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#231341 - 09/03/11 12:25 PM Kids School Preps
bacpacjac Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 05/05/07
Posts: 3601
Loc: Ontario, Canada
It's back to school time and, as I do every year, I'm thinking about how to prep DS for potential emergencies. I want him to have some basic preps but not suo much that he has to hire a u-haul. Like his mom, he's prone to over-prepping. He's Not scared, just thinking of the possible adventures. He's excited, for example, about having to walk home on his own. (Isn't going to happen yet because of 2 major roads between home and school. We have a phone tree in place with the neighbours. The plan is for him to walk to and from school with one of us every day.)

He's 8, his school is a 15 minute walk from our house, a 20 minute drive from DH's work and anywhere from about 40 mins to an hour (or more depending on the secenario) drive from my office. All 4 locations are between 2 nuke plants, and near a major highway and national railway.

His top scenarios are: minor accidents, Mom or Dad missing an after school pick-up because of weather/accidents, the potential of a train derailment/chemical spill on the highway, power failures, snow storms, and possibly a nuclear accident. In other words: minor first aid, stranger danger, bugging in at school, bugging out from school and trekking home in bad weather.

So, with that in mind, here's what I'm thinking of adding to his backpack:

-laminated ID card with emergency contact info
-water, snacks and lunch
-jacket (extra hat, mitts and sweater will be added before the cold weather gets here)
-change of clothes
-small flashlight
-lanyard with house key, fox 40 and key chain LED
-small FAK (bandaids, purelle, bandana)

Any other ideas or suggestions?
_________________________
Mom & Adventurer

You can find me on YouTube here:
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#231342 - 09/03/11 12:30 PM Re: Kids School Preps [Re: bacpacjac]
bws48 Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 08/18/07
Posts: 831
Loc: Anne Arundel County, Maryland
School policy may prohibit it, but have you considered a cell phone and on the laminated card a list (cleared in advance) of people he can call in an emergency if you and/or DH are unavailable/out of contact?
_________________________
"Better is the enemy of good enough."

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#231343 - 09/03/11 12:57 PM Re: Kids School Preps [Re: bacpacjac]
bacpacjac Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 05/05/07
Posts: 3601
Loc: Ontario, Canada
Thanks BWS! We're considering it. There was a thing called a "firefly" (or something like that) marketed a few years ago that would be perfect. It was a cell phone, but it had no numbers, just pre-programmed buttons for 911, home, and a couple more (like Mom, Dad and Grandma). They don't seem to be available anymore so we're considering something else.

His school is very small (120 kids) and staff keeps a very close eye on him. I'm not overly concerened but it would be good for him to have a way to contact us directly if something was to come up and the school phone wasn't available.
_________________________
Mom & Adventurer

You can find me on YouTube here:
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#231348 - 09/03/11 03:17 PM Re: Kids School Preps [Re: bacpacjac]
7point82 Offline
Addict

Registered: 11/24/05
Posts: 478
Loc: Orange Beach, AL
It is possible to restrict some basic cell phones to calling 911 or numbers that have been set up in advance as speed dial numbers. When my daughter got her first phone we set it up that way and I know that some phones are still that way.

IMO that's why the firefly never caught on. It was possible to do the same thing with a normal phone on the plan you already have.
_________________________
"There is not a man of us who does not at times need a helping hand to be stretched out to him, and then shame upon him who will not stretch out the helping hand to his brother." -Theodore Roosevelt

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#231350 - 09/03/11 04:02 PM Re: Kids School Preps [Re: bacpacjac]
Jeanette_Isabelle Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 11/13/06
Posts: 2946
Loc: Nacogdoches, Texas
Originally Posted By: bacpacjac
He's 8, his school is a 15 minute walk from our house, a 20 minute drive from DH's work and anywhere from about 40 mins to an hour (or more depending on the secenario) drive from my office. All 4 locations are between 2 nuke plants, and near a major highway and national railway.

His top scenarios are: minor accidents, Mom or Dad missing an after school pick-up because of weather/accidents, the potential of a train derailment/chemical spill on the highway, power failures, snow storms, and possibly a nuclear accident.

If a nuclear accident is a concern, may I suggest IOSAT™ Potassium Iodide?

Jeanette Isabelle
_________________________
I'm not sure whose twisted idea it was to put hundreds of adolescents in underfunded schools run by people whose dreams were crushed years ago, but I admire the sadism. -- Wednesday Adams, Wednesday

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#231351 - 09/03/11 04:37 PM Re: Kids School Preps [Re: Jeanette_Isabelle]
bacpacjac Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 05/05/07
Posts: 3601
Loc: Ontario, Canada
Originally Posted By: JeanetteIsabelle

If a nuclear accident is a concern, may I suggest IOSAT™ Potassium Iodide?

Jeanette Isabelle


Thanks Jeanette. All the schools in our region have KI pills for students and we sign off each year giving permission for the school to adminster it in the event of an accident.

They've also got a bug-out plan the involves bussing to an underground shelter, and they practice this drill a couple of times a year.
_________________________
Mom & Adventurer

You can find me on YouTube here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT9fpZEy5XSWkYy7sgz-mSA

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#231352 - 09/03/11 04:38 PM Re: Kids School Preps [Re: bacpacjac]
bacpacjac Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 05/05/07
Posts: 3601
Loc: Ontario, Canada
Thanks gang! I didn't realize you could do the firefly thing with cel phones. Cool!
_________________________
Mom & Adventurer

You can find me on YouTube here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT9fpZEy5XSWkYy7sgz-mSA

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#231364 - 09/03/11 10:41 PM Re: Kids School Preps [Re: bacpacjac]
Susan Offline
Geezer

Registered: 01/21/04
Posts: 5163
Loc: W. WA
Put the laminated ID card on the neck lanyard with the other stuff.

It's maybe a 50-50 chance that he will remember/be able to get his pack in a scary situation. If I can leave my purse and paycheck on the seat when I bolted from a burning car, he can!

If you get him a cell phone, get the cheapest and plainest (TracFone?) that is just a phone. He doesn't need a camera and porn access. If it's 'below standard' in attractiveness, it's less likely to be stolen and no great loss if he misplaces it.

Sue

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#231365 - 09/03/11 11:13 PM Re: Kids School Preps [Re: bacpacjac]
bacpacjac Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 05/05/07
Posts: 3601
Loc: Ontario, Canada
Great advice Sue. (As always!)Thanks!
_________________________
Mom & Adventurer

You can find me on YouTube here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT9fpZEy5XSWkYy7sgz-mSA

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#231367 - 09/04/11 02:03 AM Re: Kids School Preps [Re: bacpacjac]
LED Offline
Veteran

Registered: 09/01/05
Posts: 1474
Wow, bacpacjac, wish I had a mom like you growing up. You may want to consider a phone with a keyboard. As you probably already know, text messages will usually go through even when voice calls cannot. During a large scale emergency I can see the phone system easily being overloaded with everyone trying to call eachother.

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