Bridge collapse in Minneapolis -- And a BOB test

A major freeway bridge collapsed in Minnesota tonight
Interstate bridge collapse in MN

More info to follow

I have made several observations about this collapse but this isn't the place for what I am speaking of. I'll post my thoughts Around the Campfire.

BTW, BLAST!!!! Where in Minnesota did you go on your vacation that you are currently on????????

This is horrible!

If the estimate of fifty cars going into the water is accurate, there are more people dead than they're reporting at this point.

How do you prepare for something like this??? Get out of your car if you can, then fight the river. Bad odds.

Wear your uninflated life vest when you drive?

Sue

I was heavly involved in a bridge collapse on I-5 in central CA back in the 90's. Very light traffic since the freeway had been closed several hours prior thanks to another water related problem. One vehicle containing four people was on the bridge when it went down, they smashed head-on into the far embankment, then the vehicle fell upside down into the water. Four other vehicles went in, and only one driver got out, clinging to a tree in the middle of the water 'til the fire department got there with enough rope to pull him to safety. Five vehicles, eight people, one lived. Lousy odds...

So why a BOB test?

I'm a red cross volunteer and ran to grab my BOB* as soon as I heard about the collapse. I went to the local office and turns out, they hand enough people already. ( small event, large city.)

BUT

I did learn alot about my level of prep:

1. I did have a go bag packed, but
2. it lacked certain things. Among them, work boots, a rain coat, work gloves, spare contacts, water, and my Red Cross id/ volunteeer shirt


More to follow

Teacher

hmm... doesn't your organisation has a alerting plan made up? Having to many people trying to help can also be a real pain...

I think if you had said FAK instead of BOB (yours sounds like it is both), people would have better understood what you were talking about. Sounds like you were ready.

Craig.

He also referred to it as a Go-Bag, probably the most accurate ill-defined term. More than a FAK, not necessarily for bugging out. . .

Some clarifications: I not "on-call" with the RC, rather one of many trained volunteers. But when something big happens, you show up. ( not to the event site, but rather to a gathering point miles away.)

My "bag of many things " is actually 2.5 bags, packed so I can stay out overnight while helping with a variety of light tasks like feeding, crowd control, Media relations, etc.( no rescue)

TRo