Emergency Drills

Every family out there should do this at least once a month.
Pick a day. Weekday, weekend, doesn't matter.
Now, turn off your power.
That's right, go switch those breakers OFF.
Leave them off for 24 hours.
If it is not possible for you to do this, because of where you live or other reasons, sit down with a pad of paper and imagine your house hold without power.
Better yet, stretch it out and imagine being in that situation for a week...two weeks...a month.

In your location, what are your priorities?
If in a cold climate or season, is heating covered?
Do you have a way to cook?
What about water? For cooking, bathing, etc.?
How long will your food supplies last?

If you have kids, did you stash some games and activities away from them? (Board games, coloring books and crayons, other *low-tech* activities)
Did you stash away some amusements for yourself?

If you are doing your drill *for real*, take notes.
I thought *I* had everything covered until I did this drill last month.
I discovered I had not stashed enough *amusements* for myself.
I had my books, but actual *activities* were not present.
I went to Goodwill and a couple of other thrift stores and added some *fun* things to my preps.
Scrabble game. Monopoly. Yahtzee. I already had a chess board.
I even tossed some coloring books, colored pencils and crayons into the mix!
It may seem frivolous, but boredom is a bad thing!

Other Emergency Drills good for families:
Set your alarm for 3am.
When it goes off, see how long it takes you to get your family outside with your BOBs, your FAK and other essentials ready to go.
In cases of emergency evacuation, you may only have a few minutes to grab and go. (Think Hurricane Ike, Hurricane Katrina, tsunamis, earthquakes., fire, etc.)
It is imperative that you be able to *grab and go* in under 10 minutes. Next time, try for 8 minutes and so on. Cut your time to 5 minutes if possible.

Most evacuation plans will involve you taking your vehicle.
I keep an *Emergency Kit* in my car.
Since I drive a small van, I have a rubbermaid tote in the very back
In it:
Number 10 cans of: wheat, rice, beans, oats, flour. (1 each)
10 baby food jars with spices.
10 baby food jars with my *powders*.
10 baby food jars with teas and herbs.
1 pair sneakers
6 pairs socks
2 pair jeans
4 tee shirts (2 long sleeve, 2 short sleeve)
4 pairs underwear
6 candles
2 lighters, 5 boxes of matches
4 gallons water
Small first Aid Kit

I also have an Emergency Car Kit that includes 2 cans of *Fix a Flat*, a set of jumper cables, and other car necessities.

If you are able, you can put together a kit and store it in your trunk. I suggest putting it in a Rubbermaid tote for organizations sake.