This is going to be such a ‘feel good’ post, I feel like the only missing detail is some dark, scary, anxiety-producing music playing in the background that is impossible to turn off without restarting your computer. Humor me by reading along anyhow, because this is important stuff.

Neighbors and perhaps some officials are frantically yelling through the neighborhood and knocking on doors telling people to get out now. Fire is approaching. The wind is out of control. Images of recent ‘firenados’ race through your mind.

Can you leave your house with your family in one minute or less with everything that you need? ‘One minute’ is not a trivial number being thrown out, as minutes and even seconds can count in an evacuation scenario. Hundreds, likely thousands, are evacuating. Is there a place to go? Can you get there? Do you have provisions for your family once you are out of immediate fire danger? What if you cannot find a place to stay?

Countless families are experiencing just that in California right now. We watched in horror during the past week where tragic fires struck Greece. Closer to home, we watched in horror as people desperately fled the fast-moving fires in Gatlinburg two years ago. One of many factors that prompted the idea of Stand2 last year was knowing families that faced middle-of-the-night evacuations in California.

It does not have to be a fire; insert another emergency where immediate evacuation becomes necessary.Sometimes an emergency is forecasted, but that might not always be the case.

It stinks to think and talk about this stuff, and I like wearing my rose-colored glasses too, but thinking about/acting on the importance of ready-to-grab-fully-equipped-go-bags might be worth your time and effort. There are certainly basic staple items for go-bags, but specific needs of each family can vary. There is a plethora of information out there for putting together go-bags (or ‘bug out’ bags, if you want another search term). And there are a lot of moving parts to think about, such as pre-designating who will get the animals, who will get the kids, are the kids old enough to have a responsibility in such a scenario, etc, etc, etc.

My suggestion is to make it a priority. And if you want a little help, a lot of help or specific expert advice for your family, that’s what we’re here for.

Whew. I need a glass of wine now. Or several.