We know that one of the best ways to be ready for emergencies is to practice your plans. That’s why fire drills exist, yeah? The problem is that practice drills can be a pain in the butt. They disrupt the flow of the day, obviously, and interrupt whatever was happening at the time. But if you can make them fun, that can help reduce the annoyance factor.
Practice Drills Work
Let’s take just a moment to make sure you understand the importance of drills and dry runs. One of the best examples of this occurred on 9/11. Rick Rescorla was the VP of Security for Morgan Stanley. That business occupied several floors in the World Trade Center. For years, Rescorla insisted in conducting evacuation drills every three months. He was convinced the World Trade Center was a prime target for terrorists, and he wanted his people prepared in the event of an attack.
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When American Airlines Flight 11 struck the WTC North Tower, Rescorla ordered employees to evacuate. His quick action, coupled with the dozens of evacuation drills he’d done, saved 2,687 employees. They knew what to do, they knew where to go. Rescorla lost his own life when the building collapsed shortly after he’d gone back in to see if everyone had gotten out.
House Fire Drill
House fires spread very quickly, and you may only have a few minutes to get out safely. With that in mind, it’s critical everyone in the home knows what to do. One way to make this practice drill fun is to make it a good-natured competition. Who can get out of the house the fastest?
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As you watch the drill unfold, pay attention to the little things. Did they feel the door before they opened it? Did they stay low to avoid most of the smoke that would be in the air?
Bug Out Drill
If you need to evacuate, it’s important to be able to do so quickly. You might not have a lot of time to mull things over. Make sure every family member knows their role, from grabbing pets to snagging the bug out bags from the front closet.
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You could make this a fun practice drill by adding a timed element. For example, start with a 10-minute time limit where everyone needs to be in the car and ready to roll. With more practice, see if you can get it down to under five minutes. You could also award bonus points for having the proper items packed in their evacuation kits.
Power Outage Drill
This is one I suggest you allow for a little advance warning and let family members know it’s coming, at least for the first practice drill. The idea here is to pretend you’ve lost power for at least a full day, preferably a weekend or longer. Some instructors advise actually shutting off the switches in the breaker box, but I don’t know that you really need to go that far with it. Establish some basic rules, though, like nobody can go into the fridge or freezer for anything, as in a real emergency the contents might not be salvageable.
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There are a few ways to interject fun into this practice drill. It’s an opportunity for everyone to take turns cooking over a campfire. You could even let them practice various methods of getting that fire going in the first place. Family members can take turns suggesting games to play, since nobody will have their face stuck in their phone. Inside the house, see who can name all of the places they can find a working flashlight. At night, take turns telling or reading stories aloud.
After Action Reports
After each practice drill, talk as a family about how it went.
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One of the most critical elements of practice drills is the after action report. This is where you discuss what worked well, what didn’t, and how to improve. Do not turn this into a chastisement session. You’re not a drill sergeant. Commend family members for what they did right, help them understand where things went wrong, and discuss as a group how to do it all better next time.
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