Michigan's Otherside Paranormal Forums

Everyone starts at ground zero in paranormal investigations. Perhaps you have read a few books. Perhaps you have seen a few shows. Perhaps you have even gone out with a few friends and feel you are ready to do this on your own. You wish to do homes and businesses and all the information you have gathered has taught you equipment, investigative practices, and so forth. One thing though that most TV shows and books fail to teach is the most important thing to have on a site investigation; it is the evacuation plan.

This is something that needs to be well-thought out, cover a variety of circumstances, and known and practiced by every member of the team. No exceptions. Why? Not only are you dealing with hundreds to thousands of dollars in equipment cost, you are dealing with human life. Unless you are prepared, you could wind up becoming one of the ghosts you are looking to find.

This may not be a worry to you, but I have been investigating for twelve years and I will without hesitation tell you things do happen. Bad things. It might be one of your team mates falling through the floor of an old building. It may be your group caught in a severe storm. It may be that you are dealing with an unstable client. You need to be ready. Your group should know what to do, who to tell, and where to go. You need to consider things to keep on hand such as a cell phone and first aid kit. It can mean the difference between a situation being bad and a situation being life threatening.

Our latest situation happened this week. Even with phone interviews and all the protocal checks, things seemed all good at first. When the investigation time came, we ran light staffed. Three individuals (NEVER NEVER NEVER GO ALONE) went to the site. The property owners followed the members around as they set up equipment. Everything seemed good until one member who was being observed noticed they were not just observed but stared at. The person in the household then informed the member that he had dreamt of them the night before, inappropriate dreams. Not only did this alarm the female member of the group, it became down-right scary when she found out he was carry a gun in his pants pocket. The other members were not aware of this.

I was not on the investigation and received a phone call by our member on site. She was not sure what to do. She recognized the danger of the situation, had been in bad situations before, but could not convey all the problems to the other members because she and them were being watched so much. I told her to pull the investigation, to make an excuse and leave. If we needed to leave the equipment, it would be alright. It might set us back 12 years, but equipment can be replaced. People cannot. The group left and with the equipment. Dissappointed that they spent 3 hours driving each way, but they left unharmed. They got out and that was the most important thing.

The dead are never as scary as the living and I feel they did the right thing. That is why it is always important to know what to do when things go bad. It is why plans need to be made beforehand. You cannot create a plan for every possible solution, but by practicing being prepared, you can avoid panic, access the situation properly, and make logical and proper steps to be safe.

Things you should consider for an emergency plan.
1. Accidents and injuries.
- Having a first aid kit and someone qualified to use it properly.
- Who to call.
- Whether to move or stabilize the individual.
- Whether the danger is localized to the specific individual or other people are still at risk.
2. Fire
- Knowing your exits and escape routes.
- Where to meet once leaving the building.
- Who to notify.
3. Bad Weather
- Where to go for shelter.
- Who to notify.
- Knowing what resources are available.
4. Unstable individuals.
- Having a set plan to leave.
- Who to notify.

For the last, I recommend developing code words. For example, having a phrase for immediately leaving the premises and a phrase for private consult.

While we all hope to find ghosts, lets all take the time to be prepared so that we do not create more of them. Afterall, we want to investigate hauntings, not be them.

Excellent advice for all people forming a team or new to this. I think all or most teams have had at least one bad experience where someone slips through the interview process. Mishaps like this is probably why interview sheets are getting longer and longer.

Wow Chris...that's seriously disturbing to hear. I've been thinking more and more about this as people from all walks of life turn to the paranormal rather than the normal and contact a paranormal team for just about any sound or smell that appears in their home. We have no idea what we are walking into when it comes to these people, plus, if they watch the shows, they might start to learn that some investigators show up with very expensive equipment. All the more creepy when you think about the state of our economy and how crime has gone up in areas.
Honest to god, that's one of the reasons we don't have a team to take on home investigations anymore. We had a creepy episode with a family and it really left a bad taste in our mouths. You can't always tell what you're getting with a phone call.

I'd like to post this on our main site. I think this is really important for people to think about.

You are more than welcome to. If you need to refine it, go ahead as well. I just wrote it straight out without thought to form because it was so fresh on the mind. This is why ghosts don't scare me, but people do.