Outdoor Adventure USA

September - National Preparedness Month


Even to the most uninformed, it must be painfully evident that that our current crop of disasters (both natural and man made), our emergencies, as well as the panic driven conditions of late, have impacted every person in this country and every community. And, the situation always appears to be the same - empty shelves, panic buying, and large areas without food, power, water, gas, or communications. It doesn't have to be that way, if you are properly prepared!!!


It always makes for a good yuk when certain people, and most of the media, hold preppers up to ridicule..............that is, until they find themselves hungry, cold, and defenseless following a disaster of some sort. And, of course, for the multitudes that live and die by their phones, the greatest blow of all comes when they cannot turn to their phone for everything that they now need to survive following that same disaster.

While it takes very little common sense to realize that hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, floods, earthquakes, extreme weather, and the like, will happen again, it sure seems that very few realize this and prepare for it. Being prepared, even if it is as simple as having some basics, can go a long way towards protecting you and your family. And, while this may sound simple, (and to a large degree, it is,) there is much more to it than having a few bottles of water and an energy bar.

Proper preparations will vary somewhat depending on your location, but for the most part, they will all be the same - we all need water, food, shelter, warmth, self defense protections, communications, and more. Additionally, there are a number of things that are unique to you and your family, such as medications, first aid, dietary items, and others. Knowing what to have in your preps, it the first step in your plan. Knowing how to get yourself ready for the next disaster can be intimidating, but there are a growing number of organizations and resources to which you can turn to for help. Knowing that the internet is the first place that most turn to for information, I am forced to offer one little bit of helpful OAUSA advice: be careful, very, very, careful from whom you take advice. This is not a condemnation of the internet, but quite the contrary. It is a great place to obtain helpful information, but sometimes the good is so cleverly mixed with the bad that it may be hard to distinguish which is which. This is where you need to spend considerable time exercising common sense and wisdom in selecting a source of information on how to prepare.

So, keeping in mind that finding the right preparedness information sources may not be the same for everyone, we offer the following general ones, that should, at the very least, be a start for most.


IT'S A DISASTER! ...and what are YOU gonna do about it? (5th Edition) Perfect Paperback – July 1, 2019
About $15.

KK6CTT for the online check-in please, 09/23/21. Thank you.

On 09/19/21, I did a net on the "EMCOMM Hub on Keller" discussing this exact topic. Here is a web link if you are interested in the information presented. https://groups.io/g/RiversideECG/topic/ ... 3910744266

One of the new pieces of literature presented "Are You Ready?" by FEMA in September 2020 can be found here:
https://www.ready.gov/sites/default/fil ... -guide.pdf



Basic Protective Actions for all Disasters
There are proven measures or “protective actions” that you can take to protect your family and property before, during, and after a disaster. The better we as a Nation understand these measures, the more lives we can protect and save.

These important actions will help keep you prepared for all disasters:
• Have the skills to assess the situation quickly and to take effective action to protect yourself.
• Get involved with preparedness training and volunteer programs.
• Put together an emergency fund of cash and supplies.
• Decrease the potential impacts of hazards.
• Prepare a family disaster plan and practice the plan.


Get the calendar here: https://www.ready.gov/sites/default/fil ... lendar.pdf
Signup for the Great ShakeOut 2021: https://www.shakeout.org/california/index.html
o International ShakeOut Day is always the third Thursday of October (this year: October 21 @ 10:21 a.m.). While COVID-19 has brought many uncertainties and challenges, one thing's for sure: ShakeOut is still happening this year!
o As always, you can hold your #ShakeOut drill when and where you want. You can choose another date or several dates, and include people in multiple locations (home, work, or school), perhaps through video conferencing.
o It's actually a good idea to practice earthquake safety in different situations each year, and ShakeOut Organizers are here to support you.

Discussion topics

1. How many days should you be prepared for

2. Different storage methods (short term, medium term, long term.)

3. What to store besides food and water

4. What communication devices should we have

6. What to do if your house is destroyed, along with your preps.

7. What kinds of self protection should you consider.

8. What tools should you have

9. Best ways to store food

10. Best ways to store water.

11. Safety measures

I would like to add to the discussion:

Issues, factors, how to make the decision to Stay or Go.

Concepts to cope with Adversity (Laurence Gonzales
1. Do the next right thing – small but simple steps
2. Control your destiny – do you view you control the good and bad or things are done to you?
3. Use a Mantra - Trust the process or What is the best thing I can do now
4. Deny Denial – learn to recognize your tendency to see things not as they are but how you wish them to be
5. Think Positive
6. Understand linked systems – comedy of errors, chain reactions,
7. Don’t Celebrate the Summit – only halfway done; might relax guard; fatigue causes problems
8. Get out of your comfort zone – living low risks dulls you; learn new things, force yourself to stretch out of the comfort zone
9. Risk Reward – what is reward and how much am I willing to pay? MOI spine & in compensated volume shock on a cold day
10. Trust Your instincts
11. Know Plan B - write it down – have decision points to trigger it
12. Help Others – turns you into rescuer from a victim
13. Be Cool losing your cool makes you stupid
14. Surrender but don’t give up – I may die, I’ll probably die. But I am going to keep going anyway


Stay/ Shelter in Place or go (bug out) decision criteria
 Is it practical to leave?
1. Where are you going
2. How far to your bug out place?
3. Chances everyone else is leaving – congestion

 Decision making
1. Complex decision
2. Mather of life or death
3. Problem of denial of risk (incredulity response) brain insists all is ok, nothing bad will happen

4. Generic Format

a. Identify the decision
b. Gather relevant info
c. Identify alternatives
d. Weight the evidence
e. Choose amount Alternatives
f. Take action
g. Review consequences of decision

5. Nature of the event
6. Sources of information and facts
7. Are roads clear?
8. Need to decide without perfect information
9. Indecision - personal judgement
10. How prepared are you to shelter in place?
11. What is the nature of the shelter you are in?
12. Do you need medical access?
13. By time someone in authority tells you it is too late
14. Your fear may be that you are wrong about bugging out. How big is risk if you are wrong?
15. Consult your group – leave together – like mined neighbors
16. If imminent danger like a wild fire – don’t consult, don’t discuss with neighbors, don’t wait to see it develop, just go now.

Using a "real world scenario" to address sustains & improves; take away from Texas Winter Storm 2021, Paul T. Martin blog: https://paultmartin.com/blog/f/after-ac ... storm-2021

Paul T. Martin has a relevant article along with other "rabbit hole" information concerning the 140+ hours of harsh weather in a state, TX, that doesn't usually see subzero weather. This was a good "exception to the rule" event. He learned some hard lessons even though he considers himself to be "...fairly well prepared for things..."

Sustain:
+ Used a "Winter Checklist" to prepare for the weather that was "forecast." Established his checklist back in the cold snap of 2018.
+ Used Amazon Prime to provide supplies for his daughter who was away at college and outside their area of direct influence.
+ Offered up water supplies to neighbors to include the nearby FD (really bad if the FD needs supplies).
+ Ran the generator on a 3-4 minute daily schedule to keep insure easier starts in the cold weather if needed.
+ Winterized most of what needed to be done well but the need for the following was IDed:

• Ice torch

• Insulated pants that would not get soaked like the cotton pants worn; kneeling in the snow became critical.

• Formulate a plan for the pool should the grid go down.

Needs improvement:
- Up all hours of the night unfreezing drainage for tankless water heater.
- Although the checklist and scheduled plan of attack was "realistic;" keeping up with the schedule and added issues slowed the process down and what might have been a speed bump became a road block.
- Clean out rain gutters.
- Physical points:

• Stress and odd rest hours took a toll and created undue fatigue.

• Caffeine issues became apparent when he ran out of caffeinated products.

• Stocking up on fresh vegetables and milk before others realize they need them should become a priority

- Supplies dealing with snow and ice are similar but in many ways different.
- Consider loss of the grid:

• Heating and cooling issues.

• Working or doing tasks outside of daylight hours becomes difficulty...a bridge too far.

• Medical issues, food storage, cooking...

• Spare heat light bulbs and thermostats to place in critical areas

- Preparing to help others when called upon:

• 4x4 services

• EMT or special skills

• Managing your outside help with your own critical tasks...being better prepared helps the community directly and indirectly

The Grid: We take if for granted; if the grid had gone down during this event it could have meant weeks if not months before system came back up. If the grid goes down shut your breaker off to help avoid power surges when the lines are regenerated. Again, a checklist or flow chart of "if this, then that" can help everyone in the house be better prepared.

SOCAL Considerations (definitely on all encompassing but food for thought):

o HAZMAT and distribution and travel corridors:

• Rule of threes, 3-minutes without air

• I5, I10 and I15 for example.

• Power line corridor to include pipelines (above and below ground).

• Rail

• Water reservoirs and any downstream hazards (housing/built up areas).

• Travel congestion or canalization, bridges/overpasses

o Population Concentration:

• Rule of threes, 3-hours without shelter, 3-days without water, 3-weeks without food...

• Fires that compound issues if not the main issue, displaced people

• Large downtown sections built of Un-reinforced masonry

• Lots of people who may compete for the same commodities

• Inability to sustain or produce food for masses

o Vulerabilities:

• Targeted by terrorists/foreign nations

• Cyber crime

• Earthquake, tsunami, brownouts, fires, flooding/mudslides, extreme hot/cold, tornado/windstorms and civil unrest.

• Grid down

• Public Health

• Air Quality

Home Evacuation Checklist – How to Prepare for Evacuation:

Evacuation Checklist Example (https://www.readyforwildfire.org/prepar ... ion-steps/):

Inside the House
o Have your Emergency Supply Kit/Evacuation Bag ready to go
o Ensure a Wildfire Action Plan is prepared ahead of time
o Make sure you know your community’s emergency response plan and have a plan on where to go when it is time to evacuate, and best routes for leaving your location.
o Shut all windows and doors, leaving them unlocked.
o Remove flammable window shades, curtains and close metal shutters.
o Remove lightweight curtains.
o Move flammable furniture to the center of the room, away from windows and doors.
o Shut off gas at the meter; turn off pilot lights.
o Leave your lights on so firefighters can see your house under smoky conditions.
o Shut off the air conditioning.
o Security system/alarm.

Outside
o Gather up flammable items from the exterior of the house and bring them inside (patio furniture, children’s toys, door mats, trash cans, etc.) or place them in your pool.
o Turn off propane tanks.
o Move propane BBQ appliances away from structures.
o Connect garden hoses to outside water valves or spigots for use by firefighters. Fill water buckets and place them around the house.
o Don’t leave sprinklers on or water running, they can affect critical water pressure.
o Leave exterior lights on so your home is visible to firefighters in the smoke or darkness of night.
o Put your Emergency Supply Kit in your vehicle.
o Back your car into the driveway with vehicle loaded and all doors and windows closed. Carry your car keys with you.
o Have a ladder available and place it at the corner of the house for firefighters to quickly access your roof.
o Seal attic and ground vents with pre-cut plywood or commercial seals.
o Patrol your property and monitor the fire situation. Don’t wait for an evacuation order if you feel threatened.
o Check on neighbors and make sure they are preparing to leave.

Animals
o Locate your pets and keep them nearby.
o Prepare farm animals for transport and think about moving them to a safe location early.

Base this on a time hack in addition to a simple checklist; If I have to leave in:
o 10-minutes:
o 30-minutes:
o 1-hour:
o 12-hours:
o 24-hours:

Base checklist on importance:
o Documents for recovery, return to neighborhood
o Rule of threes
o Monetary vs. personal/sentimental value
o Bulk vs condense amount of space

Paul T. Martin:
I don't see things getting easier in the days ahead. Our economy is showing worrisome signs, our communities are still seething from the last election with no sign of abatement, our grids are vulnerable, and we're still dealing with a pandemic for the foreseeable future. We now see how uncomfortable things can get. Take steps now to protect yourself and family from enduring that again.

Please check-in -

John - KN6VL

Bruce - KD6GCO

Please check me in tonight.

Looks like it's gonna be a great net!
Please check in Randy KF6KOC and Becky KF6RGR

thanks!!

Please check me in KM6OJB
Thanks
Joe

Check in please - Thanks - Bernie