Okay, your house is on fire. After you get the family and the pets to safety, you have 5 minutes to collect?

There is nothing more important to me than my family. And I am equally as important to them. If I have gotten everyone to safety, it means that I have not only gotten them out of the house but I have also gotten them away from the building. It means that I too am out of the house and safe. There is very little in that house that would not be covered by a good insurance policy.

And in the unlikely event that there is some so called irreplaceable item that has been in the family for generations it is not worth my children possibly losing their dad- forever.

There is no such thing as having 5 minutes to grab whatever you can. Explosions, smoke inahalation, collapsing ceilings can all translate into not 5 minutes but an eternity- in the grave.

The number one rule when it comes to fire safety is that once out of the burning house DO NOT return- even for the family pet!

Never, ever go back into a burning home for material possessions. Human life is much too precious.

I live in a conservative county that has volenteers cause the people are so cheap. Believe me if you had the dumb hicks that we have around here you would rather have the the lowest people from another city that was getting paid for what they do. This people are there cause they like the drama & are like Jerry Springer contestants & when your house is on fire you do not want here some of the insane insensitive comments they come up with. So I know it is hard to look at the big picture but if you could put them in a line by how good they are it is probably better to have the worst of them, then the best of what we have here......the reason this is done is because it is like having Paris Hilton get a position before someone in your family. Let's say you have a daughter & Paris is competing with your daughter. Your daughter would probably not have a chance cause whatever the competition is Paris can pay for the answers for a message to relax, pay off the people involved. So unless you want something to happen in your real life you should try to understand why what this women did was the right thing. If you still don't get it, watch your life something will happen where someone is going to have an unfair advantage over you.

I actually did have a fire this past summer. I grabbed my cell phone, my cat, my purse that happened to have some key things in there (license, bible), and I got out. Put in the same situation, I would grab the same things and add my textbooks because those things are terribly expensive. I would also grab my laptop. It's my life. Thankfully, it was only an outside wall and there was no damage in the house. However, if it weren't for two guys across the apartment complex that saw it burning, I would have been trapped inside because it was right next to my door. I'd have only a window that was a good escape.

Everything could burn, as it is all replaceable, or backed up off site...save one thing.

In 1981, Mr. Fortuna, on Terceira Island, the Azores, Portugal, painted a picture, on tile, custom for me and my wife. The frame, he hand made from wood indigenous to the island. It hangs on an old chain from a fishing vessel. To us, it is priceless.

Even with five minutes, nothing else would be worth risking injury or death.

Peace.

p.s. for those trying to save your hard drive. In five minutes, you wouldn't have time to extract your hard drive from your computer. Disconnecting the whole PC would also be cutting it close. Rather, TODAY, go buy a couple flash drives (super cheap) and back up ALL your files, pics, etc., and keep the drives at your office or in your car. Flash drives are very small, about the size of your car key. Periodically update them. This practice could save your bacon in many more ways than just a fire.

All my prized possesions which especially is one of the pictures I have of my family and me on New Years Eve when I was 4 or 5. And probably some food and a pillow and a quilt. And some painting and drawings I have. I'd also grab a phone to keep with me. And a couple books.

Are you kidding me? Go into a burning building?? For what? a picture or wool-knit sweater by dear old gran. It's just stuff.

but since I'm a poor college kid, I'd take: the lap top, the outdoors pack, the sweater by dear old gran, book Free To Choose by milton friedman, and old journals.

oh and chairman mao hat from china + mural hanging on the wall bought in Yangshuo.

Keys to the car and house

Pictures they are memories we can see and cannot be replaced

Money/credit cards you will need whatever you have until the insurance comes in

Prescriptions

Addressbook/and or laptop with addresses, and personal information

Then pray and thank God that your family is safe everything else can be replaced.

Hahaha...I don't care what I grab as long as I can grab something and I don't burn up I always said I will throw everything out the window that I can get my hands on

Grab My clothes, Computer, Pictures anything I can get my hands on

While this is going on I am talking to Jesus and Grabbing my fire Hose !

We have a wood stove and fire Place, our only source of heat !

We keep a hose with a fire nozzle at the ready !

We have had a Few Flu and Chimney Fires !

well I have no family or pets so I get an extra 5 minutes there so I would grab my picture of my Dad who passed away, my Brand new recliner that I paid $400.00 for and just bought today and a blanket or 2 because it is cold outside, and...... um that's it.