Hypothetical scenario : urban meeting places

Here's a hypothetical (terrorism) scenario that I've been trying to work out. Maybe this forum's New Yorkers or Bostonites have pondered this also:

You and your wife both walk (30 minutes) to work every day. You each have the requisite emergency supplies handy within your offices and in your pockets. Your young children have a babysitter/nanny who stays with them either at home or nearby in your neighborhood. Inside your apartment you have a well stocked shelter-in-place kit and BOB's. Each family member (including the babysitter) has emergency out-of-town contact numbers. You don't own a car.

If something happens in your neighborhood or your city which prevents your family's return home. Then what?

What kinds of place do you select as SECONDARY family meeting place in an emergency? From experience you know that office buildings, retail stores, restaurants, and even churches close at the first sign of real trouble. You also know from experience that a crowded place like a bus or train station is a bad place to meet. Bus, train, and vehicle traffic is gridlocked. You could meet in the neighborhood park, but what about bad/dangerous weather? You can't really even count on your friend's hi-rise apartment if there is no electricity.

What sort of low-profile place would you plan to meet your family?

In my case? In this order
1)My Father in laws place
2)My Parents house
3)Godparents House
4)Mother In Laws Place
5)"Big Church"
6)"Little Church"
after that? Who knows

Hmmm. If the option of a friend's or relative's house is ruled out then, I think, it would be time to shelter in place individually. Once the smoke clears you can use your out-of-town contact to coordinate a meeting spot and time (i.e. 'The fire hydrant at the corner of 5th and Main at 1630 hours"). I've used this system under mundane circumstances and its worked pretty well. The out-of-town party doesn't even have to know the geography of your area as long as you give them a precise description.

Chris

Picking a meeting time....hmmmm. That's something I hadn't thought of. Great suggestion, thanks!

This is the type of (urban) survival that I am interested in. Last year, several friends and family members made telephone lists. The numbers include home phone, cell phone and work phones. The list also includes other family members and/or numbers for a close friend or two. The phone numbers involve people in four different states.

I made a list of all the numbers and have sent them to each individual on that list. This may seem like overkill, but there many be times that local calls might not get through, but long distance calls might work. This has created a web of numbers for cross referencing among us.

Your children should have a list of these numbers in their backpacks for school. If they get completely separated, it might be of help to someone who is helping them.

Take a moment and contact you local FEMA or state or town equivalent and find out the locations of the official shelter, comms, and other facilities are in their plans that are within 2 hour walk for all in your group. So if you walk 1/2 hour one direction and spouse 1/2 hour the other direction then your locations would be within the 2 hour circle with your home as the center.. If something big happens those will be the most organized lawfull places to meet and hang out while waiting. If you choose to "go it alone" in this regard then you should carefully discuss and decide on your security provisions before considering meetiing locations. Most likely there will be a hospital, police station, fire station, church, salvation army, high-school, or even a diner all within your walking circle that will be designated as an aid station or shelter in the emergency planning of your municipality. Getting all of your family members to one of these is your best bet. Once that is established you may be able to use the comms facility of the "system" to find which shelter the others are at. If you can't then you may wait for "the smoke to clear" and then proceed to the meeting place still standing. Have one in each quadrant of the compass within your 2 hour circle. Plan to check them in order N - E - S - W. Leave notes at each you pass so that your family members know you have been there and which shelter you are currently staying at.

hey miniMe

You mentioned leaving notes at each location. That is something that occured to me when the events of 9/11 were unfolding. My best friend and I were going to bug out of the Washington DC area with our families. We were just going to head west on a state highway thinking the interstate would be packed. I figured I would leave notes for him at every city we come to along the way. But the way I was going to do it was different and I would like to ask what others think about it. I was going to leave notes near the front door of the first McDonald's in every city we came to on the sidewalk in chalk (out of foot traffic). This was a spur of the moment idea. I planned on just putting the time I was there and the direction I was heading.

chalk is vulnerable to rain and foot traffic and ....

Rite in rain notes stuck to a phone pole will be left alone indefinately and will last through just about anything. Carry some safety-pins, fish-hooks, thumb-tacks, small office stapler, etc.

Notes on survey tape in grease pencil or perm. marker (or space pen) also work well.

I have a logo/momogram/"brand" that my children and friends recognize that will pass for simple graffiti that I've also found useful.

A recognizable signature type mark that you could paint on with nail-polish might be something really useful. A small bottle of nail-polish isn't too hard to carry or find in an urban situation.

I guess I should have clarified why I chose chalk at that time.

I wanted a form of writing that would eventually come off. I'm not too sure anyone would appreciate a permanent form of writing on their sidewalk.

Maybe I chose the wrong place to write it. Now that I think about it, maybe writing on a wall would have been better. It would be more easily seen and less likely to be erased by foot traffic and/or rain, but it could also be displayed without risk of drawing a graffiti fine.

The unique signature or symbol is a great idea. Sort of like a cattle brand or family seal. Something that is easily identifible even by the younger ones in your group that can't read yet.