Are you prepared for a local or regional emergency?

[michaelskis]

I have a buddy that is becoming quite a bit of a survivalist. He is all about home security, has several gallons of water and food stored up in the basement along with other supplies. At first I thought he was going off the deep end until a mutual friend of ours who was a cop in New Orleans during the riots commented that he wished he had done more when he was living down there. His home did not flood but he still had issues with people trying to break into his house for food, water, and weapons. It took a while for power to come back and since he was a cop, he stayed while his wife and kids went to stay at his parent’s house in TN. He had some water and some canned food but it was not nearly enough.

It got me thinking out personal emergency management. Now I am sure that my city and county has emergency management plans, but if there was an issue, how would I deal with it. Unlike the “Life Off The Grid” thread, this is something real and practical that we can and should be thinking about in our lives. Kind of like car insurance, no one wants to get in an accident, but if we do, we are prepared. Right now, I we would have to pack up, lock up the house, and hit the road if it was going to be more than a few days. On the other hand, I think I am going to start stocking up on canned and dry food, water, and other supplies, including ammo.

What are your plans if there is a local emergency in your community? How long could you stay before you ran out of supplies? What do you have in your emergency kits? Do you have evacuation plans?

[JNA]

The Red Cross suggests the minimum of 3 days worth of nonperishable food, a gallon of water per person. Don't forget seasonally correct clothes.
Have cash hidden because the ATM's might not work / be out of money.

As planners we should volunteer with our local EMA and/or Red Cross - don't be a victim but be part of the response & recovery

There are EOC postions / jobs suited for planners - under NIMS there is the Planning Sector & under that Resources.
And there is ESF 14 - Long Term Community Recovery

Also there is Red Cross training available for shelter management & operations.

Remeber the Scout Motto - Be Prepared.

So being ready - you don't want to become this statistic - Job/duty abandonment.

[Hink]

I have tons of food and water in a hole in the backyard. I fully expect the Zombie Apocalypse to take my family, but have no such belief that they will get me. I plan to fight until Dec 21, 2012, where I assume the world is ending because the Mayans thought it would.

Then I will get up on Dec 22 and go back to my life not expecting the world to end, and not wasting my effort preparing for a very unrealistic reality.

I will admit watching that show on TLC is hilarious, albeit a bit sad. I find it somewhat sad that TLC follows so many mentally unstable people and tries to make them "stars".

[michaelskis]

As planners we should volunteer with our local EMA and/or Red Cross - don't be a victim but be part of the response & recovery

I think that is a great suggestion. Perhaps we could convince the APA to give us CM credits for it too.

I have tons of food and water in a hole in the backyard. I fully expect the Zombie Apocalypse to take my family, but have no such belief that they will get me. I plan to fight until Dec 21, 2012, where I assume the world is ending because the Mayans thought it would.

Then I will get up on Dec 22 and go back to my life not expecting the world to end, and not wasting my effort preparing for a very unrealistic reality.

I will admit watching that show on TLC is hilarious, albeit a bit sad. I find it somewhat sad that TLC follows so many mentally unstable people and tries to make them "stars".

Since we don’t have TV, what is the name of the show? As for the Zombies… they are the reason that the Mayan’s are not around anymore! I think I can handle the Zombies, but I do worry that if they team up with the space aliens, we are going to become lunch-a-bles for both.

[btrage]

I think that is a great suggestion. Perhaps we could convince the APA to give us CM credits for it too.



Since we don’t have TV, what is the name of the show? As for the Zombies… they are the reason that the Mayan’s are not around anymore! I think I can handle the Zombies, but I do worry that if they team up with the space aliens, we are going to become lunch-a-bles for both.

Google it.

First thing that came up. http://theclicker.today.com/_news/20...pocalypse?lite

We could easily last 3 days in the event of no electricity or water.

Beyond that, it would start getting difficult with two young kids.

[dandy_warhol]

I live within walking distance to a grocery store. I plan on looting in case of an emergency. :p


We live close to a river and have a pretty decent supply of cat and dog food so should there be an emergency we'll be able to make it for a few days.

[ofos]

I accrue excess AICP CM credits because I don't want APA to take my certification away during an extended emergency.

[dw914er]

I've read the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, so I'm good

We have a decent supply of nonperishable foods and water in our house, and the RV is also decently equipped. The only issue is that the RV is a few miles away in an RV storage yard (since we don't have a large enough lot to accomodate it), but given our likely catastrophe (earthquake), we'll still be able to get to the RV.

[Zoning Goddess]

Have:

Whole-house generator
Solar water heater
Pool full of water for flushing
At least 3 cases of bottled water at all times
Plenty of non-perishable food
Camp stove, propane, grill, charcoal
First aid kit up to date
Flashlights, batteries, crank radio, gas cans, etc.
Evacuation plan and plastic bin filled with non-food evac supplies

Don't have:

Guns and ammo

I think we're OK.

[michaelskis]

Have:
At least 3 cases of bottled water at all times

ummm is that a typo and should read:
At least 3 cases of wine at all times

[otterpop]

Food we have an ample supply of. Flashlights, lanterns and propane we have enough. Haven't stocked up on water. Most of my neighbors are pretty old and I have weapons, so in the event of an emergency, I can probably get what I need.

Having lived much of my life in Hurricane Alley, emergency planning is ingrained. My parents made sure they had a gas stove, because the gas didn't go off when the hurricane hit. We had a battery TV for emergency announcements. Board games to keep us occupied. Mom would fill up the bathtub so we could flush the toilet. We had kerosene lamps (hurricane lamps, they were called). We made a party of it. Got to eat the ice cream and seafood first when the freezer began to defrost, then the rest of the meat. A hurricane isn't such a bad thing when you are eating Neopolitan ice cream and shrimp.

[wahday]

We camp a lot and so have a garage full of things like cooking stoves, flashlights, lanterns, all weather gear, tents, sleeping bags (for fleeing the hoardes) and so on. The pantry is almost always full of ample canned goods and basic food supplies (flour, sugar, etc.). I think we could survive for a week on that stuff alone. I have two 5 gallon potable water containers for camping, though they are empty at the moment. We also have some rural land with a few heated structures that, assuming we could get there on the gas in the tank (2 hrs), has a solar setup independent of the grid and an 1100gal catchment tank. Plus a bunch of stored food and propane.

I have a rifle, but no ammo and a pistol without a firing pin. But the looters don't know that... Also, fishing equipment and some good books on edible plants in our region (my son and I got really into identifying plants in our neighborhood and made a wild plants salad two summers ago). I have first aid training too.

Most importantly, I know a lot of my neighbors. Contrary to what some of the survivalists believe, I think we are likely to see far more cooperation than senseless looting in the event of a disaster. Knowing those people BEFORE stuff happens is probably a smart move.

This thread reminds me of a film I saw recently called Beasts of the Southern Wild. Anyone seen it? Hauntingly beautiful and related to post-disaster survival. Extremely well made film - I highly recommend it!

[Cardinal]

I have always had certain things that would make surviving an emergency much easier:
- plenty of food (thanks to canning, drying, and freezing my own)
- camping/backpacking gear, including some very useful things like water purifiers
- a fireplace, lots of chopped wood, and a treeline and ax/saws
- guns and ammo
- a battery/solar/hand cranked emergency radio

This past year I finally put together an emergency backpack, intended mainly for winter travel in the car. It has warm clothes, a blanket, food for humans and dogs, multiple fuel sources, and plenty of other goodies. I have been saving milk jugs at home and have the intention of filling them with water to store perhaps 15-20 gallons.

I picked up a copy of the US Army Survival Manual twenty years ago when I was in the Army. It is a great resource to have, as it covers just about any situation you may encounter.

[ofos]

I picked up a copy of the US Army Survival Manual twenty years ago when I was in the Army. It is a great resource to have, as it covers just about any situation you may encounter.

If you have a smart phone, you can download the Army Survival Manual as a free book. I keep a copy on my phone for reference.

[giff57]

If you have a smart phone, you can download the Army Survival Manual as a free book. I keep a copy on my phone for reference.

That's a great idea, I have seen that on there but have never downloaded it.

[Cardinal]

If you have a smart phone, you can download the Army Survival Manual as a free book. I keep a copy on my phone for reference.

Great... for as long as you have a battery.

[ofos]

Great... for as long as you have a battery.

No argument there but I have read it and refer to it periodically. Personally, I'd rather have my copy of Earnest Thompson Seton's Two Little Savages than the Survival Manual if I really had to survive out in the countryside.