Go Bags: do you really need them?
Posted: May 12, 2010 Filed under: 7. Physical Security | Tags: emergency preparedness, go bags 6 Comments »
Frequent business travelers are familiar with the idea of keeping an always-packed bag ready to go. Thankfully, I’ve now progressed to a point in my career where I have more control over my business schedule. I no longer need a Go Bag, as we called them. Or do I?
If you think of the many emergency scenarios which might force you and your family to vacate your home at a moment’s notice, there are actually quite a few. Anything from a chemical spill on the nearby highway to a fire on your neighbor’s roof can force you to abandon your home and all the preparations it contains to help you weather an emergency and be available to help others.
But recently I learned another reason to have a set of well-equipped, well-marked Go Bags ready to throw in the trunk. I received a phone call from a friend that said, “Dude, are you watching the news? Your house is on it. I’m watching a feed from a helicopter.” Ha ha, what a jokester. Although a couple of helicopters had been hovering for over an hour, passing back and forth around the forest near our home. I thought they were just doing survey work. Hmmm, maybe my buddy is not just pulling my leg. I don’t subscribe to TV, so I had no idea what he was talking about. He relayed what was happening while I called it up on the internet.
At the end of my driveway (it’s long and you can’t see the beginning through the forest), we had 50 officers from the local and county police, ATF and FBI, plus some US Marshals in a stream of unmarked and normal patrol cars, including a full-blown battle wagon. Really, it looked like a tank. This is a photo of it sitting at the end of my driveway by our trailheads. The officers and agents fanned out in the forest that surrounds us, looking for an armed robber’s weapons cache. Because weapons were involved, these guys were wearing full body armor, camo, and carrying assault rifles. Great; just what I wanted in my back yard.
What to do when the battle wagon rolls up your driveway? Thank the officers for doing their job, grab the kids and Go Bags, and get out of there.
So, what makes a good Go Bag? Google will return lots of helpful lists for you, but in general, put into 1-2 bags everything you need to camp comfortably outdoors, without power for several days, and you have the beginnings of a good Go Bag. I’ve added a few items for minor medical emergencies and items specific to our climate/terrain. Store the bags near your vehicle so you can grab them on the way out.
Since this incident, local friends have stopped raising their eyebrows in skepticism when I mention things like emergency preparedness and self defense. They’ve started asking detailed follow-up questions about how they can also become more prepared. I suppose I have a felon to thank for that.
Great post. We've all experienced those moments, but we forget about them. While out on a walk, we had six police cars fly by en route to our neighborhood. They were pursuing on foot (and with a helicopter) a wanted felon who was staying with the 21 year old druggie who has been living with his parents. Our nice suburban neighborhood felt like the inner city on a Saturday night. Both entrances were blocked. TSWHTF. Everything turned out fine, but it would have been smart for us to throw some go bags in the trunk and take the kids to my mom's house.
I firmly believe in having a good bug out bag – both near the front door of the house for a fast exit and in each vehicle in case you are away during an emergency and cannot immediately return to your home. Each car (including my daughter's) has a well stocked emergency kit in a backpack. And in the front hallway closet lined up on the floor ready to be grabbed are three back packs which are also well stocked. Earth quakes, wild fires, floods, police actions like you experienced, all can happen and it pays to be ready to move fast when needed.
Good point about placing one in vehicles in case you cannot get back home during an emergency. I need to do that.
[...] a *great* change in attitude, applicable for many situations (I’d still use the Go Bags if you’ve got a nearby chemical spill on the highway). I appreciated watching the stages of [...]
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