Disaster Prep For The Rest Of Us
by Dave Robinson


General Prep Originally published November 14, 2014

Winter weather is just around the corner. Fire season has been lifted and long, cool evenings are ahead. It seems earthquakes, hurricanes, blizzards and Ebola come to mind when we think of disasters, and those are the events that get all the attention, however residential fires are the most common disaster in the United States. Every year more than 2500 people die (that’s seven (7) people per day) and nearly 13,000 are injured in home fires in our nation.

Deaths and injuries can be minimized when families establish and practice a home fire escape plan. The American Red Cross says you only have two minutes to escape a structure fire. F.E.M.A. recommends practicing your home fire escape plan twice a year.

Here are some tips:


1. Find two ways to get out of each room.

2. If a primary exit is blocked, you will need an alternate escape route. A second story room might mean using a ladder to get to safety.

3. Make sure windows aren’t stuck and screens can be easily removed. If security bars are in place, make sure they can be properly opened.

4. Practice feeling your way out of the house in the dark or with your eyes closed.

5. Place smoke alarms on every floor of your home. The Red Cross recommends placing one in each bedroom.

5. Replace your batteries every year, and replace your smoke alarms every 10 years.


Fewer and fewer households in our region are burning wood for heat anymore, but if you still enjoy the comforting warmth of a wood fire, make sure your chimney is cleaned and inspected each year. Various kinds of wood burn in various ways. Some burn slowly and some burn faster. Different kinds of wood and different conditions leave various levels of creosote inside the chimney. Every chimney should inspected for safety and to be cleaned, if necessary.

Successfully preparing for the disaster of a home fire is no accident! It just may save your life and the lives of your loved ones.

Disaster preparedness isn’t rocket science! Simply consider a game of “what if” and then make plans for what can go wrong. Lay in supplies, keep your gas tank on the upper half and always have a back-up plan. Many years ago when I was a student pilot, my flight instructor told me that a pilot always keeps an emergency landing area in mind, just in case. This is no small feat in Western Oregon where there aren’t a whole lot of flat, level wheat fields to set a plane down. The point being, you’ve always got to have a plan in mind in the event the whole system collapses.

There’s a lot of talk about Ebola right now. Do you have a plan in place if this disease comes to our region? Have you discussed with your family at what point do you keep the kids home from school? At what point do you stay home from work? In other words, have you considered the concept of a self-quarantine and what that may mean? Having said that, do you have enough supplies on hand to get through a period of quarantine?

This is never about causing fear, this is about stimulating some thought and preparing for the “just in case” events that may or may not come our way.

As always, send your comments and questions to disasterprep.dave@gmail.com.


Note: Dave Robinson is Bandon's Postmaster and has worked for the postal service for 30 years. He has a background in law enforcement, served in the Air Force in Vietnam, worked nine years for the Coos County Sheriff's Department, and serves on the Myrtle Point School Board, where he lives.


additional columns by Dave Robinson