Your Master Action Plan

Five Things You Can Do Now

Complete worksheet 4.1, “Family Emergency Assessment,” to evaluate your preparedness level.
Identify three priorities for you family preparation. Use worksheet 4.2, “Master Action Plan.”
Determine a primary meeting place and an alternative meeting place for your family in case of an emergency.
Make a “walk home” plan in case transportation is halted.
Plan a “surprise” three-day family drill.

Family Emergency Assessment

As a family , make a checklist of all the things you think are important in responding to an emergency. This is highly individual, so your checklist will be unique. What are the possible scenarios? What resources do you have available? What are your basic shelter, water, food, and communication resources? What things do you need to improve upon? Use worksheet 4.1, “Family Emergency Assessment,” to assess your family’s level of preparedness. Worksheets can also be found as downloadable PDF files on our website, CrisisPreparedness.com.

Determining Your Priorities

The first step in creating a Master Action Plan is to assess needs. Since personal and financial needs vary widely, you should determine your priorities based on the discussions in the previous chapters.

Begin by developing a list of goals for personal preparedness, then make a separate list of goals for acquiring supplies. Finally, list any financial goals that will help you be prepared. Use this chapter and subsequent chapters to create these lists. Next, prioritize the listed items.

Table 4.1 here outlines some possible priorities for material supplies. Use worksheet 4.2, “Master Action Plan,” to help you organize your priorities in all three areas. It can also be found on our website, CrisisPreparedness.com.

A Realistic Timetable

Once you determine your priorities, you’ll need to set specific goals. Realistically, your timetable will be a compromise between urgency and available resources. With your timetable as a guide, set a target date for each of the items on your lists . Use worksheet 4.3, “Inventory Planning Checklist,” or from our website. List the amount needed, target date, storage location, and check off when achieved.

Purchase items to complete the inventory planning checklist consistent with your needs and means. Using the amount allowed by your budget, build a master shopping list showing your planned month-by-month purchases. Use worksheet 4.4 or from our website.

Now you are ready to implement your plan .

Three Levels of Preparedness

If you have not already established your vision for preparedness, this is a good time to give it some serious thought. Your vision will likely include one or more levels of preparedness.

Level 1—Minor Disruptions

The first level deals with relatively minor disruptions—things that benefit from minimal yet thoughtful preparation. They are small-scale events, local and isolated, lasting only a short time. They need immediate action and may affect just your family. For example, this level of preparedness could be as simple as having gear in your car in case you’re stranded in a blizzard. Or it might be isolated to one community with the likelihood of outside help rallying quickly. Either way, you are on your own for a while and want to be as self-reliant as possible.

Level 2—Significant Emergencies or Crises

The second level of preparation is for longer-lasting, regional or national emergencies where transportation and utilities may be significantly disrupted or other circumstances such as pandemics require you to shelter at home for weeks or months. In some circumstances it may include evacuating your home. This level of preparedness also includes temporary personal economic crises, like income loss.

Level 3—Large-Scale Catastrophes

The third level of preparation is for large-scale catastrophic crises. This could include financial upheaval or societal breakdown. Some call it Global Pandemic, Armageddon, Peak Oil Collapse, SHTF, TEOTWAWKI, or Apocalypse. No matter what name you give it, it comes from a healthy distrust of the status quo and the fragile nature of our interdependent society. It also comes from a strong inner conviction that you determine your destiny and you are prepared for whatever comes.

Putting Your Plan into Practice

Keep Track and Update

With time, your stockpile will grow and your preparations will take shape. It is important to rotate your supplies. Use a simple inventory control system to keep things up-to-date and fresh. Establish a regular schedule for monitoring your inventory, and update your lists as situations change. Refer to “Inventory Control” for more information about tracking inventory.

Trial Run

Practicing for an emergency can help you identify preparedness strengths and weaknesses. Develop a plan with your family, considering the potential disasters you may face.

You might want to stage a three-day trial run to help identify any weak spots in your preparations. This test lasts seventy-two hours and consists of surviving as though a crisis has deprived you of all outside assistance and services. How will you manage without electricity? What precautions will you need to take if you have open flames? How will you properly vent alternative fuels? What about water and sanitation?

Worksheets to Help You

Use worksheets 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, and 4.4 to create and execute your Master Action Plan . For downloadable PDF files, go to CrisisPreparedness.com.

Worksheet 4.1 Family Emergency Assessment
Possible Disasters Our Family Might Face	Resources We Need to Be Safe	What We Already Have in Place	What We Need to Improve	ü When Completed
Disaster Possibility #1:	Shelter: Water: Food: Communication:
Disaster Possibility #2:	Shelter: Water: Food: Communication:
Disaster Possibility #3:	Shelter: Water: Food: Communication:
Disaster Possibility #4:	Shelter: Water: Food: Communication: