Emergency Evacuation Preparedness

[Iwantapony]

For those of you living in wildfire prone states, this website is an excellent resource for emergency planning.

http://goldevacuation.webs.com

It has downloadable forms to compile horse and trailer information & emergency contacts. For example, if you're out of town, who will evacuate your horse? If you own a trailer and you are not available, who can use your trailer to help? Where will your horses go?

Take the time to prepare your barn and then hope you never have to use it!

[Blinkers On]

Good post, thanks!
I know for the house I have tamper proof, fire and water proof safe's for important paperwork, memory cards, pictures, dog medical records, banking info, etc... What I don't want to loose that I don't need to carry at all times. But that's just human stuff.

[Iwantapony]

When we had to evacuate I was amazed at what I was willing to leave behind. It comes down to what is really important in your life.
I gave a lot of stuff away to Salvation Army in the weeks that followed!

When you get to talking with people at the barn and start making actual plans it's amazing what details and suggestions come up. The forms on the website are great.

[BLBGP]

Made me mad that on CNN they just talked about a horse being locked in a barn that burned down. Unless the fire started in their backyard, the owners had plenty of time to prepare, haul out their horse, or at the very least, turn the poor thing loose with spray paint on it for ID. But no, they evacuated and left it in the barn. Prepare, please. Here's more info for small pets: http://www.spcamc.org/disaster-preparations.htm

[Iwantapony]

Oh, that's a horrible story.
In California, at least, wildfires seem to be a yearly occurrence. I'm hoping people will talk about evacuation plans before they need it. When a disaster happens people are stressed and it's hard to make quick decisions. If you have all the information at hand (the forms available on the site) then it's so much easier to just put your plan in action.
And thanks for the addition of the small animal guidelines, too.

I hope the people that locked their horse in the barn get charged with animal neglect and cruelty. That is shameful.

[KLS]

Here's a link to a fantastic resource booklet (in .pdf, but can be obtained in hardcopy) that someone on this BB helped put together years ago. It's been revised and updated several times, and is quite comprehensive.

IMO, it's a must-print-out.

"What Do I Do With My Horse In Fire, Flood, and/or Earthquake?"
http://www.calclassics.net/EmergencyHorse2005.pdf

[Iwantapony]

I just hope people get the information and actually put together a plan before it's a desperate situation. It's great to have a list of important supplies, but vital to actually purchase those supplies.

We used the forms on http://goldevacuation.webs.com to compile information on all the horses at the barn (there are 80) and now we know who trailers which horses, where to go, what to bring, etc. Several trainers & horse owners met to discuss it and help formulate our plan.
We have owners & horses at the barn who weren't there 2 yrs ago when we evacuated, so it's good for them to know what to expect & what their responsibilities are.

[baysngreys]

When I lived in Ramona, the fires nearby were very scary.
I had 6 horses on the property and a two-horse trailer.

Someone asked me what my evacuation plan was? If I could only make one trip (the roads are often closed when you come back for the "second load") which 2 of the 6 would I take?

The 2 oldest, who would have no chance on their own?
The 2 youngest and most vaulable, but insured?
The 2 boarders?

I finally decided that the first 2 that got on the trailer would be the ones riding down the canyon instead of "hoofing" it.

It really is teriffying to think about. Especially if you were put in a position of only being able to take what you could fit in your car or one trailer load.

Spent one year there - moved back East!

The Fall after we left the fires jumped the Hwy into the Estates where we used to live.
I must have an Angel looking after me!

[Iwantapony]

Ramona is a wonderful place to live, but, yes, the fire danger is real.
Trailering several loads of horses was nearly impossible during that evacuation (and probably any) because the traffic jams were terrible.
Now that we have a plan, we have more trailering options & back-up arrangements.
Luckily, horse people are generally kind and generous and willing to help in a crisis. It's just important to know who to call when you need the help ~ and thus, the importance of an actual plan!