EMERGENCY ACTION PLANNING > Blog > Getting Started > Check List Follow-Up
Check List Follow-Up
Hello, happy Saturday.
We will follow on with the last post regarding checklists.
You can also listen to this related Podcast here:
In the last post and the accompanying podcast, I mentioned the American Red Cross emergency planning checklist.
Let’s get started.
If you haven’t already downloaded the checklist you can do so from here: ARC EmergencyPreparednessChecklist
And print it out. Yes, print it out.
This where we get started on that conversation.
Look at the bottom left-hand corner of page one, you can see where it says CREATE AN EMERGENCY PLAN.
1. You will notice that the paragraph says “Meet with household members to discuss the dangers of fire, severe weather, earthquakes, and other emergencies. Explain how to respond to each.”
This paragraph is asking us an awful lot at the moment, and we will come back to it later because it will need to be addressed.
You probably know
One of the major preventable disasters is a house fire.
We’re going to introduce the concepts of emergency planning with one simple task that you and your children can do to get started and on the same page.
It is immediate, it is actionable, and everybody should be able to understand it without any resistance.
Teach your children to evacuate the house in case there’s a fire.
In the center column of the checklist, second from the top. This is where you get your children involved. I’m sure one of them is a budding little artist.
2. Draw a floor plan of your home. Mark two escape routes from each room. And all possible escape routes from the house. Yes, windows are possible escape routes. Do you have more than one floor? Draw a plan for every floor.
3. Pick an Emergency Meeting Place outside of the house in case there is a Fire.
It should be adjacent to the property and on the same side of the street.
It can be a tree. The mailbox. The end of the driveway. A next-door neighbor.
Be consistent, do not have more than on immediate meeting place.
A word of warning. Do not pick an emergency meeting place across a street. The risk of an additional danger is too great.
Pages two, three and four of the checklist has additional information for your fire safety plans.
Practice your escape plan as soon as the basic outline is completed. Something may need to change. You may not know it till its too late, and now will be the time to figure it out.
Do not put it off till later.
I hope none of you ever need to use this plan. Make it anyway.
I do know what it is like to lose everything in a house fire.
Till next time
“Be Safe”
Another Five Day Be The Hero Challenge will be launching in mid-July.
Questions?
Email me at daniel@emergencyactionplanning.com