So the decision to evacuate to the Bug-Out Location has been made – but what happens if family members aren’t home yet? How will you get together if everyone is leaving from different places? This is where Family Rally Points come into play. These are places where family members can wait for a period of time for other family members to catch up with them. Those Rally Points become Message Drops if circumstances force the family to move on to the next Rally Point.
A Message Drop is where you can leave “We were here” information to tell the later-arriving family member that you got there safely and when you left. It can be both a sign (that can be written on a wall or other prominent structure) or a hidden note with details that you wouldn’t want strangers to know about.
To start, you need to have at least one destination and the intended routes for the evacuation. In the example map below, it is Aunt Mable’s Mountain Cabin. Also have designated primary and backup routes for the evac. You may not be able to stick to those intended routes but they help you determine where the Rally Points should be located.
Next, you need to identify actual Rally Points. The first should not be very far from your house but out of the immediate neighborhood – which might be inaccessible. See Rally Point #1 on the inset map. You also need to identify where the message drops will be for every Rally Point. See the Message Drops: note on the map.
Follow-on Rally Points should be spaced out along the evacuation routes at key locations.
Rally Point versus Meet-Up
A Rally Point location is very similar to a Family Meet-Up. The exception being that the Family Meet-Up is a destination and the Rally Points are just waypoints on the way to your destination. Both are places that your family can rest, regroup and plan their next moves.
Waiting for others...
How long you wait at a Rally Point depends on the conditions. But be sure to let those following know when you left by using a Message Drop. That way they have an idea of how far behind you they may be and can decide whether to push ahead, hoping to catch up or instead, waiting for missing members to arrive before moving on.
Signs and Notes
A Message Drop sign is an easy-to-draw symbol located where family members can easily see it. That quickly lets them know that family members were there. It should be unique so that it isn’t lost among similar wall tags. See the simple version of the Kilroy Was Here (KWH) symbol on the map above.
Message Drop notes should not be too specific so that if an unintended person sees the note, they won’t learn about your plans. For example: Instead of saying Mom and the kids are going to Lake Fletcher, you would say just their initials, a label for the next location and when they left, “P, K & R heading to Rally Pt 2 at 3:30pm Tuesday. Everyone OK.”
Family Members Arriving Later
When Uncle Bob arrives, the sign and note will let him know who is ahead and how far ahead they may be. He can update the note by adding “B to Rally 2 at 5pm. Sprained ankle slowing me down.” indicating that he is about an hour and a half behind Mom and the girls and will be moving at half speed. And when Dad arrives at 5:30, he will know that everyone else is ahead of him.