Quiz

This was originally posted at the OPN by Scarecrow, and I think it's a great post, worthy of re-posting here.

It's 6:30 am Saturday morning. You are a sleep. All through the house not a creature is stirring, not even a mouse...Don't you just hate tests? You are suddenly awake. There is a loud pounding and some shouting at the front door. You get up, put on your housecoat and slippers and head to the door. Peering through the peep hole you see a fireman continuing to assault your reinforced steel ingress/egress system.Upon opening the door, the fireman explains that your neighbourhood is being evacuated because [insert reason here]. He further explains this is a mandatory evacuation and transportation will be here in 30 minutes to transport everyone on site to a temporary relocation centre some 12 miles to the west. You are informed that when the transportation arrives, law enforcement will escort you onto the bus by force if necessary.You realize your mouth is hanging open so you close it it, but not before asking, "can I self-evacuate?" The fireman replies in the affirmative. You cannot however, park anywhere in the vicinity of the shelters as there is no parking on the surrounding streets as they must be kept clear for the large numbers of transport vehicles that will be using them. You ask if you can go somewhere other than the shelters and the fireman says, "you can go anywhere you want as long as it more than 10 miles from here and you are gone before the bus arrives."You close the door, notice that your mouth is open again, you close it and head towards the bedroom to wish your wife a good morning.

29 Minutes:Do you:
a) Wake everyone up and gather in the kitchen to explain what is happening? b) Wake up your wife and ask her what she thinks you should do?c) Wake everyone individually and explain why they need to get up?d) Go back to bed because this has to be a dream?

25 Minutes:You've explained the situation, everyone's mouth is hanging open:Do you: a) Take charge and issue instructions for what you want everyone to do in the next 7 minutes? b) Ask for suggestions as to what everyone thinks should be done. c) Call aunt Ethel and ask, "what's for breakfast?" d) Get the coffee machine going because no one can believe its only 06:35 am?

18 Minutes:Everyone is dressed, no one has combed their hair or brushed their teeth.Do you: a) Instruct everyone to gather their emergency evacuation bags and put them in the car? b) Tell everyone to grab some clothes and other useful stuff and wait for the bus? c) Ask if there is anywhere anyone would like to go, aunt Ethel is serving prunes? d) Suffer a debilitating emotional breakdown because someone forgot to buy coffee?

12 Minutes:The car is loaded, well it would be if little Johnny could tell the difference between his Bug Out Bag and his book bag.Do you? a) Consult your prepared list of items to gather in an emergency if there is sufficient time? b) Hurriedly go through drawers and cupboards looking for stuff you might find useful? c) Try to remember where all the insurance papers and other documents were put? d) Ask everyone which is more important, the TV or the dog?

5 Minutes:Times up! Do you: a) Hop in the car and proceed along one of the preplanned routes to where you want to go? b) Queue up at the driveway with an arm load of stuff and watch as the long haired freaky guy next door is put in handcuffs and punted down the stairs towards the bus? c) Peel out of the driveway and head for the nearest gas station with a Tim Horton's? d) Have everyone hide behind the sofa and be very, very quiet? Oh yeah, and tape the dog's mouth shut?

30 minutes:You're well on your way. Did you: a) Remember to turn off the power, gas and water to the house? b) Have more than one prearranged destination just in case this was to happen? c) Manage to load everything that you need for the next few days? d) Remember to advise the important people in your life where you are going? e) At least remember to turn the coffee pot off?

Did you pass the test? Were you still fiddling with the coffeepot when the door was battered in?Or are you just really glad that you were prepared and were able to get out in less than 30 minutes and still have a choice as to where to go and what to do?

Gets you thinking doesn't it? It would be impossible to be thoroughly prepared for every single thing that might happen, but being prepared for this type of bug out is certainly doable and worth the time and effort to prepare for. It happens more than we like to think. Trains derail or there are accidents where noxious gasses are released and whole neighborhoods have just a short time to be evacuated, etc. And it is much better to be able to choose where you will go, instead of the .gov telling you where to go. Just ask all those people who were trapped during Katrina...

Hope you have a very productive weekend,
HUP