The warning sirens went off one day last year in my hometown. My first thought–oh nevermind it’s Wednesday. I knew the regular siren testing was at 11am and knew it was Wednesdays. But wait…it was the 9th–but now to be sure I have to look at the calendar.
Then I have to check the county emergency website just to confirm the schedule. I always think the testing is the first Wednesday but nope it’s the second Wednesday at 11am. So no real threat that day. Whew!
But suddenly I realized—as a parent or grandparent, aunt or uncle, etc.–what would you do if the sirens had gone off and it wasn’t a drill? It took me at least ten minutes to check to confirm it was a drill–would I want to waste those precious minutes if it had not been a drill?
Do you know without a doubt what the testing schedule is for your community?
Do you know where the school would take your loved ones for you to pick up?
Do you have a full tank of gas so you could get to them without needing to stop at a crowded gas station–right now?
Do you have anything prepared so that you could jump into your car and take off from home and be prepared to not come back at all for several days, or a week or more?
What’s the plan for your pets if you have to leave?
Does your immediate and extended family have a planned meeting place that everyone knows about?
What is the plan if someone doesn’t arrive? I’d be curious to know how many of us are ready for a real disaster?
Sounding Off 