When Plan A Fails
- Thomas Breckel
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
Preparedness is more than watching a YouTube video about survival, ordering dehydrated food off the internet, and walking around in a “gray man” outfit. Real preparedness is rooted in planning, based on your skills, and enabled by your resources.
One of the most useful ways to think about planning comes from the communications world. It’s called PACE, and it stands for Primary, Alternate, Contingency, and Emergency.
You already use this mindset, even if you don’t call it that. When someone says, “If Plan A doesn’t work, we’ll go to Plan B,” that’s PACE thinking. The difference is PACE doesn’t stop at Plan B. It assumes life is going to throw you multiple curveballs and asks, “Then what?”
When you build a PACE plan, you are not betting everything on a single solution. You are building layers of resilience.
PACE in plain language
Here’s how it works:
Primary – What you normally use
Alternate – What you switch to if the primary fails
Contingency – What you use if both of those fail
Emergency – What you fall back on when nothing else works
The goal is not perfection. The goal is not being stuck when something breaks.
A real-world example: Communications
Most households have a single communications plan without realizing it: “I’ll call or text on my phone.”That’s your Primary.
But what if cell service is down? That could be from a storm, a fiber cut, a cyber incident, or even a missed bill. Now what?
A basic PACE structure might look like this:
Primary: Cell phone calls and texts
Alternate: Wi-Fi calling or messaging apps
Contingency: A separate internet path like Starlink
Emergency: GMRS or amateur (ham) radio
Now you’re not relying on one fragile system. You’ve built layers.
PACE applies to everyday life
Situation 1 – Your house is on fire and the front door is blocked.Most people immediately list back doors, side doors, windows, or a ladder. That’s PACE thinking in action.
Pro tip: While the Kool-Aid Man is great in commercials, he is not a reliable part of your home fire escape plan — have a real ‘E’ option just in case he’s busy elsewhere.
Situation 2 – You’re driving to work and get a flat tire.Some people have:
(P) A spare tire and jack
(A) A tire inflator or plug kit
(C) AAA or roadside assistance
(E) A friend or family member to call
Others only have option "E" and hope it never fails.
The family conversation that actually matters
Ohio’s severe weather season ramps up in late March, right when winter is still hanging on and spring starts throwing storms at us.
At your next family meal, have this conversation: “If we get a severe storm with damaging winds, where do we go?”
Now apply PACE:
Primary: Where do we shelter if we’re home?
Alternate: If that room isn’t safe, where’s next?
Contingency: If that’s blocked, what’s the next option?
Emergency: If none of those work, what’s our last-ditch move?
This single conversation does more for family safety than most gear purchases ever will.
Now apply PACE to power outages
March is notorious for heavy wet snow, ice, thunderstorms, and high winds — all things that take down power lines.
So ask another question at that same dinner table: “What happens when the power goes out?”
Then walk it through:
Primary: Utility power
Alternate: Generator, battery system, or power bank
Contingency: Another heated location (friend, family, warming center)
Emergency: One room heated safely with blankets, layered clothing, and safe backup heat
Also think about:
How you keep phones charged
How you cook food
How you keep medicines cold
How you keep pipes from freezing
Most people discover their plan is really just, “Hope the lights come back on soon.”
March brings more than storms
The winter-to-spring transition is one of the most disruptive periods of the year. PACE thinking applies to all of it:
Flooding and heavy rain
Primary: Drive your normal route
Alternate: Detour
Contingency: Wait it out
Emergency: Turn around and stay put
School or daycare closures
Primary: Normal drop-off
Alternate: Other parent or caregiver
Contingency: Neighbor or family
Emergency: Someone stays home
Medical needs
Primary: Local pharmacy
Alternate: Mail-order or another store
Contingency: A few days of extra meds
Emergency: Doctor or hospital
You don’t need complicated plans. You just need more than one plan.
The bottom line
People who get into trouble during emergencies are usually not the ones without gear — they are the ones without options.
PACE gives you options.
If "Plan A" fails, you don’t panic. You already know what comes next.
That’s real preparedness.
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