In case of Emergency
I had the fire chief in the house on Monday checking my fire alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, so I could get a certificate necessary to close on the sale of my house. I had not actually heard these alarms go off in years and forgot how loud they are. (Rei and Sage were hanging out in the car to minimize their participation in this event.)
As we tested each alarm, my first thought was that this is so LOUD, I dont think I coudl communicate well with my daughter to help her out of the house if there was a fire. She woudlnt hear my directions between the loudness of the alarm and her own panic. Note to self to remind her of what to do so we dont HAVE to talk. My second thought was that every animal I own would also freak and probably hide somewhere hard to find and grab them. The more I thought it through I realized I am not at all prepared for getting everyone out safely in an emergency.
I asked the chief if my dogs had barked at him from the car, he said no, but that at another house he went to recently for an alarm test the dog defended the house and the chief said there was no way he was going in there! The owner put the dog someplace safe so the chief could go in. This made me think a firefighter may not be able to rescue my animals, either. So I need a plan.
The dogs sleep in our bedroom, our door is closed, it would be easy to find, collar and leash them and rush them out to the car, wher ethey can be contained safely. Right now they sleep nekkid. So I need to either leave their collars on, or keep slip leads in the bedroom (??!!) The cats have the run of the house. I'd never be able to find them if they hid well and I was freaking out. I think they are just going to have to find their way out with the rest of us.
Despite all the "orange alerts" and so forth over the last ten years (not so much lately), I have never put together a real emergency box like you are 'supposed to' with a portion of their medicines, food and water for days, copies of all their documents and things. I do have a great supply box in the car but its more an in the field dog supply kit, with lots of first aid stuff, benadryl, extra leashes, a cloth muzzle, a water bottle, bowls, ropes, bags. blankets. I keep their rabies certs in the glove box.
I need to put some thought into it. I can't go into Red Dawn survivalist mode, but some things are so easy its silly not to do them.
Is anyone reasonably prepared for emergencies? How?
As we tested each alarm, my first thought was that this is so LOUD, I dont think I coudl communicate well with my daughter to help her out of the house if there was a fire. She woudlnt hear my directions between the loudness of the alarm and her own panic. Note to self to remind her of what to do so we dont HAVE to talk. My second thought was that every animal I own would also freak and probably hide somewhere hard to find and grab them. The more I thought it through I realized I am not at all prepared for getting everyone out safely in an emergency.
I asked the chief if my dogs had barked at him from the car, he said no, but that at another house he went to recently for an alarm test the dog defended the house and the chief said there was no way he was going in there! The owner put the dog someplace safe so the chief could go in. This made me think a firefighter may not be able to rescue my animals, either. So I need a plan.
The dogs sleep in our bedroom, our door is closed, it would be easy to find, collar and leash them and rush them out to the car, wher ethey can be contained safely. Right now they sleep nekkid. So I need to either leave their collars on, or keep slip leads in the bedroom (??!!) The cats have the run of the house. I'd never be able to find them if they hid well and I was freaking out. I think they are just going to have to find their way out with the rest of us.
Despite all the "orange alerts" and so forth over the last ten years (not so much lately), I have never put together a real emergency box like you are 'supposed to' with a portion of their medicines, food and water for days, copies of all their documents and things. I do have a great supply box in the car but its more an in the field dog supply kit, with lots of first aid stuff, benadryl, extra leashes, a cloth muzzle, a water bottle, bowls, ropes, bags. blankets. I keep their rabies certs in the glove box.
I need to put some thought into it. I can't go into Red Dawn survivalist mode, but some things are so easy its silly not to do them.
Is anyone reasonably prepared for emergencies? How?
Comments
Hmmm... I guess I should think about this. I trust Rakka to save herself more than Skella. Rakka would probably find a way out on her own if at all possible because she has good self-preservation skills. Skella would be more likely to get scared and just hide somewhere waiting for direction.
It's depressing to think about. Like making a will
So maybe doing drills with them in a controlled environment would be good. I would maybe suggest having someone standing by the door with the dogs and someone else setting the alarm off. That way the dogs are already by the door and can quickly get out. Do this a few times and then maybe try it with the dogs a room away from the door... so on and so forth?