By Dr. Anthony Policastro

Emergencies are unexpected. That is why they have that name. The emergency evacuations in California are a good example. In our area, hurricanes likely represent the biggest danger.

When people are asked to leave in a hurry, they do not always have a plan. There are multiple suggestions about how to plan. However, they tend to stay in the back of our mind. The result is that when an emergency evacuation occurs, things are often forgotten. Many times those things are related to our health.

There are recommendations that people should pack what is called a “Go Bag.” The logic is that if they have to leave quickly, they just pick that up and leave. Everything they need is already there.

However, there are times when doing that just leaves items sitting there unused for long periods of time. It might require things that expire to be rotated. It might require additional items that you would be using for other things.

In any case, if you do have to leave, it is useful to have a list of reminders. That will make it less likely to leave without something you need. One such list was created by firefighters. It is known as the 6 P’s of Evacuation.

The first thing on the list is termed “People, pets and papers.” When talking about people it is more than just evacuation. There will be a need for non-perishable food (and perhaps a hand operated can opener). There will be a need for water. Some recommend three gallons per person. There will be a need for extra clothing. A first aid kit is a good thing to have handy. All of these are medically necessary.

Pets were not always evacuated with the families in California. There were people going back after the fires to search for pets. The third part of this item refers to important papers like birth certificates, passports and other identification cards. Trying to replace these after an emergency could be a problem.

The second item refers to Phone numbers. We are fortunate to have many numbers listed in our cell phones. However, there might be some that we have elsewhere. Your physician’s contact information is important. Your insurance agent’s phone number is an example of that. Road maps fall into this category as well. Google maps may not plan the best route.

The third item is the one most related to medical needs. It stands for Prescriptions. Medications are often the one thing that people run out of quickly. It may make sense to take the entire bottle with you. Prescription glasses are also included in that category.

The fourth item is Pictures. This refers to irreplaceable items. They might not be photos themselves. They could be family heirlooms. They could be other items of sentimental value. These are items that could very easily be put into a Go Bag early on since they do not expire.

The fifth item is Personal computer. Many people just have their cell phones with all the necessary information Others might want to use a laptop. Charging cords are also important because batteries will be used up pretty quickly.

The sixth item is Plastic. This refers to things like extra credit cards. It refers to things like ATM cards. It refers to paper money. In many emergencies, electricity is lost so people without cash are often lost as well. If you do not have a money transfer app like Venmo or Zelle, you might want  to consider working on getting one.

For most of us these situations never occur. It is likely that some people in California felt the same way. However,  in the heat of the moment (no pun intended), it is far to easy to forget something important that can impact your health going forward.