There are three phases of response to a disaster.

The first reaction is disbelief. The thought that this can happen to us is unbelievable.

The second response is to evaluate what you should do next. You may see the flashlight on the counter and go-kit by the door, but you just don't think to pick them up. A few people never move beyond this stage and have to be directed in all their actions during a crisis.

The third and final stage, is the action phase. Now you just kick into action and begin dealing with the situation.

The amount of time it takes you to progress to the action phase is largely dependent on how much you have thought through the disaster before it happens. Thinking through possible scenarios helps you deal more positively and appropriately when the time comes.

House fires move quickly and are deadly.

Most house fires are preventable. The sad thing about them is that most of the time, they could be avoided with a few safety precautions.

• Replace older style fuse boxes, push button light switches, and old wiring.
• Do not leave heat producing appliances or appliances with motors plugged in when not in use. This includes vacuums. We recently had a friend who left home during an extended power outage to spend time at the home of a friend. When a neighbor called to say the power was restored, they were ready to crawl into bed, but decided they should go home and check things instead. Upon arriving home they discovered that their vacuum had been left plugged in and was running. Apparently, it was running and not disconnected when the power went down, and by the time they got home it was overheated and would definitely have caused a fire or hopefully blown a circuit breaker before morning.
• Don’t overload extension cords. Most people realize there are limits to the load we can put on a light duty extension, but we all need reminding.
• During the holidays, use flame resistant, UL approved, decorations.
• Discard appliances or lamps with worn or frayed cords, or replace the cords.
• Keep fabrics away from heaters and fireplaces. Keep the area behind clothes dryers clear of clothing items that fall there by mistake, and clear of lint as well.
• Place fire extinguishers throughout the home, and make sure they can put out electrical fires, flammable liquid fires, and fabric, wood, and glue fires. Always have an extinguisher in the kitchen. More fires begin in the kitchen than in any other room in the home. When heating oil or foods that splatter grease, use a splatter guard or cover with a lid.
• Never leave candles lit when leaving home. Never leave candles lit during a power outage, to provide light during the night.

Preparing before something happens can save the lives of your family and make recovery an easier process.

• Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors on every floor in your home. They should be in the kitchen, outside bedroom doors, and near heaters and water heaters. Alarms should be checked at least once a year and batteries replaced. Smoke from a fire will put you into a deeper sleep and alarms will help prevent you from becoming a victim of smoke inhalation.
• Practice fire drills. In a recent Canadian survey, 75 % of those interviewed said they never held a fire drill. It is important to create as many different scenarios as possible and to hold drills often with your family. Remember your family members will get to the action phase during a crisis faster if they have thought through and practiced a disaster scenario. Hold some drills during the day and some during the night. For the night time drills, blindfold your children. Practicing in this way will help them understand that during a real fire it will be dark. It will also help them during a fire to feel confident about their actions. Be sure to end your drill only after everyone has arrived at your safe meeting place. This should be far enough away from the home so you are safe. It is also important to remember that fire engines will be on their way, so it is critical that you do not cross streets where you may be hit.
• Practice opening doors and windows. Be sure every family member understands how to unlock doors and windows.
• Practice rolling or sliding out of bed and then crawling toward a wall. Remember, "smoke goes up so we go down". Teach children to crawl toward a wall, touch it, and follow it to the door. Be sure every family member understands that fires move quickly and you do not take time to get dressed or to grab items.
• Practice feeling the door to detect fire on the other side. Using the back of your hand place it near the top of the door and slide your hand down the door. Heat rises so it is important to work from the top down. If the door is hot do not open it.
• If the door is hot and cannot be opened, you should follow the wall to a nearby window or other exit. Practice this during your fire drills by standing outside the bedroom door and yelling "there is fire out here".
• Practice breathing through a wet cloth should you become trapped or need to crawl through heavy smoke. This will help to filter the smoke and give you more time before smoke inhalation becomes a problem.
• Children should practice exiting on their own in case mom and dad cannot get to them.
• Teach your children to stop, drop, and roll should their clothing catch fire.
• Purchase escape ladders for bedrooms on the second floor. If you live in an apartment on the second or third floor you should also purchase ladders. They come in both sizes.
• Keep a flashlight or glow sticks next to each bed to aid in your escape. Be sure batteries are fresh.
• Keep a whistle next to beds. This can be used to signal family members of the fire, or to signal fire fighters as to your location.
• Create a floor plan of your home and determine two exit strategies from each room. Post the plan in a conspicuous location where everyone can see it often. The visual reminder will help make escape decisions easier during a real fire.
• Create a household inventory by photographing or making a video recording of everything you own. Send this and a copy of your insurance papers to an out of area contact. See Meridian article: Make Time for a Home Inventory.
• Review your insurance to make sure you have proper coverage and that any expensive items or heirlooms that need additional coverage are covered. See Meridian article: Insurance: Part of Being  Prepared

Yes, a house fire can happen to any of us. Hopefully we will never have to endure this trial. If one should be in our future, we can prepare now to give our family the best possible chance for survival.

For help with your self reliance preparations and for updates on the progress of the H1N1 flu, visit Carolyn's blog at: blog.TotallyReady.com