Emergency Preparedness

[gesteves]

The Katrina tragedy has got me wondering if me and my family are prepared for an emergency. Among other things, we have about 1000 liters of clean water, about 50 liters of mineral water, first aid kits, medicine, candles, matches, flashlights, batteries, battery operated radios and TVs, various types of non-perishable food, a small propane gas tank, charcoal, weapons, etc.

What else should we have? What kind of emergency supplies do you keep at home?

[Loyal Rogue]

You're missing the most important item... a helicopter!

It's a well known fact that those with their own helicopters usually have the best chances of survival.

[Markp.com]

Do you have a big knife?

[gesteves]

I do have a huge machete.

[Markp.com]

Sounds like you're set then! Although I'd get a clockwork radio if I were you...

[gesteves]

Great!

Note to self: Buy the following items ASAP:

• One (1) clockwork radio.
• One (1) helicopter.

[admedia]

gas power generator

[argonauta]

A few years ago we had to prepare for another kind of emergency in Quito-Ecuador: volcano eruption (as the whole city is built around a volcano).

Anyway, there were several measures you had to take, like cover the windows with tape (forming an x) so that if there was a blast, windows would break and fall to the floor, instead of having little pieces of glass flying in the house like bullets.

The obvious: a lantern, knifes (and a swiss army knife), enough supply of water, canned food (tuna, beans, sardines and that sort of things). Gas masks were good (in case the air became unbreathable). Toilet paper in industrial amounts. Batteries, and a radio. A first aid kit (alcohol, bandaids, and all that stuff). Blankets to stay warm

Another thing we had planned, as a family, is where we'd meet if the emergency happened when we were not together. So we picked a few safe-spots. After the emergency we'd try to go there and meet again.

It'd be a good idea to set up a personal site for your family (i guess we all here in FK know how) with a forum. So, if something like what N.O. happens to you, and you are separated from your family and sent to different states, at least after a while you'd be able to post there (and all your family too), too say "i'm here in this place. I'm alive".

A good thing to have is a good camping equipment, from shoes to impermeable pants, a big good pro backpack, so that if eventually you need to leave your home, you can move around very prepared for everything as well.

Gas power generators could be good, but they don't last a lot. It's better to have lots and lots of candles and lighters and matches, so that you can start a fire (controlled or uncontrolled) whenever you need to.

I never heard this, but personally, i'd buy a bright orange tshirt or jacket, so that people can easily notice you from a helicopter, in case you need to get rescued (disadvantage: you could be easily seen and shot).

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Now, no matter what you do or how you prepare, the sad thing is that you'll forget all of this after a while and just keep living as if nothing is ever going to happen to you.

The safety paranoia in Ecuador lasted for at least 3 months. After that, everybody started drinking and eating everything they had in storage, and spend all the batteries and supplies, and continued living as if nothing ever happened or is going to happen.

You have to remember this: no matter what you do, disasters happen when you least expect it (murphy's law), so the best thing to do is not to be dependable on what you have in order to survive. You have to learn how to survive without having anything, not even a knife (may sound rambo style, but it's true.) Knowledge means survival: from knowing what risks there are around you to where can you go if something happens; how to cook a dog or cat; first aid knowledge: how to stop a bleeding, how to fix a broken leg with a couple of sticks and an old tshirt. etc.

Another thing to do is to be friendly with your neighbors (that's very common in latinamerica, but i've noticed that here in the states, neighbors usually either hate each other or ignore each other). The moment a tragedy happens, the closest people around you could be your neighbors, and you should know them and trust them, so that you could get organized.

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Finally: never forget your ipod and your psp. They could save your life!

[Ask The Geezer]

You should also have a tent, warm clothes, sleeping bags, good hiking shoes, backpacks. Maybe some mountain bikes and the camping experience to survive in the woods. You should also plan a camping trip to spend at least 4 days outside in very cold weather. It's a whole different experience, but you can survive outside in cold weather. It does take some preparation and actual experience though.

Having emergency supplies that you can use around the house is all well and good, but as we see all the time, houses don't survive most disasters. It's best to prepare for the worst case scenario, rather than just planning for a week long power outage or something else along those lines.

You should also have maps and a compass and everyone should be familiar with using them.

[vampstko]

one of these wouldn't be bad either



or better yet

[jamble]

Get a British passport and move to England where we have no natural disasters or dangerous animals...

[gerbick]

Flooding in Birmingham and soccer riots... UK natural disasters and dangerous animals (check)

[Markp.com]

Flooding in Birmingham and soccer riots... UK natural disasters and dangerous animals (check)

Soccer riots? Um... yeah... sure... What flooding in Burmingham? There was a mini tornado, but flooding?

[hanratty21]

What else should we have?

pR0n - lots of it.


and tissues.

[hurricaneone]

Scotch. For medicinal purposes, of course.

Yeah, if all hell breaks loose, ya gotta have weaponry.

New Orleans is a graphic demonstration of how thin the line is between civilized behavior and every man/woman for him/herself. No use having all your supplies, helicopter etc. laid out and ready if the first johnson that strolls up to your front door can relieve you of said items.

[Ask The Geezer]

And cash money. There's nothing like money to ease the way. Remember the old saying, "Life is like a **** sandwich, the more bread you have, the less **** you have to eat."

[hurricaneone]

If law breaks down, surely money's not worth the paper it's printed on?

Better commodoties, cigarettes, for example.

Nothing you can't make a nicotine addict do if you wave a pack of Luckies in their jonesing faces.

[Ask The Geezer]

I think that thought was instilled by Hollywood. I've been sitting here thinking historical thoughts, and I just can't come up with a single historical time when civilization ever broke down far enough to make money unpopular.

[hurricaneone]

Talking more a complete breakdown of society.

In that event, barter would replace cash as the form of trade.

But true, it's unlikely that you would not be able to leave the area of lawlessness and enter a region of (relative) stability where cash was still given value. There'd have to be some serious sh1t going on not to have that option.

[gerbick]

Soccer riots? Um... yeah... sure... What flooding in Burmingham? There was a mini tornado, but flooding?

flooding in birmingham... give this 3 more years, it'll be just as much of a memory as Birmingham in 2002. And bad planning there too.

Soccer riots in Italy, the Netherlands (these people were texted by the police and some even turned themselves in... dumb), and in due time, in Britain. Again.

Don't act coy. The stuff happens Marky boy. Enjoy Utopia. And the bliss.

For my survival package... I have some cash money set aside in a water proof pouch, a tent, an inflatable mattress, a wind-up rechargeable lantern/flashlight with tools and a knife, a machete, a sewing kit, a first-aid kid, all packed up into an old Army backpack with spare batteries, a smaller mag-lite, a couple of flares, and my spare iPod case and headphones (still in that plastic pack from an older iPod I had).