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Rick
04-07-2009, 08:55 PM
It's 2:14 p.m. on Thursday afternoon. You are the only one home when there is a frantic knock at the front door followed by rapid ringing of the door bell. You answer the door to find a police officer (deputy, sheriff, RCMP, whoever is appropriate to your area).

"There's been a wreck," he says. "A tanker truck (derailed train if you prefer or accident at a chemical plant) carrying liquid chlorine. There's a huge cloud and it's moving this way. You have two minutes to grab whatever you can. Get movin'!"

You have just enough time to grab your cell phone, car (truck) keys, BOB and your pet as the officer times you.

"Let's go!" he yells as you race to grab your cell phone.

"Let's get out of here," he says as he escorts you to your vehicle. "They're evacuating the flugal horn factory (where your better half works) and the school (where your kid(s) is. They think the cloud will be here within the next ten minutes."

"But where is.." He cuts you off mid-sentence. "Let's go!" he yells as he jogs toward his cruiser.

In just two and half minutes you've abandoned your home and you now have everything you own, at least for the time being, in your vehicle.

1. Do you have a plan to locate the rest of your family members or a place you are to meet?

2. Do you have required medications for yourself and your family in your BOB?

3. Do you have sufficient cash in your BOB to assist you while you are away from home? (ATMs or banks could be affected if the chlorine gas cloud is large enough.)

4. Do you have spare glasses or other durable medical goods that you or your family require in your BOB? Durable medical goods might be tire repair equipment for wheel chairs or scooters, equipment for visual, hearing or speech impaired family members, cognitive disability or self-administered medical treatment (insulin, for example).

5. Do you have any documentation in your BOB that you might need. Copies of one or two credit cards so you know the numbers, copy of driver's license, copy of military ID or Visa in case you don't have your wallet.

6. Do you have an inventory of household goods in your safe deposit box or in your BOB? An inventory will aid you in obtaining an insurance settlement should an accident destroy your home.

7. Have you taken the time to understand what emergency needs your pet has and have you taken steps to fulfill those needs?

You are welcome to dispute any of the assumptions in this scenario. It's simply designed to make you think for a moment about some things that you might not have considered for your BOB.

For your edification, here is a link to a recent study on the 101 most dangerous chemical facilities in the US. The report also lists an additional 202 facilities considered to be at high risk.

http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/11/chemical_security_map.html

Here is a link to a brochure by the American Veterinarian Medical Association that gives you tips and ideas on disaster planning for your pets and livestock.

http://www.avma.org/disaster/saving_family.asp

tennecedar
04-07-2009, 09:10 PM
AW MAN, I definately need to rethink my bob. Too many pets and livestock to take care of all. I'd be ok. As long as I had my truck. I've still got my haz-mat first responder kit in there. I don't have any extras tho. I would have to rely on emergency services to handle the immediate evac of the wife and children. I would move laterally until I figured out where the up wind safe zone is. Then navigate to where ever the evacuees where taken.

Rick
04-07-2009, 09:13 PM
We pulled them out this week-end and changed out some of the food and adjusted the meds. I think we tend to get tunnel vision with our BOB. There are a few strategic items that we all want to have in there but there are so many other items, depending on family circumstances, that SHOULD be in there.

vthompson
04-07-2009, 09:19 PM
Thanks for the post Rick. It makes a person stop for a minute and think.

tennecedar
04-07-2009, 09:22 PM
I haven't been thinking enough about paperwork or family meds. If I got searched with mine or my wifes meds out of the bottles I'd be arrested for possession of a controlled substance. May or may not be able to clear it up in court later but I'd still go to jail. The only way for me to carry them is for them to be in the original bottles and not out of date. The prescriptions would only be good for 30-90 days and have to be rotated out.

Rick
04-07-2009, 09:28 PM
I'm on Ultram for arthritis and my doc has told me NOT to carry the bottle with me. He said take only what you need for the time you are gone and leave the rest at home. Apparently the street value is enough to make a 90 day supply an attractive target.

I have a pill container that I place my meds in. The top of the container has the Rx name on the lid of each section and the bottom of the container has my doctor's name and phone number. It certainly won't keep an officer from questioning me but at least they have the name and a phone number they can call on the spot.

I carry it with me any time I'm traveling or out in the woods.

Ken
04-07-2009, 09:29 PM
Good reminder, Rick. I can answer "yes" to all of your questions.

Many of the things you've noted are already in the trunk of my car or in my SUV, including a small BOB. You never know when you may have to stay BUGGED AWAY (if you're not at home when TSHTF) rather than BUG OUT. The larger BOB at the house contains the rest.

As far as the pets go (ha ha, get it?) I keep some dry food and a collapsible water bowl in both vehicles.

I also have copies of most of my important documents and photographs (both home contents and family photos) in a safe deposit box locally as well as with my brothers who live 30 and 500 miles away.

I was already doing these things 25 years ago. I suspect many of us here were, as well.

Rick
04-07-2009, 09:48 PM
I have a safe deposit box 250 miles from me that I have documentation in. I also have one here where I live. I had the long distance box when I lived there and just kept it. I thought it would make an excellent remote facility to store some documents.

crashdive123
04-07-2009, 10:21 PM
Good scenario Rick. Yes to most, but the scenario you describe is a real possibility here (chlorine plant and several rail lines). I think my/our plan for #1 is inadequate. The thought of a gas cloud being carried with the winds got me thinking that we need some alternates, depending on conditions. Good scenario to get us thinking. Thanks.

Smok
04-08-2009, 10:44 PM
All ready happened to me two years ago with a fire burning thought here . No damage here but it do get close

Alpine_Sapper
04-08-2009, 10:56 PM
When it comes to your pets, especially if you have large breed dogs, make sure you keep extra copies of rabies tags for all of your animals, as well as the shot records/vaccinations, and extra harnesses/collars. My cats don't normally wear one. But they all have one in the bob with the food/water, paperwork, couple chew toys, waste bags for the dog, a litter box and a fill of litter bagged in ziplocs. The harnesses also have the rabies tags and ID tags with AVID number to save confusion, cell number, and email address. I also make sure I keep the frontline/revolution/iverhart meds in that location anyway. I just get in it each month and give them their meds, but if I gotta split, they're already packed. Never know how long you're gonna be gone. fleas suck. ;) I can fit all of that crap in a coffe can, except for the weeks water and food for each animal and the litter/pan, but that fits with everything else in one duffel. I have airline crates for all my animals jic I have time. And if rations are scarce I got two moving meowing furry taco meals waiting to happen. :) I kid, I kid. but no, really.

EDIT: I forgot the "unbreakable" cable tie out system I got at the petstore. Two plastic coated steel cables. One goes around the tree, the other attaches to it and the dog. Works ok. I use one cable and a d-ring and tie him off to a cargo hook in the rear of my SUV.

Rick
04-09-2009, 08:33 AM
Good post, Alpine. Pets and farm animals are often forgotten in our evacuation plans.

mountain mama
04-09-2009, 10:25 AM
Anyone here read "Organize for Disaster" by Judith Kolberg?
Bit wordy, but reminds us what is really needed for preparation.

Yuma Kutsuu
04-28-2009, 09:10 AM
... wow... I really need to make a plan... in my current unplanned situation this is a scary thought. Thanks for the post. It most definately made me stop and think.

Pict
04-28-2009, 09:53 AM
Chlorine gas is scary and this kind of thing does happen every now and again.

Let me change things a little bit. Your Brother calls, his kid has been hit by a car and he's in intensive care. You drop everything and drive there 1.5 hours away. Will you survive an unexpected 24 hour stay in the town where your brother lives?

The thing about the original scenario is that it is very limited in both duration and scope of the disaster. The affected area is a no-go zone for a while but the surrounding area is not affected at all and those people are getting long just fine. A credit card and a Motel 6 would work just fine if you don't have family close enough. Mac

bulrush
04-28-2009, 11:21 AM
Just how bad is it if a tanker of hydrofluoric acid breaks open on the highway? Happened here last month. From the sounds of it, it was just a slow trickle coming out of the tanker, but still.

crashdive123
04-28-2009, 12:12 PM
Just how bad is it if a tanker of hydrofluoric acid breaks open on the highway? Happened here last month. From the sounds of it, it was just a slow trickle coming out of the tanker, but still.

By the looks of this (http://www.fap.pdx.edu/safety/hydrofluoric_acid/) it is something to stay away from.

oldsoldier
05-08-2009, 10:01 AM
I am one of the lucky ones. i have a BOV also my daily driver that has several days of food,water, clothing,shelter etc. for my wife and myself we both carry BOB's with Meds. important papers etc. as well as gas masks and etc. to get to meeting place. we have 3 in case one is unaccessable. We also have chem. gear in the BOB as well as food meds and a pet first aid kit for our dog and 2 cats. IF I can have the couple of minutes I need to hook to my BOT ( bug out trailer) we will have most all the comforts of home. (almost) As i said I'm one of the lucky one's AND I'm willing to share any info and help getting anyone else ready that I can offer.

oldsoldier
05-08-2009, 10:09 AM
Forget to add i also have a ton of survival information on a lap top computer as well as personal papers and pet records on it with disc backup for all.