PrepareToday!

Drills that will test your preparedness

I am a Chaplain with the Austin Disaster Relief Network (ADRN). I have been deployed to West, Texas explosion as well as the Moore, Oklahoma tornado. Such experiences makes one keenly aware of how important disaster readiness is. The saddest thing I will ever recall is the tear-filled eyes of heads of Households saying things like, "Why wasn't I ready? They were depending on me!" Whether it's a tornado, a black ice storm, a flood, or a home invasion, if you're reading this now, the ball falls squarely in your court. Here are the drills....

Throughout life we are tested in a variety of ways; to see how much we learned, how skillful we have become, how resilient we are and in many more ways. Preparedness is no different! We may have some idea of how well prepared we are but there are only two ways to know for sure; by actually having an event that puts all of our planning into action, or by testing it before an event takes place.

I have come up with six types of drills that you could use to put your plans and preps to the test. First let me give some tips that might make these smoother with less resistance from the family.

Some of these drills will take a lot less time than others. Taking five minutes to do a fire or tornado drill isn’t that big of a deal. However, deciding to do a black out drill over a weekend isn’t something you want to do on a moment’s notice. Give everyone plenty of notice about the drills that will take more time. This gives everyone time to find things to occupy themselves without electricity.

The goal of doing these drills is to learn your shortcomings. Document anything and everything that you find you’re lacking in. If you plan ahead for some of these drills, you might discover some things you need to correct before the actual drill. Add these items to the list as well. For example, if you plan to do a blackout drill in two weeks and you decide to cook all hot meals on the grill, you might check to make sure you have enough propane. If you notice that you need to fill up, there is a good chance that you might be low on propane in the future. Getting another full propane tank might be prudent.
 

Fire Drill

Children are no strangers to fire drills. Schools do them a few times a year. Businesses have started doing them as well. Doing them at home makes good sense but they can be a little trickier, especially if you don’t live on the ground floor. If you have pets make sure to include them. If you live in an area where wild fires are common, this could become more of a bug out drill.
 

Tornado Drill

There are a lot of us who live in areas where tornados are a part of life. How long does it take your family to get to your shelter? Trudee can get herself and all of the dogs to the basement in less than thirty seconds. She grabs treats and they all follow her. If you live in an area that is prone to other extreme weather, run a drill for it!

Bug Out Drill

There are two types of bug out drills, one to see just how long it would take your family to get the vehicle packed and everyone inside and the other to see how long it takes to get packed and living with only what you packed. The time it takes to get packed and be ready to pull out should be measured in minutes; preferably less than fifteen. If you’re going to actually bug out to your BOL and live off of what you packed, you’re definitely going to want to give the family plenty of warning.
 

Kitchen Sink Drill

I named this drill the kitchen sink drill because you have time to pack everything, including “the kitchen sink”. The name of this drill is facetious. I don’t really think you should pack everything. This would be an event that is much longer-lasting than an event for a typical bug out, like a wildfire. You have plenty of warning and there is a high chance that your home may catch fire. For this event you need to move quickly but have enough time to take items that may be needed for a longer stay away from home. Having a list written ahead of time that names the items to grab and their locations will save a lot of time.
 

Blackout Drill

This is one of the drills you’ll want to give the family plenty of warning about, so they can make plans. There are many different ways to do this. I have read of people shutting off the main breaker. Others unplug everything except the fridge and the freezer. If you do this they should both be off limits. Put the food you plan on eating for the weekend in coolers. The goal is to only use items that require no electricity. If you have a generator, you run the generator to power the items you want to use. If you are on city water and sewer, keep in mind that if there is a blackout in your area, you won’t have running water. Make sure you have plenty of things to keep everyone busy. I also recommend doing this when the temperatures are bearable. While true that there is a chance you could lose power when the temps are not pleasant, the first time or two you do this drill it is to find holes. After that, if you want to test things when the temps are more extreme, use caution, but go for it!
 

Civil Unrest/Batten Down Drills

This drill could be added to some of the others or done on its own. I don’t expect much civil unrest where I live, but if there were, among other things, I would be standing watch after dark. Having a plan in place for spouses to share four hour watches during the night is a completely different thing than actually doing it.