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With what happened in Boston yesterday, I realize that cell phone contact will most likely be impossible if something disastrous happens. I am wondering what kind of contingency plans a family should have in place if the unthinkable ever happens. Obviously, predetermine a place to meet, but where? When my parents were alive they lived in a rural area, so my thoughts were we would take the kids and go there. Now my parents are gone and my kids are grown and out of the house, but in the same city, but they could be anywhere at any given time.
Is the answer to buy a place in a rural area that your family can run to, and hope you are all safe there? If the unthinkable happens and you can't reach those closest to you, do you have a plan for where you will meet and where you will go from there?
You might look into CB radios for communications over moderate distances of a few miles. The ones I have had only had a range of around 15 miles or so in mountain terrain, in a city probably less, but still a fall back.
Meeting places are good, but must be accessable by everybody, so a distant place that is multiple miles away may work in a large disaster, but for something like the Boston incident, kind of overkill.
Meeting someplace like in front of, (not in due to crowding and possibly reducing response) a police department hospital or fire station is an option because medical assistance and communications as well as some measure of security are available.
Public parks are also an option, and are usually away from collapse zones of buildings and out of the way of emergency traffic.
If you are planning on a major event, you could have a place locally where a note could be left that the others could check and find out if folks are alright, and where they are going. That would work if you have a bug out location because you could see if others are OK and moving there then you aren't looking for them and exposing yourself to danger by staying in the danger zone.
If the situation like Boston is what you are worried about, then put your location away from areas people congregate like malls or restaraunts or bars. Maybe the public library or an out of the way home of family or friends.
Most preperation is dependent on what you are planning for and what you perceive as the greatest threats to your specific area.
You could set up a multi layered approach as well, so that when an incident occurs you have a protocol everyone knows and can use:
1)CB radio links tried
2)Meet at Millers Pond
3)Check Mail drop
Depending on the incident, your people may not be able to reach one point or have their radio, so you have a fall back set up until everyone is back together. Just do whatever works for your area and your family and the resources you have available.
If we are talking a SHTF type event, I hope the family is spending the time taking care of themselves and their immediate family instead of trying to tell me all's alright with them. In a SHTF scenario, communications will be catch as catch can and attempts at communications could be the worst thing you do. I also believe that much more pressing matters will be on a person than seeing how Uncle Freddy and Cousin Ellie are doing. Family knows that some of us have safehouses, so logically, we would most likely become the family communications hub, by whatever means they are able to make.
Now, if talking a catastrophic but not SHTF like a devastating hurricane, flood, tornado, power outage, etc. the methods really depend on the extent of the family, what you’re trying to communicate, and the message you’re trying to get out. Example, I have a system of visual signal that I can use to let others know I’m alright. If communications are available, the family knows they can always call a certain person who will act as the phone tree. This is our preferred method because it’s so much easier to call one person than dozens of family members all calling me to see if I’m alright. I'll make the call and now I'm going to deal with other pressing matters.
As for meet ups, its simple, first try and go to the house, post it. Go to shelter, post it. Go to work, post it, go to safe house, post it. This way we have a final destination in progressive outward distances. And as we post each, we can move on to the next. The posting is who, next step, and follow-up.
One thing to remember is that each event type has different sets of challenges for communications and adapting through a simplistic plan is the best was. Unless its immediate family that must be together, it does us no good to try a reunion when things are pretty messed up around us.
......Is the answer to buy a place in a rural area that your family can run to, and hope you are all safe there? If the unthinkable happens and you can't reach those closest to you, do you have a plan for where you will meet and where you will go from there?
We have no plans with family since none live near us. We have a grown daughter in another city about 30 miles away. I have no idea what her plans would be. We already live in a rural area so will stay put.
One thing to remember is that each event type has different sets of challenges for communications and adapting through a simplistic plan is the best was. Unless its immediate family that must be together, it does us no good to try a reunion when things are pretty messed up around us.
Yes, I meant immediate family only, not a family reunion!
The first thing you have to get through every immediate family member head is that in a disaster, their job is to survive. Their job isn’t to find you and your job isn’t to find them. The job is to survive and hopefully in that survival, you all find a way to meet up.
If communications is available (even if sporadic and inconsistent) you need a central message board. If you can arrange to have someone called (prearranged based on situation) call them with info and have them act as the message board. That person can disseminate the information to others and it frees you up from spending all the time trying to make contact.
You can also use 2-way radios and have prearranged times to shout out so that everyone is concentrating on survival and safety and not having their ears glued to a speaker or mouth to a mike.
Another thing we have is a visual posting. Each one of us has an emergency kit, nothing more than a backpack with basic supplies. One such supply is a roll of packing tape with a repeating design image on it. That tape can be used for many things, the most important being to be able to tape it someplace as a message to others. So if I go to the house and see that tape on the outside wall with family 1's code sign and a part of the picture circled, it’s a message as to the person being alright and mobile and heading to a specific location. I just add my sign to it and head to the other location as well. When the third person comes they know the other 2 are safe and they add their sign and off we go.
I also have no qualms with instructing the family to head to the "GOVERNMENT SHELTER" if nearby and available. That is part of our preplanning.
However in all cases, the main goal is to get to the house if accessible and safe followed by the shelter if available and safe, followed by a specific prearranged location and finally the safe house. If the first stop is safe, remain there as that’s where everyone else is going to be heading first. A lot depends on the family makeup, distances and alternatives (not to mention the type of disaster) but simply having a simple plan goes a long way over winging it and passing each other in the night.
After Hurricane Camille in 1969, we set up a disaster plan. The plan designates who drives, what car is used, and where we meet. We have a primary meeting place, as well as a secondary meeting place. (Every few years we buy updated maps) If we all can't meet at the first place, a note is put on the wall before leaving. This lets anyone else know who has, and has not, gone on to the secondary meeting place. We stay at the secondary meeting place until everyone is accounted for, then we all leave for a secure place (a friend's house in the country). Our get-out-of-Dodge bags are always at the ready.
Our first means of contact is by cell phone. During hurricane season, we pack hurricane boxes (such things as cots, sheets, pillows and blankets as well as the usual stuff. If a hurricane approaches, we obtain an extra 30 days of prescriptions. (Plug for Blue Cross - they have never refused to cover this)
Our normal disaster is hurricanes, but I don't think we would have any problems with any other disaster.
My home was the safe house until Katrina. Now the area has built up so much that we are leaving. There are sections in my neighborhood that now flood, and there are more people around. I don't know most of them.
We have gone over this in our family. Depending on the event, we all already know what to do. Where to go, what to bring, what route to travel (if any). Meet-up places (if needed). Nobody is over-dependent on cell phones anyway. Mostly it's just get the kids (our grandchildren) and stay at home, which is supplied with everything needed for several months. Once DW and I are situated in Maine (we begin building next month), then plans may change.
BTW, both DW and I have refused to start taking medications that we deem not necessary. Our doctor knows this. In our mid-60's, DW takes one prescription (which she could live without) and I take none. The medical profession is programmed to give out drugs. If you take more than one, ask your doc what would happen if you stopped it. Usually, nothing would happen -- except the drug companies would lose your money!
Since we don't have phone lines or cell coverage at our place, we're not reliant on phone service for comms with our family
When DH & I are in town for supplies, if we should get separated, we have a couple of prearranged meeting places and signals that we've been there & where we're headed next.
For the rest of our family, we'd rely on email and snail mail since they are several thousand miles away. In the unlikely case that we do have to meet up with them, we've arranged several locations at permanent landmarks with signals that we've been there & where we're headed next.
Since we don't have phone lines or cell coverage at our place, we're not reliant on phone service for comms with our family
When DH & I are in town for supplies, if we should get separated, we have a couple of prearranged meeting places and signals that we've been there & where we're headed next.
For the rest of our family, we'd rely on email and snail mail since they are several thousand miles away. In the unlikely case that we do have to meet up with them, we've arranged several locations at permanent landmarks with signals that we've been there & where we're headed next.
Not having cell phones probably gives you a leg up on many others. It amazes me when talking to those preparing for some disaster scenario, how much effort went in to the family unit saddling up and doing their thing, but is based on that family unit starting everything together. They often forget that the family unit may be all over the place when something happens. Additionally, communications via most commercial means may be disrupted. A person who already is prepared to communicate via alternative means certainly is in a much better position that those with thousands of dollars of equipment and supplies but can’t tell the other family where to meet-up.
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