Some things I find myself thinking about.
I’m glad we have bug-out bags. It was easy to grab them, throw my computer in one, and head out the door knowing we had all the important papers and data we would need if we had to start over. I was surprised at how many people left without a purse or phone or anything.
It’s good to have a plan. We know where our fire extinguisher is and how to use it. We know where our stairs are and where they exit the building. We know to test the apartment door for heat before opening it and, if it is hot, to go to plan #2. Plan #2 is to head out onto the balcony. With wet blankets if we think we have time to get them. There is a water hydrant below the master bedroom window so we are confident we would be found quickly if there was a big fire even though we would be on the back side of the building. We live on the top floor but we chose a building that is only three stores high so the fire rescue ladders would reach us. We have a good fire department that wins awards so we trust them to serve us well. We are as prepared as it is possible to be.
The thing I worried most about was the car. We park in the underground garage. It did not feel like a good idea to go down there to retrieve it since we didn’t know where the fire was and we were not sure the automatic garage door opener would work; it’s one of the old gas station cable type things you drive across and the door opens.
While I like having new things, I would not like having to buy absolutely everything all over again. Most of our things are relatively new anyway since we bought all our furniture less than a year ago and I’ve had to buy new clothes as I lose weight.
I’m glad my new van will not fit in the garage. In the future we will have an escape vehicle with the basic necessities of life on board if we should need it.
How prepared are you?
TTYL,
Linda
good grief!
i have been so busy and having fun with this new blog venture that i hadn’t stopped by.
then to read the name of this post… for a second my stomach punched me!
i think escaping or living through a fire would be the scariest thing of all. even worse than
flood. and that would be awful. but fire.
i have a black file box with absolutely every iimportant piece of paper pertaining to anything in it.
it has a handle and is easy to carry. but that’s my only preparation.
so thanks for the wakeup call. and here i live in tornado country. you’d think i’d already be prepared.
i hate underground garages. they make me claustrophobic or something.
so glad it wasn’t worse.
lordy. and now i’m writing another book. aaaggghhh. say good night charlie brown.
My computer is usually by the door and it would be the first thing I would grab. Beyond that we haven’t thought as much as we should. I do know where escape routes are and what windows to crawl out of.
When traveling on an airplane I know exactly where the exits are. I also know how to open them.
I have to admit – I am not prepared at all. I know how to get out of the house and I would fight the fires of Hell to make sure my dog came out with me….other things would probably be lost. This definately has gotten me thinking about a plan of action just in case.
That bug out bag is a good idea. I’m afraid I’ve been remiss in preparing for such an emergency. 🙁