Please, please, please, if you have not established an emergency plan
in your home to get your family, human or furry, out safely PLEASE do
it. We are now into the winter months and the emergency plan changes
a bit for those in colder climates. Once you get your kids out of the
house, apartment, trailer, or whatever structure protects you - be
sure you have a warm place to go. Neighbors, car, friends, relatives,
community building.

Do yourself a favor and have a winter drill. How long will it take you
to find your house/car keys? Wallet/purse, important papers? Do you
have hat, coat, boots, and gloves to deal with the cold for yourself?
Count to be sure you have all your ferrets or know how many you have
when you must leave. Have you got a warm place to put the carriers once
they get out the windows or someone rushes outdoors with them? Have you
thought of putting covers over your carriers to block any cold winter
winds? Are your carriers ready to go? Food? Water (snow can be used)

Each time we read of a false alarm or actual fire here on the FML I
re-visit my personal situation with 10 ferrets and make adjustments
just in case. Today I timed myself to see how long it would take just
to pull together car keys, hat, coat, gloves, boots and get all
carriers ready to load. It needs work and that is without the panic of
the moment. I now have a flashlight velcro-ed to the wall in the ferret
room just above the light switch. Now nothing blocks the window the
carriers would go out through..

Have a plan, so when we read your story it has a happy ending and you
don't question yourself forever as to what you might have done better
to save a life.

CR
Feed rescued animals in two clicks
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3
LJ

[Posted in FML 6576]