10/23/2019

Planning for a Home Emergency

A year ago, we shared a blog post on Gray’s advancement to Boy Scouts and the requirements they have on fire safety. Here we are a year later, and once again it’s Fire Prevention Month. Gray has been a Boy Scout for over a year and is now trying to advance from Second Class to First Class. One of the requirements of advancement, as a part of his overall first aid plan, is to develop an emergency action plan for home that includes having a first aid kit, creating an emergency supply kit, developing a map showing two escape routes from each bedroom, and holding a fire drill once a year.

As a busy mom, I can’t tell you how thankful I am that this group visits this topic regularly. When he was much younger, I was laser-focused on his safety; we regularly discussed things like stranger danger and home fires. Now that he’s older, the list of topics has expanded to include grooming, homework, bullies, relationships, food choices, life choices, exercise, time management, electronics management, work ethic, and on and on. With all of that, something is going to slip through the cracks.

One of the things I’ve found with Gray is that if we come up with the plan and share it with him, he’s only half interested; but, when he’s responsible for the solution and presenting it, he’s way more engaged. Below is an outline of how you can get your home prepared for an emergency.

Items for your emergency kit:

• First aid kit – variety of bandages, gauze pads, and adhesive tape; small bar of soap; small bottle of hand sanitizer; antibiotic ointment; hydrocortisone cream; scissors; disposable gloves; CPR breathing barrier; pencil and paper.
• Preparedness kit – flashlight and batteries; battery or crank powered radio; and three days-worth of drinking water and nonperishable food for each person in your family.

Steps for coming up with a home escape plan:

1. Draw a map of your home.
2. Show two ways to escape from each room.
3. Designate a meeting place outside of your home, far enough away so that no one is in danger but still within walking distance, where everyone knows to go in case of an emergency.
4. Hold a fire drill once a year.

The last step of holding a drill once a year is so important; it can be on paper, but if no one knows how to execute the plan, then there will be mayhem if an event does occur.

If you have questions or concerns, feel free to stop by one of our locations. We are here to help.