When 3 fires strike your town within a matter of months, it gives you reason to pause, speculate and assess risk for fire in your own home:
Are your emergency plans updated?
Do you know what to do if there's a fire?
Do you have a list of your most precious possessions and are they easily accessible?
What is/isn't covered under your fire insurance?
What can you do to your home to prepare for fire?
I admit I'm an outta-the-box kinda gal so if I had my magic wand, this is what I'd do for the fire-displaced:
I'd take a portion of several city parks, golf course or other unoccupied land and install some pre-fabricated housing, let's say 25-50 homes at each site. This would enable the victims to work together to rebuild their lives--the kids could play together and adults could commiserate and share information. Mental health and other professionals could handle problems at each site. And poof--despair would transform into hope and excitement. (I know--this sounds too simplistic but remember who's carrying the magic wand!).
"Be prepared to accept help from others. They want to help so let them. It's the kind thing to do for all of you," dear friend Mary, survivor of several emergencies and disasters, reminded me.
And what do they say about an ounce of prevention...?
Prepare an inventory, photos included, and save it both at your home and elsewhere (in your bank safety deposit box or at your workplace). Keep an emergency phone list on you at all times.
Be safe.
1 comment:
Great idea, Susie….any chance of anything like that happening in Santa Barbara? When we visited you, there were fires in the hills then, and little pieces of ash were falling all around us as I walked towards your home. Reminded me of when Mt. St. Helens blew up in 1982, only it was very fine particles that floated to the ground – we had probably an inch of ash. Everybody survived with no permanent lung damage, our car engines were not destroyed, the children missed some school, which didn’t break their hearts, end of story….that is the only natural disaster we’ve ever had to deal with in Spokane WA.
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