Prepare: Are you ready to evacuate?

MAT- Su — Monday marks the 18-year anniversary of the Miller’s Reach Fire. Many residents remember being told to evacuate their homes during the June 1996 blaze. In some cases, there was little time to spare.

Michieal Abe, of the Wildfire Mitigation Program for the Mat-Su Borough, said the same thing could happen again, at any time. And while it’s human nature to think we are impervious to disaster, a small amount of planning can spell the difference between chaos and catastrophe in an emergency.

While there are hundreds of websites and books that deal with emergency preparedness, Abe shared a few steps almost everyone can take, most of which cost nothing and take little time.

There are two kinds of preparation, she said. Many emergency preparedness websites focus on more long-term essentials, like stocking up on food and water, and that’s very important. However it’s also important to be ready to go at a moment’s notice.

“You can have a situation where you have this mad scramble, where you’ve got maybe five or 10 minutes — or less — to get out,” Abe said. This can happen during a wildfire when winds shift, moving the fire toward homes that were previously in a safe area, or in the case of an earthquake or even a house fire.

“As humans, we tend to have an ostrich mentality sometimes,” she said. “We think bad things are never going to happen. And then when they do, sometimes we panic.”

Abe said in such cases, people should focus on the Five Ps: people, pills, pets, pictures and paper. Get everyone out safely, grab necessary medications, and take care of pets and livestock. Then, consider personal property.

“Rather than running out of the house with photos and paperwork thrown in boxes,” Abe said, “take a moment and scan your important documents — the deed of your house, family photos, insurance documents; write down all the serial numbers for your large appliances, your guns, the VIN numbers of your cars.” Download all of the files onto a thumb drive, and store them somewhere safe — a safe deposit box or with a friend who lives across town, she suggested.

Then, she said, it’s a good idea to take photos of everything you own for documentation purposes.

“Some people take videos and go around their entire home, so there’s a record of everything they have. That way if, God forbid, you have to make an insurance claim, you have everything right there.”

Another key point Abe stressed is to always have enough fuel in vehicles to drive away from the scene of an emergency. “For example, it’s common fire department policy never to park a vehicle with less than ¾ of a tank of gas,” she said. “Which is a great idea.”

One thing people might not consider, Abe said, is the need for appropriate clothing and shoes that are easily found during the chaos.

“A lot of people keep a pair of sturdy shoes, socks and a flashlight right there under their bed because, think about it: if there’s an earthquake, how much broken glass will there be on the floor? Would you be able to even find your boots by the front door? Especially if it’s dark?”

Another easy way to be prepared is to keep cash on hand.

“If it’s a situation where you have to evacuate, who knows, the ATMs might not be available,” Abe said. How much to keep on hand will differ for everyone, she added. “It’s all a matter of how big is your family and how much do you like to eat.”

Abe cautions that children, especially, have a difficult time in emergencies, so she strongly advises having a grab-and-go bag for each child in your household.

“Just having a change of clothing, a favorite toy and a book or other non-electricity-dependent entertainment can make all the difference,” she said. “That way, kids feel like there is at least one thing under their control. That’s very important.”

Also, Abe said, parents assume their children know how to contact them in an emergency if they’re separated.

“Make sure your kids know all of the numbers — their mom and dad’s real name, their home phone and cell phone numbers, their address.”

That’s especially important for parents who commute to work, she said.

“If your children are in school or in daycare while you’re at work, make sure you have an alternate that can pick them up if you get stuck, you know if the Knik Bridge gets washed away or something and you can’t get to them. Because if you haven’t authorized someone ahead of time, the school can’t release them.”