Page 8 - 2020 November Newsletter

8

With the recent fires and natural disasters that have hit our world. It is more important than ever to be
prepared to evacuate at a moments notice. This New York Times article drives home the point that a solid
evacuation plan is pulling together all the gear you need, before you need it.

Pack a ‘Go Bag’ Now
Even if your home is far from the wildfires on the West Coast or the hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean,
there may be other disasters that require you to leave with just a moment’s notice.
Preparation is key, and the first step toward having a solid evacuation plan is packing a “go-bag” — a car-
ryall filled with all the gear you need to get through a few days at an emergency shelter or another loca-
tion.

“Having a plan and having a kit that’s ready to go can really help calm people down,” said Eric Alberts,
the emergency preparedness manager at Orlando Health, a Florida health care system.
But how you pack — just as how you plan — is very different this year. Here’s a list of what experts say
you should have in your go-bag, and other important things to consider, especially during a pandemic .

To begin, have a plan.
What goes into your family’s bag or bags — more on that in a bit — will depend on your evacuation plan.

Determine whether you’ll go to a shelter, a hotel or to stay with family members. Also, figure out your
emergency contacts, as well as a place where you can rendezvous if phone lines are down.

Consider writing up these plans and sticking them in everyone’s bags.
“The more you plan and the more you prepare for an emergency, the more mental space you have to deal
with the things you need to improvise when the emergency hits,” said Tricia Wachtendorf, director of the
Disaster Research Center at the University of Delaware.

Pack everyone their own bag.
If you get separated, you’ll want to know that your kid’s medicine is with your kid, not jammed in the bot-
tom of your bag. Set aside a bag for each member of your family, but keep them all in one place.

Know you could be gone for a while.
Elizabeth Kellar, the director of public policy for the International City/County Management Association,
helps cities and regions prepare for emergencies. Her experience in Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hur-
ricane Maria made it very apparent that one should plan for days — even a week — away from home, not
just a few hours.
Break your packing into categories.

Clothing should include at least one change of clothes, enough underwear for a week, and something
warm and something waterproof — even if it’s just a trash bag you can turn into a poncho.

Sandra Rogers

Emergency Preparedness Committee,
Chairperson