Posted on 09/05/2012 11:35:26 AM PDT by Kartographer
What does emergency preparedness mean to you? For some, it means having a flashlight (bonus if it has working batteries). Others are a bit more advanced with a “72-hour kit“ or ”bug out bag” — basically the essentials to maintain life for a short period of time. Then there are those who build bunkers and go on extreme coupon benders to stock up on supplies.
Given that it’s National Preparedness Month, an annual awareness month hosted in September by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, TheBlaze decided to speak with some of those in the preparedness movement that we’re familiar with (via The Marketplace by TheBlaze) and get some practical tips about getting ready for emergencies.
(Excerpt) Read more at theblaze.com ...
Homeland Security has a program CERT to train people for an emergency. They suggest buying dried foods while other parts of Homeland Security claim you are a criminal if you do.
As I posted on another thread, last week Anderson Cooper had a show about prepping.
He asked the audience for a show of hands of those who had a three day supply of water, food, and needed meds.
Realize this was an audience of about 60 people, no doubt mostly middle class soccer mom types.
My jaw dropped. Not more than about four hands went up.
Saying a chain saw is the most important tool so you can clear streets/roads for other people to travel (it said something like that), is ridiculous.
And, don't upset anyone when you talk about an emergency - it might turn them off or scare them. Hogwash.
Search out people who need help and give it to them. I guess that means your water and food.
That whole thing is simplistic and not realistic. No wonder FEMA went with that article. It was confusing. Somewhere it spoke of self reliance and that was the best two words in there.
I would say if you let FEMA know anything about you and your preparedness if they show up on the scene, you are nuts.
Y2K was a good thing for me. That caused me to do an evaluation of preps I had (always had preps in case of hurricane every year) and what I needed to add to that for a longer term emergency. I have survival equipment I would not have if I hadn't done that evaluation.
It sounds like you may not prep for anything. If you have a family, maybe FEMA will house and feed/water you - good luck with that.
“My brother once went with me on a shopping trip, and I kept doing calculations on items.”
My long term food came from Walton Food - the Rainy Day food they produce. It would be too confusing to buy those foods and have no idea about menus and amounts of food of each item to get.
I planned menus, calculated the amount of food for each menu, and did that to amount to a year with additional food added for good measure. That was for two people.
Stored grocery store food would be eaten first, then transfer into the long term food.
It does require planning and calculation to do it right but when it’s done, there is a sense of security. If trucks can’t get here, I’m okay.
Are you feeling well now?
I spent 6 years feeding 1500 of my closest friends in the USAFR (2 years deployed), so I can do the logistics on serving sizes, etc... Think multi-page spreadsheets. ;)
Having lived off of my stuff several times over the last decade, I've got it just about right for my needs.
Feeling better. I expect I'll be back to 100% by tomorrow.
I poisoned the house until the catz got sick, and backed off a notch, to make sure there weren't any more spiders lurking.
/johnny
I live in a section of 61 townhouses and we have a gate with a code to get in. Most of the people are retired.
Three hurricanes have come through here since 2003. Why don't these people have preps all the time? They don't. They rush out to the grocery and grab bottles of water and cold cuts and bread and eat cold sandwiches the days power is off. This last time power was off for five days. They have no way to cook or heat food or make coffee. Based on that, they probably had one flashlight.
I can't save all of them so none of them know what I have. I was cool and had hot food and coffee and light and working phone and working TV even though power was off.
I just don't get the mind of people who have nothing as your comments indicate those people didn't, except for 4 people who had three days of food.
People are trusting others for what they need to live - to live, actually keep on living. I trust me more than someone else.
I think I've said before I can't compete with you on just about anything related to survival. I am really good because I have studied and planned and had to use my preps several times due to hurricanes, but I won't ever be as good as you are.
Glad you poisoned the house. Hope kitty didn't get too sick from that. Could you show pictures of spiders to kitty and ask kitty to kill one if he/she finds one?
/johnny
What kinda spidee bit you JR?
My s.i.l. got bit by a wolf spider yesterday... multiple trips to the ER to get her stabilized!
Hope you’re ok now!
some say clearing the streets others say creating choke points and firing lanes, i wouldnt say its the most important, but its not a bad thing to have
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