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Your Family Evacuation Plan
YOUR FAMILY EVACUATION PLAN
Many families who think that they are prepared don’t have a viable evacuation plan which they have actually tested. It is dangerous to base all emergency planning upon sheltering in place at home. A hazmat release, house fire, hurricane storm surge, flood or terrorist attack could make it unsafe for you to stay where you are, are cause to take your family and leave.
Don’t be caught on the road among the multitude of “unprepared in denial.†Most people I know who actually have an evacuation plan are loathe to share it for OPSEC. Military families overseas make evacuation plans for various contingencies based upon known potential threats.
First, plan a safe, nearby, temporary family assembly point within walking distance.
Then identify a farther away refuge well away from the threat which triggered the need to evacuate in the first place. Your Plan Should Have:
Start Point
Trigger
Destination
Route
Travel Mode
Supplies
Start point is home – because that is where your “stuff†is.
Alternate starting point is probably work or school.
Discuss what “triggers†might be. Do your own threat analysis. Hazmat release, house fire, flood or imminent hurricane landfall are more likely than nuclear war or space alien invasion. Sit down and discuss with family what your likely triggers will be. If a trigger trips – GO NOW!
Don’t hesitate once the trigger is observed – LEAVE! When an emergency is evolving is NOT the time to discuss or try to GAIN CONSENSUS! Your life depends upon action, so Get moving! NOW!
Destination - is the key. If you don’t know clear destination there is no plan. Your destination must be viable. “Heading to the hills†will not work. A good location is a friend’s home which whom you have made prior arrangements. You home may be one of their destinations in the event of problem. Both families need to discuss this aspect and know what they are prepping for.
Alternate destination should be in a different geographical area. In the event of a hurricane, wide areas may be affected. If your nearby primary destination isn’t viable, you need somewhere else to go. Coordinate the alternate location same for the primary, and so on for your contingency and emergency destinations. PACE planning
Develop trustworthy relationships. The best destinations are people whom you know and trust, from long association. If the host destination is not expecting you, you have no plan, but a “wish.â€Â
Your route is based on your start point, conditions of your Trigger, where your Start Point is, and your Destination. The primary route assumes that you will get a head start before the unprepared masses leaving the city.
Start early, because your Plan is to have your nose to the wind sniffing for threats. Using interstate highways to quickly put distance between you and the threat is OK for a while, but only IF you can beat the crowds.
Alternate routes probably use lesser travelled roads. Avoid hordes of the unprepared in denial. Check out several routes. Identify decision points along each where you may either continue, or change to an alternative route. Suppose you initially plan to travel Route A. You see cars and brake lights clumping ahead. You must decide (now) to take the next exit, off the Interstate. Have you scouted parallel routes? What if the bridge is out? Scout decision points on your route beforehand.
Spend time on route selection. When you think you know your routes – drive them. Take notes. Designate the most viable as Primary, the next as Alternate etc.….. Get good map coverage of the area. Mark your routes on the map(s) using colored highlighters for the different routes, such as Green for Primary, Blue for Alternate, Yellow for Contingency and Red for Emergency, so that if you are injured, other family members carry on. Mark potential choke or decision points – and decide how to address them.
Primary mode of travel is the car you drive every day! It needs to be well maintained, fueled and viable to execute your plan. A smoking rust bucket that can’t make it across town without stopping at a junk yard will not do.
Alternate travel means may be your neighbor’s borrowed truck, a plane or train (if you left early)
Emergency travel will be on foot. Have sturdy shoes, a rucksack of essentials, light enough that you can actually carry it, water, rations, map, compass, and a staff to steady you.
Supplies, types and amounts depend on your mode of travel and destination. If going to Grandma’s ask her what to bring. It is a good idea to pre-position clothes, blankets, cleaning supplies and food at your primary destination ahead of time. Your car can carry a lot. You can’t carry much on your back for far. What you will do if you have to abandon your vehicle and walk?
Load plans. Practice your plan then decide how much to pack and where it goes. - draw a chart - this will greatly speed up the process of getting out of Dodge. Make sure you don't bury the jack underneath those fifty gallons of water cans...
73 de KE4SKY
In "Almost Heaven" West Virginia
USA
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