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Disaster Dozen: 12 Myths of Disaster Preparedness
Emergency Management.com ^ | 9/7/12 | Paul Purcell

Posted on 09/07/2012 2:23:13 PM PDT by Kartographer

1. If something happens all I have to do is call 911.
2. All I need is a 72-hour kit with a flashlight, first aid kit, some food and water, and a radio.
3. My insurance policy will take care of everything.
4. Good preparedness is too expensive and complicated.
5. We can only form a neighborhood group through FEMA, the Red Cross or local law enforcement.
6. In a weapons of mass destruction (WMD) terrorist attack, we’re all dead anyway.
7. Nothing like that could ever happen here.
8. All I have to worry about is my own family.
9. If preparedness were really important it would be taught in school.
10. I can get free preparedness information on the Internet.
11. Full preparedness means I have to get a lot of guns and be a survivalist.
12. If something really bad happens, no one will help.


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: preparedness; preppers
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To: hadaclueonce; Kartographer; blam; The Duke; WakeUpAndVote; JRandomFreeper; Bride Of Old Sarge
Some of you may have heard this before, but for Hadaclueonce's sake, I'll repeat it...

NEVER, EVER, EVER BARTER YOUR AMMUNITION!

A combat soldier downrange carries a basic load of ammo (mine in Iraq was 200 rounds of 5.56 ball/tracer mix). If you start running low, no problem - First Sergeant in the gun truck had more, just hook up with him and restock.

Well, S just HTF, and guess what? Top ain't there to refill your vest pockets with full magazines. In fact, NO one is. What you have is all you got. And you're going to trade it away? Really? Seriously?

And think for a second - just who are you bartering with? Remember this: The bullet you trade in the morning will be shot back at you in the night. It makes utterly no sense to resupply the zombies from your finite dwindling stash, especially since you've just broadcast to them that you have stuff they want and are armed to defend it; they and their boyfriends will be back that night to take it all, and you.

If you want to barter, then barter skills. If someone's bugging out because they didn't have the brains God gave a rat to prepare for the event, offer to prep their car/truck/moped, and speed them on their way. A good neighbor has something that piques your fancy? Offer a service in exchange, and you'll both benefit. Someone you trust gets hurt, or sick? Have a person in your family or mutual assistance group who's skilled as a medic administer aid to them.

Useful skills and services are things that people will remember more kindly for longer. Barter THOSE, and NOT your ammunition.

61 posted on 09/07/2012 6:08:38 PM PDT by Old Sarge (We are now officially over the precipice, we just havent struck the ground yet)
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To: JRandomFreeper

I just checked some canned salmon that I stored away last year. The “Best By” date was July, 2017. I have it stored in a cool, dry area so I think it would last a very long time.


62 posted on 09/07/2012 6:15:55 PM PDT by MtnClimber (I did not vote for Zero. Someone else did that.)
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To: Old Sarge
NEVER, EVER, EVER BARTER YOUR AMMUNITION!

Hey! Are you trying to ruin my business model? ;)

I grow my own tobacco, and make my own homebrew. Not to mention having a knack for cooking anything edible and making it taste good.

I'll accept silver, .22LR, 12 and 20ga., 7.62x39, 30-30, and .22-250(factory only). .38, .380, and 9mm may be accepted, depending on circumstances.

/johnny

63 posted on 09/07/2012 6:16:46 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: Old Sarge

“NEVER, EVER, EVER BARTER YOUR AMMUNITION!”

Exactly, started to say that to the guy who said ammo will be the money.

The only person who gets “a” bullet from me is if he is helping me defend the fort at that minute.

For me, I determined the best way for me to stay alive, is move my car away from my townhouse, lock the front door which can’t be kicked open and the windows can’t be breached, and don’t come out for a year, and I can do that without any light showing from my windows ‘cause I prepared for that. I am disappearing, no footprint to be found.


64 posted on 09/07/2012 6:19:27 PM PDT by Marcella (Conservatism is dead. PREPARE)
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To: Any Fate But Submission; Old Sarge; hadaclueonce; blam; The Duke; WakeUpAndVote; JRandomFreeper; ...
"When the zombies come they rob, rape, torture and murder. Studies show that at least 40% of your nice neighbors will be in this category and 95% of hip hop gangs."

Well now you done went and done it! Now I have to bring out my famous or infamous quote!

"Let me tell you something about humans, nephew: They're a wonderful, friendly people - as long as their bellies are full and their holosuites are working." "But take away their creature comforts, deprive them of food, sleep, sonic showers, put their lives in jeopardy over an extended period of time and those friendly, intelligent, wonderful people...will become as nasty and as violent as the most blood-thirsty klingon." Quark from: The Siege of AR-558 (#7.8)" (1998) 
65 posted on 09/07/2012 6:20:41 PM PDT by Kartographer ("We mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.")
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To: Kartographer
9. If preparedness were really important it would be taught in school.

Could well be:

If capitalism were really important it would be taught in school. or

If economics were really important it would be taught in school.

66 posted on 09/07/2012 6:22:49 PM PDT by immadashell
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To: immadashell

If education was important the kids would be getting more of it in school and less indoctrination.


67 posted on 09/07/2012 6:26:14 PM PDT by Kartographer ("We mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.")
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To: Old Sarge
NEVER, EVER, EVER BARTER YOUR AMMUNITION!

Wise words, Sarge !



68 posted on 09/07/2012 6:28:46 PM PDT by tomkat ( FU hussein)
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To: Marcella
Cooking schools have been around since before Escoffier (look him up).

The Union military had some sanitation/logistics/food training during the Civil War, but many troops cooked in small groups like Rome's legions 2000 years before.

Health advances led to better training of military cooks before the 1st WW. By your dad's time, he probably had good training, and lots of experience.

I went through the military school, and then went to a civilian school. If I was in uniform, proper form of address was Sgt or TSgt, if in a civilian jacket, the appropriate term of address was el jefe de cocina, or Chef. ;)

/johnny

69 posted on 09/07/2012 6:28:57 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: MtnClimber
The 'Best by' dates are required by law and generally pulled out of someone's orifice. I've eaten C-rats in 1980 that were left over from Korea.

Bottom line with any food, smell it, have a liberal taste test it, and "if in doubt, throw it out". Or save it for the liberal overlords. ;)

/johnny

70 posted on 09/07/2012 6:31:47 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: immadashell

“If economics were really important it would be taught in school.”

I was in college and was going to sign up for Economics 101. The guy said that was last semester and this semester it was Economics 201. I said fine, sign me up for that. He said but you haven’t had 101. Said I didn’t care, I’d do fine in 201. He signed me up and I didn’t find anything difficult in 201. I think college time could be cut in half if they wanted to do it. That, of course, would mean less money for the college.

Anyway, I had economics in college so it is taught.


71 posted on 09/07/2012 6:31:55 PM PDT by Marcella (Conservatism is dead. PREPARE)
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To: TheThirdRuffian

I guess it depends on how long to keep? when I lived upstate NY I had a “cold cellar” so to speak in the basement and also under the stairs. So we could eat from 50 lb bags of potatoes, apples, onions that we stored in there over the winter.. other dry goods if sealed properly will keep a long time there, flour, sugar, dry beans. and canned goods of course.


72 posted on 09/07/2012 6:45:44 PM PDT by visualops (artlife.us)
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To: JRandomFreeper; Marcella
Major Kendall: [to Marlowe] "As usual, I'm just presenting the grim facts. Colonel Secord doesn't seem to understand that the coffee tastes better when the latrines are dug downstream instead of upstream. How do you like *your* coffee, Colonel?" From the movie 'The Horse Solders' 1959

How do you like your coffee Johnny?

73 posted on 09/07/2012 6:50:00 PM PDT by Kartographer ("We mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.")
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To: JRandomFreeper

Johnny, I tried some salmon that I was rotating out as it hit the “Best By” date. I could not tell the difference from new bought from the store. Since then I will depend on bulging lids/ can ends and smell, but I think that if the cans don’t have rust they should last a long time.


74 posted on 09/07/2012 6:51:13 PM PDT by MtnClimber (I did not vote for Zero. Someone else did that.)
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To: Kartographer
Chow hall goes at the top of the hill. Latrines go at the bottom. Food safety was a big honking deal when I went through the joint USAF/USN food service course.

You can't kill people and break things if you are sitting on a toilet somewhere, or worse.

/johnny

75 posted on 09/07/2012 7:03:17 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: lulu16

MANY thanks!


76 posted on 09/07/2012 7:05:16 PM PDT by Mortrey (Impeach President Soros)
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To: SnakeDoctor; Jim Robinson; Squantos; Pete-R-Bilt; B4Ranch; DoughtyOne; Eaker; null and void

I learned long ago, as an IDPA range master, that old guy that only owns one pistol is to be honored and respected. He’ll be the first ‘on target’ ‘on time’ in any scenario that doesn’t require you climb 30 flights of stairs, and carry out your partner on your hip.

Well that, and he’s too old to fist fight, so he’ll likely just shoot you, and if it comes to that, you lose. He will outshoot you. (takeaway: practice with what you carry.)

I can tell you, my FRiends, most old farts wanna find their porch swing, let the tide flow where it may... and a good three fourths are doing so.

The other fourth actually gives a shit about themselves, their children, and the future of God’s amazing planet, and are willing to fathom that there is a possibility to restore America, as late as it is.

Who the hell thought we could even be considering the thought that our great land could slither into the cesspools of redistribution, fiat “Monopoly” money devaluation, and the very destruction of our engine of the greatest wealth on this planet.

The pessimist in me says: “Wake up, time to die. Game over, man.”

The optimist in me says, grudgingly: “Ya, it’s just another election year, que sera.”

The glass is mostly empty. Prepare. Remember Serajevo and the thin veneer of civility.

The awesomist in me says: “Study the way of the dragon.”

Unpredictibility is the nature of the dragon. Eastwood is The Man!!

Thank you. Carry on.


77 posted on 09/07/2012 7:08:44 PM PDT by glock rocks (Hey... shut the damn barn! Were you raised in a... um, wait...)
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To: Lazamataz

... meant to ping to above.


78 posted on 09/07/2012 7:10:28 PM PDT by glock rocks (Hey... shut the damn barn! Were you raised in a... um, wait...)
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To: Kartographer
BTW, I made a study of military food service in history (I'm not only pedantic, I'm boring) and found out what served for equipment and rations over the last 2000 years.

Top notch is the USAF today. USN follows close (I expect that to be disputed by an MS-3 anytime now), with Army and USMC lagging. All are sanitary and safe, but the AF serves some really good food.

Before modern times? I'd feel most comfortable serving in the Roman Legions (no coffee) or the Union Army (they had coffee!). Pretty much everything in between was betting with your life.

I found reading the TO&E for the Union Army during the Civil War to be very enlightening, especially the logistics of it.

/johnny

79 posted on 09/07/2012 7:13:37 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: glock rocks
I'd like to join Commander Riker in applauding your most excellent post:


80 posted on 09/07/2012 7:27:35 PM PDT by Old Sarge (We are now officially over the precipice, we just havent struck the ground yet)
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