Extreme weather events: Do you know how to keep your child safe? | Fox News Great words to remember!!
What kind of lessons are you teaching your children for disaster preparation, evacuation, bug-out and so on?
That is something we have discussed and had to revisit. We have meeting place A then B. As a family we have discussed what dangers are in our area. One thing I try to stress with the children is material objects can be replaced. Do not try to save gaming stuff and clothes, just get out. I believe in getting to safety then we will figure it out. One thing my neighbor disagrees with me on but I really don't care is an underage driver. I have always told the kids if a wild fire is close take the extra vehicle and go to spot A. My neighbor says I cannot tell an unlicensed kid to drive but I say safety first.My kids know how to drive. I have made a point of teaching them. I figure if that is what it takes to save a life then do it.
As for the schools safety evac plan I have no clue. They seem to be into sheltering in place. Sometimes I question if that is the wisest choice but they seem to be the "experts". I do know I have questioned their decisions keeping school open duringbad weather. They seem to want school open no matter what the roads are like. We had a child stuck on a road for about three hours on a bus. They kept school open till the final bell when they should have sent them home earlier.
I will post this here. Good article that has lots of tips Making a family emergency communication plan - Graywolf Survival This is an example from ready.gov COMMUNICATE: Create a family communication plan so you can get in touch with family members. Give copies of contact information and meeting locations to everyone in your family Options are available: telephones, cell phones and e-mail are all great ways to get in touch with family members. Make sure you know the emergency plan at your child’s school. Make a decision about where you will meet in case you can’t get home during an emergency. Understand that it may take time to get through to everyone. Try to be patient. Needs of your pets should be kept in mind. Keep a pet carrier for easy transport. Inform yourself. Watch news broadcasts, read online news updates or listen to a battery-operated radio for official guidance during an emergency, but also prepare in advance. Copies of your emergency plan should be in your emergency supply kit in case you need to leave in a hurry. Ask kids to discuss their concerns and feelings. Do they understand the family plan? Take the kids to visit the “meeting spots” so that they are familiar and feel comfortable finding them on their own if necessary. But the link above gives more then the .gov info. Many tips and insights.
@Motomom34 , I got no problem with emergency driving by kids who know how. They could be legal on farm vehicles at 13 (iirc), Just make sure they know enough not to kill or get killed themselves. I learned to drive @9 years old, while sitting on someone's lap on a desert road. Nothing to hit, and plenty of room to learn how. And a stick shift, at that.
I know. My kids have driven Barbie jeeps then moved on to 4 wheels and motorcycles. The youngest gets nervous when I let him drive and that is okay because a car is a big thing. Nervous and caution is okay with me because that means safe. He knows I am teaching him for emergency purposes only.
One of my biggest worries is the way thing are going with violent crime out in public and with me being LEO I always have the worry one of the $h!theads I have put away might seek some pay back. One of the things I have one is purchased a back panel for a threat level IIIA vest in small then took a nice backpack she likes an put it in the water system goes. I have worked with her about always grabbing her pack and we have done some drills on what if's and how to use the pack to help keep her safe.
I heard of another company on the news awhile back that sells the same thing they claim to be the first to do this on their website bulletblocker.com and here is the news article from huffington post With School Shootings Routine, Parents Turn To Bulletproof Backpacks, Child Clothing kind of crazy this stuff is out there even though some of those bags could be good for a GO bag