Practicing preparedness is just as important as being physically prepared. Just having your Go-Bag ready is only the beginning of being prepared. If you just buy stuff and shove it into a back pack and toss it in a closet without opening the items to see how they work, or if they actually do work it may be too late to do anything about when you need it most.
With the world at one of its most unpredictable cycles of both natural and human unrest, we need to be more than just "saying we're ready."
Have a plan and practice it with your families and colleagues. Don’t just assume everyone is going to remember what they need to do, where they put their Go-Bags, or even remember how to use the items they haven’t seen in a year.
If you want a good wakeup call as to what can happen to you, your family or business by becoming complacent about practicing your plan, go down to your local video store and rent the 1990 movie "The Great Los Angeles Earthquake."
Starring Joanna Kerns, as an Earthquake Specialist trying to convince City officials and her own family that the big one is about to hit, she makes her family go through the practice of their emergency plan and pack on regular basis, so when they need it will be second nature to them. The movie is sort of cheesy, but has some real good points from the stand point of practicing along with being prepared, it will really make you think!
So if you have nothing to do better to do this weekend. Take the time go rent the movie, sit down with your family and friends, and afterwards get out your plan and practice. If you don’t know where to start making your plan you can go to http://ready.adcouncil.org/prepared/fep/fep.do, or you can contact your local Red Cross Chapter and we can help you Be Red Cross Ready!
-Katrina Poitras, Director of Disaster Services
