Disasters Get Dark!

Monday August 24, 2009

DISASTERS GET DARK!

Today is the first day of school in the area where I live. The bright yellow school buses are rolling through the neighborhoods picking up nervous and excited children and leaving behind grateful and apprehensive parents. This morning I went outside to pick up the newspaper and watched one of these buses pass by my house. I received a variety of greetings from the occupants of the bus. There were smiles, frowns, waves, tongues stuck out, and one rude gesture.

I was only paying minimal attention to the various salutations from the passing students. Instead, I was lost in admiration of the radiant yellow color the school bus was painted. At some distant point in school history someone made a really good decision in picking out the color for the school buses. Why? The buses need to be highly visible so other drivers can be especially cautious when driving near them. The vivid color makes school buses stand out from the rest of the traffic. You have to first be aware of a vehicle with precious cargo before you can take care around it.

The same rule applies to children during an evacuation. We need to be able to see our kids to keep them safe from any approaching disaster. Not only kids but all family members should put on their brightest clothing before evacuating. Disasters get dark. Visibility can be obscured by dark skies, falling rain, heavy smoke, settling debris, or crowded conditions. During the possible chaos of an evacuation a bright t-shirt on yourself and your child is an important safety factor. In an emergency it is vital that you be able to see your child and they see you.

I am now intrigued by the color of the school bus. Should anyone out there know who originally chose the bright yellow color I would appreciate you writing me.

There is additional evacuation information at www.wineandchocolateplan.com