Kandi

TomOfTheNorth here. Thanks for posting my essay Survival Mom!

And thanks for the kind words Kandi. Death from a building collapse could generally be lumped into sudden or accidental but there are some actions that tend to promote survival – door frames and heavy furniture can result in ‘voids’ or open spaces during a collapse. Ideally you react quickly at the first sign of a quake and exit the building. If that’s not possible you find a ‘safer’location than the middle of a room. Reasoned, rational reaction. Think quickly and act. Most people do not act. They freeze.

Kandi, you also asked about wildfires. Generally wildfires move with the prevailing winds. The largest fires create their own winds. Again, the key is to be somewhere else than where the fire is. Presumably you want to know what to do if trapped by a wildfire. When working wildland fires we carry ‘fire shelters’. These are essentially a one-man tube tent made from a fire proof fabric that the firefighter pulls over themselves if trapped and is about to be overrun by fire. They don’t always do the trick and firefighters have perished; and even when successfully deployed, the experience can still result in significant burns. So my advice remains to get out of Dodge early. Otherwise head for water, or you could head perpendicular to the prevailing winds. However if you are in unfamiliar country, this could prove disastrous if an impasse is encountered or the front line of the advancing fire is broader than you anticipate. Firefighters have 10 standard orders and 18 watchout situations in a wildfire: http://www.fs.fed.us/fire/safety/10_18/10_18.html

What this assumes is we go in deliberately but with sufficient knowledge to come out safely. Critical information is terrain, weather and multiple escape routes. That way we’re prepared if the fire changes in an unexpected way. Even so, professional firefighters have fallen….

For the exurban homeowner, the Fire Wise program has some good advice on improving your site’s performance in a wildfire. Since I’m in MN, here’s that State’s offering: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/firewise/livingwithfire/index.html
It’s a National program so the U.S. Forest Service or your State DNR may have something for you as well.

Liz, kudos for your proactive approach. I would mention that a fire drill does not have to be in the middle of the night and your children do not have to be in their PJs. They can be fully dressed – with coats on even – during the day. The key is to ‘pretend’ it’s a fire, it’s night or the smoke is too thick to see, etc and that they effect an escape and move to the family designated meeting place. This rehearsal should occur with some regularity until you are confident they have it memorized. After that, perhaps once or twice a year could be a sufficient refresher.

1 is none
2 is one
3 is a backup

Meaning, have 3 options or plans with everything – routes, actions, safe houses, etc.

Because you're exactly right – we need to prepare for a lot of things. I'm also going to get fire blankets, but I haven't gotten there yet. Thank you for taking the time to write all this up for us.