How Often Do You Exercise?

Group exercises can be fun, particularly when they are done in the context of emergency preparedness.  Individuals, families, businesses and all organizations should consider practicing aspects of how you would respond during an emergency. 

Now, some of you will immediately say out loud that you do practice your fire drills (which are often "required" in most workplaces), but how many of you actually consider AND practice together:

• Responding to bomb threats?
• Communicating with your employees, customers or family without email or phones?
• Accounting for all employees or family members after an emergency?
• Knowing what to do about a hazardous material spill in your lunchroom?
• Being the first person on-scene to a medical emergency in your office or in the community?
• Relocating your business affairs to an alternate location?

Just like the natural human tendency to complain about physical exercise, it is often hard to get people to "desire" to practice emergency response.  However, the more practice one has, the better your brain will remember what to do in times of crisis.  Just like physical exercise builds muscle memory, preparedness exercises build your survival instincts.   

Today, CRESA facilitated an emergency preparedness exercise with two of our local cities and fire district.  It was a lot of fun to walk through a severe storm scenario and consider the roles, responsibilities and key issues that would be facing their community in a time of crisis.

Consider today how often you, your family, and your workplace exercise the skills necessary to survive on your own in times of crisis.