Family Defense Plan
DISCLAIMER: The information provided is for general informational purposes only, and One Hundred Concepts and its agents are not liable for any damages or losses arising from its use or reliance.
Why Do You Need This Tool?
This tool probably isn't meant for you, but I think you need it. Let me explain.
If you're like me, you have the innate masculine desire to be dangerous and to protect what is important to you. (Good, Dangerous, and Free...) This also means, you likely have most of the information in this tool memorized. You've thought through most scenarios and how you can minimize risk from events outside your control. I commend you for that! If that's true, then why does this plan exist?
I created this guide for my wife. Since having children, she started asking more questions about how to keep herself and our children safe. I was thrilled to share what I have spent years learning! And in my eagerness, I soon inundated her with an overwhelming volume or preparedness information.
This approach wouldn't work, and arguably shouldn't. I want my wife to be prepared, but I also don't want her to be me. There is beauty in our unique gender roles. A man builds a house, his wife makes it a home. He builds a fence around it, she plants flowers inside it.
I decided the best solution was to teach her practices to increase her spatial awareness, and tools to help her recognize and avoid danger so she can get home. Once home, this plan is a guide to walk her through potential scenarios in the case that I am not yet home. It is by no means comprehensive, but it gives me some peace of mind knowing that my wife has this tool to implement risk-mitigating steps in my absence.
But this tool has additional benefits!
- Memory Aid: During an emergency, when stress is high, even the most knowledgeable people can be forgetful. Or you might have made a plan
- Babysitters: Maybe your whole family are medical whizzes. But what about your niece that babysits for you on Wednesday evenings? Would your kids be safer if she had this tool?
- Printing Digital Information: Most of us don't have many phone numbers memorized anymore. If you lost your mobile phone, you might not be able to contact a loved one in an emergency. Without WiFi, you might not be able to report the power outage to your electric company.
- Makes you Make a Plan: The act of making this plan may make you think through scenarios you hadn't previously pondered. In doing so, you will undoubtedly discover vulnerabilities that you can then address.
- Curriculum: I try to review this plan with my family at least once a year. In doing so, I hope that we all begin to memorize how our family responds to emergencies, and that my kids learn a calm and methodical approach to mitigating risk and solving problems in an emergency.
How To Use It:
Download the PDF and get familiar with the frameworks first! There's a table of content on the first page that should make it pretty clear. As you skim the template you, you will realize that I simply replaced all of the personal information with generic data. If you live in South East Tennessee you may find the information about tornadoes, nuclear reactors, and specific radio frequencies very useful.
Otherwise, you should see the template as an example, a structure to be tailored to your unique life, environment, etc. I am not an expert in most of these subjects, but I have tried to consult with experts in creating this tool. I recommend you read through the whole guide and ensure that the information is correct to your knowledge and that the responses to emergencies align with your philosophy of preparedness.
I frequently update and improve this plan for my own family. If you find any errors in it, please share them with me via the contact form on the website and I will be sure to fix any errors and update the file on the website.
Once you've tailored the guide for yourself, print in out and hang it on the fridge! Put them in page protectors or laminate them to make it more conducive to traveling should you need to leave your house. Read through it with your family, just be sure to keep it light-hearted. This tool is designed to give everyone more peace of mind.
I hope you never need to use the information in this guide, but I hope you always have it nearby. Thank you for taking the time to read this far and for being a man who seeks to Do Good, Be Dangerous, and Live Free.
' - Jonah