IN CASE OF FIRE... WHAT TO GRAB

Many of you know of the fires last week that threatened the homes of residences in the Montecito and Crystal Ranch subdivisions of Concord, California.  The seriousness of the situation struck me when I texted a friend who lives in that area to make sure she was aware of the fires and she responded back to me,

"Evacuating Now."  

Once we knew the homes would be safe from danger we were able to laugh about what items some of their family members chose to grab.  Although it made us all consider what are the really important items, that if we only had a moments notice, what would be the most beneficial to have saved in the case of total loss of property.  Since we are in the midst of the fire season here in California, what better time to prepare than NOW.

I've constructed a list of what to grab in case of a fire.  If you are home and are aware of the impending danger than you will have time to grab these very important items, however if you are not home and have only moments to grab just the essentials you may want to keep them in a safe, or keep copies of important documents not on your property at all but keep copies at a trusted friends home or at your place of business. The same may go for important work items as well, you may want to store copies at your home in case of loss of property at your place of business.

HERE is the link to the pdf form of this as well.

WHAT TO GRAB IN CASE OF FIRE

1. PETS
Be sure to grab either crates and leashes depending on your animal you are trying to secure.  If you have time, grab food for your animal as well.

2. PROOF OF IDENTITY
Such as Driver's License, Passports, Social Security Cards, Birth Certificates, Marriage License.

3. MONEY 
Items such as Cash and Credit Cards, Checks, etc.

4. IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS & ELECTRONICS
Tax Records, Hard Drives, Family documents, Family Photos, Laptops, Phone and any necessary charges for any of these devices.
(This is also a good time to remind everyone to backup important documents to a cloud based storage system.   These documents are then secured in case of theft as well.)

5. KEYS
Grab Car, Office, House and Storage Keys.  These items would melt in a hot fire.

6. MEDICATION & LIFE DEPENDENT SUPPLIES
Grab any medication anyone in the household is currently taking as well as any necessary medical supplies such as is needed for home administered dialysis.

7. HYGIENE
Toothpaste, Deodorant, Soap, Shampoo, Feminine Products, Brush, etc.  These items are all easily replaceable at most any grocery store, but how handy to of grabbed these if you have the time.

8. IRREPLACEABLE KEEPSAKES
These maybe love letters from your grandparents, or a quilt your aunt made you for your wedding, your wedding dress or photos of loved ones that have passed. Whatever it is have these items pre-decided and noted where they are at so you know where to grab them and not turn the house upside down looking for them.

9. CLOTHING
Clothes, Closed Toed Shoes, and a Jacket or Sweatshirt.

10. IMPORTANT PERSONAL ITEMS
Ask each member of the family that if they had to grab one personal items what would it be.  For a child this may be their favorite toy or favorite stuffed animal or blanket.  For you, it will be different, but possibly bring the same level of comfort.

11. LOCK DOORS AND CLOSE WINDOWS.

Close windows and doors to prevent smoke damage even if your home is not burned down and lock the doors in the case you are not allowed back into your home and looters get there before you do.

ALWAYS REMEMBER

YOUR SAFETY 

IS FIRST AND FOREMOST 

OF IMPORTANCE.

Follow the emergency responders instructions at all times.

Now is also a good time to practice with the family what and where to go if a fire were to break out in the house during the night.  Here are some helpful tips to consider.

1. Replace all the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.  (A good time to remember to do this is when we go on day light savings time in April and when we switch back in October.)

2. Feel the door for heat before opening the door to escape. Feel the doorknob and if smoke is coming in under the door, place a towel or blanket at the base of the door to prevent smoke from filling the room.

3. If you have a first floor window.  Open the window, climb out and meet the family in the front yard.  If you have a second story room then choose a window and a plan to exit the room with a rope ladder. You can buy a second story escape ladder HERE on Amazon.  If your window won't open then choose an object that will break the window or show your child how to kick out a window and yell for help.

4. Have a family meeting place outside the home, like the front yard, to gather up everyone and take into account who may still need rescuing.


ONE MORE THING... I recently discovered that our homeowner's insurance did not have enough coverage for us to actually rebuild our home in case it all burned down to the ground or to refurnish the items that we would have to replace as well.  Check with your insurance carrier and to make sure that based on the size and location of your current home you have enough coverage to rebuild.

My hope and prayer is that none of us ever have to use any of these helpful tips or resources.

Have a SAFE and HEALTHY Summer!


Welcome Home,
Casey