At this very moment a raging wildfire in Boulder Colorado has already consumed 170 homes and threatens hundreds, perhaps even thousands, more. The fire is being fed by 60 mph winds as it encroaches into Boulder’s West Side. Authorites are telling residents to clear their yards of debris, and to collect important documents and valuables in preparation for an evacuation.
While this situation is tragic, it reinforces the need to “be prepared” ahead of time. I’m sure that many of the people who already lost their homes were unprepared and surprised by the swiftness that overtook their homes. I bet many of them are thinking that a little planning could have either saved their home, or at least preserved important documents and family heirlooms. I could be totally wrong in that maybe everyone was prepared. I doubt it. Too many times, I’ve talked to friends at the local watering hole about the importance of getting prepared. The discussion is always the same, “Yea, I know, I’ve got to get my act togetherand start preparing”. It seems that emergency preparedness is an permanent entry of many people’s to-do list. I have a hard time understanding this because the safety of their family is at stake. We don’t think twice about getting health insurance, or even AAA, but emergency preparedness seems to elude far too many of us.
I’m hoping that at least one person will take the necessary steps to get prepared after reading this.
Tell me your stories. I’d like to better understand the reasons why we procrastinate when we are surrounded by tragic examples that remind us of the importance of emergency preparedness every day.
I live in Southern California and wildfires are no stranger to me. My home and the homes of many family members have been threatened several times over the last few years.
