When I was young, my mother was doing some laundry while we were watching television in another room. My mother went to check on the dryer when she thought she smelled gas. She sprang into action, turned the dryer off and got the clothes out of it right away. Then she ran upstairs, got me out of the house and called the fire department.
As it turned out there was no fire or leak, but the fireman told her that her quick thinking would have saved our lives if there had been a fire. He also told her it was a good idea to get the clothes out of the dryer first as they provided an easy way for a fire to spread.
Fire safety concerns everyone. It’s important to know what is true versus what is a myth. It could mean the difference between life and death. In this article I will introduce some common myths and the facts that can help you to protect your home and your loved ones.
Myth 1: Water puts out all fires.
While water is adequate for ordinary combustibles, it is not good for other types of fires, such as electrical or grease fires. Below are the different classes of fires:
Class A: Wood, paper, cloth, rubber, trash, and plastics.
Class B: Flammable liquids, oil or petroleum products.
Class C: Old wiring and electrical appliances.
Class D: Combustible metals.
Class K: Oils and grease that can start kitchen fires.
Water should not be used to extinguish classes B, C or K. There are special fire extinguishers for putting out these types of fires.
Don’t: Put water on a grease fire. Do: Cover it with a lid.
Myth 2: There is plenty of time to evacuate.
After a fire starts, you have two minutes or less to get out. Fires can double in size every minute that you wait. This is why it’s a good idea to have an evacuation plan in place and to practice with fire drills. Everyone in your household should know what to do and how to get out. Be sure to include your family pets!
Two minutes is all you might have to escape a home fire.
Myth 3: If I have a smoke alarm, I don’t need anything else.
Wrong! Smoke alarms are one part of fire safety. They can detect and alert you to danger, but you also need to have the right equipment to put the fire out or to get out yourself. Be prepared by having fire extinguishers, fire blankets and an evacuation plan. You should also conduct fire drills to make sure everyone in your home knows how to respond and evacuate.
Install fire extinguishers in accessible areas and out of reach of children.
Myth 4: Flames are the cause of most fire fatalities.
Smoke and toxic gases cause injury and death long before the fire reach an occupant. In fact, most residential fatalities are caused by exposure to fumes and suffocation.
Create an escape plan. Practice your two-minute drill. Test your smoke alarms.
Myth 5: Opening windows will provide fresh air to help you breathe.
False! Fresh oxygen feeds the fire and makes it spread faster. Keep windows and doors closed.
Never open warm doors. Instead, use a second escape route.
A house fire is one of the scariest realities that humans face. It can be hard to act rationally when you are in fear for your own life and the lives of your loved ones. That is why understanding fire safety and having a plan in place are so important.
Familiarize yourself with common myths about fires. Have periodic fire drills so that your family can get out of home fast and safely. Practice evacuating in two minutes or less.
For more information about fire safety, visit redcross.org/fire. Here you’ll find articles about fire safety for kids and pets as well as holiday safety and a quiz you can take to assess your readiness for a house fire. Being prepared is key to saving lives within your home.
By Jeffrey Thompson, Philadelphia Fire Commissioner, and Jennifer Graham, CEO, American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania
Photo taken by an American Red Cross Disaster Action Team volunteer on the scene of a home fire in 2023.
Nearly three-quarters of Philadelphians believe they’re prepared for a home fire. However, a recent survey commissioned by the American Red Cross found that more than half don’t have a home fire escape plan, and only 6% have ever practiced one. That disconnect matters. The most common thing we hear after a home fire isn’t, “I wasn’t prepared.” We hear, “I didn’t think this would happen to me.”
From our different roles, we see the gap between confidence and preparedness play out across Philadelphia every day. The Philadelphia Fire Department responds to emergencies, and the Red Cross helps families navigate what comes next.
We’ve both witnessed those moments in the middle of the night. Families standing outside in pajamas. Children wrapped in blankets. Neighbors gathering on sidewalks trying to understand what happened. Firefighters moving quickly to ensure all people and pets are accounted for. And when the smoke begins to clear, Red Cross volunteers arriving with comfort, support and a plan for recovery.
Too often, preparedness is viewed through the lens of fear. We see it differently. Preparedness is an act of care. It’s making sure your children know how to get out safely if an alarm sounds in the middle of the night. It’s checking that your parents and grandparents have working smoke alarms. It’s taking a few minutes today to protect the people you love tomorrow.
Being prepared isn’t a moment in time. It’s a commitment. That’s why Fire Prevention Week is about more than fire safety tips. It’s about building a culture of preparedness across Philadelphia. A fire-resilient city isn’t defined solely by how effectively it responds to emergencies. It’s defined by how well residents prepare for them, how communities support one another afterward and how committed all of us are to preventing tragedy before it happens.
We often think about preparedness and recovery as the bookends of emergency response. On one end is prevention: smoke alarms, escape plans and education that can save lives before a fire occurs. In the middle are the first responders who answer the call when every second matters. On the other end is recovery: helping families find shelter, replace essentials and begin rebuilding after one of the worst days of their lives. A safer Philadelphia requires all three.
Two-minute challenge graphic. Only 6% of Philadelphians say they have practiced a home fire escape plan. Can everyone get out of your home safely?
This Fire Prevention Week, we’re asking Philadelphians to take four simple, lifesaving actions:
Test your smoke alarms. Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a home fire by half. They provide the critical warning families need to escape. Test them monthly, replace batteries as needed and make sure alarms are installed on every level of your home and inside every bedroom. Philadelphia residents can call 3-1-1 to request free smoke alarm installation.
Create a two-minute home fire escape plan. Many people are surprised to learn they may have as little as two minutes to escape safely after a smoke alarm sounds. Every household should identify at least two ways out of each room, establish an outdoor meeting place and make sure everyone knows the plan.
Practice your escape plan. Having a plan on paper isn’t enough. Walk through it with your family. Practice different escape routes. Make sure children, older adults and anyone with mobility challenges know what to do. When seconds count, preparation helps replace panic with action.
Follow lithium-ion battery safety guidance. As lithium-ion batteries become more common in phones, laptops, e-bikes and other everyday devices, they are also becoming a growing source of fires. Use manufacturer-approved chargers, charge devices on hard, flat surfaces in plain sight, avoid charging overnight and dispose of damaged or aging batteries properly. Fires caused by lithium-ion batteries can spread quickly, burn hotter and are difficult to extinguish.
What does a fire-resilient Philadelphia look like? It’s a city where every home has working smoke alarms. Where families have practiced escape plans and know exactly what to do when alarms sound. Where neighbors share fire safety information and residents understand emerging risks. It’s also a city where recovery support is quick, compassionate and supported by strong partnerships across the City.
Most of all, it’s a city where fewer families experience the heartbreak of losing a loved one to fire. That’s our shared goal: zero fire fatalities in Philadelphia. Every smoke alarm tested, every escape plan practiced and every conversation about fire safety brings us closer. Fire resilience isn’t built in a moment of crisis. It’s built in the moments before one.
American Red Cross Volunteer and Board Member Lisa Stokes. Submitted photo
As Philadelphia families prepare to spend more time indoors this fall and winter, Lisa Stokes has a message for residents: don’t wait until a disaster happens to think about fire safety.
Lisa knows firsthand how quickly a fire can change lives.
Her connection to the American Red Cross began long before she experienced a disaster herself. In 1997, her daughter Mariah was born at just 25 weeks, weighing only one pound. Doctors gave her only 72 hours to live.
Mariah survived thanks in part to blood transfusions provided through generous Red Cross blood donors.
“Those blood transfusions were made possible through the donations from total strangers to keep my daughter alive, to give her a chance to live,” Lisa said.
Years later, in 2013, a fire in a neighboring home spread and filled Lisa’s house with smoke and soot, destroying nearly everything inside, including the medical equipment her medically fragile daughter relied on daily.
Suddenly, Lisa and her two daughters had nowhere to go.
“I ended up standing in front of the Red Cross House just looking up like I cannot believe that I’m here,” she recalled.
The Red Cross House, located in Philadelphia, is the only facility of its kind in the nation. It provides temporary housing and support services for families displaced by home fires and other disasters.
When Lisa arrived at the Red Cross House, staff worked alongside her to accommodate Mariah’s unique medical needs.
“They were able to give me and my daughters a place to not only lay our heads, not only provide three meals a day for us, but they allowed a safe space for me to understand everything that happened to us and then begin to rebuild,” she said.
Today, Lisa shares her story to encourage others to prepare before disaster strikes.
“Fires can happen to anyone,” she said. “You don’t think it’s going to be you until it is.”
Her experience mirrors findings from a recent American Red Cross survey showing that while most Philadelphia residents believe they are prepared for a home fire, more than half do not have a home fire escape plan and very few have practiced one.
This Fire Prevention Week, the Red Cross and Philadelphia Fire Department are encouraging residents to take simple steps that could save lives:
Test smoke alarms regularly.
Create a two-minute home fire escape plan.
Identify two ways out of every room.
Practice fire escape plans with everyone in the household.
Follow lithium-ion battery safety guidance.
For Lisa, preparedness is about more than emergency plans. It’s about knowing help is available when people need it most.
After leaving the Red Cross House and returning home, Lisa made a promise to give back.
More than a decade later, she remains one of the region’s most dedicated Red Cross volunteers, serving in numerous roles and helping other families facing difficult moments.
“When people understand that there’s people out here willing to help you, it changes your perspective,” Lisa said. “Red Cross is it for me.”
As Fire Prevention Week reminds families to prepare for emergencies before they happen, Lisa hopes her story serves as a reminder that a few minutes spent planning today could make all the difference tomorrow.
Take a look around you. Do you see a phone? A laptop? Some other electronic device? Chances are, the answer is yes, and inside those devices are lithium-ion batteries.
Lithium-ion batteries are the most common type of rechargeable battery and are often used in consumer electronics. Their ability to store a lot of energy in such a small amount of space is what makes them so popular.
Most people use devices powered by lithium-ion batteries every day, multiple times a day, without even knowing it. From using an electric toothbrush in the morning, to riding an E-bike home in the evening, lithium-ion batteries follow us around as we go about our day.
However, even though they are such a benefit to society, we have to be aware of the dangers they present.
Lithium-ion batteries are highly flammable because they release heat as they generate energy. That heat has the ability to catch the internal battery components on fire. But don’t worry – your phone won’t randomly go up in flames one day for no reason. Physical damage, electrical damage, exposure to water, exposure to extreme temperatures, and product defects are how lithium-ion battery fires start.
The good news is that these fires are very easily preventable if you know how to properly charge, maintain, and dispose of lithium ion-batteries and the products that contain them.
Only use the cord and charger that came with your device or one approved by the manufacturer.
Charge devices on a hard and flat surface like a table or the floor.
Unplug your device once it is fully charged.
Charge large items like e-bikes, scooters, and power tools outside.
When on an airplane, keep devices where you can see them while charging and tell a flight attendant if you notice any problems.
Stop using your device if it feels hot, starts to swell, smells strange, leaks, smokes, or makes popping or hissing sounds.
Following all of these safety tips will prevent lithium-ion fires from happening to you. In a study by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, there is an average of 5,000 fires that occur annually due to lithium-ion batteries. While they may only account for a small percentage of household fires total, they burn hot, are hard to extinguish, and can be lethal.
In addition to knowing how to prevent lithium-ion battery fires, you should also know how to properly dispose of them. The batteries themselves and the devices that include them should never be tossed in the household garbage or recycling bins, as fires can happen during transport or in landfills.
Make the effort to dispose of lithium-ion batteries properly. The Battery Network is a good place to start. You can select your battery type and enter your zip code to find collection points near you. Many stores that sell large quantities of lithium-ion battery devices, like Home Depot and Staples have their own recycling programs. You can also contact your local waste management, recycling center or municipality for disposal locations.
Lithium-ion batteries will continue to be an important part of our lives as they are in the items we use the most each day. Even though they are such a benefit to society, they can be very dangerous if one does not take the proper steps to charge, maintain, and dispose of them. It is crucial to know how to prevent lithium-ion battery fires to stay safe.
Ahead of Fire Prevention Week 2026, Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Jeffrey Thompson and American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania CEO Jennifer Graham sat down to discuss their vision for a fire-resilient City of Philadelphia.
A woman maps out a home fire escape plan using a template from the American Red Cross. Photo by Brandon Thibodeaux / American Red Cross.
Despite high confidence in fire preparedness, a YouGov survey commissioned by the American Red Cross found that 54% of Philadelphia residents do not have a home fire escape plan and only 6% have practiced one, even though 73% believe they are prepared for a fire in their home. Because a fire can spread in as little as two minutes, having and practicing a home fire escape plan can make all the difference in an emergency.
To mark Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 4-10, the American Red Cross and the Philadelphia Fire Department have teamed up to help residents bridge the gap between confidence and preparedness and reduce the risk of home fires, one of the leading emergencies in the region.
“The Philadelphia Fire Department and the American Red Cross play different roles, but together we help ensure people don’t have to face recovery alone,” said Jennifer Graham, CEO of the American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania Region. “When I think about where Philadelphia could be five years from now, my hope is that preparedness becomes part of our culture, not just something we talk about after a tragedy.”
Home fires happen every day in Philadelphia. Since 2024, the Red Cross has helped more than 5,300 Philadelphia-area residents recover from home fires and other local disasters. To help prevent these emergencies, the Red Cross has installed an estimated nearly 2,000 smoke alarms in Philadelphia homes so far in 2026, providing residents with an early warning that can save lives. As temperatures get colder, residents may rely more heavily on heating equipment and other devices that can increase fire risks, making it especially important to test smoke alarms and have a practiced escape plan in place.
For families affected by a home fire, preparedness is only part of the recovery journey. After a home fire, families often need a safe place to stay while they begin to rebuild their lives. The Red Cross House, the only facility of its kind in the nation, provides short-term housing and support services in a safe, welcoming environment. Families stay in private rooms and have access to resources that help them recover and regain stability.
One resident who benefited from that support is Tammy Williams from Philadelphia. Earlier this year, Williams stayed at the Red Cross House after smoke from a fire in a neighboring home filled her house. When a Red Cross disaster responder assessed the conditions and determined it was unsafe for her to remain at home, she was encouraged to seek support at the Red Cross House while she navigated the immediate aftermath of the fire.
“Sometimes you don’t know what help is available, especially when you’re dealing with an emergency,” Williams said. “The person from the Red Cross looked at my home and told me, ‘Please let us help you.’ That kindness and compassion made all the difference. There are no words to describe it, and it’s priceless. The staff was so wonderful and welcoming. I was able to get my thoughts together, figure things out and have the time I needed to recover.”
The experience also changed how Williams thinks about fire safety.
“I do think about escape routes a lot now,” Williams said. “I know that when a fire starts, I may not have time to get out through the front door. I might need to use the back door or a window.”
While traditional fire safety hazards remain a top priority, the Philadelphia Fire Department is also seeing a rise in fires involving lithium-ion batteries. These batteries, which power e-bikes, electric vehicles, smartphones, and many other everyday devices, are increasingly being linked to fires.
The survey found:
Just 1 in 5 Philadelphia residents (20%) always verify that chargers are properly safety certified before purchasing them, despite safety experts recommending the use of certified chargers.
More than 4 in 10 Philadelphia residents (42%) report leaving devices charging overnight at least some of the time, despite safety recommendations to avoid unattended charging.
Among residents who own an e-bike or e-scooter, nearly half (46%) most often charge their devices near a doorway or primary exit, a practice that could make it more difficult to escape if a fire occurs.
Speaking about emerging risks associated with lithium-ion batteries, Commissioner Thompson of the Philadelphia Fire Department said:
“Lithium-ion batteries are in almost every Philadelphia home, and our firefighters see what happens when they fail. Use certified chargers, never charge overnight or near your exit, and stop using any battery that is swollen, damaged or hot.”
This Fire Prevention Week, the American Red Cross and Philadelphia Fire Department encourage residents to:
Possible items that could be included in an emergency kit. Public domain photo by Roger Brown.
If you had to build an emergency kit using only five items, what would you put in it? To find out what people would choose, I asked 10 people this question and recorded their answers. The group included seven high school students, one college student, and two high school teachers. Everyone had different ideas, but there were also several items that appeared more than once.
First-aid supplies were one of the most popular choices. Several people included items such as Band-Aids, gauze, rubbing alcohol, tourniquets, tweezers, scissors, and first-aid kits. One college student included gauze, an EpiPen, rubbing alcohol, Tylenol, and a phone. Several students also chose tourniquets, Band-Aids, or other medical supplies. One teacher included a first-aid kit, while another included Band-Aids and scissors.
Food and water were also common answers. Multiple students included water in their five items. Food was another popular choice, with people choosing things like energy bars and canned beans. One student chose water, food, a flashlight, a tent, and a phone. Another chose water, an energy bar, a tourniquet, an AED, and a phone.
Phones were another item that came up several times. Multiple students chose a phone as one of their five items, and one person chose both a cell phone and a satellite phone. One teacher also included a radio along with a cell phone. Other people chose items that could help with different emergency situations, including flashlights, emergency blankets, multitools, fire-starting kits, fire blankets, and tents.
Some of the answers were more unusual. One student chose a flare gun, while another included tinfoil and a towel. One teacher chose a fire blanket, and another chose a fire-starting kit and multitool. Although these items were not included by everyone, they showed the different ways people think about what they might need during an emergency.
There were also some important items that did not appear in the responses. No one chose important documents or identification, and no one included a portable phone charger or battery pack. Medications were also mostly missing, with only a few medical items such as an EpiPen and Tylenol being mentioned. Other things people could consider keeping in an emergency kit include emergency contact information, extra batteries, and supplies that are specific to their individual needs.
Overall, the answers showed that people think about many of the basic things they might need during an emergency, especially first-aid supplies, food, water, communication, and light. However, an emergency kit does not have to look the same for everyone. The most useful kit is one that fits the needs of the people using it and the types of emergencies they may experience.
Even though we cannot predict when an emergency will happen, we can prepare for one ahead of time. Taking a few minutes to think about what you would need and putting together an emergency kit can make it easier to respond when something unexpected happens.
The city’s most important infrastructure isn’t always visible. This summer, volunteers, emergency managers and community partners helped strengthen the systems that keep Philadelphia prepared.
By Jennifer Graham, CEO, American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania
Back in June, I arrived at the American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania headquarters at Seventh and Spring Garden streets before dawn. It was 5:30 a.m., and dozens of volunteers were already preparing for a long day ahead.
Some were serving breakfast and packing lunches. Others were charging emergency communications radios, organizing supplies, reviewing assignments and preparing transportation for teams headed across Philadelphia. The city was preparing to welcome tens of thousands of visitors for a series of major events, from international soccer matches and fan fests to celebrations connected to America’s 250th anniversary.
As I walked through the building, I met volunteers from every walk of life. Retirees. Working professionals. Students. Neighbors. Some had adjusted work schedules. Others had given up weekends with family. None of them expected recognition. Most people attending the events that day would never know they were there. Yet their work was helping support the city.
American Red Cross volunteers get briefed on the day’s assignments heading out into the field.
When we talk about infrastructure, we often think about roads, bridges, transit systems, utilities and public buildings. Those investments are essential. They allow a city to move people, goods and services safely and efficiently.
But after spending this summer working alongside the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management and many local, state and federal partners, I was reminded that cities depend on another form of infrastructure as well: people.
The networks of trained volunteers, emergency managers, nonprofit organizations, public servants and community partners who stand ready to support one another are every bit as important to a city’s resilience as the physical systems we can see. This summer offered a powerful example.
For 45 consecutive days, American Red Cross volunteers supported preparedness and coordination efforts tied to some of the region’s largest events. Volunteers filled hundreds of shifts and contributed nearly 10,000 hours. Behind the scenes, they supported stand-by evacuation centers and shelters, feeding operations, emergency communications, transportation logistics and volunteer coordination—ready to assist should conditions change unexpectedly.
Red Cross teams maintained a presence in emergency coordination efforts, working alongside city agencies and partner organizations to help ensure information and resources could be shared quickly and effectively.
Top: Government Operations volunteers Bruce Swift and Sandy Capoferri at the Philadelphia Emergency Operations Center (EOC) on June 19. Submitted photo. Bottom: Disaster Action Team Responder LeRoy Whitehead inside the mobile emergency operations center (EOC) at Lemon Hill on June 14. Photo by Aurora Reardanz / American Red Cross
At the same time, the Red Cross continued its everyday mission across Southeastern Pennsylvania. While supporting major events, we responded to home fires and local disasters, provided emergency assistance to families in crisis, collected lifesaving blood donations, trained the community in lifesaving skills like CPR and first aid and supported military service members, veterans and their families.
Much of that work happened quietly. And that is exactly how successful preparedness should look.
The best emergency management efforts are often the ones people never notice. Visitors arrive safely. Events run smoothly. Communities gather and celebrate. Potential challenges are anticipated before they become problems.
But those outcomes do not happen by accident. They are the result of months, and sometimes years, of planning, relationship-building and coordination. Organizations learn how to work together long before they need to. Trust is established before challenges arise. Communication systems are tested. Volunteers are trained. Responsibilities are defined.
By the time crowds fill stadiums and public spaces, an enormous amount of unseen work has already taken place. Building resilience before emergencies occur strengthens communities and reduces vulnerabilities when unexpected events happen. In that way, preparedness is fundamentally an infrastructure investment. Not an investment in concrete or steel, but an investment in human capacity.
Red Cross volunteers at a stand-by family reception center on July 4, 2026. Photo courtesy of Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management.
For me, one of the most inspiring examples from comes from two volunteers who spent much of their summer coordinating our volunteer workforce. Together, they recruited volunteers, managed schedules, organized assignments and helped ensure teams had the information and support needed to be successful. Over the course of the summer, they coordinated 325 volunteer shifts.
Most people attending events throughout Philadelphia never met them. But their impact was everywhere. Their dedication underscores an important truth about cities: the people who make communities function are not always the people in the spotlight. They are often the people working behind the scenes, solving problems, building connections and helping systems operate effectively.
Philadelphia has always been shaped by civic participation. Long before terms like “resilience” and “preparedness” became part of public policy discussions, neighbors here were organizing block by block, supporting one another and stepping forward when their communities needed help. That spirit remains one of the city’s greatest strengths.
The biggest lesson I took away from this summer is that preparedness is not a moment. It is a continuous commitment: a commitment to planning before problems occur, investing in partnerships before they are tested and maintaining readiness even when the spotlight is elsewhere.
It is also a commitment to recognizing that a city’s greatest asset is not its infrastructure alone, but the people who make that infrastructure work. Most will never receive public recognition for their contributions, but they demonstrated something worth remembering: behind every resilient city is a community of people showing up every day to make it stronger.
We invite you to put on a red vest and join us. Visit redcross.org/volunteer to find out how you can support our community.
The American Red Cross is proud to highlight the availability of preparedness materials in American Sign Language (ASL) specifically designed for deaf and hard of hearing communities.
Developed through support from a FEMA Fire Prevention and Safety Grant, the Red Cross ASL Disaster Resource Hub offers preparedness videos in ASL for hurricanes, wildfires, extreme heat, floods, winter storms and more.
In addition to resources on the hub, the Red Cross also provides its Be Red Cross Ready presentation in ASL as well as information about its popular Emergency app.
The Red Cross is committed to providing inclusive preparedness resources that help all people take steps to protect themselves and their loved ones before disasters strike and to help families and communities build resilience.
Visit redcross.org for accessible disaster safety and planning resources.
Hand holding a lantern flashlight. Public domain image by Amar Preciado.
It’s still National Preparedness Month, so let’s play a little Choose Your Own Adventure.
Today’s challenge: Could you make it 72 hours without power?
To build our adventure, I posed a few questions to my family group chat to see how they would handle three days without electricity.
Their answers ranged from practical to creative and, in one case, involved a private jet.
You’ll hear from them along the way.
But first, imagine this:
No lights.
No Wi-Fi.
No refrigerator humming in the background.
Your phone is at 37%, and that episode of The Bear you planned to watch will have to wait.
The lights flicker.
Everything goes quiet.
Your 72 hours begin now.
The power just went out. What do you grab first?
A. Your phone.
Obviously. You need to find out what happened, check on family and friends, and protect that remaining 37% battery like it’s the last electricity on Earth.
B. Flashlights and batteries.
Congratulations. Dare I say you have become the responsible person in the disaster movie.
C. Water and nonperishable food.
You’re already thinking ahead.
D. The generator.
If you have one, you’re deciding what actually needs power. And remember: generators should only be used outdoors and safely away from your home.
I asked my family a similar question:
How would you survive 72 hours without electricity?
Then Chantal responded: “I’m getting on a private jet and going somewhere with power.”
Fair enough.
Adventure over.
Except, as we went back and forth about taking this seriously and practically, Chantal had really thought about this.
Emergency supplies. Photo illustration by Jason Colston/American Red Cross
Night falls. How are you getting through it?
The house is dark. The Wi-Fi is gone. If you have children, someone has probably already asked, “When is the power coming back?” approximately 47 times.
What’s your move?
A. Get everyone comfortable.
Vanessa is ready with blankets, layered clothing, baby essentials, medications and whatever else everyone needs.
B. Break out the games.
Euphemia is going old-school with entertainment that doesn’t require Wi-Fi, electricity or a charger.
C. Grab a book.
Gloria has accepted the situation and is probably several chapters ahead of the rest of us.
D. Go to sleep.
Cass has concluded that the most efficient way to get through several hours without electricity is to be unconscious for them.
Depending on how long the outage lasts, rejuvenating oneself through sleep is a great way to pass the time.
Mid chat however Gloria raises an important question:
What season are we talking about?
Seventy-two hours without electricity during extreme summer heat is a very different experience from 72 hours after a winter storm.
The same is true depending on where you live and who is in your household. Young children, older adults, pets and anyone who relies on medication or medical equipment can change what “prepared” looks like pretty quickly.
Your phone hits 8%. What do you do?
George said he could manage without plenty of things, but losing his phone and computer would be difficult because they’re also his connection to other people.
During an outage, that matters.
You may be checking on family, looking for emergency information or trying to find out when power is expected to return.
Suddenly, that little red battery icon becomes considerably more concerning than usual.
What’s your move?
A. Keep scrolling and hope for the best.
B. Switch to low-power mode and start rationing your battery.
C. Reach for the portable power bank you remembered to charge.
D. Casually produce a solar charger and become everyone’s new favorite relative.
Portable chargers came up several times in our family conversation.
Enter Chantal, who continues her chatter and says we should meet at a central location. A place to check in and make sure we are alright and together. Have a family meeting place.
She’s an 80’s baby who remembers guidelines given before she had a cell phone.
She knows that phones need power. Networks can become congested. Messages may not go through. And sometimes the people in your household aren’t together when the power goes out. If you couldn’t call or text, would everyone know where to go or how to reconnect?
Or is the entire family emergency plan currently stored inside one person’s head?
Close-up of a person holding a smartphone. Public domain photo by Cottonbro Studio.
Welcome to Day Two. How prepared are you really?
At this point, the adventure is considerably less adventurous. The novelty has worn off.
Someone is asking about the refrigerator. Your battery supply is looking different than it did yesterday. And all those little things you depend on without thinking about them are suddenly very noticeable. Which preparedness category sounds most like your household?
A. “We can get through today.”
You have some water, food, flashlights and basic supplies. You’re not starting from scratch, but you may be discovering a few gaps.
B. “We have an emergency kit.”
Food, water, medications, batteries, chargers and other essentials are organized and reasonably easy to find.
C. “We have supplies and a plan.”
People know where things are, how to use them and what to do if the household gets separated.
And then there’s:
D. “Please consult Chantal.”
Remember Private-Jet Chantal?
While the rest of us were thinking about flashlights, bottled water and protein bars, Chantal was apparently preparing for an entirely different reality her checklist included:
Stored water.
Backup power.
Solar power.
A hand-crank radio.
A compass.
Water filtration.
Rice and lentils.
She plans on ensuring her nieces know how to read maps and find safe water.
I asked about making it through a 72-hour power outage.
Chantal prepared for civilization to reboot.
Excessive? Perhaps. However, she also made one of the better points to come out of our family discussion:
Having supplies is only part of being prepared. You also need to know what to do with them.
A flashlight isn’t very useful if nobody can find it.
A family plan doesn’t help much if only one person knows it.
And emergency supplies are only useful if they actually account for the people—and animals—living in your home.
Do you have necessary medications?
Supplies for babies or older adults?
Pet food?
Batteries that aren’t several years old?
And then there’s water.
The Red Cross recommends having one gallon of water per person, per day. For a stay-at-home emergency supply, the recommendation is enough water for two weeks.
Do that math for your household and suddenly those bottles at the back of the pantry may not look like quite so much.
The refrigerator has been without power for hours. What do you do?
A. Open it every 15 minutes to see if everything still feels cold.
B. Keep the doors closed as much as possible.
C. Start deciding which foods you would use first.
D. Realize you have absolutely no idea how long food stays safe without power.
If you picked B, you’re on the right track.
The natural temptation is to keep opening the refrigerator to check on things. Resist that temptation. Keeping refrigerator and freezer doors closed helps them stay cold longer. An unopened refrigerator can keep food cold for about four hours. A full freezer can maintain its temperature for about 48 hours; a half-full freezer, about 24.
Sometimes preparedness isn’t about buying another piece of equipment.
Sometimes it’s knowing what not to do.
Kitchen refrigerator and pantry. Public domain photo by Jonathan Borba.
Hour 72: The lights come back on. How did you do?
The refrigerator hums.
A light flickers on.
Someone celebrates because the Wi-Fi has returned.
You made it.
Now comes the useful part:
What did those three days reveal?
A. “We’re ready.”
Look at you. Chantal would be proud.
B. “We need a few things.”
Maybe more water, fresh batteries or another portable charger.
C. “We have supplies. Finding them is another matter.”
Three flashlights are considerably less useful when nobody knows where they are.
D. “Our entire emergency plan is ‘everybody call Mom.’”
That counts as a discovery. The point of this little adventure isn’t to prepare for every disaster imaginable or turn your basement into Chantal’s command center. It’s to identify the handful of things that would make an unexpected outage easier and safer for your household.
Know where your emergency supplies are. Keep enough water and basic food on hand. Think about medications, children, older adults and pets. Keep a portable charger charged. Decide how your family would reconnect if calling and texting weren’t an option. None of that requires preparing for the end of the world. It just requires doing a little thinking before the lights go out.
You don’t have to become Chantal. You just want your plan to be slightly more sophisticated than calling mom or trying to google it.
One Last Adventure: The Martian
If all this talk about stretching limited supplies has you looking for a movie night — because hey, what is a writing piece from me without a movie recommendation — add The Martianto your list.
Without giving too much away, astronaut Mark Watney finds himself facing the ultimate preparedness challenge: limited food, limited supplies, no quick rescue and a very long distance to the nearest grocery store. His circumstances are, hopefully, nothing like yours.
But the questions are familiar:
What do I have?
What do I need?
How long will it last?
And what happens if Plan A doesn’t work?
Consider it preparedness homework. A yummy snack of your choice is permitted.
And remember, choose wisely as your next adventure may not give you advance notice.
