Being prepared for emergencies is a favorite topic of mine. I can always find ways to be more prepared or imagine things that might happen. So, does that mean I spend my time thinking about the worst-case scenario? No, but it does require a little effort. So, when does it become a priority, or where does emergency preparedness get put in our risk level of things? Or, does it happen to other people and not me?
I’m sure I can try to rationalize how others may be affected by some things more than I would. However, a fire, for example, can happen to anyone. Think about what you would do if you were told you need to get out of your house in 10 minutes and you need at least a 3-day supply of… stuff. My mind is racing trying to prioritize “stuff”. I thought about clothes this week. Instead of giving all my old clothes away that maybe still fit, I could save a few things back and stick them in a duffle bag. I could do that for everyone in my house. Searching through drawers at the last minute for clothes is a waste of precious time and I could have this already done. It’s simple but think about that next time you are cleaning out your closet. Normalizing preparedness into our daily lives works. It makes me think of things that might be useful and maybe reused for emergency purposes. If you have 10 minutes, what would be most important to you, your family, and your pets when every second counts? More importantly, how and what would you prioritize? Clothes are not more important than medication, food, or water but, that’s why it could be worth the time to have that part done. Next time I have a bag of clothes to give away, I will go through it with emergency preparedness in mind. Hope you do, too. If you have some good ideas on recycling items for emergency purposes, share them with me @ patricia.mechler@medinatx.org. I especially love to hear how we can prepare our pets for quick exits. My dog is now 120 lbs. and 15 months old. I can’t lift him in my Jeep anymore so I need a pet plan for DJ. How do I get a big dog to safety and fast? This will be my next challenge.