Emergency Action Planning

It’s Official

2016-06-05T16:56:00.000-04:00

Hurricane Season Is Upon Us

A Tropical Storm Warning has been issued today by the National Weather Service. Effected Counties are along the central Florida Gulf Coast.

http://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=NWS&issuedby=TBW&product=HLS

If you live in the affected areas I recommend that you become familiar with the above information.

Local News reports are already reporting sea-walls being crested by the Gulf waters, and the storm is not even here yet. I anticipate flooding in the lower lying coastal areas once the storm makes land fall Monday (6/06/16) afternoon or evening.

http://www.baynews9.com/content/news/baynews9/news/article.html/content/news/articles/bn9/2016/6/2/tropical_update_two_.html

Local County Emergency Operations Centers (EOC’s) and the FL State EOC are already coming online in anticipation of the damage the storm may produce.

If you are one of the less than 40% of the people who have already prepared an Emergency Action Plan, now is the time to break it out, review it, and insure that all stakeholders are on-line with the plan. At a best case scenario this will give you an opportunity to “Test” your plan.

If you are one of the more than 60% of the adult individuals who have been remiss in preparing for events that will most certainly happen at some point in your life. Now is a good time to rethink your lack of action.

A good place for information to start the creation of an Emergency Action Plan is the FEMA “Are you Ready” guide: https://www.ready.gov/are-you-ready-guide

Till next time

“Be Safe”

Hurricane Preparedness Week: May 15-21, 2016

2016-05-17T19:10:00.000-04:00

Season Five is on its way to Florida (Hurricane Season).

Have you prepared?

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/com/weatherreadynation/hurricane_preparedness.html

1=0 2=1 3=2

2016-05-16T19:20:00.000-04:00

When putting your Emergency Action Plan together there needs to be a certain level of redundancy.

So I’ll tell you the story about why you haven’t heard from me in a couple weeks.

Below you can see two SATA 1TB drives and two 120GB SSD’s

Now the issue was that the power supply on my Desk Top went out and needed replacing. No biggie, simply un-bolt it from the case, unplug the cords, install the new one, plug it in, and voila.

Four fried drives. Poof all at once. Turned on the power and POOF, a big puff of brown smoke. Now I thought I was redundant. Working drives, backup drives. What could go wrong?

No one I have talked to has ever heard of something like this happening before. Guess it’s just my electric personality. On the down side the Mother board was also damaged. On the up side I had a Lap Top I could access and have archived some of the business data on an external drive. Unfortunately not often enough, but enough not to have lost everything.

SO where am I going with this. If I was in a situation where I lost the only two items in my Bug-Out-Bag needed for a unique purpose I would maybe be up the creek without the paddle. Ergo,

1=0 2=1 3=2

Please keep in mind that when developing your equipment plan that most items sold as “Survival Gear” are usually a one-time item that are not intended to last for very long. Spend the $$$ to get quality gear, get three of them, and distribute them so they cannot all be lost at once.

Me, when the Desk Top comes back, I’ll invest in a Third drive, external, about 4TB w/Cloud.

Till Next Time

“Be Safe”

Be Prepared Because Disasters Will Happen, Says 'Miracle' Pilot

2016-04-28T21:39:00.001-04:00

The important thing is how people respond, 'Sully' tells Red Cross event attendees.

Paul Swiech, The Pantagraph, Bloomington, Ill. | April 22, 2016

Survivors of U.S. Airways Flight 1549 with155 passengers and crew, including Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger III, who piloted safe water landing 5 years ago, join with their rescuers in a toast marking the anniversary of the event known as the "miracle on the Hudson," on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2014 in New York. AP/Bebeto Mathews

(TNS) - Disasters happen. What matters is how people respond.

That was one message of American Red Cross Serving Central Illinois' 23rd annual Evening of Stars on Thursday night.

Delivering that and other messages was featured speaker Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, the pilot of the "Miracle on the Hudson."

"What I hope people glean from his story is that disasters do happen but here was someone who was as prepared as he could be and he managed it," said Lyn Hruska, Red Cross regional chief development officer.

"No matter how hard we wish disasters away, they will happen," Hruska continued. "Captain Sullenberger used his education and training to save lives. So his message for us is to be as prepared as we can be and to use those skills when the time comes."

Sullenberger spoke at the Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in uptown Normal during the largest Evening of Stars ever. About 1,000 people attended the event, which is Red Cross in Central Illinois' largest fundraiser of the year.

Saying he grew up in an era when "striving for excellence was expected," Sullenberger told his audience, "We must keep on learning, stretching, re-inventing" ourselves.

"We must continue to innovate," he said.

Sullenberger piloted US Airways Flight 1549 on Jan. 15, 2009, to a successful, emergency water landing in New York City's Hudson River after the plane's engines lost thrust shortly after takeoff, which followed a collision with a flock of geese. The plane remained intact and everyone was rescued.

The incident and how he handled it brought him national fame, but he told the audience that many people contributed to the successful outcome such as his crew and the emergency responders. That is true in most emergency situations, he said.

"There are many heroes who go unnoticed," he said.

Sullenberger told The Pantagraph in an interview several weeks ago that "Each of us has a responsibility to prepare ourselves. When we do, we can have good outcomes. We can even save lives."

"Leaders aren't born," he said. "They are, in fact, made. We can learn to be better at what we do."

"When we work together according to our core values, we can make a difference," Sullenberger said.

Also speaking Thursday night was David Sanderson of Charlotte, N.C., a passenger on Flight 1549. Sanderson described his experiences as a passenger and with the Red Cross, which provided assistance after the emergency landing.

"It's a night to celebrate heroes," Hruska said. "There are heroes in any disaster. They are the people who step in instead of stepping away."

Proceeds from Evening of Stars benefit Red Cross disaster relief, assistance for military families, collection of blood and blood products and health and safety education.

Hruska said she was confident that the event would exceed its goal of raising $200,000.

Follow Paul Swiech on Twitter: @pg_swiech

———

©2016 The Pantagraph (Bloomington, Ill.)

Visit The Pantagraph (Bloomington, Ill.) at www.pantagraph.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

http://preview.tinyurl.com/h9o7h7c

The Prince is Dead Long Live the Prince

2016-04-24T19:55:00.001-04:00

"On April 21, 2016, news broke that Prince Rogers Nelson was found dead in his home in Minneapolis at age 57. He was found unresponsive in an elevator and was declared dead shortly after. Internet criminals are going to exploit this celebrity death in a number of ways, so be careful with anything related to Price's death: emails, attachments, any social media (especially Facebook), texts on your phone, anything. There will be a number of scams related to this, so Think Before You Click!

Also, with the recent earthquakes in Ecuador and Japan, there are charity scams sticking up their ugly heads. If you want to make donations, go to your favorite charity by opening your browser and type their link in the address bar. Do not click on any links in emails."

If you a looking for a free phishing security test for your company go here: https://info.knowbe4.com/phishing-security-test-16

FYI: Emergency Action Planning does not receive monetary or material compensation from knowbe4.com

Till next time

“Be Safe”

Ring of Fire

2016-04-16T20:29:00.000-04:00

This week’s Ring of Fire events are centered in Southern Japan. Multiple Earthquakes ranging from 4.7 to 7 on the Richter scale have rocked Japan over the last few days. Earthquakes arrive unannounced unlike winter storms and Hurricanes, the best way to mitigate the risks is to prepare prior to the event, not after.

http://www.borgenmagazine.com/recent-tsunamis-pacific-oceans-ring-fire

The Ring of Fire is an area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean where a large number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur. In a 40,000 km (25,000 mi) horseshoe shape, it is associated with a nearly continuous series of oceanic trenches, volcanic arcs, and volcanic belts and/or plate movements. It has 452 volcanoes (more than 75% of the world's active and dormant volcanoes). [1] The Ring of Fire is sometimes called the circum-Pacific belt.

About 90% [2] of the world's earthquakes and 81% [3] of the world's largest earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire. The next most seismically active region (5–6% of earthquakes and 17% of the world's largest earthquakes) is the Alpide belt, which extends from Java to the northern Atlantic Ocean via the Himalayas and southern Europe.[4][5]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_of_Fire

Japan has been historically known to proactively mitigate Earthquake damage within its borders through aggressive building codes and public education. Anyone who has watched the news has seen that the Japanese people react calmly during and after the initial shocks have hit their areas. This is because the Japanese People have been educated on the subject of Earthquake survival. This education begins in elementary school.

Reviewing a general High School curriculum shows that Disaster Mitigation Education is integrated throughout the curriculum. This integration of Disaster Mitigation Education within its culture develops a survival mindset.

http://www.hyogo-c.ed.jp/~maiko-hs/e/DM_edu/new_bosai_edu_e.htm

Maybe this is why the current death toll and injuries are so low compared to the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989

The Japanese culture of disaster mitigation is in deep contrast to the American antipathy of preparing for anything that does not provide immediate self-gratification. The United States has repeatedly proven to have a reaction centric after the disaster mindset when it comes to dealing with emergencies and disasters.

Reviewing our political culture shows us that our politicians are content providing “We the Sheeple” a constant cultural identity of the Victim needing to be rescued.

Stupidity is an elemental force for which no earthquake is a match. - Karl Kraus

An interesting video I located while searching for material for this post relates to Los Angeles, CA and what the politicians are dreading there. I recommend that you look at it; http://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2015/08/27/maevewest-leading-after-disaster-origwx-gr.cnn/video/playlists/strong-quakes-around-the-world/

Of note in this three minute short is that the Mayor, Eric Garcetti at no time mentions educating the public on surviving a major earthquake in the Los Angeles basin. Rightfully he is concerned with maintaining the infrastructure. Listen carefully, he already knows the city will be lost.

My thoughts and prayers go out to my family and loved ones living on the West Coast. I hope the recent events in Japan will spur many to pull their heads out of their back-sides and get their Emergency Action Plan in place before it will be needed. If you haven’t done so yet, go to; https://www.ready.gov/are-you-ready-guide and get started now.

Till next time

“Be Safe”

NOAA National Weather Service

2016-04-14T19:22:00.002-04:00

http://www.srh.weather.gov/jetstream/nws/nwr.html

Alternate Risks

2016-04-09T19:48:00.000-04:00

In general the Emergency Action Planning (EAP) workshop is intended to focus on threats posed by Natural, Manmade, Civil, and National Security events.

Throughout the course of the workshop we are identifying the risks involved with each subsection of our plan (Evacuation, Feeding, Gathering water, Shelter, etc.) finding ways to mitigate those risks, and reviewing those risks over time to determine if they need modifying.

This process will eventually develop within us a risk awareness capability that allows us to identify alternate risks that are not necessarily focused on Disaster/Emergency preparedness that need to be mitigated anyway.

Risk comes from not knowing what you're doing. - Warren Buffett

During my daily commutes to and from work, and pretty much anytime I’m driving, I listen to my IPod. I call it my Juke Box for the car. The material I usually listen to can be described as educational/self-development Podcasts.

A recent Podcast I listened too is titled Future Crimes: Cyber Crime and How to Protect Yourself. The guest speaker is Marc Goodman and the Podcast is titled Art of Charm hosted by AJ and Jordan Harbinger. I’ll preface this by saying that the Podcast originally started as a how too dating venue that over the years has morphed into a positive self-development venue listened to by men and women seeking workable life hacks. (My definition)

http://theartofcharm.com/podcast-episodes/marc-goodman-future-crimes-cyber-crime-and-how-to-protect-yourself-bonus/

Being the self-proclaimed basic Emergency Action Planning subject matter expert (SME) I would be remiss for not passing along information that may be of value to you. I recommend that you give it a listen, it’s about an hour long. Has some very interesting and valuable information. FYI I am not affiliated with AOC and do not receive any monetary or material compensation from sharing their material. A Like on my Facebook page would be nice though.

Till next time

“Be Safe”

Active Shooter

2016-04-05T20:20:00.001-04:00

Sunday I was asked by a female friend of mine if she should buy a gun (I have been asked this question several times before). I asked her why she thought she needed one, she mentioned her apprehension about the seemingly daily violence in America.

I told her that I’ll ask her a simple question that needs a simple answer. Based on her answer I would tell her if she should further consider the acquisition of a fire arm for personal protection.

Are you ready?

“Are you willing to draw a firearm at a moment’s notice and kill someone?”

I’ll ask that question again.

“Are you willing to draw a firearm at a moment’s notice and kill someone?”

"Owning a handgun doesn't make you armed any more than owning a guitar makes you a musician." – Jeff Cooper

If you are not, then you should not own a firearm for the purpose of self-defense, protecting your family and loved ones. Or to enter into the defense of a stranger.

This cannot be stressed enough. Individuals with years of training and direct combat experience miss the target. An eight hour firearms course, and a couple hundred rounds down range are not going to make you a Rambo.

So that bring us to the real question on her mind. What to do in the event of an Active Shooter scenario?

An Active Shooter scenario has three possible Courses of Action (CoA’s).

1) Evacuate If there is an accessible escape path, attempt to evacuate the premises. Be sure to:

• Have an escape route and plan in mind

• Evacuate regardless of whether others agree to follow

• Leave your belongings behind

• Help others escape, if possible

• Prevent individuals from entering an area where the active shooter may be• Keep your hands visible• Follow the instructions of any police officers

• Do not attempt to move wounded people

• Call 911 when you are safe

2) Hide out

If evacuation is not possible, find a place to hide where the active shooter is less likely to find you.

Your hiding place should:

• Be out of the active shooter’s view

• Provide protection if shots are fired in your direction (i.e., an office with a closed and locked door)

• Not trap you or restrict your options for movement

To prevent an active shooter from entering your hiding place:

• Lock the door

Blockade the door with heavy furniture

If the active shooter is nearby:

• Lock the door• Silence your cell phone and/or pager

• Turn off any source of noise (i.e., radios, televisions)

• Hide behind large items (i.e., cabinets, desks)

• Remain quiet

If evacuation and hiding out are not possible:

• Remain calm

• Dial 911, if possible, to alert police to the active shooter’s location

• If you cannot speak, leave the line open and allow the dispatcher to listen

3) Take action against the active shooter

As a last resort, and only when your life is in imminent danger, attempt to disrupt and/or incapacitate the active shooter by:

• Acting as aggressively as possible against him/her

• Throwing items and improvising weapons

• Yelling

• Committing to your actions

(U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2015)

This is not an all-inclusive list of actions, but it is a good start.

An Active Shooter Drill should be included into your Emergency Action Plan.

Resources are freely available through DHS and FEMA. The FEMA Independent Study Course;

IS-907: Active Shooter: What You Can Do is available here; https://training.fema.gov/is/courseoverview.aspx?code=IS-907

Take the course, you have nothing to loose.

Other resource material:

https://www.dhs.gov/active-shooter-preparedness

Till Next time

“Be Safe”

Preparation VS Panic

2016-03-31T22:01:00.003-04:00

Fear is a vital response to physical and emotional danger—if we didn't feel it, we couldn't protect ourselves from legitimate threats. But often we fear situations that are far from life-or-death, and thus hang back for no good reason. Traumas or bad experiences can trigger a fear response within us that is hard to quell. Yet exposing ourselves to our personal demons is the best way to move past them.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/fear

Panic Button: Copyright: designsoliman / 123RF Stock Photo

Panic Causes tunnel vision. Calm acceptance of danger allows us to more easily access the situation and see the options. -Simon Sinek-

Disaster and Emergencies will affect hundreds of thousands of people every year. Disasters will disrupt both people and property for possibly years to come.

As discussed in earlier posts, government and relief organizations will try to assist you, but you do need to be prepared to be on your own. Local First responders may not be able to get to you or they may have their focus elsewhere. (FEMA, 2004)

You do need to be prepared to act

Having a plan can reduce fear, panic, anxiety and loss. I am certain that you have heard of the term Fight or Flight. There is one more that is seldom mentioned, Freeze. Fight, Flight or Freeze. From experience I can say that each one of them when used appropriately can be a life saver and a game changer. If used at the wrong time or place they can become deadly.

Developing an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) will help relieve the three F’s.

During my tenure with the military we had a training maxim. Train the way you fight.

When you’re developing your Emergency Action Plan be realistic about your goals and how you will accomplish them. Through clear communication and realistic practice you will become capable and accomplished for the activation of your EAP.

One thing to keep in mind though, is that if you plan and prepare halfheartedly, and without conviction. You will react the same way. It’s a formula for disaster.

If you plan with clear goals and conviction. You will react the same way.

Once the trigger is pulled you will not have the luxury of thinking through the process. Responding the way you have properly planned for will usually pull your team through the situation. You will not panic.

Keep in mind that no plan is perfect. If you’re trying to make the perfect plan. Stop now. Having a plan, any plan is better that having none. If you have planned, and your plan is not working, you will have your alternative Course of Action (COA) to fall back on.

“Planning is a process of choosing among those many options. If we do not choose to plan, then we choose to have others plan for us.” Richard I. Winwood

So how do we avoid Panic? We Plan.

Till next time

“Be Safe”

How many Seasons are there in Florida?

2016-03-28T17:58:00.001-04:00

Traditionally there are just four seasons to be had anywhere in the world. Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. But in Florida we have five.

Five you say, yes Five. I can hear you now, asking what on earth am I talking about.

Hurricane Season. Officially the Atlantic Hurricane Season starts on June 1^stand ends on November 30^th. Historically this is the time of year the year the most tropical cyclones appear in the Atlantic Basin. I do not mean to be flippant and imply the Florida is the only place at risk for Hurricanes. Historical Hurricane events over the last ten+ years would be kind enough to prove me wrong.

The below map shows all known tropical cyclones between the year of 1851 and 2012.

By Nilfanion - Created using User:jdorje/Tracks by Nilfanion on 2006-08-05. Background image from File:Whole world - land and oceans.jpg (NASA). Tracking data for storms is from the National Hurricane Center.[1], Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1023164

If a hurricane strikes, we can blame the president for not being there; we can blame Congress and FEMA; we can blame the state governments; but in the end, it's the mayors and the local city governments that have to be prepared for emergencies and be prepared to act. - Michael Bloomberg

I picked this quotation because I feel that it portrays the thought process of most Americans today. Blame someone else. Really, you know I'm right.

In the end though it is our individual responsibility to be prepared for emergencies and be prepared to act.

When I asked several professionals in the emergency response industry, "Why are so few Americans (less than 40%) are prepared for the disasters, or emergencies that will happen sometime in their life?" The reply was, "We'll need a psychologist to answer that." Scary thought eh.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average American spends more money on entertainment each year than on practically anything else. The implication is that Americans in general would rather not have to think about, well much of anything. Especially those things that might harm them, maybe it will go away. Those very same people who fail to attend to their own needs are the very same ones who will bitch, whine, moan and groan about how unfortunate they are, and why isn’t everyone coming to give them the help they so desperately need.

Statistically 60%+ of the adult population have done nothing to prepare themselves or their loved ones for the Disasters and Emergencies that will someday come. Are they are either scared, lazy or just don't care to do the right thing. There are some people that will fit into this category. But I don't think the majority of people are like that at all.

I believe that many people just do not know what to do or where to get started.

What if you could get a plan in place within the next two months? Would you do it?

Hurricane season is just over 60 days away. 60 days is more than enough time to prepare yourself, your family, and loved ones for something that we hope doesn't happen.

So which one are you? Less than 40% or more than 60%. You have 60 days till Hurricane season starts. Go here and download the FEMA Are You Ready Guide to Citizen Preparedness:

https://www.ready.gov/are-you-ready-guide

This guide is an excellent free resource for starting your Emergency Action Plan.

Till Next time

"Be Safe"

You will be Alone

2016-03-23T21:15:00.001-04:00

EMS will be stretched to the limit. Will anyone come to your aid? Will anyone be able to come to your aid?

"We realized that when a disaster happened, whether an earthquake, storm or terrorist activity, the people on the scene were actually the first responders and, in a major event, they were often the only responders for possibly long periods of time."

- Frank Lucier, San Francisco FD Retired

Resources will immediately be directed to search and rescue, getting the roads open, hospitals open, restarting the infrastructure.

I am of the opinion that my name will not be on any master list that say. “Quick, go pull Daniel’s fat out of the fire. Nope, won’t happen. Though there might just be such a list, most of us are not on it. So what does that mean? We will have to fend for ourselves.

Unfortunately historical evidence has shown that many First Responders will abandon their posts during the onset and aftermath of an emergency or disaster. I have no intention to demean the valiant work these men and women do on a daily basis, but they are human. And they will be more interested in protecting their family and loved ones. Their very safety may be at risk because of civil unrest, or they will be frustrated by the lack of adequate resources that will allow them to perform as they want to. Hopefully some communities are developing resources that will enable the First Responders to remain on post knowing that their families and loved ones are safe and secure.

Sadly the 2015 movie San Andreas depicts the hero abandoning his post to rescue his family and loved ones. Obviously he did not have an Emergency Action Plan in place. Not a positive meme to portray as acceptable behavior.

Statistical evidence shows that First Responders are no more prepared to respond to a disaster that the general citizenry. (FEMA, 2016)

The general consensus in the Emergency Planning Community is to prepare for a minimum of three days isolation. That’s what most all of the handouts and checklists supplied by FEMA and the ARC say.

Will three days of meager rations and water be enough? I don’t think so. First of all, if you have been proactive and evacuated the affected area. Things might be better. Have you prepositioned couple of weeks of supplies at an offsite location? If you waited too long to leave you will be either sheltering in-place, or relying on a public shelter that might be up and running in your community. You won’t be alone then.

During the creation of your Emergency Action Plan you should be aware of the possibility that you and yours will be on your own until responding relief agencies can get you out. The infrastructure has been restored to an acceptable level. Or you can get to a safer place.

References

FEMA. (2016). Ready Responder. Retrieved March 23, 2016, from www.ready.gov: https://www.ready.gov/responder

Till Next Time

“Be Safe”

Zika Virus

2016-03-17T21:10:00.000-04:00

The Zika Virus seems to be the current biological threat on most people’s tongues today.

During my tenure with the US Army, during the late 70’s through the 80’s we were preparing to fight a Chemical, Nuclear, and Biological war against the then Soviet Block in Eastern Europe.

Each of these scenarios have uniquely different Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTP’s) to mitigate their effects. On the Biological front the best form of defense is being healthy. Yes I know, being healthy is not an absolute, but it is the best place to start when combating biological infections.

The next best protective factor is not to get bitten. What a concept. How do we do that?

Clothing, Long Sleeves, and Long Pants

Mosquito Netting where you sleep

Insect Repellant

I for one have never heard of the Zika Virus until just recently, I’m certain most of you have not either. Did Zika suddenly just become a fresh new threat to the human existence? No. It was first discovered in 1947 and is named after the Zika forest of Uganda where the first human cases were detected.

Prior to 2007 only 14 cases were reported. That may be because the symptoms are similar to other diseases and may not have been diagnosed correctly.

Of note - if a non Zika carrying mosquito bites an infected person, it can then transmit the pathogen to other people.

Go to The Center for Disease Control (CDC) for useful information; http://www.cdc.gov/zika/

Till next time

“Be Safe”

EVACUATE

2016-03-14T16:52:00.000-04:00

Run from water, hide from wind.

The emergency/disaster is barreling down on you and you still have some time before it hits, Hurricanes, Severe Storms.

The disaster struck without warning, Earthquake, Tornado, Technological, and Terrorist Attack.

You waited too long and now the aftermath is too severe to remain in place, Flooding, Damaged Infrastructure.

What choice do you have? Get out now.

If you have been building your Emergency Action Plan as you should be you have already identified one or more shelter locations outside of the affected area. Now you need to get your family and loved ones there.

Stay tuned into the local news on your radio or television if you still have power. If not that battery powered radio in your Disaster Kit will be useful. Local authorities will not ask you to evacuate unless there is a valid reason. When the evacuation decree is announced, go. Do not overthink it.

As a side note. I was conducting the EAP Workshop for a group of individuals a couple years ago. One couple brought up an incident during the 2004 Hurricane season. Their neighborhood was instructed to evacuate. By their own admission they scoffed at the neighbors who evacuated when instructed to do so. They overthought it and remained in place until it was too late. By the time they decided to leave they could not. Even though their neighborhood was on relatively high ground, all egress routs were flooded and they were forced to remain in place with no electricity or access to resources. Do not overthink it.

Course of Action (CoA)

Know the route of travel and follow directions. In this world of GPS everywhere it is still important to have a map available. Physical maps will assist you with routes that you may be unfamiliar with. Follow routes identified by emergency officials. Do not stray off of the recommend route even if you are familiar with the area. Those areas may be inaccessible or dangerous for reasons unknown. Local authorities are in contact with state and federal emergency management personnel. They will know the conditions of the evacuation routes, and you will be more likely to get to where you are going.

Keep a Full Tank of Fuel

On the morning of October 18^th 1989 I drove to work In Monterey, CA from my apartment in Castroville. It’s about a 15 mile drive one way. At the time I worked as a cook at a private school overlooking the Monterey Salinas Highway. Today was going to be an all-day shift Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. I passed the gas station that I would normally stop at, I decided not to, I would fill up on my way home even though I was sitting close to empty.

At just after five pm I was carrying a full sheet pan of Halibut, the first of many balanced on my right hand and shoulder to the oven. Suddenly an odd rumble and someone picked up the building about 12 feet in the air and dropped it to the ground. Fish was flying everywhere and I was bouncing around on the floor like a ping-pong ball. In case you’re wondering, this was the Loma Prieta Earthquake.

The majority of the kitchen staff were scrambling to exit the building, but where I was (at the ovens) was almost at the farthest end of the building away from the primary exit. After ensuring there was no one left in the kitchen, I moved to the closest door I could find. And behold I was on a balcony 40, 50, 60+ feet above ground overlooking the Highway (Nope I never looked out that door before). Even though I was on the ground floor, this part of the building was on stilts. And the sound of a freight train was rushing toward me. I moved back inside and decided to shelter in the walk-in refrigerator. Worst case scenario I could eat my way out.

I have no idea how much time passed, probably was not that long. The aftershocks did not seemed to be subsiding and hanging out inside the refrigerator was getting less appealing, so I made my way outside to the courtyard. The ground of the pristine lawn was liquefied and rippling. Reminded me of a garden hose being snapped up and down, but on a larger scale. I was forced to go to my hands and knees or topple over.

After the dust settled, there were no injuries or apparent structural damage to the kitchen/dining area. The power was out and the maintenance staff was shutting down the gas lines as a precaution. We somehow managed to feed the 300+ students and staff by candle light with the food that was already prepared. We cleaned up the mess as best we could in the dark, and I started my drive home.

The drive was rather surreal, the only lights to be seen were the tail lights in front and the headlights passing me. I got to my gas station, pretty much on fumes. There were lights inside (lanterns) and cars at the pumps. But there was no gas to be had. The station tanks were full, but without electricity the pumps would not operate.

Fortunately one of the kitchen staff lived in my building, she was nice enough to drive me back and forth to and from work. Three days later electricity was restored and I was able to fill up the car. Since then I will not let my tank go below half full without filling up.

Moral of the story, don’t let your tank go below half full without filling up.

Protective Clothing

Wear clothing that will protect you, long sleeves and long pants. Sturdy shoes suitable for walking in. You might end up walking. Headgear, sunglasses, gloves and sun-screen.

Bug-out Kit

Minimum of 72 hours of food, water, clothing per person. Special needs resources. Cell Phone with a spare battery. Portable radio.

Other Considerations

One car, keeps the family together and lessens the need for more gas. It’s also one less car on the road.

Pets, don’t leave home without them. They should be included in your evacuation plan.

Predetermined Meeting Place. If your family is separated when it is time to evacuate, who is doing what, and where will you meet at. Are your Bug-Out Kits already in the car, or they hanging on some hook in your garage?

Children in school? Have a plan for who will pick them up.

Communications plan. Your predetermined out-of-town contact needs to be alerted of your itinerary to include routes and times. All family members should have contact information for this individual or individuals. To include, land line number, cell number, business number and email address at a minimum. Be aware that the local cell towers may be down or overloaded due to the volume of calls. Text messaging and email may be the best form of communication. A satellite phone might be a good deal also.

Keep in mind that my thoughts here are based on personal research and practical experience. I recommend that you research the usual suspects; FEMA, ARC Local OEM. For additional material on the subject of Evacuation.

Till Next Time

“Be Safe”

SHELTERS ARE PACKED

2016-03-10T21:12:00.001-05:00

If the need comes to evacuate before or during an emergency or disaster you will need to find shelter.

Most communities have facilities identified as emergency shelters. These facilities are usually schools or other suitable publicly accessible buildings. Once inside you will probably only have 10 square feet of space per person and your possessions. Ten square feet is 1’x10’or 2’x5’.

Inside you may find food, water, sanitation facilities, a cot, pillow and blanket. Or you might not.

When searching for shelters in your community, a call to the local Office of Emergency Management (OEM) might produce a list of location that have been identified within your community. If so, then it would be prudent to physically locate them and learn the route or routes necessary to get to them if need be.

Keep in mind that last year’s shelter might not be on the approved list this year. There can be many reasons for this. Each shelter must meet a certification standard to be acceptable.

These standards are based on structural requirements for the facility based on their occupancy load and duration of use.

Wind Loads

Windborne Debris Impact

Foundations and Floor Slabs

Or, how much damage can the facility take before it fails.

Public shelter design criteria for Florida can be downloaded here;

https://www.google.com/search?q=Public+Shelter+Design&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

Other states may have different criteria depending on the shelter needs of the community.

Traditionally the American Red Cross is the organization that manages these facilities when needed. A phone call to your local chapter may be beneficial for locating these shelters.

Note; during my personal research in various communities I have found that some agencies will not disclose shelter locations prior to their need. This is usually community specific.

Be aware that pets probably will not be allowed within. If you have a service animal you will need papers proving it.

You will be housed with a large number of strangers and there will be the need for a certain amount of cultural etiquette to remain in the shelter. The food will meet minimum standards and the sanitation facilities will not be private.

If a public shelter is not your cup of tea, alternative sheltering may be necessary.

Shelter in place

Family/Friends outside of the affected area

Hotels/Motels outside of the affected area

Churches

Home Host Programs

Take a trip down memory lane and Google “Katrina Shelter”. Take a look at what might be in store for you if you live in a major metropolitan area and decide to wait until it is too late to leave.

Call your OEM and the ARC now to discover the facilities available and determine if you want to be there. If not make alternate plans now.

Till Next Time

“Be Safe”

Special Needs

2016-03-08T19:47:00.000-05:00

What are special needs when it comes to preparing an Emergency Action Plan?

For some people it might be the need to have a fresh squeeze of lemon in their ice water. If you Google the term Special Needs you won’t find a fresh squeeze of lemon there.

Special needs is a term usually used to describe individuals with medical, mental or psychological disabilities requiring special assistance. And this is not necessarily all inclusive.

If you need a label to categorize these groups you may come up with concepts such as… Elderly, Visually Challenged, Auditory Challenged, and Mobility Challenged, Mentally Challenged, Medically Challenged, Pets and Service Animals, Children, Diabetics…

These individuals may have long tern/permanent needs. Or they might be short term/temporary needs.

Either way, you will need to plan for them.

Disability doesn't make you exceptional, but questioning what you think you know about it does. - Stella Young

The best way to start Special Needs planning is to identify the individuals’ functional abilities and absolute needs well before an emergency or disaster. Be aware of the during and after needs, as they will become crucial during the immediate response to the event. And after the event when resources may not be readily available.

A hypothetical scenario could be that the electricity is out. It will be out for a week, maybe two, and Aunt Janice needs regular dialysis.

Some of the categories of needs will fall into… Medicine, Diet, Oxygen, Transportation, Medical Services, Electrical Devices, Personal Care Equipment, Pet friendly Shelters/Hotels – Motels. Care and feeding of your pets or Service Animals. Diapers for the baby.

Please keep in mind that I am not a Doctor, Nurse, Clinician, Veterinarian or Health Care Professional. The labels and lists provided are not all inclusive. These are simply my thoughts based on personal research.

During the Emergency Action Planning process consult with medical professionals and your County Office of Emergency Management to identify the resources that may be needed and available for your specific situation. If you discover something that is not going to be available, you need to fix it now.

A starting resource: https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/897

Till Next time

“Be Safe”

DRINK WATER!!!

2016-03-07T21:12:00.000-05:00

“Rehydrate or die, Drill Sergeant. Rehydrate or die.”

During my tenure as a Senior Drill Sergeant I was charged as all Drill Sergeants are with the safety, health and welfare of the young men and women placed in our charge.

During their time with us these individuals are placed in situations that will tax their physical, mental and emotional core beyond anything they have ever witnessed in their lives, with few exceptions.

These individuals were placed in situations that if not managed judiciously, could cause serious injury and death. In this environment there are no accidents. Only failures to act accordingly.

One of the most serious and preventable injuries we are faced with are HEAT ILLNESSES. Heat illness falls under three headings

HEAT EXHAUSTION

HEAT STROKE

HYPONATREMIA "Water Intoxication"

Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke are the two most common manageable injuries. Hypernatremia is a byproduct of over hydrating and can be mistaken for Heat Stroke.

In our efforts to maintain proper hydration forced hydration is often implemented. I personally have 12 one hour hydration alarms set on my phone that activated every hour from 0700 (7 am) till 1900 (7 pm) though this was sometimes extended into the evening depending on the situation. As the alarm activated I would (if it would not cause great risk because of what we were doing) yell, DRINK WATER!!! The soldiers would then sound off with

“Rehydrate or die, Drill Sergeant. Rehydrate or die.”

And they would go to their Canteen or Camelback and drink water.

I bring this up because in a Disaster/Emergency situation your need for water will probably elevate. Waiting to drink water when your thirsty means that you are already dehydrated and at risk of Heat Injury.

HEAT ILLNESS RISK FACTORS

Environment

Activities

Acclimatization

Personal Risk Factors

Don’t be the person that places your family and loved ones at risk because you don’t have time to keep hydrated.

A couple good resources to start with;

http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/heat-stroke-symptoms-and-treatment

https://phc.amedd.army.mil/topics/discond/hipss/pages/heatinjuryprevention.asp

Water is water. It is not Coffee, Soda, Red Bull, Amped, Beer, Wine, Ices Tea or anything else with an H20 base and additives. Make a list of everything you drink daily that is not water (H20). You will probably learn that you are not drinking enough water.

Depending on your source of information ½ to One gallon of water a day is the recommended quantity.

Go here to check your H2O need;

http://www.camelbak.com/en/HydratED/HydrationCalculator.aspx

Till next time

“Be Safe”

Course of Action (COA)

2016-03-03T20:29:00.002-05:00

When you get around to developing your Emergency Action Plan you will need to develop alternate courses of action (COA’s) for every part of your plan.

Cooking

Gathering water

Evacuating

Sheltering

First Aid

Etc.

The important reason for having more than one way to do something is because your situation might demand it.

The primary reason behind everything you do should be the Safety, Health and Welfare of yourself, your family and loved ones. This is not negotiable.

Today’s Emergency

So today I am on my way home from work, driving down the highway with all of the other commuters, heading home, and minding my own business listening to an educational CD. Suddenly to my front is a slew of road rubbish. There does not appear to be anything too big or dangerous and evasion is not an option. The speed, and proximity of surrounding vehicles would make a radical lane change more dangerous, I have to go over it.

Wham… suddenly the car is listing to the right and an unsettling grinding noise is coming from beneath the car. I of course am thinking the worse, blown transmission, damaged axel or drive shaft.

Fortunately the cars behind me witnessed something and are giving way so I can get to the right and out of the traffic (good situational awareness). I come to a stop on top of an overpass cars are blowing by me at speed and I need to wait for a break in traffic to exit the vehicle. The driver side door is about three feet from the moving traffic.

I make it out and see that the right rear tire is flat, no fluids leaking from the transmission, and the drive shaft and axel appear to still be true. Relief, the transmission, axel and drive shaft are probably OK…

So, what is my Primary COA? I can change the tire. I’ve a spare the tools and experience. But the room needed is just too narrow between the car and the guard rail, the two ton jack won’t fit correctly and give me room to jack up the car (yep I have one in the back cargo area just for this type of event). But I also have concerns that someone will think I’m in the far right lane and will want to pull over to pass those slower cars in front of them. Changing the tire is not an option.

Secondary course of action. I know that there is a tire shop about two miles to my front, I bought the tires their about four months ago, should I drive there? No I’ll ruin the Mag doing that.

Alternate course of action, call AAA.

Now I am waiting on AAA. I’m leery about sitting in the car for the reason mentioned above, so I decide to stay out and well to the front of the vehicle (emergency flashers are on). I cannot jump the guardrail to avoid oncoming cars because it’s a 40 or 50 foot drop to an unforgiving frontage road.

Fortunately the tow truck arrived within about a half an hour of my service call. Props to the AAA dispatcher. I told her of the possible risks where I was and she put me on a priority status. Oh, he had to wait for some time until it was safe to exit his vehicle also.

Within 10-15 minutes or so we are at the tire shop, my tire is in stock and my Roadside Hazard Warrantee (another tool) covers a good portion of the cost for a new tire.

So where am I going with this experience? I had an emergency, I knew the options available to me because I already had a plan, and I chose the COA that was the best under the circumstances.

If you have to pull the trigger on a COA and it misses, you will need to fire again and again until you hit the target, make sure you have enough ammo.

When creating your unique Emergency Action Plan, be the Negative Nellie. Plan for the worst and hope for the best. Only with a well thought out plan will you succeed. Any plan is better than no plan.

Until next time

"Be Safe"

Lets Play A Game

2016-03-02T19:15:00.000-05:00

Down in the Risk Assessment Post I mentioned the number one Disaster that we face on a daily basis.

FIRE

The game I want you to play is;

How many ways are there to get escape out of the house? Or, what is our fire escape plan?

This is the perfect starting point for the evacuation sequence of your Emergency Action Plan. You are building one right?

If you have children it is very important to get them involved in the game, they will love it. It is entirely possible that they know some things about your house that you don’t. Have some fun.

So how this is game played?

1. Draw a Floor Plan of your House/Apartment/Condo/Trailer etc.

2. Find at least two ways to get out of every room in the house

3. Identify where the “Meeting Place” will be. Tree, Light Pole, Neighbors Yard, etc.

4. Practice using each and every possible “Escape Route” by crawling to them to use them.

5. Finish marking the Floor Plan with your usable routes and “Meeting Place”

6. Practice a several times a year, at different time during the day, or night.

7. Identify changes in your environment that may make a once usable route non usable, adjust your Floor Plan accordingly. Practice the new plan.

8. Post the Floor Plan at eye level in every room in the house.

Below is a quick Museum quality rendition of my Floor Plan, Made it with the Paint program on the computer. I am certain that your budding Nine year old Picasso can probably do a much better job.

I recommend that you search for expanded information on the subject of escaping your home.

This game is intended just to get you thinking. I would be remiss if I was to imply that this is all that needs to be examined on the subject of a fire escape plan.

The internet is full of stuff. I like the American Red Cross page; for starters.

http://www.redcross.org/news/article/A-Home-Fire-Escape-Plan-Can-Save-Your-Life

It is straight forward and goes into some detail on multi-level abodes.

Bonus Question: If a Fire starts; how much time will you have to get out of the house?

Till next time.

“Be Safe”

Information Overload

2016-02-25T22:02:00.000-05:00

I'm in Orlando, Florida this week. Am attending a training seminar trying to learn how to present the Emergency Action Planning training material that I have developed in a way that will allow my Senior Drill Sergeant attitude to be accepted by the politically correct.

Having several conversations with individuals interested in Emergency Action Planning has brought up a recurring theme.

"How much information do I need to create a working Emergency Action Plan?"

How much information do you need? Just enough, really, good enough is good enough.

The high achievers I have been working with think they need to find every piece of information available... And then the decision will be made to formulate the PLAN. Unfortunately, by then it might be too late.

There is only so much information. Develop a plan "now" you can fine tune it later.

When you are creating your unique Emergency Action Plan start with the basics. My recommendation is the "Are You Ready" handbook freely available from FEMA.

I will preface this recommendation with the fact that this is a government website, and it is not intuitive.

http://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/7877

Download the handbook and get started.

When you get to the point that you think you need more information, you have been digging and digging. Looking for the Golden Egg, Easy Button, Magic Mushroom. At this point you are probably procrastinating. Pull your head out, and implement the information you have. Time is a non renewable resource.

"Be Safe"

Infrastructure

2016-02-21T15:40:00.000-05:00

Infrastructure

noun

An underlying base or foundation especially for an organization or system.

The basic facilities, services, and installations needed for the functioning of a community or society, such as transportation and communications systems, water and power lines, and public institutions including schools, post offices, and prisons.

Read more at http://www.yourdictionary.com/infrastructure#americanheritage#CgHPXPY04GB735Yg.99

During Hurricane Katrina we saw a complete an utter breakdown of law and order and the cities infrastructure. This was a first time exposure to what a large metropolitan organism will look like after the onset of a catastrophic disaster or emergency.

Today’s city is the most vulnerable social structure ever conceived by man.

- Martin Oppenheimer

And it will not get any better any time soon. Since Hurricane Katrina there have been several Natural Disaster events that have proven the inability of a large city to sustain itself. Multiple types of events can bring on the failures demonstrated after Hurricane Katrina.

More and more people are moving into metropolitan areas because of jobs and resources. The local infrastructure is relied on to support those people. During a Disaster or emergencies the local infrastructure will be taxed beyond its capability to support the local population.

Food

January 25-27 2010 North American Blizzard; 650,000 people lost power because of 5 -10 inches of snow. Washington DC the most protected city in the world crumbled because of a snow storm. Surrounding cities saw grocery shelves cleared out because the normal store traffic grew beyond 1000% of normal.

A recent conversation I had with a local public grocery store manager told me that they would be hard pressed to keep the doors open after three days without resupply. Depending on the event he could be closing his doors in one day. Retail infrastructure is now largely based on a supply chain management business model. That means the supplies need to be brought in on a regular basis.

The biggest causes of supply chain disruption according to the Supply Chain Resilience Survey were:

 Unplanned IT/telecom outages (52.9 percent)

 Adverse weather (51.6 percent)

 Outsourcer service failure (35.8 percent)

(Rothman, 2014)

Electricity

In 2004 a slew of four Hurricanes blew up the Florida Peninsula. A that time a friend of mine living in FT. Lauderdale, FL was forced to evacuate for almost a month because it took up to three weeks just to get the electrical grid up and running. The ability to restore electrical service to an affected area is determined by the damage caused by the event.

It is in the best interest for the Electrical Company to restore service as fast as possible too as many people as possible. The priority though is bringing facilities deemed critical online the fastest. Hospitals, police & fire stations, communications, water treatment and transportation. The next priority is providing service to thoroughfares hosting grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations etc. (FPL, 1996-2016)

Communications

Calling a cab, I don’t think so.

We have become a connected society. Depending on the environment we are in at the moment, if we look around we will see the majority of people on their cell phones. In a natural disaster or other emergency you will be quite likely to reach for your cell phone to call someone. Your frustration level will soon rise because you will find yourself unable to do so. Traditionally cell carriers have had reliability issues. I am certain that you have has a signal failure/dropped call at some time for no apparent reason at all. Add an emergency or disaster event and the cell infrastructure will be overwhelmed to a point of failure.

Depending on the event the cell system will go completely dark within hours of the event. Why you ask, because cell carriers have repeatedly fought back on rules about what to do during a disaster, 24 hour battery backup at the tower is one of them. Without an electrical grid in operation the towers will not work, and if there were backup batteries they simply will not be able to recharge. The cell carriers are quite aware of this but they actively refuse to adopt “voluntary” regulations that will keep the towers working.

Carriers have long argued that disasters each present unique scenarios and that companies need to stay flexible as technologies change. The carriers say it is in their best interest to keep networks running, and point to the quick deployment of portable towers after Sandy and examples like AT&T and T-Mobile allowing customers to roam between networks. (Currier, 2012)

If you have access to a land line, it may still be working. Consider a Land Line for your home just for this contingency.

Fuel

Moving along to fuel for your car. It can be imagined that the more people looking for a commodity, the less there will be in the supply chain. During the evacuation of New Orleans after the onset of Katrina, a two hour drive became a 17 hour ordeal. I have heard evidence of cars running out of gas because they sat idling on the highway, and gas stations closer to the city running out faster than those farther away from the city.

What can we learn about this? Leave early!!! At some point the cars that have ran out of gas need to be moved out of the way so other cars can pass. And the road needs to be cleared so tankers can get to the gas stations that are empty.

If you live in a large metropolitan area such as California’s East Bay, Los Angeles, New York City, Miami. Then you need to plan your evacuation early. Or you will probably have no option but to shelter in place.

Each of these subject can be covered in much more in-depth reviews.

Some other things that need consideration during the failure of a cities infrastructure. These are important to consider when creating your Emergency Action Plan.

Water

Sanitation

“Be Safe”

References

Currier, C. (2012, December 3). How Cellphone Companies Have Resisted Rules for Disasters. Retrieved from Pro Publica: http://www.propublica.org/article/how-cellphone-companies-have-resisted-rules-for-disasters

Federal Communicationns Commission. (2015, November 4). Consumer Tips: How to Communicate During a Natural Disaster Emergency. Retrieved from fcc.gov: https://www.fcc.gov/general/consumer-tips-how-communicate-during-natural-disaster-emergency

FPL. (1996-2016). How we restore power. Retrieved from www.fpl.com: https://www.fpl.com/storm/restoration/restoration-priorities.html

Rothman, E. (2014, November 10). Whew! That was a close one! Retrieved from Zurich: http://knowledge.zurich.com/supply-chain/whew-that-was-a-close-one/?WT.mc_id=z_cp_b2b_se_GOOGLE_GN-Supply-Chain-Disruption-Phrase-EN_GN-Supply-Chain-Disruption-Phrase-EN_supply+chain+management&WT.srch=1&gclid=CjwKEAiA3aW2BRCD_cOo5oCFuUMSJADiIMIL_3ChVX8nI

Hazardous Materials

2016-02-18T21:19:00.000-05:00

Hazardous Materials = Dangerous goods

A dangerous good is any solid, liquid, or gas that can harm people, other living organisms, property, or the environment. An equivalent term, used almost exclusively in the United States, is hazardous material (hazmat). Dangerous goods may be radioactive, flammable, explosive, toxic, corrosive, biohazardous, an oxidizer, an asphyxiant, a pathogen, an allergen, or may have other characteristics that render it hazardous in specific circumstances.
- From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

All Disasters are not created equal, and some Emergencies are not created by Mother Nature. They are manmade or technological in nature and are basically a byproduct of the world we live in, and the lifestyle we have embraced.

Let’s look at were dealing with:

We can find chemicals everywhere. They purify drinking water, are used in crop production, and assist with household chores. They can be harmful to humans, pets, property and the environment if used or released improperly. Hazards can occur during production, storage, transportation, use, or disposal. Products containing hazardous chemicals are used and stored in homes everywhere. These materials are also transported daily on all the nation's highways, railroads, waterways, and pipelines. Hazardous materials in various forms will cause death.

The country’s chemical manufacturers are one source, and there are others, service stations, hospitals, and hazardous materials waste sites. Hazardous materials are used, stored, and manufactured at an estimated 4.5 million sites in the United States. They range from major industrial plants, local dry cleaners, and garden supply stores.

Hazardous materials can be explosives, flammable and combustible substances, poisons, and radioactive materials. They are most often released into the environment due to a transportation accident, or because of unsafe/improper handling in an industrial plant.

What can you do about it? Pay attention and start at home. EnvironmentalChemestry.com is a good place to start your development of safe handling procedures.

Most communities also have what’s known as a Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPCs), it could be called something different in your county though. Grab the White Pages and go to the Blue Page section and find your County equivalent. They are responsibilities for collecting information about hazardous materials in the community and making this information available to the public. The LEPCs are also responsible for developing an emergency plan to prepare for and respond to chemical emergencies. They will also let you know how you will be notified and what you must do in the event of a hazardous material release.

Add these supplies to your disaster kit:

Plastic sheeting

Duct tape

Scissors

What to do During a Hazardous Materials Incident

Listen to local radio or television stations for detailed information and instructions. Follow the instructions carefully. You should stay away from the area to minimize the risk of contamination. Remember that some toxic chemicals are odorless.

If you are:	Then:
Asked to evacuate	Do so immediately. Stay tuned to a radio or television for information on evacuation routes, temporary shelters, and procedures. Follow the routes recommended by the authorities--shortcuts may not be safe. Leave at once. If you have time, minimize contamination in the house by closing all windows, shutting all vents, and turning off attic fans. Take pre-assembled disaster supplies. Remember to help your neighbors who may require special assistance--infants, elderly people and people with disabilities.
Caught Outside	Stay upstream, uphill, and upwind! In general, try to go at least one-half mile (usually 8-10 city blocks) from the danger area. Move away from the accident scene and help keep others away. Do not walk into or touch any spilled liquids, airborne mists, or condensed solid chemical deposits. Try not to inhale gases, fumes and smoke. If possible, cover mouth with a cloth while leaving the area. Stay away from accident victims until the hazardous material has been identified.
In a motor vehicle	Stop and seek shelter in a permanent building. If you must remain in your car, keep car windows and vents closed and shut off the air conditioner and heater.
Requested to stay indoors	Bring pets inside. Close and lock all exterior doors and windows. Close vents, fireplace dampers, and as many interior doors as possible. Turn off air conditioners and ventilation systems. In large buildings, set ventilation systems to 100 percent recirculation so that no outside air is drawn into the building. If this is not possible, ventilation systems should be turned off. Go into the pre-selected shelter room. This room should be above ground and have the fewest openings to the outside. Seal gaps under doorways and windows with wet towels or plastic sheeting and duct tape. Seal gaps around window and air conditioning units, bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans, and stove and dryer vents with duct tape and plastic sheeting, wax paper or aluminum wrap. Use material to fill cracks and holes in the room, such as those around pipes. If gas or vapors could have entered the building, take shallow breaths through a cloth or a towel. Avoid eating or drinking any food or water that may be contaminated.

(FEMA, 2004)

Shelter Safety for Sealed Rooms

Ten square feet of floor space per person will provide sufficient air to prevent carbon dioxide build-up for up to five hours, assuming a normal breathing rate while resting.

However, local officials are unlikely to recommend the public shelter in a sealed room for more than 2-3 hours because the effectiveness of such sheltering diminishes with time as the contaminated outside air gradually seeps into the shelter. At this point, evacuation from the area is the better protective action to take.

Also you should ventilate the shelter when the emergency has passed to avoid breathing contaminated air still inside the shelter.

(FEMA, 2004)

What to do After a Hazardous Materials Incident

The following are guidelines for the period following a hazardous materials incident:

Return home only when authorities say it is safe. Open windows and vents and turn on fans to provide ventilation.

Act quickly if you have come in to contact with or have been exposed to hazardous chemicals. Do the following:

Follow decontamination instructions from local authorities. You may be advised to take a thorough shower, or you may be advised to stay away from water and follow another procedure.

Seek medical treatment for unusual symptoms as soon as possible.

Place exposed clothing and shoes in tightly sealed containers. Do not allow them to contact other materials. Call local authorities to find out about proper disposal.

Advise everyone who comes in to contact with you that you may have been exposed to a toxic substance.

Find out from local authorities how to clean up your land and property.

Report any lingering vapors or other hazards to your local emergency services office.

(FEMA, 2004)

"Be Safe"

References

FEMA. (2004). Are You Ready? Emmitsburg: Derartment of Homeland Security.

Monetary Instruments

2016-02-17T20:13:00.001-05:00

Copyright: urric / 123RF Stock Photo

Money, cash, currency, coin, bills, silver, gold, legal tender, wad, bucks, bread, you get the idea?

Money isn’t the most important thing in life, but it’s reasonably close to oxygen on the “Gotta have it scale. - Zig Ziglar

At some point in the emergency you’re going to need some. So, how much is enough? If you have been proactive and already have a working emergency action plan in place, then you won’t really need much money at all. You’ve already got most everything you need, if on the other hand you’re in the top 70% of the population you’ve not done squat, and need to play catch up real fast, good luck.

In or near a disaster area, it’s quite possible that the electrical infrastructure will be down, so the local ATM won’t be spitting out anything to ease your pain. As you radiate out and away from the affected area, local merchants will probably demand cash, over Debit/Credit Cards, at a certain threshold of distance thing will get back to normal.

But for those of you who have made preparations and still need to spend. How much is enough? If you’re not evacuating the area a few hundred dollars will probably be more than enough. Extra batteries, gas for the generator, not going to take much money.

After the incident, but before systems are restored will be the time that most of your cash will be needed, food, water, etc.

If you’ve evacuated your cash needs will be much higher. Paying for the round trip gas, motel rooms, eating out, etc, will add up real fast. Depending on how many people are relying on you, will decide how much money you’ll need access to.

Regardless of the niche you fall into, safety, and security is paramount. Don’t flash your cash, and keep low denominations. A pocket full of $100.00’s might be comforting, but it can also mean an expensive bag of ice if there is no change to be made. And make you a target if theirs’ a lack of morals floating around. $1’s, $5’s, $10’s, and maybe a couple $20’s should meet most your needs. If more $$ is necessary, think about getting Travelers Checks or Pre-Paid Debit Cards for your bug out kit. And precious metals might be an option to examine under certain situations.

The bottom line is if you have prepared an adequate Emergency Cache you will not need excessive amounts of money at your disposal. You can eat a can of Tuna, you can trade a can of Tune, but you cannot eat a wad of cash or a bar of gold. If you find yourself in a situation where you are bartering cash or coin for food or water. You will not be bargaining from a position of strength.
"Be Safe”

Documentation

2016-02-16T20:48:00.000-05:00

I'm sure you have heard the saying, "the jobs not over till the paperwork is done". In a post disaster scenario it might be more like "the job doesn't get started till the paperwork is complete."

“Let us save what remains: not by vaults and locks which fence them from the public eye and use in consigning them to the waste of time, but by such a multiplication of copies, as shall place them beyond the reach of accident.” ― Thomas Jefferson

If you’re like me you probably have at least one four drawer file cabinet. Have you any idea how much that thing weighs? I do know it will fill up at least six bankers’ boxes, but I haven’t the need for all those documents. What’s my bottom line?

During the aftermath of a disaster or emergency, there are several scenarios that might require documentation: here’s a list of just a few of them.

1) Proof of existence. When seeking any kind of assistance from many types of agencies, we’ll have to actually prove we exist. Birth certificate, Copies of state or federal issued ID’s, passports, marriage license, etc

2) Proof of ownership. Deeds, mortgages, leases, titles, etc

3) Yes I really do have my personal property insured. Many years ago I had a motorcycle stolen. Couldn’t find my policy, the Insurance Company refused to pay the policy because I couldn’t prove I had one. You would think all they had to do is look it up in their records.

4) Acting on the behalf of another, parents, siblings, children, stepchildren, etc. Power of Attorneys, custody papers, court orders, wills, etc
5) Family medical and health information. Letter of instruction in case of death. Funeral and burial plan.

6) And the list goes on.

The list can easily be added to in many different ways. We are all unique in our needs and position in life, when deciding on the documents to copy and safeguard seek some input from a qualified risk management specialist, (your insurance agent, doctor, lawyer, etc.) After the documents have been identified what to do with them? Copy, storage, safekeeping. A notarized copy of most documents will work in place of the original, though not always. You need to find out what originals fall into this category. Originals and copies should never be kept in the same place. Both could be placed in a fireproof box’s and stored in separate locations. As an alternative scanning to PDF and storage on a thumb drive or CD is another option. There are even ways to store those digital copies on the cloud, allowing you access if everything else is lost.

Keep in mind that you should never relinquish control of any of your documents if necessary allow the agency you are dealing with to copy them. You might never see them again, and or you might become the target of disaster fraud if you just allow your secure documents to wander around.

It Wont Happen Here

2016-02-15T20:28:00.000-05:00

thesurvivalplaceblog.com

A deep seated hope that it won’t happen here;

Interest in actually doing something to prepare for emergencies usually surges after a major disaster. The flooding in the mid-west, Hurricane Katrina, and 9/11 all saw resurgence in emergency preparedness. Though as time passes, the collective consciousness tends to lose focus on the fact that something bad happened in the near past. Football games, the Olympics, television, work, and other events start to re-exert influence in the community. Preparing for the negative effect of future events gets pushed farther down the scale of need to do things. Deep back in our reptile brain there is the nagging knowledge that something wicked this way comes. But what the heck let’s just hope it won’t happen in our lifetime. Unfortunately hope is not a plan.

Blissful ignorance;

People come and go, and the new comers are lacking in the shared knowledge of the longstanding group. So they haven’t the foundation to form a decision based on actual events that have happened within the community. They see no reason to make any preparations, and most often they won’t. After all no one else they know is.

Classic head in the sand syndrome;

Denial; in ordinary English usage, is asserting that a statement or allegation is not true. The same word, and also abnegation, is used for a psychological defense mechanism postulated by Sigmund Freud, in which a person is faced with a fact that is too uncomfortable to accept and rejects it instead, insisting that it is not true despite what may be overwhelming evidence.

The subject may use:

Simple denial: deny the reality of the unpleasant fact altogether

Minimization: admit the fact but deny its seriousness (a combination of denial and rationalization)

Projection: admit both the fact and seriousness but deny responsibility by blaming somebody or something else.
(Wikipedia 2014)

We love you please don’t do that;

Depending on your peer group any attempt to become proactive and start to do something could be shot down. Now it’s not because the naysayer wants to see harm or misfortune to come to you. No No No. It’s more likely they have failed to do anything, and don’t want to be left out in the cold all by themselves. So it is socially acceptable to prevent you from protecting yourself and loved ones, since they have done nothing to protect themselves or their loved ones. Besides misery loves company.

Really, it won’t happen here;

Most all cities, towns, and metropolises have had something compared to a disaster, or a serious emergency happen within its confines at some time or another. Though nothing has happened within the last few years or so it doesn’t mean that nothing will happen. So if you’ve the idea that it won’t happen here. Do some research, checkout your local news agency/paper. They will probably have a wealth of historical information on the local misfortunes.

Time, distance and shielding;

The time, distance and shielding concept is normally related to protection from radiation exposure. And we can use the analogy to explain why some people will not create an Emergency Action Plan for emergencies or disasters that are historically relevant to where they live.

Time: The last major earthquake to strike the Continental US causing major loss of life and property damage was Loma Prieta 1989. That was 26 years ago. So much time has passed that people living in the area now, are either too young to remember it, or the memory has been collectively replaced by other events.

Distance: The farther away you are from a major emergency or disaster at the time they occur. The less likely you are to be bothered by it to such a degree that you might do something about it.

"There but for the grace of God go I" - John Bradford

Shielding: Can be idealized in multiple concepts. Having enough between you and the event that it will not harm you. In a military sense, having enough concrete, bricks, sandbags to stop the incoming rounds. You can use this to protect from flooding by building a waterproof berm around your house, shielding it from the flood waters. Mobs and rioters use this as a way to protect themselves from arrest or exposure by having so many other people around them. Terrorists shield themselves by integrating into the local population hiding in plain sight, and if necessary using the locals as ablative shielding.

People are afraid of what they don’t know, they will avoid what they fear, and procrastinate if they don’t see an immediate reward, the task is time consuming, possibly tedious, and the subject matter is less than pleasant.

Do some homework, Local news agencies are a wealth of information on the history of emergencies or disaster for all municipalities.