THE FIRST THREE MINUTES

I vividly remember my first earthquake.  Shortly after we moved to Escondido in 2011, I was sitting at my computer getting stuff done. At about 11:00 p.m. I heard a noise and the ground shook just a little.  It was as though a semi truck drove behind the house.  I remember thinking, "Wow, that was a big truck...except there is no road in my backyard..."  I googled 'earthquake San Diego' and my suspicions were confirmed.  Since then, I have felt a few more minor earthquakes, each one just a little different.

Identifying our most likely natural disasters is an important part of being prepared.  Fire is our #1 threat, with Earthquake probably being #2.  Are you ready?

San Diego County has a website, Neighbors Helping Neighbors, which gives great guidelines for emergency preparedness.

What do you do if you have 3 minutes to get out of your house, day or night?  Neighbors helping Neighbors says it better than I, "We recommend you assemble a 'First Three Minutes' kit for each member of your household and attach it to their bed. This kit is simple: it’s made up of a plastic drawstring bag containing sturdy shoes, a flashlight, leather gloves, a whistle, and lightweight clothes. All of these items are easy to get, and you probably have many of them already in your home. Get prepared for the first three minutes!"

I thought this was a great idea...it gives every member of your family what they need to safely get out of (and possibly away from) the house.  I plan to use my kids' shoes they have just about worn out and old clothes We don't care about (as I hope this kit never gets used).  Amazon has pretty cheap flashlights--don't forget the batteries--that would work in an emergency.  Grab a pack of inexpensive gloves from Lowe's (they come in packs of 3 for about $5).  Whistles can be bought on Amazon or in the party favor section of Target or Party City.  Throw it all in a white plastic drawstring garbage bag and tie it to the bed frame.  If you have kids, the clothes will need to be rotated about once a year or so.  Plan to do it at the end of the summer after back-to-school shopping.  This is so do-able.

I challenge you to put together 'First Three Minutes' Kit' for your family...and don't forget to tie them to the bed frame--it would take more than 3 minutes to find it if it is swimming under the bed!