Don’t Forget the 7 Ps!
Have you ever thought about what you would take if you had to pack up and leave your home in a hurry?
I posed that question to my Org4life News readers a couple of summers ago during one of our particularly bad fire seasons here in New Mexico. Brenda K. had just evacuated her home in Los Alamos due to the forest fire raging there at the time. She told me she followed “The 7 Ps” when packing up her car:
What would you take if you had to pack up and leave your home in a hurry? Don't forget the 7 Ps! Click To Tweet
The 7 Ps:
- People
- Pets
- Personal computer
- Prescriptions
- Papers
- Photos
- Phone (& charger)
I’ll admit it was the first I’d heard of “The 7 Ps”. But I like them because they make so much sense!
Additional Ps:
Here are some additional Ps that I collected from Facebook fans and newsletter subscribers:
Purse — me
Pillow — Marie M.
Pistol — Martin H.
Peripherals (external back up hard drive) — Jane E.
Personal address book (paper version) — Nancy M.
Positive attitude while on the road — Keith P.
Makes you think, doesn’t it? What would YOU take? Are you prepared?
I’m thinking of fires because that’s what we have a lot of here in New Mexico, and also in Southern California, where I spent the previous few decades. But the 7 Ps could apply to any natural disaster.
Just for fun, I Googled “7 Ps” and came up with this British military adage:
Proper Planning and Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance.
Well…If the shoe fits…!
—————————————————————————
Copyright 2013 by Hazel Thornton, Organized For Life.
Social media links directly to this page are encouraged!
Please contact me for other types of reprint permission.
—————————————————————————
Share this:
6 Comments
Leave a Comment
Great thought-provoking article–just in time for Emergency Preparedness Month.
I would add, ‘Potty Seat’ for my three year old in training… 🙂
I think probably everyone has their own unique “P”!
I can’t think of anything else I’d grab if I had to leave in a hurry (starting with P or otherwise), but if I was going to be ultra prepared with a “go bag” I would probably include Pyjamas, Panties, Pet food, and Personal hygiene items.
Yes, I would definitely recommend a “go bag”…or at least a VERY handy list, because I would never be able to remember all my Ps in a true emergency!
I know I’m late to this conversation, but I just came across it. Very helpful, especially since we’ve experienced wildfires since living here in Austin. I’d definitely take my people, pets, purse, phone, thankfully have lots of stuff in the cloud, so might take a few photos, my Macs & husbands PC’s & be prepared with a list of all of this placed in our emergency cabinet that contains emergency gear, by the back door that leads to the garage. We also have a family fire plan for evacuating safely. Thanks for this post Hazel.
Sounds like you’re well prepared, Randi! And it’s never too late to get prepared…or to comment on my blog posts! I, too, am comforted by the things I have stored “in the cloud” (unlike some, who mis-trust it).