Prepping for holiday events

Posted by abackyardsmoker@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 16 comments

In light some of these recent shootings at tree lightings and with a lot of different outdoor holiday events coming, how would you prep a pre-teen for an scenario?

So in real life we enjoy going, as a family, to different outdoor events and we usually let our preteen roam around with some of her friends on their own because the events themselves are usually somewhat contained on a main Street.

In the case of a shooting, what would be conversations to have to prep her for what could potentially happen and where to go? The question is more really what to do in that moment and where to go?

I hate to even have that conversation but my gut is I'd rather have that with her than something else go horribly wrong.

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H3LI3@reddit

In active shooter - the absolute priority is to stay alive. If you don’t find me or contact me and I think you’re dead, that is absolutely fine as long as it’s because you’re doing what you need to. Do not let them prioritise finding or contacting you if it means any risk.

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NotAmusedDad@reddit

It is an unfortunate reality that we have to consider such things, but it is the reality. I think one of the things to do would be to approach them to see what they know already. Most kids, especially those enrolled in public school, will have some active shooter training, and building on what they already know would probably be most effective. So, the run, hide, fight responses that are drilled into them would apply in public just like on campus, with the additional advantage of having more autonomy to decide when they aren't locked down... So contingency meetup points and communication plans can be more flexible.

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EffinBob@reddit

There have been shootings at tree lightings? I haven't heard anything about that. If true, how incredibly sad...

Anyway, you can't stop nutjobs from spoiling anything these days, it seems. As far as the group you're with, make sure everyone is aware of the exits and that you have selected at least two points to meet if things go awry, primary and backup. Duck and cover as soon as you hear shots, then find a place to hide and wait it out if you can't exit right away. If armed and you decide to defend, be mindful of your target and anyone behind it, and be very aware the active shooter won't be operating that way.

It is extremely unlikely you'll ever be caught in such a situation, but it never hurts to keep your head on a swivel while having a good time in a crowd.

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JRHLowdown3@reddit

Some nutjobs ran over some people last year IIRC.

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PrisonerV@reddit

Just 4 people injured... didn't even make national news for that sadly.

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ArcaneLuxian@reddit

Living in the state that I do my husband and I open carry, hes retired Army so his job is keeping a head on a swivel while my job is making sure our children are nearby and keeping our daily edc ready. I keep medical supplies in all my baby bags and when given the option I wear our youngest while the oldest is usually holding my hand or within 2 feet of us.

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Enigma_xplorer@reddit

So theres a few issues here.

For starters we need to accept that we cannot prep for every possibility and every contingency. If some lunatic decides to ram a uhaul into a crowd of people and you just happened to be in the wrong place there's just nothing you could have done about that. It's sad but sometimes life isn't fair. Tomorrow is not promised.

Now let's suppose for a minute something happened and you were separated from your kids it is important to have a plan for what to do. I'm sure you heard about the tragic tale a while back of the poor father that went into a burning house to save his children and died in the attempt just to discover his wife had already evacuated the kids but since they did not have a set rendezvous point he had had no idea they were already out of the house. Understand cell phones may not work due to potentially hundreds of people trying to call police or family and friends all at the same time in response to an emergency. For these reasons it is important to have a plan in advance so everyone knows what to do and know one is left wondering what everyone else is doing or what would they want you to do.

For starters get away from immediate danger. Even if you think the danger has passed do not stick around to watch. As soon as trouble breaks out get out, period end. Don't think, do rationalize, get out of there!

Define a meetup spot and instruct everyone to go there if safe. Some thought should be given to this as you would want to choose a place probably away from the event that would likely be safe. You may even chose a backup location in case location A doesn't work out but I'm not sure I would recommend now you potentially add some confusion.

Once you get to the meetup spot the plan should be to wait for the rest of your party. If everyone shows up thats great, go home. But now the really difficult question, what happens when someone doesn't show up? Maybe you get there and your kids never show up. Maybe your kids arrive but you never make it. What then? For starters I think you should have a timeframe to wait before you panic. You can decide how long that should be based on distances and what you would expect to be reasonable. Obviously you should try to contact the missing party during this time. If you don't show up but your kids do they should have an emergency contact they can call to come get them and help sort things out. If you arrive and your kids don't, don't panic, call the police and explain that you've lost contact with your kids. Whatever happens resist the urge to go back into the incident area. You will just put yourself in danger and there's likely nothing you could do to help and you may make things much worse. Theres a good chance they arent even there anyways and there's a rational explanation why they didn't or couldn't make it to the meetup point.

As far as communication is concerned make sure your phones are charged. Also realize text messages have a better chance of getting through than phone calls. If phone calls do not work, send a text.

Have everyone take photos of each other on your phones before heading out. If someone is lost or heaven forbid someone is injured and unable to identify themselves you are going to want to have an accurate photo showing the clothing they are wearing to share with emergency responders to help identify who you are looking for.

Again heaven forbid, if someone is injured unable to communicate the emergency responders will probable check their wallet for identification. This would be a great place to store a note with emergency contact information. A tech savvy responder may also try and use their phones ICE (in case of emergency) number and call it. Make sure this number is set.

Lastly, there are phone apps you can use to track your kids location should you get seperated. You may want to consider downloading a tracker app.

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drifter5@reddit

That is so scaring! As two children’s Dad. I have to say Kid’s safety is the most important thing we need to care.

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Cradetato@reddit

My suggestion is having 2 meetups, practicing ' hide-run-fight' with kids. Hate that we need this, but prep beats panic.

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Ok_Individual_7774@reddit

Being caught up in something when you are out and about is the hardest thing to plan for.

I would break it into two parts - prior to and during (all highly subjective)

Prior to something going bad:

Know where the exits are to any place you enter.
Pay attention to your surroundings and look for anything out of the ordinary
Have a rough idea of an egress route from the general area you will be visiting
Pay attention to social media if possible
Have your cell phone charged up
Pay attention to gut feelings. You 'sense' more than you see at times.

During something going bad:

Don't panic (easily said but not easily done). Being the first to take some action can put you miles ahead of everyone else.
Don't worry about what the bad thing is, you are not going to be able to fight it. Get away from the bad thing by moving away from it.
People panic. People start moving away from the threat and form a funnel. Good news is that you have a reasonable idea where the threat is. Bad news is getting trampled is a real threat. If you have to move with a crowd you want to be toward the edges if possible and try to find cover off of the main paths or streets ASAP. The crowd could be moving toward a new threat unknowingly.
Finding cover can be as simple as gaining access to a building by breaking in/trespassing. or even hiding in a trash dumpster. It would be ideal if you could gain access while the main crowd is serving as a distraction. Laws don't matter when your life is threatened.
If you are in a building you want to get as far into it and if possible onto another floor and hide. This puts distance between the threat and you. You become a more difficult target and if the threat is a mass casualty event then hopefully you become too much trouble. They ideally will go after easier targets.
Barricade/obstruct the path to your hiding spot. Increase the difficulty to get to you.
Switch phone to silent. Be silent yourself. Last thing you need is a text message ding or a call giving away your location
Plan for the local cell towers to be jammed with traffic - your cell call may not go through. Don't post your location as you never know who is looking.
Hunker down - Possibly for hours. Save your cell battery for after the threat ends. Monitor situation via social media if possible. Establish contact with local authorities via dispatch to arrange retrieval.
Note: Every cop is going to be on max alert, even with the threat ended so understand that even when you make in person contact with the authorities they will treat you as a threat. You will likely be detained until they can determine what is what. So get those hands up and expect to have a gun pointed at you and being cuffed.

In a nutshell, avoid crowds, get to cover, be quiet, and establish contact after the threat passes. The name of the game is how long can you hide quietly.

Establishing a meetup/rally point is more for when you get separated or lost on a normal day than if there is a real threat.

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OldSchoolPrepper@reddit

great information here, i would further add to make sure you have a place to meet (close by or longer distance) and someone OUTSIDE of your family group that could act as an organizer. So if you can't get ahold of each other, everyone knows to call Auntie Martha (in another state) and she will make notes of where everyone is and pass messages on. Sometimes when cell phones are jammed locally people can call (or more likely text) outside the area. So have someone who is smart, can act quickly and is organized to be your central communication hub.

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IlliniWarrior1@reddit

that Chicago shooting was a pre-arranged ghetto wilding - everyone is amazed that only 300 showed >> if your locale has that kind of situation - the only prep you need is some common sense - you don't attend ANY public events that don't include gate entrance & security screening ......

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AlphaDisconnect@reddit

Gsmr radios. A pre planned "meet here" point.

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Weird-Grocery6931@reddit

This is easy enough to answer.

You need to have established procedures for crisis scenarios for your family:

accidental separation
medical emergency
structure incident (fire, gas leak, whatever)
robbery
active shooter

etc.

All of them could be as simple as "when I say 'run', you run and meet us 'here'. IF we don't show up in 15 minutes, you find a police officer or a fireman".

You don't have to spell out the scenarios for your child, make it simple and age appropriate so it doesn't build fear. Quiz them also "if I say 'run!', where are you going? How will you get there and what path will you take?"

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Pea-and-Pen@reddit

I would say to make sure you have a way to track her location for sure. Give her a flashlight (if it’s a night) and make sure her cellphone is fully charged before each event. When you arrive at the location point out a certain location to meet in case of emergency. Point out any areas with police or emergency personnel.

I am always nervous when we attend SEC football games. Well over 10,000 people in one location with minimal exits makes me jittery every time. But it’s usually just me and my husband so that helps.

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Ryan_e3p@reddit

Same as anywhere you go at any time. Make note of exits, easiest egress path, stay alert (but still able to enjoy the moment), and have a way to keep in touch with your friends/family.