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SNIPPET: "A team of researchers convened by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security began a series of tests today at 20 MBTA stations to determine how airborne contaminants would spread in a terrorist attack on Boston's subway system." SNIPPET: "The findings will help guide the design of future detection systems and help strengthen evacuation, ventilation, and other emergency response plans on mass transit across the country. "We hope to use the data from the two to come up with a model to predict the behavior (of chemicals) in other subway systems," Lustig said."

War, oil shortages, global warming, nuclear bombs, and economic collapse... All of it seems unlikely, but don't you want to be prepared? If you have to jump on a plane (or a boat or a train or a hot air balloon) and head for safety, you want to know where in the world you should go.

We have had a number of open discussions here at FR for quite some time about the importance of personal emergency preparedness. Many of us have taken an interest in this subject for a long time, and have been working steadfastly toward being prepared for a real emergency, and this evening I thought I would share my progress on one phase of our plan, food. Anyone who knows anything about preparedness will tell you that the first thing you should do is make a plan that fits your personal needs. A bachelor has much different survival needs than a family...

On this forum we share a number of problems with John F. Kennedy.  We could spend a fair amount of time focusing on those problems, and for good reason.  Let's not spend time on that here. I am presenting his last address, because it so well contrasts what the Communists/Fascist Democrats in the United States have become.  I'd like that to remain the focus if you folks don't mind.  We really do want that to be the focus, because it's a very important matter that has not been focused on at all by the left. Note Kennedy's pride in the...

Think of Disaster Preparation as Survival Insurance… For anyone reading this that thinks that it seems a bit crazy or excessive to spend money to solve a “problem” that they consider “highly unlikely” or that brings you worry just to think about… what about Insurance? We all spend money to insure ourselves against potential losses, many of which are highly unlikely: Home- we insure the value of our homes against fire and other natural disasters; Auto- we are insured against accidents and related medical expenses/liability expenses; Liability/Umbrella- we are insured against someone suing us for inadvertent damages; Health- we are...

Three Government Reports Point To Fiscal Doomsday by Martin D. Weiss, Ph.D. 10-05-09 When our leaders have no awareness of the disastrous consequences of their actions, they can claim ignorance and take no action. Or when our leaders have no hard evidence as to what might happen in the future, they can at least claim uncertainty. But when they have full knowledge of an impending disaster … they have proof of its inevitability in ANY scenario … and they so declare in their official reports … but STILL don’t lift a finger to change course … then they have only...

The USA is suffering the most severe ammunition famine in living memory. Gun fanciers, fearing a Democrat crackdown on every American's right to pack heat, are clearing shelves at ammo shops and hoarding cartridges. AP reports that the Remington Arms Company's factory in North Carolina is now working around the clock trying to supply insatiable demand for rifle, pistol and shotgun cartridges. "We've had to add a fourth shift and go 24-7," Remington spokesman Al Russo told the news wire. "It's a phenomenon that I have not seen before in my 30 years in the business."

Sunday October 4 2009 Notes from JWR: I'm scheduled to be guest on the Laura Ingraham syndicated talk radio show tomorrow (Monday, October 5th), to discuss preparedness topics, from 11:15 AM to 11:45 AM Eastern Time (8:15 AM to 8:45 AM Pacific Time.) She is heard on more than 300 radio stations, on XM Radio, and on the Internet in both live streaming and podcasts.

What kind of survivor and thriver are you? Discover your Survivor Personality with this fast quiz...

Northern Virginia Emergency Response System (formerly known as MMRS) Full-Scale Exercise WHAT: The Northern Virginia Emergency Response System’s (NVERS) – formerly known as the Metropolitan Medical Response System (MMRS) – upcoming Full Scale Exercise (FSE) will be held on Saturday, Sept. 26. This is the third in a series of three exercises. A tabletop exercise was held in April 2008, with a command post exercise held in September 2008. This full scale exercise will use the same scenario as the previous exercises – simulated multiple bombings in the region. All radio communications will clearly indicate that this is a training...

Jenny Hatch working the Food Basics Booth at our Stake Preparedness Fair One of my main goals with this blog has been to encourage families to use whole foods on a day to day basis. Since september is national preparedness month and many people are storing food for the first time, I thought I would share a round up of my videos and blog posts, carefully prepared to help the novice cook use whole foods. At the end of this post are a couple of links to government web sites where all you ever wanted to know about preparedness is...

Are You Ready? September is National Preparedness Month and a great opportunity for your household, business, or community to focus on preparedness. It is recommended that all Americans have an emergency supply kit and an emergency plan, and be informed about the different emergencies that can happen in their area and the appropriate responses.

Obama's youth recruitment continues unabated with last week's co-announcement by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Girls Scouts CEO Kathy Cloninger of a new "Preparedness" patch for Girl Scouts. Yep, the Girl Scouts are the latest DHS/Obama recruits..As Yahoo Daily News reports in an article entitled "US Girl Scouts prepare for war, pestilence," The move is part of a month-long government effort to make Americans better able to cope with natural and man-made disasters. The Doug Powers blog astutely comments, “Man-made disaster” is of course Hopenchange speak for “terrorist attack.” No doubt the Girl Scouts will also be taught that...

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announces a new Girl Scout preparedness patch Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009, at the Scotchtown Hills Elementary School in Laurel, Md

WASHINGTON (AFP) – The United States wants to enlist its 3.4 million Girl Scouts in the effort to combat hurricanes, pandemics, terror attacks and other disasters. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) launched a campaign Tuesday to entice the blue, brown and green-clad multitudes to be even more prepared, with the promise of a new patch if they pitch in. The young scouts will be able to emblazon their sashes or vests with the patch if they undergo the training which readies them for an emergency. "This new preparedness patch will increase citizen preparedness and enhance our country's readiness for...

WASHINGTON (AFP) – The United States wants to enlist its 3.4 million Girl Scouts in the effort to combat hurricanes, pandemics, terror attacks and other disasters. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) launched a campaign Tuesday to entice the blue, brown and green-clad multitudes to be even more prepared, with the promise of a new patch if they pitch in. The young scouts will be able to emblazon their sashes or vests with the patch if they undergo the training which readies them for an emergency. "This new preparedness patch will increase citizen preparedness and enhance our country's readiness for...

By 1930 Verdun had been transmogrified almost into a dirty word in French schools. Throughout the late 1920s, the First World War was increasingly reinterpreted in the West as a futile bloodletting. International “Merchants of Death” and greedy capitalists, not the Kaiser’s aggressive Prussian militarism, were now seen as the true causes of that recent horrific war. A punitive Versailles Treaty — and not the failure to invade, occupy, democratize, monitor, and transform a defeated Germany — was seen as the real mistake on the part of the victors. Britain and France all but disarmed. The Maginot defensive line, England’s...

Note: The following text is a quote: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2009 National Preparedness Month Check out the Secretary's White House Blog post from this morning about National Preparedness Month. Building a Ready and Resilient Nation Today marks the beginning of National Preparedness Month, an opportunity for our nation’s families and communities to discuss their plans if they were faced with an emergency. Protecting the United States from threats like terrorism, natural disasters, and infectious diseases is a shared responsibility and everyone has an important role to play. This effort starts in our own communities. By talking to your neighbors, friends...

The military commander who helped bring order to New Orleans in the chaotic days after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 told people at a Baton Rouge luncheon on hurricane preparedness issues Saturday to start right away getting ready for the next potential disaster. “I often say people in south Louisiana get more excited about getting ready for football season than getting ready for hurricane season,” retired Lt. Gen. Russel L. Honoré said. He was addressing a crowd of about 100 representatives of church groups and faith-based organizations at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Baton Rouge. But the cost of waiting to...

I have participated in some limited discussions here at FR about preparedness issues and I have always found the responses to be extremely helpful, so I thought a focused discussion issue would be appropriate. What is an adequate level of preparedness when it comes to First Aid?? Where do you strike an acceptable balance that is right for your situation, fits your budget and fits your personal skills and comfort level? When it comes to preparedness issues, the first thing any expert tells you is to make a plan that fits your needs and personal situation. A retired couple has...

PARIS — Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School will be the site of a National Guard riot control drill Thursday morning to prepare in the event of a panic over distribution of serum to treat the swine flu. The school on Route 26 at the Paris-Norway town line has been designated by state officials as a distribution site for the H1N1 flu vaccine. The drill is to prepare for a worst-case scenario should the serum have to be transported from Augusta and people rush to get it. On Thursday morning, four or five National Guard Humvees will travel from Augusta to...

An uncontrollable, deadly virus ravages America, shutting down civilian institutions and triggering martial law. Vaccinations are compulsory, and there are mass quarantines throughout the country. It's the stuff of Hollywood — but rumors that it could be real are spreading like the flu in the blogosphere, where some people are loudly expressing their fears that the federal government is seriously considering such measures as it maps out a worst-case-scenario response to the swine flu pandemic. During the bird flu scare of 2005, the Bush administration added novel forms of influenza — including the swine flu — to the official list...

Heat kills boy, 11, lost with his mother in Death Valley The two were stranded for days in a remote area. The child's mother is being treated for severe dehydration. Associated Press August 7, 2009 An 11-year-old boy died in the intense heat of Death Valley National Park after he and his mother became stranded and survived for several days on bottled water, Pop-Tarts and cheese sandwiches, authorities said Friday. Alicia Sanchez, 28, of Las Vegas was found severely dehydrated and remained hospitalized in that city a day after being found with her dead son, her dog and a Jeep...

Prepare, Before it is Too Late by Ari Bussel One often relies on government at all levels to protect one’s long-term interests, to be ready for unforeseen eventualities. In an emergency, all that needs to be done is open a manual and follow the instructions. Preparedness and training support this readiness assumption. Yet, real emergencies and disasters never resemble those we anticipate and for which we train. Thus, improvisation, flexibility and thinking outside the box must all be exercised for real-time events. Israel is said to have the necessary “drawer plans” for almost all eventualities. Its readiness is constantly tested,...

If you’ve watched Survivorman, it’s hard to ignore the fact that Les Stroud, the star of the show, seems to starve during every episode. I don’t mean this as a criticism; Stroud is the real deal. But his hunger pangs raise a point: Boy Scout improv works better on the page than in the forest. If you want to bring down enough bacon to keep up your strength, you’re going to need bullets—and the more, the better. With this in mind, I recently tested two different approaches to the survival question. The Pocket Protector The Henry U.S. Survival firearm ($245;...

"Our entire emergency management team has a role to play when it comes to preparing for and responding to the next disaster," said Administrator Fugate. "One of the most important parts of that team is the public. The more prepared the public is now, by getting an emergency response kit, making an emergency action plan, and getting a skill, like CPR, the stronger our emergency response team will be."

"I stock up on food items because I, as a Mormon, was raised to believe in storing a supply of basic foods to tide you over during hard times. Because I'm a Mormon, I know of a place in Upper Marlboro offering the facilities to can a variety of staples whose shelf life can stretch up to 30 years. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints runs 101 dry-pack canneries, which are housed in multi-function home storage centers (see sidebar). The church doesn't intend the facilities to be public but won't turn away nonmembers. It wants everyone to have...

IDAHO FALLS, ID - Quietly, the last of the U.S. government's wheat reserves, held in the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust, were sold in late May onto the domestic market for cash. The cash was put in a trust for food aid. With no other government wheat holdings, U.S. government wheat stocks are now totally exhausted.

I'm looking into making expedient water filtration (i.e., with found materials) under emergency circumstances. Would crushed hardwood charcoal –– the real stuff, not "briquettes" like Kingsford –– make an acceptable filtration material, if one doesn't have access to activated charcoal? This assumes, of course, that other rules of water filtration are followed –– straining out debris, boiling after filtering, etc. I know there is a difference at the molecular level -- activated charcoal is highly porous, creating a huge surface area. But in an emergency, hardwood charcoal might be all that's available.

Some see the current economic downturn as tough — but temporary — times to be endured. But others see it as a harbinger of even grimmer days ahead. So they’re preparing for the worst by stockpiling food: piles and piles and piles of it. Call them “suburban survivalists,” or call them, well, a little goofy. But they’re dead serious about being ready for a big crash … by making sure they have a nice little nosh in case of a catastrophe. Across the country, there are people preparing for the possibility that we will not have access to food by...

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- This week, the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate met with several of our nation's governors to discuss emergency preparedness and ensure that as many resources and plans as possible are in place prior to any potential emergency

The first 72 hours following any disaster are the most critical, but it's also during those intial hours that emergency services and personnel are stretched to the limit. With a system of carefully planned 72 Hour Kits, your family can be self-sufficient until help arrives. 72 Hour Kits, or Bug Out Bags, are those handy-dandy, all-in-one grab bags that, theoretically, could keep you and your family in good shape during a three day emergency. How well they do their job depends on how well-equipped they are for your family's particular needs. Think of your 72 Hour System as three layers...

Shopping centres on alert for terrorism attack The security services are preparing shopping centres across the country for a successful terrorist attack that would probably result in the deaths of dozens of innocent people. Duncan Gardham 18 Jul 2009 Ibrahim's attempt was the third time in four years that terrorists have targeted the large crowds that gather in these relatively unguarded places. In March 2004 a plot to blow up the Bluewater Shopping Centre in Kent with half a ton of ammonium nitrate fertiliser was foiled by MI5 and a month after Ibrahim's arrest last year, Nicky Reilly, another Muslim...

Life has been a little too cozy for me lately. Too cozy in the sense that I have been living in about 500 square feet for the past two months. No, we're not hunkered down in a bomb shelter nor has a hurricane hit the Phoenix area recently. Rather, it's a large home improvement project that has caused me to become a refugee in my own home. Basically, I live in a bunker with windows. Trying to maintain some level of quality to our lives in spite of cramped quarters and numerous inconveniences is something many of you have experienced....

Sometimes a Survival Mom has to look around to see who might need some extra help in an emergency. Young children, invalids, and the elderly are especially vulnerable during tumultuous times. In 1995, I was in Chicago during one of their biggest and deadliest heat waves ever. Of the 600+ people who died, most were elderly. I remember thinking, "Why didn't their families or neighbors check on them and help?" Who in your life is elderly and/or sickly and might need some help during an emergency? A game plan needs to be put in order right away to provide a...

Single-handedly, my husband, the Paranoid Dad, has kept our local Home Depot in business for the past decade. He owns just about every type of tool and home project supply imaginable . That collection of tools could make a huge difference in our very survival if we ever had to leave the safety of our home in an emergency. Often, however, hand tools are overlooked when families have to quickly bug out. In our home, my husband is the pro when it comes to his tools, so he is the one to determine which tools to pack up in an...

[H]am radio operators will test their emergency communications capabilities with amateur radio clubs across the nation this weekend. The field day, the culmination of National Amateur Radio Week, known as the Nationwide Emergency Communications Drill, is intended to give the public a glimpse of the services amateur radio operators provide and a chance to meet the operators themselves. "In a disaster, when phone lines, cellphones and the Internet are all down, ham radio operators will be on the job," said Jon Clark, president of the Antelope Valley Amateur Radio Club. The club will set up at the north end of...

SAN DIEGO -- SNIPPET: "Wiseman isn't alone. Emergency supply retailers and military surplus stores nationwide have seen business boom in the past few months as an increasing number of Americans spooked by the economy rush to stock up on gear that was once the domain of hard-core survivalists."

In a panic situation, which happens around my house quite often, actually, people lose their wits. The extra adrenaline produced by the human body at such a moment causes confusion and the sense of events happening in slow motion. It can even cause some of the same symptoms as a heart attack. Can you imagine the level of adrenaline in your body if you suddenly got news of a dangerous chemical spill in your area or of a wildfire that had taken an abrupt turn toward your neighborhood? Officials tell you to evacuate now. Where on earth do you start??...

President Barack Obama urged residents of hurricane-prone communities on Friday to take responsibility for their own safety and start planning now. > The president said state governments have the primary responsibility for preparing and responding to disasters. He said all the resources of the federal government are there to back them up.

Now, the 54-year-old businessman and father of five has a backup generator, a water filter, a grain mill and a 4-foot-tall pile of emergency food tucked in his home in the expensive San Diego suburb of La Jolla. Wiseman isn't alone. Emergency supply retailers and military surplus stores nationwide have seen business boom in the past few months as an increasing number of Americans spooked by the economy rush to stock up on gear that was once the domain of hardcore survivalists.

WASHINGTON, May 18, 2009 – A North American Aerospace Defense Command exercise designed to test the command’s aerospace defense capabilities in the national capital area has been rescheduled after inclement weather last week forced its postponement. Exercise Falcon Virgo, originally planned for the May 15-16 overnight period, now is scheduled for May 19-20. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon jets, Coast Guard Dolphin choppers and Civil Air Patrol Cessnas will participate in the exercise over the nation’s capital and its suburbs. A number of Falcon Virgo exercises have taken place since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, officials said. The most...

More Than 800 Responders Stage Ground Zero Emergency Drill NEW YORK (AP) ― It was an emergency drill, yet the scene of hundreds of firefighters, police officers and other first responders hustling around the World Trade Center site Sunday evoked the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks. Firefighters carried oxygen tanks, hoses and heavy axes into an underground train station, while police and other emergency personnel helped those playing injured — all part of a large disaster response exercise at ground zero.

HAVERHILL — Keni Garcia told police he intended to use the 30,000 bullets they found in his car and home for target practice. That is hard to believe, the prosecutor at Garcia's arraignment said, because if he were to fire a gun for eight hours a day, it would take weeks for him to use all of it. Garcia, who allegedly bought thousands of rounds of ammunition and had 10,000 bullets in his car when he was stopped by police Thursday, was ordered held on $500,000 cash bail yesterday.

Iraqi medics provide treatment to a simulated casualty during a mass casualty exercise at Camp White Horse, Iraq, recently. Photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Rosado, 1st Cavalry Division. CAMP WHITE HORSE — As the alarm pierced the smoke-filled air, Iraqi Army (IA) Soldiers instinctively ran to their positions. The IA Medics and combat life savers hurried to gather their equipment during the first ever Mass Casualty Exercise here recently. "This is an outstanding training opportunity for the Iraqi Soldiers," said Sgt. Crystal Kepler, a U.S. combat medic. "This is mainly because they have never been exposed to it. They have...

It pays to peek inside Anthony Hardwick’s pricey survival ‘bug-out’ bag Back when I first got interested in survival preparedness, I’d have long discussions with friends about the necessity of always having a pack ready in case you ever had to make a quick evacuation. We discussed all the contents of our survival packs, and considered both short-term and long-term survival needs away from home. Knives, tools, water, seeds, clothes, fire, shelter, light. We agreed that the ideal survival pack — also referred to as a “bug-out bag” — would be lightweight and not a burden. We would bring these...

They are ready for a catastrophe of a global scale every minute of their lives and are prepared to meet the challenge wherever they are – at home, in the office, or just walking about. Yahoo StumbleUpon Google Live Technorati Scoop del.icio.us Digg Sphinn Furl Reddit The people who lay salt and canned food in stores all year around do not surprise experts anymore. In St. Petersburg alone, there are more than 10,000 getting ready for the End of Days right now, informs Petersburg Business. Russian survivalists call this speculative catastrophe the SHTF-day. Leaving aside atomic bomb shelters that were...

In the 1950s and 1960s, bunkers were a feature of many American suburban homes, populated by families fearful of the prospect of nuclear war. That threat has subsided, but now many reasonable people are stocking up on essential supplies in preparation for a new cataclysm. When you hear the word "survivalist", what image comes to mind? Or maybe you think of end-of-the-world religionists retreating to a fortified camp with enough food and drink to last them until Judgement Day. But today there is a new breed of survivalist – and they're well-heeled, well-educated and more likely to wear an immaculately...

Yahoo ran an interesting article this morning indicating a rise in the number of survivalist communities cropping up around the country. I have been wondering myself how much of the recent energy crisis is causing people to do things like stockpile food and water, grow their own vegetables, etc. Could it be that there are many people out there stockpiling and their increased buying has caused food prices to increase? It’s an interesting theory, but I believe increased food prices have more to do with rising fuel prices as cost-to-market costs have increased and grocers are simply passing those increases...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Ammo. Canned goods. Vegetable seeds. Fortified water by the case. They are reportedly flying off the shelves, these staples of the stockpile crowd. “Survivalist” isn’t the right term, not in a downturn that has got everyone nervous. “Preparedness” or “self-sufficiency” — that is what they are saying. Adhesive bandages. Gardens in the works — be they victory gardens or, as some prefer, “crisis gardens.” The closet off the living room in the Owens home near Lawson, Mo., isn’t huge, but it’s organized. Heavy coats, sweatshirts and Ron Owens’ cap collection greet wife, Jan, as she enters...