Emergency drills and exercises

Having the equipment is not enough. You need to know how to use it. Practise with your family before you need to do it for real.

Training makes the difference

During Storm Kristin, families who had never tested their generator could not get it started. Those who had never practised evacuation panicked. The difference between those who reacted well and those who froze was simple: prior training.

In real emergencies, stress reduces cognitive ability by 50-80%. Only practised actions become automatic.

Drill calendar

Monthly (~30 min, one Saturday per month)

  • Check torches, batteries, power banks: turn everything on and confirm it works
  • Review family plan: meeting point, memorised phone numbers
  • Quick PMR446 radio test (5 min)
  • Quiz the children: "If there were an earthquake right now, what would you do?"

Quarterly (~2-3 hours)

  • Full evacuation simulation from the house
  • First aid practice (recovery position, bandaging, immobilisation)
  • Cook a meal on the portable gas stove
  • Test water purification (Micropur tablets + boiling)
  • Test generator or power station

Bi-annual (spring and autumn)

  • Full kit review: food expiry dates, medications, batteries
  • Night exercise: simulate a power cut at 9 pm
  • Walk the evacuation route on foot to the meeting point
  • Update documents and cloud backups

Annual (September, before storm season)

  • Full 4-6 hour simulation: power cut + water cut + communications down
  • BLS (Basic Life Support) course at INEM (Portuguese emergency medical service) or the Red Cross
  • Review home insurance
  • Family meeting to update the plan

Detailed drills

Drill 1: Family evacuation (fire)

  • Without warning: shout "FIRE, EVACUATE" or trigger the alarm
  • Get low, feel the door before opening, take the shortest route out
  • Meeting point, headcount, simulate calling 112
  • Time it: target is under 2 minutes
  • Variations: at night, with a blocked route
  • Family debrief: what went well? What can be improved?

Drill 2: Earthquake (Drop, Cover, Hold On)

  • Identify shelter in every room (sturdy table, interior wall)
  • Practise it as a game with children
  • After the shaking: check for gas leaks, switch off the mains, evacuate

Drill 3: First aid

  • Recovery position: practise with the whole family. Children aged 8 and over can learn it
  • Chest compressions: use a firm cushion as a "torso", rhythm of 100-120 per minute ("Stayin' Alive"), 5-6 cm depth
  • Heimlich manoeuvre: positioning only (never perform real compressions on a healthy person)
  • Pressure bandage: bandage + sterile pad
  • Improvised splint: rolled-up magazine + scarf

Important

This does NOT replace a certified course. Sign up for a BLS (Basic Life Support) course (see the "Courses and training" section below).

Drill 4: Fire extinguisher (P.A.S.S. method)

  • P: Pull the safety pin
  • A: Aim at the BASE of the flames
  • S: Squeeze the handle
  • S: Sweep from side to side

A 2 kg ABC dry powder extinguisher lasts 10-15 seconds. Where to buy: AKI, Leroy Merlin, Wurth, 15-25 EUR.

Warning

NEVER try to extinguish a fire larger than a rubbish bin. EVACUATE and call 112.

Drill 5: Cooking without electricity

  • Set up the portable stove (Butsir, Campingaz, 15-25 EUR, Decathlon)
  • Replace the butane cartridge. Cook rice + canned food + soup
  • Boil water for 1 minute (purification)
  • Assess consumption: 1 cartridge is roughly 1-2 hours, enough for 3-4 meals

Safety

ALWAYS use a portable stove in a well-ventilated space. Never inside a closed room.

Drill 6: PMR446 radio

  • Set a family channel (e.g. channel 5 with CTCSS 7, avoid channel 1 which is for emergencies)
  • Range test: walk 500 m, 1 km, 2 km. Where does the signal drop?
  • Protocol: "This is [name], does anyone copy? Over."
  • Teach children: power on, press PTT, speak, release, wait
  • Test battery life

Drill 7: Generator

  • Take it out of storage. Check oil and petrol
  • Start it up (many require strength and technique)
  • Connect the fridge. Verify it is running
  • Record consumption: hours per litre

Danger to life

ALWAYS use a generator outdoors. Carbon monoxide (CO) kills within minutes and has no smell.

Drill 8: Water purification

  • Boiling: 1 minute at a rolling boil
  • Micropur tablets: 1 per litre, 30 min (2 hours if cloudy), 8-12 EUR for 100 tablets, Decathlon or pharmacy
  • Portable filter (LifeStraw, Sawyer Mini): does NOT remove viruses. Combine with tablets
  • Exercise: treat tap water with a tablet, time it and familiarise yourself with the process

Courses and training in Portugal

INEM: BLS for the public

Free or approximately 20-30 EUR, 6-8 hours. Certificate valid for 2 years.

inem.pt

Red Cross: First aid

Approximately 40-60 EUR, 12-16 hours. Comprehensive certified training.

cruzvermelha.pt

Volunteer fire brigades (Bombeiros Voluntarios)

Free training sessions, especially in September (Civil Protection month). Contact your local fire station.

Parish councils (Juntas de Freguesia) and ANEPC

Free community drills and training. Check your local council website and the ANEPC (Civil Protection) website.

Invest one day a year in a course

One Saturday at the Red Cross could save the life of someone you love.