Many of you guys want to keep 100% operational security, but I think you will run into some logistical problems if you don’t write down your evacuation routes and other plans. So today I am going to have a data intensive post and I would expect you to want to come back to this as a reference point, so you may want to add this one post to a bookmark.
If we are going to have Emergency action plans, or emergency evac procedures, I think that the way to create these would be in Microsoft Word or Microsoft Excel, for ease of reference. You can also use Google Docs, or you can look up open office, for free versions on your computer. Where should the digital copies be stored?
- On a laptop for portability
- On your smartphones or tablets, even better portability and less energy use. You can keep small inverters so you can keep them charged by your vehicle, or even keep a solar charger.
- On every computer in the house, for reliability.
- I recommend emailing the document to yourself (web based email) so you can get to it from any computer. Depending on your operational security concerns, you may even try a “cloud drive.”
I also feel that you should have several physical copies of this procedure printed out. Technology can always fail eventually, and batteries eventually die, even if you can figure out how to extend their lives. So keep physical copies of the plan in:
- Each vehicle (3 ring binder)
- Each bugout bag (make a smaller softback “pocket version” that can be put there, maybe in a smaller folder or something.)
- Have a few copies in your home. You need one for EACH family member, and a final copy with your important documentation.
- Give copies to a few trusted family members to keep. This procedure is not just for you, but can also be used by your family members. This can be your contribution to help those that aren’t crazy survivalist guys. When something happens, they will be able to contact you and meet up with you for assistance.
Just as important as where your procedure book is, is what is in it. We need to think about what emergencies could happen, what the most likely scenarios are and the results of those. Think of where they come from and what you will do (stay home vs. evacuate, and more). Give them a rank, and work on your plans for the most likely ones first.
- Loss of a job. Something this simple is a basic local disaster. It is local to you. You should have resumes polished and thinks of this nature.
- House Fire or House Damage
- Tornados.
- Hurricanes
- Snow or Ice storms
- Earthquakes
- Floods
- Volcanic Eruption
- Meteor Impact
- Economic Collapse or Viral Outbreak
- And any other more less likely scenarios.
What kinds of things should be in your Emergency Action Plan? You need to have important information and documentation to assist you and others when you aren’t sure what the next step may be. So lets think of what should be in this book:
- First thing you should have is a list of contacts. You will want personal and professional contacts, and maybe in a different contact section. Some things to consider:
- Family members such as immediate family members, uncles, aunts, cousins, etc. should be on your contact list. Have neighbors on there as well, so you can check up on things if you are away.
- Have professional contact info for your banks, brokers, investment firms, employers;
- Police, fire department, and other emergency numbers for any emergencies that they can help with.
- Have all phone contact information (land line and cell phone), addresses, emails, and other contact info for each person on your list.
- Evacuation Planning List. You probably will want a list of what to pack when you only have specific amounts of time to pack.
- Roles for Each Family Member. This will help everyone keep up with what their jobs are, if you are gone, and will keep you on track managing them if you are there.
- Father: keep the family together, security operations, other things.
- Mother: Packing list, Important documents, call family members, etc.
- Child 1: (assume teenager), grab their own bag and important stuff, gather pet supplies, possibly social updates if required
- Child 2: (assuming small children) Grab their own packs and toys, Grab important pets
- You can add or subtract roles. This depends entirely on your comfort level with their responsibility levels.
- Financial Information. I am not saying that you want to have your routing and bank numbers, but at least think of how many accounts you have at what bank.
- What banks you have and what accounts you have, such as personal savings vs. checking, business accounts, etc.
- Loan information (home, car, etc) with contact info for your account managers.
- Investment firms that you hold accounts with
- Brokers that you are invested with. You can call and get everything put into cash, right away, if needed.
- It is possible to keep all of your account information in this by using a basic encryption of letters and numbers. I am not going to try to design an encryption system for you guys, but one way could be the letter turned into a number, and then add 1. So the letter B could be the number 3. B=2 and then add 1 which equals 3. Then the word bee, would bee 3-6-6.
- A copy of your favorite survival books, both urban and wilderness.
- Have a Plan for your pets, since they are your family members as well. I am not really talking about a hamster, fish, or snake, but more like the family dog or cat.
- Have their own bags, plan out what will be in the bags.
- Pets need food also, so have large bag of cheap dried dogfood that you can give them when something happens, and you can’t go out and get them their preferred food.
- Where will you place the animals in each vehicle? Do you have a kennel for them, or will they just sit in the back.
- Evacuation Routes
- Have your main and at least 3 or 4 different alternate routes of travel.
- Have a map that covers these routes with them all marked up so everyone can follow them.
- Have different rally points, although you may want to call them something less militant, like rest stop.
- You may not have them listed as such in the Emergency Action Plan, but you can call your family and say, I will be at rest stop B on route 3. Everyone should know exactly what you mean, and be able to meet up there.
- If you are not at home when something goes down, you may want your spouse to be able to open the binder and know exactly where to go or what to do. That is why we have multiple copies.
- You may want to have certain code “phrases” that indicate danger. Obviously these would only be necessary for times in which you want operational security. Write it down, or don’t; it is your choice.
- Packing Lists. You will have different packing lists for different scenarios. They are usually based on time to pack. Some emergencies will give you some time, while others don’t allow any time to pack.
- Immediate Packing: BugOut Bags, premade bags, important documentation in a small fireproof safe. Anything you can grab easily, quickly, and will do the most good.
- If you have an hour or two: you may want to consider some other items. Think of other things to pack. This is your list based on your needs.
- You may have a day: Once again based on your family and needs. That is why you plan these things.
- You may want to keep a more detailed financial map, or more important financial information that you wouldn’t want to get into others hands in a locked fireproof safe with your other important documents.
I recommend keeping your stuff up to date. I would recommend about every 6 months that you update the information. There wont be much to update most of the time, but minor changes should be documented, so you don’t let a bunch of minor things add up to be bigger things.
If you are the one that is ready and your spouse is not, the written plan may be the only thing that will keep your spouse on track, and give them a clear head. It can help you with your own memory in a stressful situation. Stress clouds the mind, and this will combat that. Your children may be irresponsible today, but with a good plan in a bad situation, they could surprise you. Written plans also will help you figure out what you are weakest at, what is most important, and what needs the most attention. This is a pretty large list to go off of, but you can take from and add as you see fit. For all of you survivalists out there that blog, feel free to use it, but please source your information.