Random Tips for a Prepared Mindset

[Aikko]

Here is where I intend to share just general tips and tricks about how to approach planning for emergencies. It’ll have a mix of high level “prepper” things to consider, like long term planning and contingencies, as well as obvious but often overlooked things like “stop and breathe”. 
 

GENERAL PREPARATION ACTIONS: 

In areas that are prone to flooding, it is beneficial to keep important appliances or anything susceptible to water damage at least 6 inches off the floor. Most building codes specify this already for basement appliances, but people don’t often think that a flood will happen to them, even if they live in a flood zone. When getting new furniture for the basement or bottom floor of your home in a flood zone, think about potential impacts if your house is flooded. This is just more of a general mindset that you should be in when choosing furniture or household appliances. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail, so it is always better to prepare on what is called a “blue sky” day. When there are no urgencies or emergencies that necessitate quick and rash decisions. 

Come up with a family and/or individual emergency evacuation plan. And then TEST that plan! You do NOT want to find out that your plan is total garbage when you’re actually activating it for the first time DURING an emergency.
 

Many people don’t plan because they think they’ll know exactly what to do if they suddenly find themselves in the midst of an emergency. But picture this: you’ve stepped away from your gas stove for a second to wash your hands in the sink. It’s 3 feet to your left and you’ve done this a thousand times. Except today, you’re making sausage, and your dog decides he really wants some. He’s now jumped up on the stove, shoved the potholder that was on the counter into the burner, it’s caught fire and has now fallen on your tea towels on the front of the stove and those are falling on your kitchen rug, lighting that, as well. So, now in the span of 30 seconds, you have 3 literal fires, in 3 different places, and I guarantee you- your first thought is PANIC, I need to put these fires out!

In my experience, this has been validated by my own compilation of responses to the following question that I ask students whenever I conduct a preparedness seminar: You’re driving down the highway at 75 mph, and you see the line of cars in front of you are braking- what is the very first thing you do? In the past 6 courses I’ve taught, 1 person had the right answer. I’ve heard “hit the brakes”, “switch lanes”, “throw on your hazards and move over”, “slow down”, “don’t drive so fast to begin with”. WRONG. 

Preparing for the inevitability of chaos can help you feel immensely calmer during the initial stages of an incident, regardless of whatever it is. The answer to the above questions SHOULD be:

“TURN OFF THE GAS STOVE” “TAKE YOUR FOOT OFF THE GAS” 

An open flame with a continuously burning fuel source is infinitely more dangerous than several, small fires within the kitchen itself.  A car will not continue to accelerate at a high rate of speed when your foot is off the gas; it immediately stops the deliberate forward momentum of the car and you’re NOW free to stomp the break, assess whether you should steer into another lane, or make some other maneuver to recover. You cannot keep the gas stove burning and expect there to not be another fire. You can’t keep accelerating and expect there to not be an accident.