Family Preparedness

Years before I began writing Domestic Commando, I co-authored a book with my sister-in-law, Sharon Maddux Carpenter, about hurricane preparedness for families. As Domestic Commandos living in the hurricane belt, we believed that the role of contingency planner (professionals who try to plan for emergencies on behalf of communities and businesses) was one of the most important hats we wore for our families. The Hurricane Handbook was the result.

Shortly after that book was published, Sharon and I spent the beginning of several hurricane seasons doing demonstrations for the local television stations and family emergency preparedness workshops to help people take control of their circumstances as much as possible. We especially enjoyed doing workshops at the local naval base.

So many of the young wives were from parts of the country that didn’t have to deal with hurricanes. The navy generally sends the ships to sea, out of harm’s way. So the young wives were left to manage on their own. With a hubby who traveled a lot (he was on the road 312 days one year), I could truly relate to the experience of having to do things on my own. So sharing our information with the navy wives was a very rewarding … and frankly fun … part of our mission.

Eventually, Sharon and I joined the local chapter of the Association of Contingency Planners. This was a wonderful group of dedicated people who generously accepted us into the fold. I even served as the Chapter secretary for two years.

So it wasn’t at all surprising that when I wrote Domestic Commando I was eager to include a chapter on what I call Ready Packs. This is the hands-on part of being a family contingency planner. I include illustrative lists of the packs or kits that our family has always had on hand.

In an emergency, it’s just so much easier, and even comforting, to go to one spot and put your hands on just what you need. Whether you’re faced with a simple power outage or a major event like a hurricane, earthquake, tornado or flood, just knowing your pack is assembled - and where it is stored -  is golden.

Last year, with Hurricane Irene marching up the coast, I spent a fair amount of time doing interviews to discuss family emergency preparedness. My packs are always ready and were up-to-date so I could comfortably take the time to do this knowing my family was taken care of.

What I found very interesting was that many of the interviews I did were requested by media outlets not just on the East Coast but included stations from the Midwest all the way to L.A. I sincerely feel that most people don’t want to feel helpless.

What I try to emphasize is that every family can assemble the items they need to make it through an emergency or a disaster. With some foresight, these preparations also can make it a little easier to come through the critical and difficult recovery period more effectively and with less frustration.

Most people really don’t want to think about anything bad happening.

• Floods 
• Earthquakes 
• Tornadoes 
• Hurricanes 
• Fires 
• Blizzards 
• Gas Leaks 
• Chemical Spills

Unfortunately, bad things can and do happen. Thinking about it can be scary, but doing something about it is empowering!

So here is my quickie course in family emergency preparedness. As you read through it, you’ll see it really isn’t hard, it makes so much sense, and will actually make your life easier. I can tell you from experience that these preparations are easier to do than you think, and the peace of mind it provides is welcome comfort to every Domestic Commando.

I hope you will begin to assemble these basics for your family and that you add to your packs as you refine your family’s specific needs. Encourage friends and family to do the same. 

As you conquer the basics, you can begin to customize your packs. You’ll find more information in Domestic Commando and my up-coming book “What If? Emergency Preparedness for Every Family.”

Documents Ready Pack - The Most Important Pack

What if you had to evacuate your home for a hurricane, wildfire or even a gas leak? How would you prove you had the right to return to check on your home after the event? How would you prove to your insurance company that you are who you say you are and that you have coverage with them? These are not hypothetical questions. This is the reality of life after a disaster or other emergency event.

For these reasons, the most important pack you can have for the recovery period after a disaster is your Documents Pack. I think of it as my life on paper. Following is a starter list of documents as noted in the Ready Packs chapter in Domestic Commando. There are more suggestions there, but no one knows your family’s situation better than you do. If you think of something else that you might need, add it to your Documents Ready Pack.

You should store the originals somewhere protected, like a safe deposit box. Keep paper copies and digital scans in a secure spot at home. Both you and your spouse should know where you keep this so either of you can easily find it in an emergency. Following are the absolute basics of your Documents Pack:

• Insurance policies 
• Deed or lease
• Marriage license 
• Vehicle titles 
• Backup computer files

The Emergency Ready Pack

My Emergency Pack is ready to go year round. It’s useful not only for hurricane season, but it’s helpful even in a simple power outage. Think earthquakes, tornadoes, floods and the fact that these really can happen to anyone anytime. Knowing you have an Emergency Ready Pack becomes a great source of comfort.

Best of all, you probably already have many of these items. They’re probably just scattered and stashed all around your home and garage. Collect what you can, put it in a bin, and keep it with you for use during and after the storm. Start with these items and you can add to the list over time.  

• flashlights (at least one for each member of the family, all using the same battery size) 
• spare batteries 
• battery-operated/rechargeable radio 
• work gloves 
• safety goggles 
• manual can opener

Evacuation Ready Pack

What if there was a knock at your door and emergency management personnel tell you that a fire, flood, chemical spill or some other event means you and your family must evacuate your home in the next ten minutes? What would you take with you? What should you have with you?

Because this could happen to any of us, and it does happen to someone almost every day, it pays to give it a little thought. To get you started, here’s a representative list of things you will want to have at the ready for a quick exit and a, hopefully, short stay in a shelter or with family.  

• Documents Pack 
• prescription medications in their original bottles 
• spare glasses/contact lenses
• camping gear for comfort items 
• snack items

If your children are old enough, tell them the family is going to make an adventure of the situation. Have them pack their own backpacks with activities and favorite items as though they would be on a deserted island for a few days. Be especially mindful of items your child needs to feel comforted or to sleep.

If you think about it, you already have many of these items around your home. The key is to gather them together so that you don’t waste precious time looking and gathering at the last minute.