Prepping Baby Steps + Customizable Plan

Friends, I can’t believe it’s been so long! My summer just flew by—did yours? Well, the Preparedness Baby Steps are coming back every week, so let’s get back into the swing of things, shall we? This weekend let’s get some of the very basic Preparedness Baby Steps checked off our lists: 1. Make an emergency and evacuation plan. A good emergency plan will cover all potential scenarios, like a flood, fire, earthquake, or other potential emergencies in your region. Be sure to include the following items in your emergency plan:

• How each person will get out of the house, if needed
• Where to meet if you must leave the house
• Contact information for reaching the designated out-of-area contact person

Click here to download or print a free example fire escape plan and a customizable emergency & evacuation plan. 2. Have an emergency plan drill. Whether you’re creating your plan for the first time or you’ve had one for a while, have an emergency drill with your housemates or family this weekend. It should only take a few minutes. We suggest a three-part practice:

1. A quick review of the plan early in the weekend, along with designating a “drill signal” so everyone knows when the drill begins
2. Practice the plan at an unexpected time when everyone is home Review the plan, then make changes and updates based on everyone’s experience and feedback

3. Learn how to use a new piece of survival gear. Is there a piece of survival or emergency preparedness gear you bought but don’t really know how to use? Or something you WANT to buy and learn how to use? Take care of that this weekend. Me? I’m buying the Auto Emergency Kit Combo that includes an Auto Buddy™ today, and I’m going to approach a local junkyard about going in and practicing using the window spike to break car windows (stress reliever and preparedness practice in one—bonus!). Then I’ll have an idea of how much muscle I need to break a window if I’m ever stuck in my car or it gets submerged in water. Come back here after the weekend and let me know how it went! --Urban Girl