Welcome to DAY 4 of the 2025 7 Day Challenge. Did you catch my class on Situational Awareness last night? You can watch the replay at this link!
In order to receive each day’s emergency scenario in your email please sign up for the 7 Day Challenge email list or subscribe via text by texting 7daychallenge to 717-788-3663.
REMEMBER: To get the most out of the challenge, don’t be too literal about the scenarios. Modify them to fit YOUR family’s situation. Also, try to actually DO each day’s tasks. Don’t try to justify why you wouldn’t “need” to. The point is to PRACTICE our skills!
DAY 4: WILD FIRES 🔥
A wildfire has been spotted near your community. The wind shifts suddenly, and authorities announce that your neighborhood is under an evacuation order. You have 15 minutes to leave your home and head to safety. What do you grab? What gets left behind?
TODAY’S CHALLENGES:
👉 Do a timed evacuation drill — give yourself 15 minutes to pack up.
👉 Grab your 72-hour kits and other essentials (medications, documents, pets, comfort items).
👉 Evacuate to a nearby park and cook a meal out of your 72 hour kits
👉 Review your evacuation lists and make any necessary modifications
Feel free to start this exercise at whatever time works best for your family today!
HELPFUL HINTS:
Start With the Kits: Your 72-hour kits should be your first grab-and-go item.
Don’t Forget Pets: Keep leashes, carriers, and food where you can reach them fast.
Important Papers: Store copies of IDs, insurance, and financial docs in your emergency binder or waterproof pouch. This should be easily accessible to grab in a hurry.
Car Readiness: Keep your gas tank at least half full, and know your local evacuation routes.
Bonus Practice: Try running your drill at night or in the rain to see how it changes your speed.
REFLECTION:
Take a few minutes after your evacuation drill to think through what worked and what didn’t. Here are some questions to ask yourself:
- Did you feel rushed or calm during the 15 minutes?
- Did you have a written evacuation list to work off of or were your “winging it”?
- What items were you glad you remembered? What did you forget?
- Could your kids (or spouse 😉) find their own 72 hour kits without help?
- Was your vehicle ready to go? (fuel, emergency car kit, space for supplies)
- If you had to stay away for 3+ days, what would you wish you had grabbed?
Print out the worksheets below and add items you need to do, to learn, and to buy as you find holes in your preparedness plans today. Print multiple sheets as needed.
SHARING TIME:
This one’s always eye-opening, and sometimes funny! Don’t skip this part … remember the group conversation is one of the most valuable parts of the seven day challenge.
- Post in the Facebook Group thread for Day 4: Would you do anything differently next time? What made it into your evacuation stash? What surprised you (either forgotten items or things you didn’t need)?
- Photos welcome but not required — you can just describe your experience if you’d rather not show your supplies.
-Jodi Weiss Schroeder
http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net
