Worst Part of Condo Living: Fire

    It happens more often than anyone cares to admit, and each year it causes hundreds of deaths and millions of dollars in damage: fire. That single word is enough to strike fear in the toughest among us, and living in a single family home is a disaster; in a condo it means many families can lose everything within a very short amount of time. Winter is the time for fires since most people are turning on their heat, or leaving their dried out Christmas trees up far too long.

     How do we prepare for this?

• Have a plan! Review that plan with everyone in your home, and suggest that plan to your neighbors. Know where to get out of the house based on how the fire starts / enters. Teach your kids how to react, and enlist the help of your local firemen if you aren't positive yourself. (Believe me, they are ok with people stopping by with fire safety questions.)

• Have a fire extinguisher and know how to use it. Any fire department would be happy to show you this easy (and easy to forget) skill. 

• Having the skill is as important as having the correct tool. You have taken the time to get a fire extinguisher and your skills are excellent, but what about your neighbors? How do you know if they have one, do they know how to use it? What about grease fires, or electrical fires? Christmas is a month away, perhaps you should consider getting small fire extinguishers for your neighbors. Sure they may give you a strange look, but as a prepper, they probably do that already.

• Practice!!  Nothing, and I do mean NOTHING can take the place of training no matter what you are trying to learn. A rapid evacuation of your home is a must if your house is connected to someone else's as it is in a condo. Kids get frightened in intense situations like this, and in their panic they may hide. Training and practicing this drill will help them if a fire ever takes place.

• Finally, have a 5-minute-evacuation box ready to go. You do not want to have to think about this during an actual emergency. Having a box ready offers you the piece of mind that you only have one item to grab on your way out, or only one thing to ask a fireman to retrieve for you. Do Not Put Your Own Safety At Risk For This Box! This is simply stuff that would be helpful if you had after an emergency, but you still have a bug out bag in your car. When it comes to a rapid evacuation this is a luxury you can grab only if it is safe to do so. 

       I have an empty plastic trunk at my condo that is shoved against one wall. My task for tomorrow is to vacuum several changes of clothes for my son and I and pack them into that trunk along with some of my hygiene preps, and some cash. I have also decided to start a cash stash in the trunk as well, $5 or $10 a week adds up quickly and is certainly needed during a crisis like a fire. A flash drive with pictures and digital copies of important stuff will go into the box, as well as a hard copy of important phone numbers (both are backups for my bug out bag).

     Be smart in an emergency, be prepared before one strikes. DO NOT put yourself in unnecessary danger just to save stuff; stuff is replaceable. Thanks for reading, and Happy Prepping!!