Emergency Plans & Supplies????
to all,
have you given any thought as to what you & your loved ones would HAVE to have in a manmade or natural disaster, regardless of the severity or sort of "problem"?
i bring this up because the really cold weather is coming & at least for the last four years our little rural village has has NUMEROUS "power failures", icestorms, windstorms, hailstorms, two floods & lots of "downed trees" that blocked the roads.
(oddly enough, our last "power interruption" was last evening from about 10PM-230AM = NOT a "big deal". nonetheless, i had several neighbors "knocking at my door" asking if i had any matches/candles/flashlight/oil lamps that they could "borrow". = they are NOT "prepared" for any eventuality.)
the experiences of MOST people at recent MAJOR "disaster locations" you will get LITTLE or NO "outside help" for at least 120 hours.
(you can get awfully wet, hungry & cold in ONE day. can you imagine FIVE DAYS "in the dark", without suitable food,lacking dry/warm clothes, with few or NO blankets, W/O your prescriptions and other necessities?)
it behooves each of us (especially those of us who are NOT in the city) to:
1. HAVE a plan of action to deal with various emergencies,
a. include HOW to "get out of" your residence,
b. who, if anybody, in your house needs "special assistence" & what they will need, absent "usual amenities"
and
c. how to "get away" from your "home area" should that become necessary.
2. MAKE a list of what you have & what you need to get,
3. GATHER up those things that you don't have,
4. figure out HOW & WHERE to store the supplies SAFELY & where they are secure from fire/theft/storm damage,
(my 10 gallons of "Coleman stove fuel" becomes "a pretty good bomb", under the wrong storage conditions! - you wouldn't want 5-gallon cans of GASOLINE in your kitchen pantry/clothes closet.)
5. GET needed training in "emergency preparedness topics",
(for example a Red Cross Basic First Aid course is FREE & could be essential to your loved ones in a disaster.)
6. CONSIDER emergency power generators & how you would use/fuel/maintain them,
7. CONSIDER aquiring emergency communications devices - you will NOT have either "hardwired" or cell phone service in most major disaster areas,
8. CONSIDER self- defense & "residential security" measures to protect you, your loved ones & your supplies from "criminal predators", looters & "dangerous animals"
("BUFFY", your next door neighbor's beloved pet, may become a PREDATOR, absent food/water for 3 days, especially if he/she joins a "pack of roving dogs".)
and
9. CONTINUE to "think about" & improve your plan/"emergency kit".
your comments/questions are solicited. - i will NOT try to tell you what YOU should/must do but i will, in later posts below, tell you what my family, our neighbors & i have planned for future "problems".
just my opinion,
yours, Otter
The only things I really plan for are power outages and floods. Wind storms drop tree limbs on power lines quite often up here, and floods are a fact of life on the nice little piece of ground I live on, being on a creek, about 1/4 mile from the wild Skykomish River. I have my kerosene heater and shed with a woodstove and wood put away, and food and batteries. My neighbors are a handy resource, too. Last time it flooded the guy two doors down who runs a guide service was taking people out of their home in his boat. I don't think I'll need to leave, my home is about 10" above the high water level in the last big flood, which was thigh high in the yard. I've got guns and a dog for civil unrest, but realistically, unless I become part of a gang (I don't think they recruit guys my age) what can one man do? Everyone owns guns out here, so I don't think any mob will make it this far.
I think the greater disaster is the "Long Emergency" type of continual ratcheting down of the economy, and that's hard to plan for. Hopefully my union job and 22 years of seniority will be enough, but if not, well, I'll just have to trust in the Lord. It's all got to end for me someday, right?
Good suggestions, Otter! In the event of an emergency, I will be out and about, checking on home health patients. We classify all of our patients as Class I, II, or III, depending on the severity of their illness and needs. The Class I's have to be seen within 24 hours of the disaster, the II's within 24-48 hours, and the III's within 48-72 hours. We have to contact them, make sure they have generator power, if they are on ventilators, and make sure that they have heat or cooling, and enough supplies to last as long as needed.
So, I guess it doesn't matter what I have at home, because I won't be there!
Cali
Cali. You are a very special person. If I was one of your patients I would be very lucky indeed.
And a big thank you to texasnative46 for reminding me to get that kit together. I've got some of the supplies you mentioned except a gun. I'm not sure about that. All of my neighbors have multiple rifles to hunt and kill snakes with. We all look out for one another in this 5 home community. I keep enough drinking water on hand for everyone for at least a couple of days.
Even where I am in GA we can get some unexpected cold weather in the winter.
Please keep the list of needed items going. Lots of thing I might forget.
One thing to add. Have plenty of pet supplies on hand. Collars with name tags and phone numbers can get your pets safely home if they get lost. And if possible, learn how to treat wounds and other injuries.
CaliforniaBlonde,
i'd guess that you are either a visiting RN and/or an NP, huh?
(fyi, my much beloved/deceased aunt was TX very first RN/NP/"sole practioner".= i'm very proud of her accomplishments. - btw, she trained at St Louis Central School of Nursing (1941-43) & was an RN for well over 6 DECADES.)
what i said about emergency preparedness goes at least DOUBLE for you, except that you need AT LEAST two "kits". = one for home, one for vehicle & one for office (IF you HAVE an office - my aunt's "office" was a 4WD SUV).
yours, Otter
to all,
you will notice that i did NOT mention "guns" in my original post ===> BUT since others here did, some of my opinions are as follows (these from a long retired LEO, rangemaster & police firearms instructor):
1. do NOT buy a gun of any sort UNLESS:
a. you are willing to go get TRAINED (professional training is MUCH to be preferred - your cousin/lover/brother/father/mother/ sister/etc. is NOT a suitable "trainer", unless they ARE professionally trained!) in proper use, the laws, gun safety, storage, maintainence & marksmanship,
b. you are WILLING & able to defend your person, your loved ones & other innocent persons from predators, whether 2-legged or 4-legged, while armed.
(IF you have even the SLIGHTEST doubt that you could NOT "pull the trigger" & KILL another animal/person to defend yourself/another innocent, do NOT buy/carry/keep a gun!!! - i am DEAD serious about that. = "armed but UNwilling to KILL" is a sure prescription for your DEATH!)
c. you are a SOBER person of STABLE mental capacity/emotions.
d. you are willing to PRACTICE to keep/upgrade your marksmanship skills/knowledge.
e. you are able to MAINTAIN your firearm, so that it properly functions & fires EVERY time.
f. you are willing to go get LICENSED to purchase/own/carry/store a firearm(s).
IF you are willing to do OR have already done all of the above, you need to consider:
1. WHAT sort of weapon to have/carry/buy,
a. for a FIRST home defense weapon, it is hard to beat a 12 or 20 guage PUMP shotgun/riotgun, made by Winchester, Ithaca, Mossberg or Remington, which has an 18 or 20 inch barrel.
(load it with #4 BUCK shot, which is relatively easy to "hit with" in the DARK!)
b. pistols/revolvers are MUCH HARDER to learn to "hit with" & are nearly USELESS, if it's too dark to see the sights.
c. HANDGUNS: consider buying a .38Special REVOLVER by Colt, Smith & Wesson or Rugar with a 4 inch barrel & FIXED sights, as a FIRST handgun. - leave the magnum revolvers, all semi-auto pistols, "ladies specials" & "mouseguns" until later (if ever) and/or to the "Pros" and/or till you are VERY experienced.
(the NYPD issued NOTHING but .38 special Colts, Rugar & Smith & Wesson revolvers for over a CENTURY to all of their sworn officers.- trust their long experience/knowledge in this, is my suggestion!)
2. WHERE/HOW to secure it & your ammunition, when it is NOT in your holster & ON your person,
(fyi, i have "lock boxes" for my handguns/ammo in the trunk of my cars, in the apartment & in the farmhouse. - all the boxes are padlocked AND securely fastened down to the floors. only Sandra & i have the keys. - i suggest that those of you, who "choose to go armed", do the same.)
3. BUY a QUALITY "on the belt" holster, by a reputable manufacturer like El Paso Saddlery, Don Hume (my choice!), Safariland or another maker, that "caters to" the police/sheriffs departments in your area.
(Ladies, "in purse carry" is NOT acceptable, imVho. IF your purse gets "snatched",as a thousand or more are EACH DAY,you have done TWO things that are UNpleasant: LOST your firearm AND you have ARMED your attacker. BOTH can get you KILLED! ===> there are SPECIAL "on the belt" holsters for policewomen. - ask a local female LEO for advice on which one to buy for YOUR weapon OR send me a PM & i'll try to advise you by email.)
just my opinions.
yours, Otter
a retired "old but NOT bold" lawman.
to all:
some random thoughts:
1. STREAMLIGHT makes GOOD/tough flashlights.- buy one for EVERY vehicle & for each of your family members.
2. EXPECT that generators/stoves/heaters will use 2 times MORE fuel than you expect them to use.- you need to have TEN DAYS worth of fuel for heat/light/cooking.
3. ENGAGE the services of a LOCKSMITH to "look over" your home for "security problems". - my guess is that 100.oo will pay the bill & worth every penny!
4. in an emergency situation, figure/allow for/store at least FIFTY GALLONS of clean water for EACH household resident. 100 GALLONS per individual is BETTER, if you can store that much.
5. everyone will eat about half again as much, when under stress, than is usual for them.
6. expect to need/have "on hand" about TEN DAYS food supply for each person.
(the manual can-opener is "your friend".- do NOT plan to cook during the first day of a major emergency, as you will likely be "too stressed out" to cook.)
7. consider getting licensed as a HAM RADIO OPERATOR.- not only will "hams" stay "on the air" during 99% of emergencies, they also "cooperate as they communicate".
8. get at least ONE QUALITY battery-operated AM/FM portable radio & about twice as many batteries as you think you'll need - then you might have just about enough.
9. HOT coffee, teas, soup lifts morale & gets/keeps people WARM.
10 expect the unexpected.
yours, Otter
All these ideas are great! And you are right: I need an emergency kit for my home, my car, and the office. We do have an office and we will need to access the emergency callback list there, too. I am a Home Health RN in a local agency that is affiliated with the hospital.
You know, that might help others: we have a list of 4 people who start the callback process. Each person is then in charge of calling the next person on their list, and the last one calls back in to the office.
That might be a good idea for families: designate a call list of relatives and family friends. Each person makes just one call to let the next one know how they are doing. By the time the phone calls get "out" of the disaster area, a designated person can call everybody else. That will keep cell phone traffic more manageable.
Cali;all,
GOOD IDEA.===> our group has a "notification tree", which is practiced monthly.
out local "village watch"/Civil Defense Force is VERY well organized = it could have something to do with the fact that 90+% of the members are ex-military/ex-LEO.= the "overall leader" is not only a retired CPT with the local SO but is also a (retired) USAR LTC(MP). - "Gloria ________" is a GRAND lady & KNOWS how to lead by example.
our CDF is organized into 5-person teams (each 5 teams has a captain.)- each team has a "group leader"/LT.,uses our personal vehicles, has 2-way radios (Midland VHF), good first aid kits, flashlights & are "armed to the teeth".
(with 12guage riotguns & a handgun.)
we are also "in bed with" the county sheriff's office & have "close and cordial relations" with nearby town/state police.
we even have a retired RN (NeldaJo K________) "on call", who gets called before or shortly after 911, in case of injury/illness.
NOTE to ALL: you do NOT have to "copy" our design. we didn't start out to be as organized as we are! = like "Topsy", we "just growed".
just my opinion.
yours, Otter
okay guys i noticed something that is being overlooked on communications devices...
get a Citizen's band radio like the truckers use...it is powered by 12 volts and is easy to install anywhere.,..and you dont need a license to use it...some training yes but with a base unit in your vehicle if possible or just hooked up to a battery with a solar charger it is great!! the range on it is about 20 to 50 miles and more depending on your location....also walkie talkies are excellent for communication and contact with others out in the field....these are inexpensive units and easily used and trained on....
ham is for the serious operator who will need to get operating training which takes a year before you can actually talk on it....that is if the fcc hasnt changed the rules again...so prudently ham is out...let the ones who already have the training and licenses take care of that end...the CB radio is more user friendly for folks like you all...i have had one in my truck for many years and updated and upgraded as time went by.....
not to bust your idea there otter but this way is much easier for the novice than going ham....
your input as a rescue and search operation is great but for folks like us the other alternative is more viable...
as for the gun issue....yes i totally concur with you...if you arent ready or not sure you can kill then dont even have a firearm....in this way your chances of surviving are much higher than if you had a firearm and were afraid to use it...this WILL get you killed.....and you may set the attacker or predator off in a way you dont want to....either way you would wind up dead....guns are NOT playthings and if used by inexperienced folk then more harm than good will come from it....
indi
to all,
pardon me but the preceding post by "indigoshaman" is filled with errors.
i can get you licensed as a "ham operator" over a SINGLE weekend. the cost to get licensed? = TEN dollars. - the licensing course, itself, is FREE.
further, the time from testing to getting your license today is about TWO WEEKS.
(you also do NOT have to "know morse code", or for that matter, "a lot of technical information" that your 8 year old grandchild couldn't master in one weekend.)
personally, i regard "CB radio" as toys & nearly useless for emergency communications. there are times that you cannot talk more than ONE mile with a LEGAL CB radio.
(there are LOTS of ILLEGAL radios out there that are MUCH more powerful - those will get you arrested & administratively fined by the FCC, should you "get caught with" operating one.- usual fines are about 25,000 dollars - and YES there have been numerous recent fines levied.)
another communications group that IS worth your time & money is the General Mobile Radio Service (called:GMRS).
GMRS works well & you do NOT have to take a test - you DO have to be licensed as a "GMRS station" = you note that INDIVIDUALS do NOT have to be licensed - ALL members of your household MAY use the SAME license.- "every day/all the time" GMRS communication range is about 25-40 miles.
as they used to say on DRAGNET, what i posted is "JUST THE FACTS."
NOTE: our local Civil Defense Force is NOT a "search & rescue" group. instead it is precisely what the name implies. we are a group of property owners, who (years ago) banded together to protect each other's families & property from harm.
as our sheriff told a ANTI-gun, ANTI-self defense, "crusading journalist", from a nearby city's "national newspaper": "Unless you are a CRIMINAL, you have NOTHING whatever to fear from their defense group. on the other hand, IF you are in that village with "the intent to cause harm to" otherwise peaceful citizens, you have MUCH to fear."
yours, Otter
