This is the eighth and final article in a series of articles SNO has been doing called “Wildfire Wednesday.” “The 12 Step Guide to Help Plan in Advance for Evacuation.” This guide was put together by Katie Hepler and the members of the California Fire Support Group on Facebook. The California Fire Support Group is “intended to allow collaboration between those who have been through the fire and recovery process, and those who want to be prepared or are currently experiencing a fire.” Katie Hepler got involved in wildfire relief and recovery in 2015 when the Butte Fire devastated the community of Mountain Ranch and Calaveras County.
MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES — Wildfire season is just around the corner and being prepared is vital for keeping your family and community safe. Following are Steps 9 and 10 from “The 12 Step Guide to Help Plan in Advance for Evacuation.” This guide was put together by those who have experienced evacuations firsthand. The guide is set up in a way that encourages you to do the work now, ahead of time, so that if and when you need to evacuate, you will be able to do so quickly and safely.
STEP 11
Practice
It may sound silly, but practice really does make perfect. Collect your family and practice an evacuation drill a few times a year. Try it at different times, light and dark, mid-day and middle of the night, everyone home, only some people home… you get the idea. Practice with your pets as well. Depending on your type of pet, this may look very different. It is wise to make sure they are as comfortable as they can be with their evacuation quarters. Try to get them used to whatever their carrier or containment is, and being in and around it. This is a helpful practice so the process will go smooth in the event of a real emergency.
STEP 12
Revisit and Revise
Make sure to set aside time to do some form of this process yearly. Take the time to update the appropriate items. Remember, something is better than nothing, but up to date is better than something!
Take the time to add and modify to the plan as your needs change. You may also have things you need to plan for that were not addressed here, be sure to add those to your plan! These may include loved ones who need assistance, neighbors, or something like an RV to prep and fill, etc.
This advance planning in theory should help set you up for: Prep. Emergency. Grab your planning binder. Do what it says. GO!
*Although there are Amazon links throughout. I do not sponsor or endorse these items. I have simply done a search and tried to add some easy links for you to get ideas. I do not make any profit from these links or possible sales. The pricing, options etc on the items may change. I located what appeared to be reasonable options at the date of writing.
If you would like a PDF copy of this plan it can be accessed via Google Drive here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1QJV3hd7euVhjXlGbpxYkCGP14TH8auV_?usp=sharing
If you haven’t already, please join us at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/CAFSG
12 Step Guide To Help Plan for an Evacuation
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