News came in last month that while volunteer firefighters were out fighting fires in California, fires swept through their town and destroyed every one of the firefighters' homes. What a horrific feeling for both firefighters and their families.

Many years ago, our hometown was hit by tornado-like winds and rain that caused flooding throughout the township. While the volunteer firefighters were busy dealing with lightning strikes and rescuing people from floodwaters, a firefighter's wife called us to say the lower level of her house was flooded and she couldn't find her husband.

So we grabbed buckets and went over to help bail out her house. She was mighty upset with her husband, but it was futile anger. When my Dad joined the volunteer department, we soon learned that the families of firefighters also volunteer to take care of each other.

Speaking at the Fire Service Leadership Summit recently hosted by the International Association of Fire Chiefs, Under Secretary Michael Brown encouraged fire departments to start building our nation's first "layer of defense" by helping citizens prepare "go kits" and forming Citizens Emergency Response Teams. It's not enough to just train our firefighters. We need to be a nation of responders, responding to the needs of our fellow citizens and our country.

Watching the television news reports of people in Southern California living in their cars and trucks with only what they could grab made me wonder. What would I take in a go kit if faced with an impending disaster? I suddenly felt strong empathy with refugees all over the world who walk long roads away from their homes with only that pack of personal belongings on their backs.

As part of your citizen awareness program, what do you recommend people in your community pack in their go kit? Have you thought about it? Does your own family even have one?

What about the practicalities? Can all the items that you recommend be packed in a suitcase or backpack or would people need to pull a rolling trailer?

We're taking our readers suggestions for preparing go kits by e-mail through Nov. 30. The 10 best ideas we receive will receive a copy of the "Pocket Partner," a comprehensive little red book for first responders (more about it later). And stay tuned for the results of our go-kit survey in an upcoming issue.

Janet Wilmoth, Editor