How to prepare for wildfire evacuation

6. Access: Identify at least two escape routes from your neighborhood. Make sure your address numbers are at least 3 inches tall and on a contrasting background to be visible to emergency responders. If possible, make sure your street name sign is visible and not covered by trees.

7. Create a Go Bag: If you have to evacuate you probably won’t have time to pack. So pack ahead and keep your “Go Bag” stored at all times and ready to go, possibly even in your car. A jumbo Duffel bag works well. Pack for the possibility of surviving on what you have for at least three days. Have at least a half-gallon of purified water a day per person, food that is nutrition dense and light like energy and granola bars, trail mix and dried fruit. Put in a mess kit for each family member. Pack a first aid kit, an extra pair of clothes for each person in your family, including shoes and jacket and diapers. Include a flashlight and fresh batteries to last at least three nights. Pack personal care items like toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, deodorant, shampoo. If possible, see if your doctor will advance fill critical prescriptions so you can keep an emergency supply in your Go Bag. If you wear contact lenses pack solutions and a pair of glasses. Have a handcranked radio and charger, one blanket or sleeping bag per person. Assemble copies of your most important documents like insurance policies, birth and marriage certificates, deeds, passports, etc., as well as copies of prescriptions, and other paperwork and place in protective plastic. Add in additional cords and chargers, including car chargers, for cell phones, pads and laptops.

8. Helpful apps: Suzanne Bernier, an emergency management consultant and author of the book “Disaster Heroes,” recommends two good free smart phone apps for emergency communication. Zello lets you use your phone as a walkie-talkie or two-way radio as long as you have a network or WiFi connection. Users can join channels and instantly send voice messages or photos. It was used heavily during the recent hurricanes. Always free, always connected. The NextRadio app lets you tune in to every local FM station by using your smart phone’s built-in FM chip. Social media can be a fast way to communicate your status, get neighborhood updates, etc. FEMA has said that Twitter is the most agile platform and uses less battery power than Facebook if you’re low on juice. Public safety officials recommend getting familiar with social media platforms before an emergency. When posting, be as specific as possible when describing a situation and pinpointing its location, and pass along only verified information from official sources. Don’t spread rumors.

9. Draw up a family evacuation plan: Draw up a plan of how you will leave and where you will go if advised to evacuate. Identify several places you could go such a friend’s home in another town well away from the danger zone. Choose destinations in different directions so that you have options. Consider in your choice, whether you can bring your pets. Brush up on alternate routes out of your area. Develop a family/household communication and re-unification plan so that you can maintain contact and re-unite if you are separated. Be aware that if you have an electric garage door opener you can manually override it if you lose power. There will be a cord, usually red, hanging from a bracket on the chain that operates the garage door. Jerk on the cord with the knob which will release a spring-loaded lever and grab the door with both hands and lift it. You may need a ladder to get to the cord. A Google search will turn up links to safety instructions on how to do this.

10. Write yourself a note: In an actual emergency, priorities become muddled. Start the note with the words, “Stay Calm.” In your own writing, this will calm you in an emergency. Make a systematic checklist of what you would need to gather and do in different kinds of emergencies, based on the above, so in the moment you will actually be able to go step by step and get everything done. Laminate the note and tape to the top of your emergency bin. It should remind you about everything you need to do, in order, from grabbing your valuables, to bringing your phone charger and keys to locking up the house before you leave.