Panic can grip me like a vice at the worst times, reducing a usually sharp mind into a blubbery gob of grey matter. I’m thinking fate favors the prepared family, and having a practiced routine will put our brains on auto-pilot, making the best decisions for our collective safety without even thinking about it. Here’s our fire safety plan. We’re going to start doing drills every 2-4 months. What’s your fire safety plan?

1. Grab emergency bag* from night table drawer.
2. Check bedroom door for heat.
No heat? Get over to kid’s bedrooms, get kids out, exit patio door, meet at apple tree in backyard.
Heat? Go out window - Get to kid’s bedroom windows. Diane to break through Agalia’s window, Jack to break into DJ’s. Retrieve children, meet at apple tree in backyard.
3. Diane, Agalia and DJ - knock on neighbor’s door for help/call 911.
4. Jack - If safe to return to house, retrieve dogs. (As we wrote out these plans, the pouting faces of Ajax and Obie were in my head, asking Dad? You mean if it isn’t safe to go back in the house, we might be cooked? Made me feel about as good as when we wrote our wills.)
5. Jack - If safe to return to house, get cars out of garage. Punch through garage door if necessary (power outage).
6. Once fire dept notified, kids, dogs and cars out, wait in minivan safe distance from fire.

If fire happens when Jack isn’t home:

Same as above, except:

2a. Diane get Agalia out of house, Agalia to go to apple tree and wait for whomever arrives (in case Mom doesn’t make it out).
3a. Diane take DJ out of house, meet Agalia.
4a. Go to neighbors, call 911. Call Jack.
5a. Wait for fire dept at a safe distance.

*Emergency bag contents:

• Spare car keys
• Spare house keys
• First aid kit
• Foil blanket
• Rain ponchos
• $20
• Water
• Candy bars
• Leash to keep DJ close to apple tree if needed
• Spare credit card, old driver’s licenses
• Respirator

Posted on Agalia’s door: