they carry with them at all times -- if someone gets separated from the family the identification can assist emergency workers to get them reunited with the family.

Evacuating the City

Your evacuation plan for your family should include at least two possible escape routes (in nearly opposite directions) and each route should have a planned destination. Study a good map of your area and learn all the back roads and short-cuts. Take some practice runs and imagine that there are many other cars leaving the city at the same time -- ask yourself which route might be the best in that situation. Make sure you are aware of your city's or community's emergency alert system besides an audible siren or alarm there should be an emergency broadcast system set up (radio stations) and emergency telephone numbers.

Whatever you may think of “survivalists� and people with the “survivalist mentality� realize that these are the people who are most prepared for emergencies. If you have the opportunity to talk to one or more survivalists, do it and then make your own judgement about what they say to you; you may reject much of their rationale or philosophy but their strategy and tactics may hold some valuable lessons.

Your emergency evacuation supplies should be readily available, so you can pack up and be on the road within a couple hours of any “first notice� of an emergency situation.

Here's what you'll need (at a minimum) on your emergency supply list to get from where you are to where you're going in an emergency:

Maps (already marked-up) that show all your possible escape routes and destinations.

Emergency cash.

Hunting and/or self-defense equipment (whatever your capable of using)

First-aid kit.

An extra gallon (or two) of gas (you should never allow your gas tank to get less than 1/2-full).

Flashlights w/fresh batteries.

Emergency flares

Food that can be eaten out of the package or “e-z open� can (enough for three 'lean' days). All dietary requirements will NOT be met -- don't worry about it!

Juices and/or soft drinks.

Bottled water.

Blankets -- they provide warmth in the winter but can also provide shade in the summer. Thermal blankets are very thin, store in a very small place and provide excellent insulation.

Changes of clothes and diapers for infants.

Miscellaneous items: toilet paper, paper towels, spray disinfectant, books, paper, pens, extra toothbrushes.