Recently, I had the experience of working on a Ward Emergency Response Plan. Pres. DeVries asked all wards in the stake to complete one. It is basically an outline of what the local church leadership will do in the event of an emergency. The one big thing I learned from this experience is the church leadership’s response plan and a family response plan ARE NOT the same! Each family has to have their own response plan to allow for the individual needs of their own family. You may not have thought about this but I want to encourage you to think about the “What If” situations.
What if? we lost power for 3 or more days? we had tornadoes come through the area? an ice storm or blizzard leaves us snowed in? there was a fire in our home? How are your kids going to respond? What if there is a bomb threat at one of the schools and the other schools are evacuated? Where is everyone going to meet? How are they going to check in?
Just as the bishop has an emergency response plan, we have a family response plan. Remember the tornadoes that came through this past summer? We don’t have TV with broadcast networks so my mom (she lives one county to the west of us) usually texts me that there is a tornado warning. Once we get that information I initiate the family action plan. School stops. It takes about a half hour to do.
Our plan includes:
-filling 5 gallon buckets with water in each bathroom (for flushing)
-doing every single dirty dish and scrap of laundry (cause being without power means no dishwasher or washer/dryer and being without clean undies is uncomfortable)(there are always dishes and laundry to do here)
-the house is picked up (tripping over stuff in the dark=sprained ankles)
-flashlight batteries are checked and flashlights are placed strategically
-generator is started
-supply of gas for generator is checked and gas cans are filled if needed
After I run through this list, I relax. I can relax because my kids know about the evacuation plan that if we have to get out of the house we meet at the boulder at the end of the driveway. I can relax because they know they have a buddy to care for in case something happens (each big kid has a little kid). I can relax because I have enough food to feed us. I can relax because I have methods to heat food. I can relax because we have enough blankets if we lost our furnace we would be warm enough. I can relax because we have enough non-electric entertainment that we can sit around and have fun! I can relax because if something happened to our neighbors I could help care for them.
Think about your family emergency response plan. What is it?
The bishop asked I find family home evening ideas related to this topic. Below are links to others ideas and plans for family home evening on the topic.
Preparing Children for Emergencies
Mock Disaster Family Home Evening
Emergency Supplies
Protecting your home against fire
Coping with a Blackout
The Oil of Preparedness
Making a survival kit
How to turn off the gas to your home
How to turn off electricity to your home
How to turn off water to your home
