Preparedness for when

valk_scot

fuddle wrote: »

I understand all you say, and agree with it wholeheartedly... it's just the mother in me would need to make sure my little ones were safe. If I had to evacuate, leave my village, I couldn't until I knew where my children were. If that means walking down to school then that is what I would do. It might not make sense to you all but it makes sense to me.

You wouldn't be much use to the kids if you were made ill or died due to being exposed to toxic waste while the kids were safely in the community centre five miles down the road, as per the school's emergency evacuation procedure. The kids would probably be gone by the time you got to the school anyway, if your school is as efficient as my local one is.

So really the best thing to do is to find out what would happen, there WILL be a set of emergency instructions for the parents somewhere, honestly. And knowing how the kids will be looked after would surely help the anxious bit anyway, no? Otherwise your imagination will run riot and all you'll see in your head is that the kids will be left standing crying in the playground while the teachers head for safety in their cars.

greenbee

Fuddle - maybe what you need to do is go and talk to the school about what their emergency plans are and maybe volunteer to be a helper. You don't want to put your kids (and others) at risk by preventing them carrying them out effectively, so talk to them. If they don't have a group text system, then ask whether they are going to put one in, and maybe help fundraise. Could you join the PTA or become a governor to build closer links with the school and feel more involved and in control?

mardatha

*quite wish I'd stuck to zombies now and left kids out of it * :rotfl::rotfl:

Byatt

But Mardy, that's the point of being prepared, facing your fears, realising there is a way to reduce them and doing the best you can. We can only find answers if we voice them and they are discussed, and part of any emergency is going to include wider issues such as children and pets...eta sorry I sound really up myself! :cool: The disadvantage of non verbal (written) communication...:rotfl::o:p

I know it's not relevant to me now, but I had no idea that schools had a plan...really good to know, even as someone without young children and stops me charging down to the local primary to "help"...:rotfl::eek:

eta: now zombies...Ama£on have people doing lists of things you would need. and as odd as it sounds there is some useful stuff listed.

Possession

Oh heck do I need to prepare for zombies as well?!
Byatt that sounds like it would be an interesting list!

valk_scot

Byatt wrote: »

Valk-scott, your post is spot on, but I think the telling thing is the parents had an opportunity to practise albeit unintentionally. If these emergencies are going to turn out well for all concerned, practise and reminders for both the children and their carer's should be the norm. Of course it's expensive so not going to happen...but some sort of knowledge is power.

I think the most telling thing about the unintentional practices was how many parents hadn't read the emergency procedures section in the school handbook which we all got given every year. There were quite a few parents that had simply run out the house down to the school in their slippers after having heard by word of mouth that there had been a bomb at the school and found the kids gone and were in absolute meltdown about it. Especially as the rumours started flying about and very few people actually understood what the original problem was, which was that there was a suspected hoax bomb call and the children had been evacuated to the community centre as a precaution. A teacher had been left at the school gate to reassure parents and to direct them to the community centre where they could sign their kids out from the class teacher but somehow the message wasn't getting through to some parents in their panic. But all of this was in the school handbook which, I say again, many parents simply hadn't bothered to read.

It's the old story. You can lead a horse to water.....

fuddle

zombies! I can deal with zombies!

Thanks for the feedback everyone. Is now the time to say I worked in comps, infants and junior schools for 10 years and that I know all about emergency procedures.... maybe not lol

Fruball

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

FRUBALL - If you are intending to use a stove indoors to cook or heat don't seal all the doors and windows or you run the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, better to have one you can open, close to where you are using the stove . Cheers Lyn.

You are right! I hadn't thought of that... I guess it would be cold baked beans out of a tin then!

mardatha wrote: »

*quite wish I'd stuck to zombies now and left kids out of it * :rotfl::rotfl:

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

It's all worth thinking about tho Mard - I hadn't considered the possibility of the school's evac plan but I intend to ask them once ours go back in Sept.

I have had a look at our local Thames Valley risk assesment though and the risk levels for certain emergencies makes for grim reading but it has helped me to realise that some preps of some sort are worth having.

A simple Grab Bag (Bug Out Bag just makes me crack up and feel insane!) with a few carefully chosen items is, to my mind now, essential.

Stores of food and water, and a way of cooking it - essential.

Alternative heating and lighting - essential.

None of these things are anything less than absolutely essential to my mind, (don't tell my Mother - she already thinks I am mentally insane, seriously!). I hope I never have to use them, but having them there may make the difference of a miserable few days/weeks or a slightly more comfortable time.

Gigervamp

My husband and son were zombies.....









They were extras in the film Cockneys Vs Zombies that's coming out at the end of the month. The trailer's funny, it has Richard Briers doddering along with a zimmer frame trying to escape a zombie. You can see the trailer here. (WARNING! Contains lots of swearing and gore.)

(Just thought I'd inject a little humour.)

Byatt

Valk, I am not sure I would remember there was an emergency procedures section in a schools handbook given out annually. Unfortunately the fight or flight hormones that kick in don't make us rational human beings, and I imagine I would be half way down the road as the word bomb was hardly out of a person's mouth, without a thought for anything except to get to my child.

I think however, if people are given fairly reasonable reminders over time in one form or another, then it might sink in. Seeing and reading something annually does not mean it resonates in any way with your reality.

It's a difficult one...