Posted on 02/09/2009 12:36:11 AM PST by nw_arizona_granny
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 along to the consumer. A recent stroll through the camping section of Wal-Mart did give me pause - what kinds of things are prudent to have on hand in the event of a worldwide shortage of food and/or fuel? Survivalist in Training
I’ve been interested in survival stories since I was a kid, which is funny considering I grew up in a city. Maybe that’s why the idea of living off the land appealed to me. My grandfather and I frequently took camping trips along the Blue Ridge Parkway and around the Smoky Mountains. Looking back, some of the best times we had were when we stayed at campgrounds without electricity hookups, because it forced us to use what we had to get by. My grandfather was well-prepared with a camp stove and lanterns (which ran off propane), and when the sun went to bed we usually did along with it. We played cards for entertainment, and in the absence of televisions, games, etc. we shared many great conversations. Survivalist in the Neighborhood
Tom Mix, Suspense, Amos & Andy, Jack Benny and Rochester, The Shadow,Jack Armstrong - The All American Boy, etc, etc.<<<
Yes!!
I still do, when the radio works correctly.
As I do not want or have a tv, the radio is my eye on the world.
There are a couple of the small western stations that will run replays of the old radio programs and some of them are as good today, as they were 60 years ago on the tiny Arvin radio.
I had this opening, when I answered your post on rationing /license for food, it fits the easy way we can be starved.
It is the first time I have been to the site, it turned up in a google alert for nazi history that I have set..... It is a German forum.
granny
http://forums.skadi.net/showthread.php?s=5670c0f52c2ddaec2523d60f5356b7ab&p=956567#post956567
[When I copied this, photos of starving people were in the post that I was sending to me at yahoo.]
HOLOCAUST AND HOLODOMOR
by Nicholas Lysson (April 2007)
A particularly relevant parallel to the Nazi Holocaust is the Ukrainian Holodomor of 1932-33, a state-created famine—not a crop failure—that killed an estimated five million people in the Ukraine, one million in the Caucasus, and one million elsewhere after the Soviet state confiscated the harvest at gunpoint. Throughout the famine, the state continued to export grain to pay for industrialization. [...] Norman Davies gives the following description in Europe: A History, p. 965 (Oxford University Press, 1996). His first paragraph assembles quotations from Conquest; the bracketed phrase is his own:
“A quarter of the rural population, men, women and children, lay dead or dying” in “a great stretch of territory with some forty million inhabitants” “The rest, in various stages of debilitation,” “had no strength to bury their families or neighbours.” “well-fed squads of police or party officials supervised the victims.”
All food stocks were forcibly requisitioned; a military cordon prevented all supplies from entering; and the people were left to die. The aim was to kill Ukrainian nationhood, and with it the “class enemy.” The death toll reached some 7 million. The world has seen many terrible famines. But a famine organized as a genocidal act of state policy must be considered unique.
See also Oksana Procyk, Leonid Heretz and James E. Mace, Famine in the Soviet Ukraine, 1932-33 (Harvard University Press, 1986); Nicolas Werth, The Great Famine, in Stephane Courtois, et al., The Black Book of Communism (pp. 159-68) (Harvard University Press, 1999); Edvard Radzinsky, Stalin, pp. 257-59 (1996); Miron Dolot, Execution by Hunger (1985); Simon Sebag Montefiore, Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar, pp. 84-85 (2003); and the Commission on the Ukrainian Famine, Report to Congress (1988). That report, at pp. 6-7, cites estimates of the number killed that range as high as 8 million in the Ukraine and 9 million overall.
Piers Brendon, The Dark Valley, pp. 248-49 (2000) gives this description, drawn from still further sources, all cited in his notes:
“A population of “walking corpses” even ate horse-manure for the whole grains of seed it contained. Cannibalism became so common-place that local authorities issued hundreds of posters announcing that “EATING DEAD CHILDREN IS BARBARISM.”
“They staggered into towns and collapsed in the squares. Haunting the railway stations these “swollen human shadows, full of rubbish, alive with lice,” followed passengers with mute appeals. [They] “dragged themselves along, begging for bread or searching for scraps in garbage heaps, frozen and filthy. Each morning wagons rolled along the streets picking up the remains of the dead.” Some were picked up before they died and buried in pits so extensive that they resembled sand dunes and so shallow that bodies were dug up and devoured by wolves.”
Boris Pasternak says “what I saw could not be expressed in words. There was such inhuman, unimaginable misery, such a terrible disaster, that it began to seem almost abstract, it would not fit within the bounds of consciousness.” See Brian Moynahan, The Russian Century, p. 130 (1994). Nikita Khrushchev, in Khrushchev Remembers: The Final Testament, p. 120 (1976), says “I can’t give an exact figure because no one was keeping count. All we knew was that people were dying in enormous numbers.”
continues with many links and this may be a Holocaust denial site, but the Ukraine action is true, I have read of it for years,
granny
[It appears the answers to my thoughts are in my mail box at yahoo....granny]
Israeli Firms Bid for Unique ID Card Project
Tammuz 10, 5769, 02 July 09 02:49by Zalman Nelson
(Israelnationalnews.com) Israeli information technology (IT) firms are partnering with Indian companies in a joint bid for a unique identification card project for the Indian government, according to an Israeli IT official.
The government-funded project, to be implemented by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), is looking to create unique identification cards for all citizens by 2011.
“Israeli IT firms with domain expertise in e-governance and Homeland Security will bid for the unique ID card project jointly with Indian vendors, as local participation is key to such projects dealing with critical mass,” Israeli software industry business development manager Katrin Melamed told Silicon India.
“Our leading IT firms have the architecture and the model for the Indian ID card project, which is set to cover over a billion people,” Melamed said.
Many Israeli firms have developed the technology and solutions for e-governance projects like ID cards with security features such as biometric or fingerprints, said Melamed who is leading a week-long Israeli IT delegation to India sponsored by the Israel Export and International Cooperation Institute (IEICI) and funded by the Israeli government. The 14-member delegation of IT firms is scouting for Indian partnerships in digital broadcast media, modernization solutions, homeland security and e-governance.
“In the absence of a lucrative domestic market for historical and social reasons, we are an export-oriented nation with only human capital and limited natural resources due to scarce land and smaller size of the country,” Melamed pointed out.
As a result, Israeli IT industry focuses more on research and development, product innovation, and technology upgrading to maintain globally competitiveness. Spanning hardware and software, the Israeli hi-tech industry is comprised of about 3,000 IT firms which accounting for $5.8 billion in exports in 2008. About 40 percent of Israel’s total IT exports go to North America, while Europe accounts for 30 percent and the remained is generated from rest of the world, including Asia.
www.IsraelNationalNews.com© Copyright IsraelNationalNews.com
http://www.police-writers.com/articles/swine_flu_law_enforcement.html
Swine Flu: 21 Things Law Enforcement Needs to Know
Overview
At the time of this writing, only the potential for a pandemic has been mentioned, and summer approaches; not your “usual” cold and flu season. One school of thought is that we will see a relatively minor wave of flu cases which will diminish toward the end of the summer. However, when fall starts and schools are back in session and traditional cold and flu season begins, it’s possible we’ll see a more massive wave of infection and reach true pandemic status.
This short article is not intended to be a medical or scientific discussion of the current strain of flu or its treatment. Instead, this piece is meant to inform law enforcement of some of the many unique threats and assets that may present themselves during a developing pandemic, along with some tips on what to do at present to mitigate future problems or obstacles.
The Hidden Threats
Aside from the obvious concerns related to staffing, service, and supply shortages that will likely affect police work in general, a pandemic scenario carries with it unique issues based not on the disease itself, but on both official and societal reactions to the emergency.
As a pandemic progresses in severity, the most probable reaction will be “mass social distancing” whether instituted or spontaneous. “Instituted” would insinuate that government entities have enacted measures leading to social distancing such as the closure of schools, public gatherings, non-essential business, and possibly setting curfews, leaving people with little to do but remain home. “Spontaneous” social distancing would occur when families take it upon themselves to stay out of public locations. We may see spontaneous school closures when parents keep their children home en masse, and parents remaining at home to care for their children will see some business curtailed as a result. Other threats could present themselves as well.
1.
Robberies, particularly bank robberies, are likely to increase. People will begin wearing the N95 cloth masks in public, and one of the first groups of people to take advantage of this will be the criminal element who will realize they can easily walk around in public already wearing a mask. Given the current financial situation, the stress and civil unrest added by a developing pandemic and the resulting economic effect of a pandemic, it is probable that the numbers of potential robberies will increase substantially.
2.
Domestic violence may increase dramatically since social distancing will alter the family dynamic. Families are accustomed to being apart for most of the day, and in this scenario, everyone will be home and “on top of each other” with the pandemic itself adding a level of stress. The potential for loss of income will also add considerable agitation to an already difficult situation and domestic violence will be a likely result.
3.
Suicide and suicide attempts may also increase for obvious reasons.
4.
Though not directly police-related, there will also be an increased risk of fire. Cold and flu season is traditionally during the colder months and social distancing means that more people will be at home for longer periods of time and possibly using alternative heating devices (especially if there are issues with our critical infrastructure) for longer periods of time. Add to this the fact that more people will be cooking at home and we can readily see the risk for fire increases significantly.
5.
The potential for terrorism increases. We know pretty much every metropolitan area of the country has terror cells, and we must assume that some have standing orders to make a bad situation worse. For example, if we see mass social distancing that appears to be stemming the progress of the pandemic, we may see an attack on critical infrastructure. Water tops the list because people would have to venture out of their houses into groups to collect water from delivery trucks. This close proximity between people would negate the benefits of social distancing. Too, the loss of water would cripple effective treatment at hospitals.
The Hidden Assets
Just as a pandemic carries with it certain threats and negative issues, it will also create certain assets and advantages that should be recognized now so they can be put to use when the time comes.
1.
During a developing pandemic, local trade, tourism, and commerce will probably plummet leaving certain businesses closed… and available. Top of this list will be hotels and motels which can be pressed into service (through MOU, etc.) to serve as dormitories. Locations near precincts or stations could be used for officers wanting to stay away from their families (not bringing home the virus). You might look at having a rotation schedule for groups of officers. Motels near hospitals could be used as either dorms for their staff, or for off-site clinics for non-infectious, non-flu-related patients (such as the victims of domestic violence who don’t need to be taken to a flu-infested emergency room for the treatment of minor injuries).
2.
As schools close, your dedicated school resource officers will be freed up providing extra personnel or “force multipliers.”
3.
School counselors will also be freed up and could possibly staff phone banks from home. These phone banks can prove useful in dispute resolution (stemming from the domestic violence listed above), suicide prevention, grief counseling, and officer morale.
4.
As local business dwindles, some private security personnel may be freed up offering additional force multipliers useful in some capacity. To this list add private investigation firms. Many states, such as Georgia, require private-sector continuing ed hours to include regular instruction in the area of “homeland security” for just this purpose. Other private-sector assets related to this area include BENS (Business Executives for National Security), CERT (Community Emergency Response Teams), Neighborhood Watch, COPs (Citizens On Patrol), VIPS (Volunteers In Police Service), as well as Explorer Scouts.
5.
Additionally, as a pandemic progresses and the likelihood of an SNS (Strategic National Stockpile) release becomes likely, you’ll need secure transportation to safeguard the delivery of pharmaceuticals to the PODs (Points Of Dispensing). Your local private-sector armored truck companies should have plenty of units (with guards and drivers) that can be volunteered since it’s likely they won’t be needed for private commerce.
6. One asset that will not necessarily be “created” but which is commonly overlooked in many community public health plans is the fact that many restaurants may be closed down, and some will still have a respectable supply of non-perishable food on-site (especially if they are closed down rapidly or too early in the game).
What to do Now
Though we may be at the beginning stages of a global pandemic, there is still time to set certain things in place to mitigate the negatives and strengthen reactive capabilities.
1.
Ensure your officers’ abilities to report for duty and remained focused on the tasks at hand by providing enhanced family preparedness instruction. Officers will more readily report when they know the family they leave at home is as well-prepared as possible. The short list of preparedness goals includes 4 weeks of food and medication, current medical checkups and adequate prescription meds (including dental checkups and vet checkups for pets), and entertainment for long periods of time in isolation at home. For a detailed preparedness information source, visit http://www.disasterprep101.com.
2.
Maintain communication with your department of public health or primary source of medical care to make sure officers receive prophylactic flu treatment if and when available.
3.
Set MOUs in place for those assets (listed above) you may wish to utilize in a pandemic scenario.
4.
Establish orientation / training sessions with those groups you may wish to utilize. Though most would not be directly involved in police work, many can be called upon to monitor their own neighborhoods to some extent or fulfill some lower level security function and thereby shoulder a small percentage of the workload.
5.
Set a policy to top off the gas tanks of all vehicles on a daily basis in case fuel supplies are interrupted.
6.
Start stocking a certain amount of non-perishable foods at the station in anticipation of a loss of food supply.
7.
Encourage your PIOs to perform community outreach functions and speak to civic groups on the topic of enhanced / last-minute preparedness. Fewer victims in a scenario such as this is always a good thing, and cementing the relationship between law enforcement and the general public is worth its weight in gold.
8.
Train all officers on infection control procedures to be used during arrests, to include masking suspects, regular handwashing, and squad car sanitation (see CDC interim guidelines for cleaning EMS transport vehicles). Officers should be equipped with N95 masks, eye protection visors, and nitrile gloves to protect themselves when handling arrestees, and while operating a contaminated vehicle.
9.
Determine a codified “altered standards of response” for periods of reduced staffing. For example, you might be able to justify a “no response” to nuisance calls such as someone playing a stereo too loud, but could you ignore a home invasion? Putting your reasoning in writing and in detail now may prevent future lawsuits.
10.
Once a pandemic is declared and mass social distancing enacted, raise the terror threat alert levels at critical infrastructure sites to red / high, and be ready for this eventuality by assisting these facilities in a review of their preparedness / business continuity plans today.
These are just a few of the hundreds of details law enforcement officers should know during a pandemic. We will try over the coming weeks to provide additional short articles to cover additional concepts.
About the Author
Paul Purcell is a security analyst and preparedness consultant with extensive experience in pandemic influenza readiness planning. More information and additional articles may be found at www.disasterprep101.com.
http://www.disasterprep101.com/documents/BeatHeat.pdf
Beat the Heat and Survive the Summer
By Paul Purcell
The “Dog Days” of summer are almost upon us and record temperatures are sweeping the country. Unfortunately we have the highest number of elderly and medically fragile people in history, and an aging infrastructure that is feeling the strain of heavy electrical use as our senior citizens struggle to stay cool.
We’re here to give you tips and tricks to help you beat the heat should you be susceptible to extreme temperatures, or should your power be out. Here’s a short list of suggestions:
1. Drink plenty of cool water to keep yourself hydrated and reduce your body’s core temperature. (Warm water won’t do this, and cold water might be a shock to sensitive systems.)
Drink regularly, every hour, even if you don’t feel thirsty. Avoid soft drinks and alcoholic drinks that are actually diuretic and rob your body of the water it desperately needs.
2. Eat small, light, non-spicy meals. Eating heavy meals cranks your metabolism and can raise your body temperature. Also, digestion robs you of energy. Since the heat is already robbing you of some energy, you don’t need to add to this drain by taxing the digestive system. However, don’t skip meals since it’s food that replenishes the electrolytes you lose through sweating and increased water consumption.
3. Some sources suggest you wear “light colored, loose fitting clothes” in hot weather. However, that’s only if you’re going outside. If you go outside, go with that rule and also wear a loose fitting hat or carry an umbrella for shade. Forget the fashion rules, follow the heat rules. (By the way, royal blue and/or white are the best colors to wear for their heat reflective qualities. This is why most tarps and boat awnings are blue.) For indoors, forget the clothing rules and go with the “bare as you dare” notion. The more exposed skin you have the more efficient your cooling-by-sweating process can work. Also, be sure to tie up long hair, and if you have a beard, consider shaving in order to remove all that facial insulation. When you do have to go outdoors, limit or schedule your physical activity. For example, if you have to do yard work, do it early in the morning or in the evening when it’s cooler. Too, consider the fact that the “siesta” concept is a pretty good idea. Rest and take it easy during the hotter hours of the day.
4. Though “bare as you dare” is the way to go indoors in limited AC, most of us would prefer to have good air conditioning. If yours is out, or if power sources are uncertain, go someplace that has AC like the mall or other places that don’t mind people coming in and hanging around a while. Also, you can “AC pool” with friends just like you’d car pool. Go to a friend’s house who has a good AC system.
5. Failing to find another source of AC, and considering that the power might be out, here are a couple more tips. First, stand-alone floor unit air conditioners aren’t that expensive and can run off regular household current without the need for the special 220 volt outlets. This means that they can be operated using the smaller gas-powered electric generators. Can’t afford a generator? You can probably afford a power inverter which can sometimes be found for under twenty dollars. They plug into your car’s cigarette lighter and, using an extension cord, can power an appliance like your stand-alone AC, or at least some fans. Speaking of your car, if nothing else, if your car has AC you can ride around during the hottest hours of the day, providing you can afford today’s gas prices. If absolutely nothing else, go to your nearest “dollar store” and see if they have any of those little battery-powered fans.
6. Can’t afford a stand-alone AC but you have a generator? Your generator or power inverter can also power your fridge and/or freezer where you should have two-liter plastic bottles full of water filling up every empty space in both the fridge and freezer. It makes the appliance run more efficiently and having cold water is a great thing. You drink cool water and use cold water to soak towels to wrap around your neck, wrists, and ankles where the veins and arteries are closest to the surface. This is one of the best ways to reduce your body temperature. Also, setting up a few of the frozen
two-liter bottles in front of a fan can blow a nice cool breeze your way. (Write us at info@disasterprep101.com and we’ll email you instructions for a homemade AC unit that uses these two-liter plastic bottles.)
7. Now let’s backtrack a bit and talk about reducing the heat you might experience. Naturally, the first rule is “block the sun.” Do what you can to reduce the sunlight that hits your house or comes in through the windows. Keep the shades drawn, and you might even consider hanging a white sheet or blue tarp as an outside awning on the side(s) of the house that catch the most sun. These tarps are also effective if placed on the roof as they’ll reflect the sun’s rays. These same rules apply to your car while you’re out and about. Park in the shade where you can, and use sun screens (window shades) to help keep your car cool.
8. Next in cooling the house come ventilation and insulation. If you have an attic, and the power is on, you should have a vent fan that keeps air flowing through the attic. Along with that, we suggest you have roof vent turbines, or a ridge vent (your home supply store can tell you all about these). In extremely hot weather, you might set a garden sprinkler on your roof and let it run for the hottest couple of hours of the day provided your area is not on water restriction. As for “insulation” one way to insulate parts of the house is to close off seldom-used rooms (especially those on the sunny side of the house), and close off their AC vents if any. This blocks heat and also reduces the area that your limited AC has to cool.
While we’re here, we’d be remiss in our duties if we failed to give you the symptoms of sunstroke and heat exhaustion, both of which require medical attention:
Heat Exhaustion: Symptoms include heavy sweating, and skin may be pale, cool, or flushed. The victim will also exhibit a weak pulse, with fainting, dizziness, nausea, or vomiting.
Sun Stroke: (sometimes called heat stroke): Symptoms are high body temperature, hot, dry, red, skin (usually with no sweating), rapid shallow breathing, and a weak pulse. Sun stroke is the more dangerous of the two.
The most immediate first aid for either of these is to get the victim into a cool spot, and reduce their body temperature with ice-cold wet towels around the neck, wrist, and ankles. You can also put them in a bathtub of cool water. Don’t use cold water in the tub as that will shock the system.
Regardless of your first aid measures, you should seek immediate medical assistance.
Remember, hot weather is nothing to ignore, even if you’re not among the elderly or medically fragile. Heat can affect everyone. Play it safe, stay cool, avoid exertion, and stay healthy. Also, when considering heat safety, don’t forget your pets.
Copyright 2006 - 2007, Paul Purcell. About the author: Paul Purcell is an Atlanta-based security analyst and preparedness consultant with over twenty years risk management and preparedness experience. He’s also the author of Disaster Prep 101 found at www.disasterprep101.com, and he’s a partner / advisor to 1-800-PREPARE found at www.1800PREPARE.com.
(Permission granted to reprint this article and share it with others provided all portions remain intact.)
http://www.disasterprep101.com/documents/PANDEMIC.pdf
This is a page on preparing for a pandemic incident.
It would not copy for me.
50 Emergency Uses for Your Camera Phone
by Paul Purcell
In an emergency you’ll not only need to provide and receive help, but after the event is over, you’ll face the prospect of return, repair, and rebuilding. Central to all these activities is communication and documentation. Everything in our society carries a heaping helping of red tape, and disasters are no different. Below are 50 of the many ways one simple tool, in this case the camera phone, can be used in an emergency to help you document, record, and relay some of your more important pieces of information.
Granted, any camera could be used for some of the things listed below, but the phonecam carries a distinct advantage with it. It can immediately transmit the pictures it takes. If you don’t have a phonecam, that’s okay. Go with what you have, or with what you can afford. Disposable film cameras and digital cameras are acceptable, and microcassette recorders that will let you record information verbally are useful as well.
However, the phonecam rules, so let’s look at ways yours can be used in an emergency. The following are excerpts from our book “Disaster Prep 101” found at www.disasterprep101.com.
1. Last minute child ID. Whenever the family might be separated, take a series of last-minute pictures of all family members, especially the kids, and also the pets. You might need this to reunite the family later.
2. Draw a map, shoot it, send it. Trying to send or receive directions to or from a certain location and voice directions just aren’t cutting it? Draw a map on paper, take a picture, and send.
3. Injury photos to the doctor. Suppose you’re in a situation where you can’t get to help and they can’t get to you, and someone’s sick or injured. If there are visible signs or symptoms, your phonecam can relay these to medical personnel who can walk you through whatever treatment is possible where you are.
4. Damage documentation for insurance. In mass catastrophes, it’ll be days or longer before even the first insurance adjusters get there to file claims on your behalf. Photo all the damage you can in case some of it gets repaired or cleaned up before your agent arrives.
5. Report suspicious activity. Are you part of a neighborhood watch group? If you see suspicious activity, you can upload pictures of suspects and the situation to the Police immediately.
6. “Here’s the landmark I’m near.” In an emergency, gathering with the family at a “rendezvous point” is one of the most critical steps you’ll take. If you don’t have a fixed meeting place, you can send pictures of where and what you’re near so the others can find you. This also works well if you’re lost and/or injured in the wilderness and you need to relay pictures of landmarks so Search and Rescue teams can find you.
7. “Meet us at this landmark.” If you have a fixed rendezvous point and you want to relay the info to others, send a pic you already have on file, so others will know where to meet. Take these file photos while compiling your family emergency plan.
8. Photo shopping list. If you’re about to stock your pantry in anticipation of an emergency, such as if you’re planning on sheltering-in-place during a hurricane, take a picture of your pantry as a quick way to list things you need from the store.
9. Driving directions. If you’re trying to tell others where a certain location is, such as an emergency shelter, you can send them a picture by picture set of driving directions. This is another good thing to create while putting your family reaction plan together.
10. “Meet this person.” Let’s say your family had to evacuate, and they know the address they’re supposed to head to, but not everyone has met the family emergency contact person. Send them a picture of the person they’re supposed to meet, or you can send your contact person some pictures of the people heading their way.
11. Last minute property inventory. Just as you’d photo the family in anticipation of an emergency, you should do the same with your property. If you’re about to evacuate, snap some quick shots of your property to include any new purchases not included in your last full home inventory, and to show the current condition of your property in general.
12. “Adventure” journal. Who says every potential disaster situation has to be a total disaster? One way to look at it is as an adventure. Take some pictures to record what you do, the places you go during evacuation, people you meet along the way, etc.
13. Situational severity. In a large-scale emergency, first responders will be spread thin and overworked. They might not have anyone to send to get you out of a partly-flooded neighborhood, or to help put out a tiny grass fire. However, the situation might actually be worse than they understand, and you might need some serious help. Sending a picture of just how bad the situation is might help.
14. Quick text messaging. Time is critical in an emergency and so are communications. You might not have enough time to punch in a text message, and the lines might not be open long enough for a conversation. If that’s the case, write a note on paper, take a picture, and send that.
15. Minor traffic mishap documentation. If you have a minor fender-bender while evacuating, and there are no injuries and no one’s car needs to be towed, most jurisdictions will tell you to “swap info and move along.” If that’s the case (always call 911 to ask and make sure), take photos of the vehicular damage, people involved, witnesses at the scene (and their car tag numbers), and if your phone has video, take video of others involved in the accident to show their injuries (or lack thereof).
16. Wallet backup. Just as you’d photograph family members and property, take pictures of your wallet’s contents (or important documents) in order to record numbers, and show that cards actually are or were in your possession. Be very careful when storing or transmitting these pictures as the info is very sensitive and can be used for identity theft!
17. Inclement weather reporting. If you’re the first one to see the funnel cloud, heavy hail, or a river starting to overflow, sending a picture in to the weather service or proper authorities is undeniable and rapid proof that severe weather or other emergency is occurring.
18. First Responder intel. The more first responders know about the true nature of a collapsed house, an auto accident, a fire in progress, or any other emergency, the more rapid and appropriate a reaction they can make.
19. Missing persons report. Send picture of picture. Let’s say a family member goes missing. In addition to the last minute photos you took, you could also send a picture of a photograph you might have in your purse or wallet. This will save a lot of time for you and the authorities.
20. Relay property damage to or from neighbors. Suppose your neighborhood was heavily damaged in a disaster. Whoever goes home first, either you or your neighbors, could photograph neighborhood and home damage and relay the info to the other.
21. Help insurance adjusters find your property. After a devastating incident, street signs will be gone, house numbers won’t be visible, etc. Take current pictures of landmarks or any kind of unique damage near or at your property. This will make it easier for your insurance adjuster to find you.
22. Copy the bulletin boards. If you’re in an emergency shelter, and there’s an info bulletin board, you might need a lot of the info posted, but not have time to write or anything to write with or on. Take a picture!
23. Bus, subway, or city map info. If you’re anywhere you’re not familiar with and you have any sort of posted map, take a picture of it to refer to later if you get lost.
24. Document your route. When traveling to a new area, and either others will be following later, or you want to be sure you can find your way back, be sure to take pictures along the way of landmarks at turns you make, forks in the road, etc.
25. Record medicines or food brand needs. If you have to relay information about your medications to a doctor, or if you have special dietary needs and need to send information regarding certain product or food brands to an outside person or service, then a picture really is worth a thousand words.
26. Remember parking spot locations. Don’t trust your memory, trust a picture. Take a quick pic of where you left your vehicle either in a lot or in a parking deck.
27. Pic of engine problems for mechanic. Should you break down on the road and your vehicle shows outward signs of engine problems such as steam shooting from a certain hose, or liquids dripping from a place on the engine, send a pic to a mechanic who may be able to talk you through a quick fix to get you back on the road.
28. Business or service function and/or hours. Just as you’d photograph a map, you might want to copy posted business hours or listed service functions (and pricing) for later review and recall. This is also a good way to report price gouging on the road.
29. Allowable child custodian. If you can’t get to your kids who are at school or some other function, relay a picture of the person who is coming in your stead to pick them up. Send this picture to both the school or function, and to your child (if they have their own phonecam).
30. Relay info on injured or hospitalized people. You might be in a position to send pictures to people looking for loved ones or vice-versa.
31. Remember your hotel room. Whenever you get a hotel room, take a picture so you can find your way back. Photo not only the room number on the door, but the name of the motel and adjacent buildings for reference.
32. ID your evac gear. As with all your belongings, take a picture to prove ownership. One situation where this might come in handy is with petty theft in emergency shelters. It’s actually a rare occurrence, but it’s best to be ready to prove things are yours.
33. Photo scavenger hunt. If you’ve settled down a bit, say at your emergency shelter or temporary stopover, you’ll need something to entertain the kids. Give them a short list of things they should take a picture of. First one to take all the listed pictures wins!
34. Identify the close-up. Another entertainment idea is to take a really close up picture of something while the kids aren’t looking, and have them figure out what it is.
35. Document your whereabouts during civil unrest. Another remote possibility, but since these things do happen, it’s best to be ready. Let’s say you’re in a location where looting is occurring, or rioting about to happen. You can either help the Police by secretively taking pictures of the perpetrators (not really recommended for safety reasons), or you can take pictures as you’re leaving the area to document the fact that you weren’t part of the trouble.
36. ID the rescue team. If a rescuer is picking up your child or pet, you want to photo the rescuer (and the child or pet) and the vehicle they used. Get their name tag in the picture as well as registration numbers on helicopters, vehicle tags numbers, or names of boats.
37. Document your cleanup efforts. It may be a while before your insurance adjuster can arrive. Take pictures of the damage as you found it, and steps you took during cleanup. Regarding insurance or recovery grants, NOTHING beats documentation!
38. Document your repair or cleanup expenditures. If you buy goods or supplies, rent equipment, or hire a service, in addition to keeping your receipts, be sure to photograph the goods acquired, the equipment being used, or the service being performed (also photo the people involved where possible).
39. Transmit property item pics to retrieval companies. Some scenarios will see you unable to return home. Some companies are trained and equipped to go into these areas to help people gather certain belongings. Having property photos stored on your phone will allow you to send pictures of specific property items you’d like retrieved.
40. Document location / status of fellow evacuees. Authorities will not only want to know who is injured, dead, or missing, but they’ll want to know who is okay and where they are. Taking pictures of those you meet along with way whether it’s during an evacuation, or of people at your emergency shelter, will help ID the living and well.
41. Bridge the language barrier. A picture is worth a thousand words. Ever try to find the restroom in a foreign country and you didn’t know the proper phrase? Imagine how guests in our country would feel in emergency situations where they needed much more than a restroom and didn’t know how to ask. Pictures would make that process a hundred times easier, whether you’re trying to understand their needs, or relay yours to them.
42. Transmit road conditions. Let’s say after a hurricane, you’re one of the first families returning to a damaged area, and you’re taking back roads. Authorities (or others following you later) might not have had a chance to check every avenue of return. If there’s damage that needs to be reported, or no damage at all (which should also be reported), sending a picture can relay tons of information, especially if a roadway has received damage and road crews need to know what kind of damage and its extent.
43. Relay traffic conditions. If family or group members are separated, or heading in different directions, you might need to pass along traffic conditions or the info from traffic warning signs.
44. Crime scene evidence. Many times, people have returned from an evacuation to a home that was undamaged during the event, but later looted. Since the Police might not be able to show up right away, go ahead and take “crime scene” photos (for both Police and insurance) just as you’d photograph your property if it was damaged in the event.
45. Too much info on the screen to copy? Shoot it. Should the TV flash some pertinent information on the screen and you don’t have time to write it down, or should you have a lot of text on a computer screen and you can’t print it out, take a picture for later review.
46. Positive ID to or from your doctor and/or pharmacy. Medical needs are a very real probability during an emergency. Since you can’t get to your doctor in person, and they might be phoning in a prescription to a pharmacy that doesn’t know either of you, use your phone to verify your identity to your doctor, and your doctor can relay the picture to the pharmacy so they’ll know who’s coming to get the meds.
47. Emergency supply information. Suppose a developing emergency has caught you low on goods or gear and you send different people to different locations to help stock up. If supplies are low, these family members may need to send a picture of the types or brands of items available so you can make educated purchase decisions.
48. Picture file of “Last Minute List” items and shutdown. Though everyone should keep a “bugout kit” packed and ready to go, there will be items which cannot duplicated and/or packed in advance. In addition to creating a written “Last Minute List,” create a photo file showing all the items you want to take with you (and their location) and things you should do to shut down and secure the house before leaving.
49. Evac atlas. Create your own “evac travel atlas” of emergency assets available along your probable evacuation routes. This might include lodging, ATM locations, hospital emergency rooms, etc. Travel the routes and take photos, or draw your own maps and shoot that.
50. Photo reaction plan for the reading disabled. If a family member suffers from any reading disability, such as Dyslexia, using photos is a must. Create a photo file that will relay your entire emergency plan without using text.
51. Since InfoQuest always does more than expected, here’s a bonus idea. Your camera phone can relay pictures of structural damage to a structural engineer who can tell you how to shore up certain walls, where safe spots might be, where hidden dangers might be, etc., as your Search and Rescue team looks through a collapsed building for survivors.
These are just some of the many ways a camera phone can be used to help in an emergency. Take a look around at your family and your current threats, needs, and assets and look at ways you can put your phonecam to use. Better yet, look at the things you can do so that your phonecam isn’t needed at all!
Copyright 2005 - 2007, Paul Purcell. About the author: Paul Purcell is an Atlanta-based security analyst and preparedness consultant with over twenty years risk management and preparedness experience. He’s also the author of Disaster Prep 101 found at www.disasterprep101.com, and he’s a partner / advisor to 1-800-PREPARE found at www.1800PREPARE.com.
(Permission granted to reprint this article and share it with others provided all portions remain intact.)
http://www.disasterprep101.com/documents/50PhoneCam.pdf
I kinda like the ‘you betcha’ myself.
You are just a wealth of knowledge. Thanks for sharing your expertise with all of us novices out here. Your dried squash sounded so good I’m thinking of picking up a few at the store to try drying while my garden’s coming along.
>>>Your dried squash sounded so good I’m thinking of picking up a few at the store to try drying while my garden’s coming along.
<<<
Slice thin and dry completely (actually, I remove the really dry ones and leave the others to finish drying...) You don’t need to pre-treat or anything - just dry till they are very crisp.
YUM - I have decided I like the zucchini better than the yellow squash (more flavorful), but with dip, both are great.
Being the perpetual experimenter, I now have a cucumber sliced and in the dryer to try them as chips... I never heard of it, but thought, what the heck... might be good... Will let everyone know.
>>>You are just a wealth of knowledge.<<<
LOL - some would question the need for some of the knowledge...
How to do things (particularly the old way) has always intrigued me. My favorite place in the whole world would have to be New Ross Village/Farm in Nova Scotia... Everything from sawmill to cooper to ox frame making to stone sledges to butter making, and on and on... I could be perfectly happy setting up my shelter there and living by growing/preserving/cooking/doing/making whatever you needed.
Sturbridge and Williamsburg take too many shortcuts and are too commercialized. Last time I was up there at New Ross Farm, there was absolutely no commercialization push other than the shop near the entrance. You actually got to use a treadle lathe or a treadle jig saw, blacksmithing, etc. they let you get right in and work with the artisans. Fantastic! (Somewhere there is a yoke for a team of oxen that I did some work on.)
>>>my squash chips did not pass the pliable stage in dehydrator, will test with the new hotter unit..<<<
Ooops, sorry I missed this post...
If they won’t dry completely in your dehydrator, I would probably put them in the oven to finish off. Maybe I am just fortunate, because even the $6.99 bargain dehydrator heats enough and the fan moves enough air to do them great.
Hope your hotter one does the trick for you.
Multistate Outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 Infections Associated with Beef from JBS Swift Beef Company
Several state health departments, CDC, and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) are investigating a multi-state outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 infections. On June 24, FSIS issued a notice about a recall of 41,280 pounds of beef products from JBS Swift Beef Company that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. On June 28, the recall was expanded to include 380,000 pounds of assorted pieces of beef (beef primal products) from the same company. Health officials in several states who were investigating reports of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses found that most ill persons had consumed ground beef, and many reported that it was undercooked. At least some of the illnesses appear to be associated with products subject to these recalls. Samples from unopened packages of ground beef recovered from a patient’s home were tested by the Michigan Public Health Laboratory yielded an E. coli O157:H7 isolate that matched the “DNA fingerprint” of the outbreak strain.
Twenty three persons infected with a strain of E. coli O157:H7 with a particular “DNA fingerprint” have been reported from 9 states. Of these, 17 have been confirmed by an advanced DNA test as having the outbreak strain; confirmatory tests are pending on others. The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: California (4), Maine (1), Michigan (6), Minnesota (1), New Hampshire (1), New Jersey (2), New Mexico (1), New York (1) and Wisconsin (6).
Most ill persons reported consumption of ground beef, and many reported that it was undercooked. Ground beef with the outbreak strain was obtained from the home of one person infected with that strain. The first reported illness began on April 2, 2009, and the last began on June 13, 2009. Among 17 ill persons for whom hospitalization status is known, 12 (70%) were hospitalized. Two patients developed a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). No deaths have been reported. Of patients with available information, 14 (64%) were male and 59% are less than 19 years old (range 2 to 74 years).
Most of the beef packages in the first recall bear the establishment number “Est. 969” inside the USDA mark of inspection and have identifying package dates of “042109” or “042209.” Consumers are urged to check their refrigerators and freezers for beef products produced by this firm and purchased on or after April 21, 2009 and discard or return the recalled beef products to the place of purchase for a refund. The pieces of beef (primal beef products) in the expanded recall were produced on April 21, 2009, and were distributed nationally and internationally. Boxes of these pieces of beef bear the establishment number “EST. 969” inside the USDA mark of inspection, the identifying package date of “042109,” and a time stamp ranging from “0618” to “1130.” These pieces of beef were sold to retail stores nationwide after April 21, 2009, and some was probably cut again or made into ground beef, then re-packaged, so packages purchased by consumers may not have identifying information. Customers with questions about the source of a package of beef should contact the place where they purchased it (e.g., grocery store, club store, or meat market).
More information on the recalled products can be found at:
* Colorado Firm Expands Recall of Beef Products Due To Possible E. coli O157:H7 Contamination (June 24 recall)
* Colorado Firm Expands Recall of Beef Products Due To Possible E. coli O157:H7 Contamination (June 28 recall)
Advice to Consumers
Cook Beef Thoroughly
Eat ground beef or ground beef patties that have been cooked to a safe internal temperature of 160° F.
* Use a thermometer to measure the internal temperature—it is the only way to be sure ground beef is cooked to a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria.
* Color is NOT a reliable indicator that ground beef or ground beef patties have been cooked to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria such as E. coli O157:H7.
For more information go to Is It Done Yet? (USDA)*.
Refrigerate Meats
* Refrigerate raw meat within two hours after purchase or within one hour if temperatures exceed 90° F.
* Refrigerate cooked meat and poultry within two hours after cooking.
Consumers who have questions about the recalled products can contact USDA-FSIS at “Ask Karen” online at www.AskKaren.gov* or call the Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (674-6854). Because any raw ground beef can contain disease-causing germs, CDC and USDA-FSIS encourage consumers to use good food safety practices and to heed the following advice:
* To keep food safe, remember to Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill. For more food safety information visit www.BeFoodSafe.gov*.
Being the perpetual experimenter, I now have a cucumber sliced and in the dryer to try them as chips... I never heard of it, but thought, what the heck... might be good... Will let everyone know.<<<
Why stop there, carrot strips, turnip slices, etc...
I like the raw turnip, so might like it as a chip.
This fall, you can test the fruit slices...LOL
>>>I like the raw turnip, so might like it as a chip.<<<
Hmmm, maybe if they were pretty young ones... Since flavors intensify when they are dried, they may be pretty strong if they were fully mature. LOL
Oh, cucumber chips are terrific... Just enough cucumber taste to make them really interesting.
Of course the next step will be to try some marinades and seasonings. So far we have been eating all we make without even missing the salt!
Any one remember watching the radio?>>>>
How well I remember our old radio!! Someone had to sit near the back and hold onto a wire for a ground, so us three kids took turns. I hated when it was my turn and either “The Shadow” or “Inner Sanctom” with the creaking door was on. Being very timid, I had horrible nightmares on those nights.
How to do things (particularly the old way)>>>>
I truly believe those of us that feel this way will be the ones helping others if and when tshtf. Hubby and I both really enjoy “the old ways.” Our woodshed is full, we are working on wood for 2010 - 2011 now, the hand pump is workable in our deep well, generator will run on propane long enough to keep food frozen til I can can it, pantry is full to overflowing, plenty of ammo for the guns-so I feel fairly confident. Meanwhile, the people around me are blissfully unconcened. Scary!!!
>>>I’m back from the mountains for a couple of days. Darn - I forgot I had a board meeting up there this Thursday and will be forced to go up again. ;)<<<
Sounds like good planning to me... Hmmm, might as well make a weekend of it - starting Thursday.
Great on the thwarted burglary! That’s the way things should work. Then the crooks spread the word to ‘avoid’ an area.
Bet they were wishing they had offered to split wood for someone for food instead of being hungry and cold in the woods... But, they probably never thought of it that way.
I can remember years ago, being in Canada there had been a holdup of a store in Canada - within not too many minutes (after they announced it on the radio with description of vehicle) there were 8-10 citizens (armed) at every intersection watching for the car. (before Canadian Gun Laws changed) Heard on the radio - the citizens had captured them within 2 hours - THEN the RCMP were called.
WOW peaches already - we just used the last of our peaches from last year today. New ones won’t be on for almost a month.
>>>Meanwhile, the people around me are blissfully unconcened.<<<
I think a lot are keenly aware, but are in denial, and are just hoping this will all go away... After all, aren’t they ‘entitled’ to whatever they want?
Real danger is going to be when they panic out of fear.
Survival tactics are mostly just common sense - but most think there is some ‘magic’ solution to all problems and keep looking for that instead of doing the simple repetitive tasks that would accomplish what they need.
The next few years should be - well shall we say ‘interesting’.
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