Today I am going to share some additional information resources with you. It seems we never have enough time to get everything done, and I have not been updating this site as regularly as I would wish. These are some additional resources that you may find helpful and useful.
www.survivalblog.com/
www.survivalstation.org/
www.aussurvivalist.com/nuclear/doomsday.htm
Here are a couple of articles from these resources.
God bless.
Jeff Citizen
Where You Live Matters: How to Assess Your Location and Develop Scenarios, by Brendan S.
A little foreknowledge will prevent you from becoming a victim. Most people don’t think about what they will actually do in the case of an emergency. One just has to see what happened after Hurricane Katrina to see how ill-informed the masses are. They simply expect the government to take care of everything. They meander like zombies to some location and wait to be fed and cleaned up after. Not me! I know what I’m going to do when any disaster strikes.
In this article I want to share with you my thoughts on how to:
•Assess the situation and your location.
•Assess your job location and commute.
•Assess any variables to your survival plans.
When disaster strikes where will you be? How well do you know the place where you live, work, or the space in between? Chances are that when a disaster occurs you will be either at home or at work or commuting in between. You may be ready to deal with things at home on a sunny afternoon, but what if you’re on the road in a downpour?
The main occupation of think tanks is to devise scenarios of whatever their specialty is; oil, food, military or political events. The same tactics can be done on an individual scale to find out what your reactions might be to disasters or events. You can plan out your reactions to events by knowing what your assets are at the time and how to be ready for any variables. Planning is simply about not being surprised. “When I am in situation 1, I will do X. When I am in situation 2 I will do Y.” Simple yet effective.
ASSESS THE SITUATION
A scenario doesn’t need to be the end of the world as we know it (TEOTWAWKI). Natural disasters are just as important and deadly. Not just in the initial disaster but also in the aftermath. Actually more people usually die after a disaster.
Living here in Northern California, earthquakes are an ever present fear and so ill prepared by people and neglected by the elected officials, city planners and developers. People’s houses might be able to take a moderate earthquake with little damage, but what about the roads, highways and overpasses? Chances are fire will spread unabated killing more people than the initial damage. Or, with the cops busy, looters will think it’s open season on home shopping.
So where does your house stand in the general theme of threats?
TASK #1: List the dangers that might affect your area.
Living where you do, you should already have some experience with some disaster inducing events. The United States has a very large variation in weather and its effects can be devastating. Floods near rivers, hurricanes near the coasts, blizzards up north, heat waves almost anywhere, earthquakes out west… the list goes on. You have probably dealt with something already.
Growing up in the Midwest we were always in danger of tornados cutting a swath through our neighborhood. Then in winter we had to worry about blizzards. But the situation doesn’t have to be devastating. What if a thunderstorm simply cut the power for several days? What if the basement floods? What if there’s an escape from a prison?
Could the effects be temporary or long lasting? Is it just power lines down or a blackout covering several states? Do striking rail workers mean food shortages? Is the riot from a basketball game or did Oakland finally collapse into chaos?
ASSESS YOUR LOCATION
TASK#2: Know your city.
As a pilot I know a lot about terrain. All day long I see the land rolling underneath me. Here in Northern California, from the air, I can easily see how land is managed and how cities and towns are developed. I see how many roads go in and out of town centers, suburbs, business parks and so on.
The place I live in is a small town in a valley with only a few roads leading in and out. If there was an earthquake along the Hayward fault line like the “big one” that is due to happen here any time now, and most of Oakland, Berkeley, San Francisco were apocalyptic hellscapes, the bridges might be knocked out and it would hopefully prevent refugees from setting up camp in our open land. We have a route to safety toward Sacramento if needed. And we have arable land that can be turned into farms quickly.
How dense is the population where you live?
Do you live in a dense populated city? A suburb? In the center or on the edge, close to farmland? If there was a disaster, where would most of those people head? You don’t need to fly over your area to assess it, Google Earth will do just fine. Take a good look at the main avenues of traffic and housing. Where is the most dense? Where do you not want to be? Where does the suburbs taper off finally into farmland? If Hurricane Katrina is any indication, people will congregate in a large open space like a stadium, park, school or the like. If you were a FEMA organizer, where would you tell people to go?
Where are the nearest hospitals?
When something happens these are most likely going to be the first place that people head for. There is medical attention, food, warmth and light. If you are uninjured, do you really need to go there? Would it be more dangerous? When the hospital gets overloaded after a disaster and turns into a triage; giving attention to the worst cases first, do you think that panicked people are going to simply wait calmly in the waiting room? Or will they start fights, demand attention maybe at gunpoint? Better to avoid it at all costs. (Or be the very first to show up through the emergency room doors!)
Is your home prepared?
Most time spent by people like us is in preparing our home for disaster, so this is well covered elsewhere and too vast to talk about here. But don’t just look at the stuff you have in your house. The wall of freeze-dried food will get you through the initial catastrophe, but then what? How adaptable is your house? Do you have a yard that can be turned into a garden with a little work? Where can you get more water? Are you near a stream or lake?
Is your neighborhood safe and secure?
You don’t have to live in a gated community to be safe, but how far off the main roads is your house or apartment? Would big city gang-bangers find it accessible and tempting? This fear goes up as the powered lights go out at night and all you can see is darkness out of your front door. Even temporary power outages cause hoodlums to go outside and behave like jackasses.
How well do you know your neighbors?
What would your kids do if you were stuck at work and they were home from school? Do they know your plan of action? Which neighbors could they trust? Which neighbors might want to come together but really are there to deplete your stockpile at twice the rate?
ASSESS YOUR WORK AND COMMUTE
TASK #3: Know your place of work.
If you are stuck at work how long could you last there? You could always sleep at your desk overnight but what about food? Do you think your boss would be ready or willing to provide for you and the other employees? Probably not. It would probably turn into surviving out of your car, especially if your place of work is damaged.
What would you do if stuck on the highway?
The cars are stopped because of an earthquake, flood, jack-knifed chemical truck, etc. Could you pull off and hike on foot? Which way?
When I lived in Tokyo we had to have a plan ready for commuting by train and an earthquake happened. I carried a small street map book so I could walk back to my home when the roads and train lines were disrupted. (Even harder for a foreigner.) The Japanese are far better equipped for disasters from typhoons to earthquakes because of simple occurrence. They know it is just inevitable that something is going to happen. There they can trust their government and employers to help though.
Where are your loved ones and do they know what to do?
Does your spouse know what you might do? Don’t expect your cell phones to be working. I have an agreement with my wife not to come looking for me. I will either go to work or home and she will do the same.
ASSESS THE VARIABLES
TASK #4: Game out some variables.
Once you have a plan of action and know what you want to do, you have to be ready for any changes. The emergency situation probably won’t stay static, but either gets better with quick action from authorities or more likely get worse through inaction and incompetence from them.
If rising flood waters block the road that lies between you and your loved ones, do you know the alternate routes? Where is the higher terrain versus lower? Once you know what you want to do, head straight home for example, what variable might change that course of action? Snow too deep. Flooded bridge. Tremors sending rocks to the road below. Pinhead cop telling you the road is closed.
Are you ready for the extremes?
Are you ready to spend the night in your car? Or several nights? You can find lists of things to have to make your car into a temporary shelter, but the main thing is not to be surprised and get taken by panic. Simply be ready to tough it out for a while until the situation is to your advantage. If you plan to stay at work, how long until you want to head home?
In conclusion, being prepared for emergencies is not just about sitting on top of your stockpile of food with an AR-15 and waiting. You have to know the game plan and how to implement it and expect it to change. As a pilot, I am always ready for an emergency situation by being mentally prepared for it and never panicking when it doesn’t go the way I’ve practiced. You can do the same for any situation.
Underground Survival Shelter Construction and Security--Learn from My Mistakes, by B.B.
In the summer of 1995 I decided to build an underground multipurpose survival shelter. I purchased the book Nuclear War Survival Skills by Cresson H. Kearney and went to work. If you want to know about shelters and what it will be like living in one, then purchase his book. My brother helped me for a while with the construction, but I did the majority of the work alone and it took me two years to complete the project. Let me say up front that I’m an amateur who used a brilliant book to build a shelter. Along the way I made many mistakes and had some unanticipated problems. Hopefully if you decide to do something along these lines you can learn from my many mistakes.
I purchased used 40 foot x 12foot diameter and 20 foot x 8 foot [galvanized steel ] road culvert pipes. The 20 foot long culvert would be used as the entrance to the larger pipe. The first step of my project was to enclose the ends of the 40’ pipe. In the back I used heavy angle iron to frame the end then 2x12s to enclose it. Welding on galvanized metal was a problem for me so I also bolted the braces to the pipe. When I finished enclosing the end it didn’t look right so I placed black roofing felt over the 2x12s and covered it all with a layer of plywood, painted it and then tarred it. I cut a hole in the back at floor level and inserted a 12’’ plastic pipe into the hole and ran the pipe up to the top for airflow. In the front of the pipe I framed it in with angle iron and just used 2x12s. I used 2x12s so that my front solid core entrance door would be right.
I used metal channel iron to enclose the floor of the pipe. I cut the floor frame channels to the proper length so that the floor was about 8ft in height so that I could walk and not hit my head. I installed a plywood floor and placed 4 foot square inserts in the center that would pull up and out for easy access to the lower level. This lower level gives me 4 foot x 40 foot storage under the floor with 8 feet of headroom on top. Along the sides I used two 2x12s wide for bench seats the entire length of the pipe on both sides. This is more than enough seating and is not in the way when you walk around in the pipe. I don’t want to gloss over this part but it took about a year for me to complete the inside.
After I completed the construction of the pipe I was ready to bury it. To accomplish this I rented a 988 Cat[erpillar brand wheel loader with a excavation bucket] and dug a hole for the 40 foot long section. I then buried it to the proper height so the 8 foot piece would match the door and then buried the whole thing. The 20 foot x 8 foot piece extended out the end far enough to prevent the soil from burying the front door. From the bottom of the pipe to the top of the soil is about 22 feet. After burying everything the front didn’t look right. There wasn’t anyway to secure the entrance to the pipe so I then I built a 20x20 wooden shed on the end to secure the entrance. I placed the pipe west to east so the airflow would work and buried the pipe with about 10ft of earth on top of the main 40-foot pipe being sure to protect the plastic air pipe on the end. The book says you only need three feet of compacted earth to protect you from radiation but 10 feet works for temperature control. [JWR Adds: In my experience, only foot depth of clay or loam soil is required to take full advantage of the ambient ground temperature, at least outside of permafrost zones.] The temperature is constant summer and winter and it is pleasant inside. I checked the level of the ground for drainage and adjusted the drainage away from the entrance.
Alongside my buried pipe shelter I placed a Santa Fe Railroad boxcar for storage. This was the real deal and made of solid metal. I filled the boxcar with lots of stuff that could be used for barter or just be used to keep us comfortable. After loading the boxcar with stuff, as a precaution, I welded the two large solid metal doors shut. The doors slid sideways to open so I felt it wouldn’t take much to prevent them from opening.
After I finished construction, my pipe complex was 80ft long, with a storage boxcar alongside. There was water, food, bedding, clothes, everything I could think of that I might need, I stored in the pipe shelter. There is water close by and I also had 8 - 55 gallon. used white plastic Coca-Cola syrup barrels filled with water inside the pipe. When I open the entrance door and the 12’’ plastic air flow pipe you can feel the air flow but according to the book that isn’t enough air for [very] many people and the book tells you how to increase the airflow for more people. On the right side of the pipe there is electrical plugs for 12 volt DC power and 2 Heavy equipment 12 volt DC batteries for power. On the left side of the pipe is 120 volt AC power [conduit and outlets] to be plugged into a generator.
The boxcar was for extra, non-essential items. My family and I could go to my pipe shelter without bringing anything with us and stay there for at least one year.
Lessons I have learned:
My first and biggest mistake was in believing that my property was secure. There is no possible way to secure property if you aren’t there to secure it. I have 120 acres fenced in and the pipe location is out of sight of the main road. I thought the location was secure but it only took the druggies a couple of years to find it. Once the word got out what was there everything went down hill fast. Now the property is always being broken into and trashed. They will steal anything and everything and then trash the rest. I live in the city and the [unoccupied] pipe [shelter] is 200 miles away from my home in the country. The pipe is located in the middle of my land but it doesn’t matter. (Hindsight) When you use wood to enclose your shelter eventually the Prairie dogs and druggies will find a way into it. 4 Wheeler [ATV]s can go anywhere and they do. Not only did they break into my pipe [shelter] and destroy and steal everything, they used a bumper jack to attach to the bottom of my metal door on my boxcar, jack it out and steal everything they wanted. Then when they had everything worth something they burned the boxcar. The interior walls and floor of a boxcar are lined with heavy wood and burns real hot.
So here is where I am now: I had to rebuild the front of the entrance to the pipe. I originally had some windows in front of my pipe complex to help add a little illumination so I used crusher screen cloth to cover the windows and doors. After the druggies broke into the pipe they left it open and the prairie dogs ruined everything left inside. I have cleaned out everything in the pipe and threw it all away. Now the pipe is empty but at least it is still usable, but my boxcar is a burned-out shell and unusable.
If you want to have a place in the country to escape to Good luck. You have to be there to be able to protect it.
I also buried some plastic 55gal barrels with some extra #10 cans of food in them. They have been in the ground for about 10 yrs and I have learned another lesson. There is enough moisture in the barrels to rust through many of the #10 cans. The barrels didn’t leak water but many of the #10 cans still rusted through. If you want to do something like this dip your cans in wax and that will protect the metal #10 cans from rusting. You can buy lids for 55 gallon barrels that snap on to the top of the barrel. They are thin but if you place a piece of rolled plastic on top of the lid and then some ¾’’ plywood over the top of the barrels they will be fine. Mine were buried on end with about two feet of soil on top. You can bury 8 barrels with a single piece of plywood over them and have a lot of #10 cans of food safely stored in a cool temperature. 10 yrs. of storage isn’t a problem if you store wheat, rice and beans as you can fill in the gaps later with storage easer to get to.
I find that this type of storage in 55gal plastic barrels buried in the ground works for many different things.
[Some information on another topic deleted, for brevity. It will eventually be posted separately.]
I hope this information is helpful. - BB
JWR Adds: I've heard may similar tales about unoccupied retreats being ransacked. BB's experience underscores the oft-repeated need to either:
1.) Live at your retreat year-round, or
2.) Have a retreat caretaker, or
3.) Have a trustworthy year-round resident neighbor that lives in a house with line of sight to your retreat buildings.
Anything less than that cannot be relied on! There is some utility in motion-queued web cams, but there is no sure substitute for the Mark I Human Eyeball. I consider web cams just a good backup, and a means to capture images of would-be burglars and their vehicle license plate numbers.
If it is an underground shelter, then you might get away with a completely hidden entrance. Typically, this is done with a large scrap/junk pile. (Two of my consulting clients have done this, thusfar with several years of success.) Although it is labor intensive to remove, the "scrap pile camouflage" technique is fairly practical for a property that you visit only infrequently. But all it takes is just one untrustworthy person that knows about the shelter's existence to make this approach ineffective. (The goblins will keep looking until the find the entrance.)
Given enough time, miscreants can reduce just about any obstacle to entry to an unoccupied and unobserved structure. They will come back with a cutting torch or even a backhoe, given enough time!!
Friday, October 16, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Militia: Tyrants or Patriots?
The government, and the media, have been demonizing the term 'militia' for decades, if not longer. The term militia currently means, according to legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com: "A group of private citizens who train for military duty in order to be ready to defend their state or country in times of emergency. A militia is distinct from regular military forces, which are units of professional soldiers maintained both in war and peace by the federal government." The definition according to lectlaw.com: "The military force of the nation, consisting of citizens called forth to execute the laws of the Union, suppress insurrection and repel invasion." So who qualifies as militia? This role is seen by many as the National Guard, because (until Clinton) the National Guard was a State asset. Part of Billy Bob's cutting and hacking resulted in National Guard units being aligned within the regular Army structure, although they are still a state asset-until the feds want them that is.
When the Constitution was written, including the Bill of Rights, the definitions were somewhat different. "Every able bodied man owning a gun" was a commonly used layman's definition. Before being 'edited' by the Bill of Rights, the original writing of the Constitution described the militia this way: "To provide for the calling forth the militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrection and repel Invasions." Article 1, Section 8, Clause 16 further empowers Congress: "To provide for the organizing, arming, and disciplining, the militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;" Article 2, Section 2, Clause 1 empowers: "The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States;" Sounds more and more like the National Guard doesn't it. That is exactly why the states insisted on Article 2 of the Bill of Rights, commonly referred to as the 2nd Amendment. Even then, the states and founders felt the definition was too restrictive of the right for the people to protect themselves from tyranny at the hands of their own government.
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." Using the above Constitutional definition of militia, how do you read this statement? Didn't the Constitution state that Congress was responsible to regulate the military and militia already? Obviously militia is a separate entity from the federal military. Without starting a firestorm debate, and without taking anything away from the personal right to bear arms, consider this: Perhaps the reason the founders and states insisted on this little 'adjustment' to the Constitution was specifically to maintain the federal government in its proper place.
Remember the tyranny that created the situation that sparked the Revolution? The framers intent was to insure that the new government did not have the capacity to inflict tyranny, such as what they had suffered under English rule-somewhat amusing in light of how the liberals try to push us into a modern British system currently. Many historians try to leave the framers intent out of the equation when addressing such topics, and try to debate definitions until their ears fall off. The framers also believed basic rights-such as the right to protect yourself, the right to live as you saw fit within accepted conservative Christian norms, and the right to go about your business undisturbed-were rights that justified armed defense if necessary. They also believed these rights were God given rights that could not be taken by anyone including any form of government.
On a side note, I see no room in any of the definitions of militia for hate based organizations, such as the KKK or AN. While they may use military tactics at times, they do not qualify as militias, and have no interest in defending the Constitution, the people or their rights. Their intent is strictly to enforce their own position of authority on the people.
Here is another definition for you: Rights- 2 : something to which one has a just claim: as a : the power or privilege to which one is justly entitled (and also) 4 : the cause of truth or justice- Merriam Webster Dictionary. 'One' refers to an individual, not a collective. As in you and me, people, citizens, patriots, civilians, etc. Governments and organizations do not have Constitutional 'rights' contrary to many liberal schools of thought. The public does not have a 'right' to know. The government does not have a 'right' to monitor people in their activities, interfere with the people in their activities or business, or to do anything else not specifically granted in the Constitution. The very concept of group and governmental 'rights' leads directly to tyranny, and it is a centralist theme long touted by liberals, communists and other pro federal government power extremists. Yes, I was intentionally redundant.
I will allow you to decide where we are on that road. Rights not exercised or defended are lost, as stated by many of our founding fathers many times.
The very reason for the 2nd Amendment, that so many claim to mean so many different things, is to provide for the ability of the common person to defend themselves, their country and the Constitution itself from tyranny and invasion, both from outsiders and from within.
That is the definition of a Patriot in my book.
The media and government also likes to demonize, or even coerce, those that believe the Constitution has a purpose, and is valid today-the very Constitution they swear to uphold and defend. They like to demonize, or even coerce, those that prepare for all kinds of eventualities, including less than pleasant events. They like to demonize, or even coerce, those that do not go along with their plans and agree with their ideals.
That is the definition of a Tyrant in my book.
God bless.
Jeff Citizen
When the Constitution was written, including the Bill of Rights, the definitions were somewhat different. "Every able bodied man owning a gun" was a commonly used layman's definition. Before being 'edited' by the Bill of Rights, the original writing of the Constitution described the militia this way: "To provide for the calling forth the militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrection and repel Invasions." Article 1, Section 8, Clause 16 further empowers Congress: "To provide for the organizing, arming, and disciplining, the militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;" Article 2, Section 2, Clause 1 empowers: "The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States;" Sounds more and more like the National Guard doesn't it. That is exactly why the states insisted on Article 2 of the Bill of Rights, commonly referred to as the 2nd Amendment. Even then, the states and founders felt the definition was too restrictive of the right for the people to protect themselves from tyranny at the hands of their own government.
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." Using the above Constitutional definition of militia, how do you read this statement? Didn't the Constitution state that Congress was responsible to regulate the military and militia already? Obviously militia is a separate entity from the federal military. Without starting a firestorm debate, and without taking anything away from the personal right to bear arms, consider this: Perhaps the reason the founders and states insisted on this little 'adjustment' to the Constitution was specifically to maintain the federal government in its proper place.
Remember the tyranny that created the situation that sparked the Revolution? The framers intent was to insure that the new government did not have the capacity to inflict tyranny, such as what they had suffered under English rule-somewhat amusing in light of how the liberals try to push us into a modern British system currently. Many historians try to leave the framers intent out of the equation when addressing such topics, and try to debate definitions until their ears fall off. The framers also believed basic rights-such as the right to protect yourself, the right to live as you saw fit within accepted conservative Christian norms, and the right to go about your business undisturbed-were rights that justified armed defense if necessary. They also believed these rights were God given rights that could not be taken by anyone including any form of government.
On a side note, I see no room in any of the definitions of militia for hate based organizations, such as the KKK or AN. While they may use military tactics at times, they do not qualify as militias, and have no interest in defending the Constitution, the people or their rights. Their intent is strictly to enforce their own position of authority on the people.
Here is another definition for you: Rights- 2 : something to which one has a just claim: as a : the power or privilege to which one is justly entitled (and also) 4 : the cause of truth or justice- Merriam Webster Dictionary. 'One' refers to an individual, not a collective. As in you and me, people, citizens, patriots, civilians, etc. Governments and organizations do not have Constitutional 'rights' contrary to many liberal schools of thought. The public does not have a 'right' to know. The government does not have a 'right' to monitor people in their activities, interfere with the people in their activities or business, or to do anything else not specifically granted in the Constitution. The very concept of group and governmental 'rights' leads directly to tyranny, and it is a centralist theme long touted by liberals, communists and other pro federal government power extremists. Yes, I was intentionally redundant.
I will allow you to decide where we are on that road. Rights not exercised or defended are lost, as stated by many of our founding fathers many times.
The very reason for the 2nd Amendment, that so many claim to mean so many different things, is to provide for the ability of the common person to defend themselves, their country and the Constitution itself from tyranny and invasion, both from outsiders and from within.
That is the definition of a Patriot in my book.
The media and government also likes to demonize, or even coerce, those that believe the Constitution has a purpose, and is valid today-the very Constitution they swear to uphold and defend. They like to demonize, or even coerce, those that prepare for all kinds of eventualities, including less than pleasant events. They like to demonize, or even coerce, those that do not go along with their plans and agree with their ideals.
That is the definition of a Tyrant in my book.
God bless.
Jeff Citizen
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Fear: Note From A Cop
Here is another item that may make you think about current circumstances, and future eventualities.
Jeff Citizen
Fear: Note From A Cop
The fear on the street is palpable. Ever since the election of Barack Obama as President of these United States in November 2008, coupled with the election of a democrat party majority in both the U.S. House and Senate, concern for the United States and personal safety has ignited like a fire in dry grass.
Sales of guns - black guns, rifles, shotguns and handguns (particularly 9mm) everywhere, have gone through the roof. AR15s have literally flown off of dealer shelves, and only now in the spring of 2009, have I seen the display samples of ARs begin to reappear on the wall of my favorite shooting emporium after the initial post election rush.
Manufacturers of ARs are still working to catch up and some of the major suppliers are as much as 150,000 guns behind. Not only that, ammo is in the shortest supply I have ever seen in the 43 years of my shooting life. Have you recently tried to get 5.56mm, 9mm or even 380 ammo?
Supplies of 5.56mm and 9mm ammo are in short supply due to the black gun buying craze; .380ACP because of the rise in people getting concealed carry permits and the resurgence of interest in convenient 380 handguns like the fine Ruger LCP. In fact, in doing a review of the Ruger LCP, my gun store only had a small supply of ONE .380 round on hand, the Winchesters 95-grain SXT, which they had just gotten in. Unfortunately, I had to do a 30-round review of that pistol. There was none other to be found.
The 5.56mm was the first caliber to noticeably be in short supply. This was first due to the war effort, the headlong adoption of 5.56mm rifles by law enforcement agencies ever since the great LAPD bank robbery and shootout, the general shooting public interest in and acceptance of the AR15 weapons system along with a realization that yes, the AR does have sporting purpose, and of course now, this new fear that is on the street. Sales of ARs also went up following 9/11.
What is odd about this new fear is that it is not coming from the average citizen gun owner out there, but it is coming from what to me is an almost shocking source: street cops.
Street cops and SWAT cops that I know from various agencies - rural, suburban and metro - in my area are scared. Cops that before November 2008 never gave much thought (that I knew of anyway) to politics or more importantly to gun rights. For the most part, these are the guys that didn't generally have any interest in shooting or gun ownership beyond keeping track of where their duty gun is, and a few of them didn't even do that so well.
The guys I am talking about now are some of the same guys who used to not even carry off duty on a regular basis- but not anymore. They don't scare easily, defenders of the Constitution of this State and the United States (as our oath of office reads), have been buying ARs, survival gear, and all the ammo they can lay their hands on. All of them (or I should say "us") have been discussing and have been acquiring guns to provide a layered perimeter defense.
We want something in .308 (or in my case a superb M1 Garand in .30-06) for covering the outer perimeters, 5.56mm weapons for mid-range use (for some with more limited funds, the AK-47 and 7.62?39 cartridge will suffice), and for the close up stuff shotguns and handguns (love my Benelli M4 Tactical and Beretta 92 9mm).
What are we suddenly so afraid of? Well in our discussions it seems to boil down to four areas.
First, fear of federal government intrusion into our lives. Every time I look at or listen to the news, there is something new and intrusive coming out of the Obama administration and this Congress. New tax schemes, government-run Canadian-style healthcare, a volunteer citizen defense force (whatever that is, what happened to the National Guard?) equipped with funding similar to our military, forced voluntary "service" after retirement, a lack of a southern border with hordes of illegal and criminal aliens pouring over our border, the swine flu scare as well as government forced closing of thousands of privately held Chrysler and GM dealerships, which will be the final nail in the coffin for these companies and the list goes on and on.
But these items in the news are just the tip of the iceberg. We can't see the full impact of these actions yet, but we don't know what was added into the thousand of pages of stimulus package bills in the dead of night yet. I predict however that when the plans contained in the stimulus packages go into effect, a lot of us are going to be surprised if not shocked by what has suddenly and sweepingly changed.
What also scares us is the second, well-founded fear that there is an assault weapons ban looming, one that would make the Clinton Ban appear like a look of disdain in comparison. I remember well the 1990s and the Clinton years: the rise of militia groups, the "black helicopter" rumors and paranoia, all of which was motivated by the Brady Law and the Assault Weapon's ban. What if a new ban comes requiring registration or confiscation and turn-in of banned weapons as what happened in Australia?
I watched cops and citizens alike purchase these guns at $900 dollars and more, with custom or tricked out guns easily running into the $2,000 range. Then add on all the accessories, red dots, lights, slings and anything else you can name and you may have up to $3,000 wrapped up in your rig. I saw the looks in their eyes. These purchasers weren't spending this kind of money just to turn in the guns for no compensation when a government tells them to. I foresee much civil disobedience coming down the road.
Americans are citizens, and not subjects like the British, Canadians or Australians. They just don't always obey the law blindly and not one officer or citizen that I spoke to said anything like "I hope I get to keep this gun for awhile before they are banned; They are fun to shoot, so I would hate to give it up." It isn't going to happen, so the cop on the street and the soldier on the base needs to think now what he will do if the orders come down. I think you all get what I am saying here.
Which leads me to the third fear, that there is a revolution coming, yes, a revolution on the scale of the original American Revolution. You can hear this topic discussed on many of the talk radio shows by even the big name hosts. The possibility of an armed revolution against the U.S. government is being discussed, albeit very gingerly and fleetingly and as something to be avoided, which it is. I never heard this mentioned in the 90s.
One of my quietest, low profile officer friends brought it up the other day. He said that at some point in the near future, he felt there is going to be an armed revolt if things keep going the way they are. Something has got to give. I was shocked. Yes, I had heard this from some of my more radical cop friends in the past, but to hear it from a guy like this was unprecedented. Now, these guys are not saying this will happen to foment revolution, preach sedition or to even participate. They just want to be ready if it happens, to at least defend their families, because number four on the fear list is general societal chaos.
Cops fear for their parents, wives, children or grandchildren more now than ever before. Most cops are encouraging their spouses and loved ones to get concealed carry permits. Not only that, but some of these same cops are buying gun mounts for their personal cars so they can carry an AR in the family ride at the ready all the time. They are also strapping on heavier forms of off-duty hardware. I have other friends that are issued ARs or subguns for tactical team use, who always have their gear with them and are planning on just commandeering these weapons for personal use in defending hearth and home.
Final Notes
This is pretty heady and maybe even dangerous stuff. Know fully that I am not advocating anything here. I am reflecting to you what I see and hear going on around me, and maybe saying things that haven't been said in the open, until now. It is something to think about.
*Written By: Scott Wagner is a Police Academy Commander and Professor at Columbus State Community College in Columbus, Ohio and Commander of the 727 Counter Terror Training Unit. A 29 year law enforcement veteran and current Deputy Sheriff, he is the Precision Marksman for the Union County Sheriff's Office SRT Team.*
Jeff Citizen
Fear: Note From A Cop
The fear on the street is palpable. Ever since the election of Barack Obama as President of these United States in November 2008, coupled with the election of a democrat party majority in both the U.S. House and Senate, concern for the United States and personal safety has ignited like a fire in dry grass.
Sales of guns - black guns, rifles, shotguns and handguns (particularly 9mm) everywhere, have gone through the roof. AR15s have literally flown off of dealer shelves, and only now in the spring of 2009, have I seen the display samples of ARs begin to reappear on the wall of my favorite shooting emporium after the initial post election rush.
Manufacturers of ARs are still working to catch up and some of the major suppliers are as much as 150,000 guns behind. Not only that, ammo is in the shortest supply I have ever seen in the 43 years of my shooting life. Have you recently tried to get 5.56mm, 9mm or even 380 ammo?
Supplies of 5.56mm and 9mm ammo are in short supply due to the black gun buying craze; .380ACP because of the rise in people getting concealed carry permits and the resurgence of interest in convenient 380 handguns like the fine Ruger LCP. In fact, in doing a review of the Ruger LCP, my gun store only had a small supply of ONE .380 round on hand, the Winchesters 95-grain SXT, which they had just gotten in. Unfortunately, I had to do a 30-round review of that pistol. There was none other to be found.
The 5.56mm was the first caliber to noticeably be in short supply. This was first due to the war effort, the headlong adoption of 5.56mm rifles by law enforcement agencies ever since the great LAPD bank robbery and shootout, the general shooting public interest in and acceptance of the AR15 weapons system along with a realization that yes, the AR does have sporting purpose, and of course now, this new fear that is on the street. Sales of ARs also went up following 9/11.
What is odd about this new fear is that it is not coming from the average citizen gun owner out there, but it is coming from what to me is an almost shocking source: street cops.
Street cops and SWAT cops that I know from various agencies - rural, suburban and metro - in my area are scared. Cops that before November 2008 never gave much thought (that I knew of anyway) to politics or more importantly to gun rights. For the most part, these are the guys that didn't generally have any interest in shooting or gun ownership beyond keeping track of where their duty gun is, and a few of them didn't even do that so well.
The guys I am talking about now are some of the same guys who used to not even carry off duty on a regular basis- but not anymore. They don't scare easily, defenders of the Constitution of this State and the United States (as our oath of office reads), have been buying ARs, survival gear, and all the ammo they can lay their hands on. All of them (or I should say "us") have been discussing and have been acquiring guns to provide a layered perimeter defense.
We want something in .308 (or in my case a superb M1 Garand in .30-06) for covering the outer perimeters, 5.56mm weapons for mid-range use (for some with more limited funds, the AK-47 and 7.62?39 cartridge will suffice), and for the close up stuff shotguns and handguns (love my Benelli M4 Tactical and Beretta 92 9mm).
What are we suddenly so afraid of? Well in our discussions it seems to boil down to four areas.
First, fear of federal government intrusion into our lives. Every time I look at or listen to the news, there is something new and intrusive coming out of the Obama administration and this Congress. New tax schemes, government-run Canadian-style healthcare, a volunteer citizen defense force (whatever that is, what happened to the National Guard?) equipped with funding similar to our military, forced voluntary "service" after retirement, a lack of a southern border with hordes of illegal and criminal aliens pouring over our border, the swine flu scare as well as government forced closing of thousands of privately held Chrysler and GM dealerships, which will be the final nail in the coffin for these companies and the list goes on and on.
But these items in the news are just the tip of the iceberg. We can't see the full impact of these actions yet, but we don't know what was added into the thousand of pages of stimulus package bills in the dead of night yet. I predict however that when the plans contained in the stimulus packages go into effect, a lot of us are going to be surprised if not shocked by what has suddenly and sweepingly changed.
What also scares us is the second, well-founded fear that there is an assault weapons ban looming, one that would make the Clinton Ban appear like a look of disdain in comparison. I remember well the 1990s and the Clinton years: the rise of militia groups, the "black helicopter" rumors and paranoia, all of which was motivated by the Brady Law and the Assault Weapon's ban. What if a new ban comes requiring registration or confiscation and turn-in of banned weapons as what happened in Australia?
I watched cops and citizens alike purchase these guns at $900 dollars and more, with custom or tricked out guns easily running into the $2,000 range. Then add on all the accessories, red dots, lights, slings and anything else you can name and you may have up to $3,000 wrapped up in your rig. I saw the looks in their eyes. These purchasers weren't spending this kind of money just to turn in the guns for no compensation when a government tells them to. I foresee much civil disobedience coming down the road.
Americans are citizens, and not subjects like the British, Canadians or Australians. They just don't always obey the law blindly and not one officer or citizen that I spoke to said anything like "I hope I get to keep this gun for awhile before they are banned; They are fun to shoot, so I would hate to give it up." It isn't going to happen, so the cop on the street and the soldier on the base needs to think now what he will do if the orders come down. I think you all get what I am saying here.
Which leads me to the third fear, that there is a revolution coming, yes, a revolution on the scale of the original American Revolution. You can hear this topic discussed on many of the talk radio shows by even the big name hosts. The possibility of an armed revolution against the U.S. government is being discussed, albeit very gingerly and fleetingly and as something to be avoided, which it is. I never heard this mentioned in the 90s.
One of my quietest, low profile officer friends brought it up the other day. He said that at some point in the near future, he felt there is going to be an armed revolt if things keep going the way they are. Something has got to give. I was shocked. Yes, I had heard this from some of my more radical cop friends in the past, but to hear it from a guy like this was unprecedented. Now, these guys are not saying this will happen to foment revolution, preach sedition or to even participate. They just want to be ready if it happens, to at least defend their families, because number four on the fear list is general societal chaos.
Cops fear for their parents, wives, children or grandchildren more now than ever before. Most cops are encouraging their spouses and loved ones to get concealed carry permits. Not only that, but some of these same cops are buying gun mounts for their personal cars so they can carry an AR in the family ride at the ready all the time. They are also strapping on heavier forms of off-duty hardware. I have other friends that are issued ARs or subguns for tactical team use, who always have their gear with them and are planning on just commandeering these weapons for personal use in defending hearth and home.
Final Notes
This is pretty heady and maybe even dangerous stuff. Know fully that I am not advocating anything here. I am reflecting to you what I see and hear going on around me, and maybe saying things that haven't been said in the open, until now. It is something to think about.
*Written By: Scott Wagner is a Police Academy Commander and Professor at Columbus State Community College in Columbus, Ohio and Commander of the 727 Counter Terror Training Unit. A 29 year law enforcement veteran and current Deputy Sheriff, he is the Precision Marksman for the Union County Sheriff's Office SRT Team.*
Monday, August 10, 2009
The One Hour Meltdown
Today I am going to take a different approach than normal. I have been researching a lot of information lately, in order to provide accurate data for you. In my research, I occasionally find material that is worth passing on in it's original form. So, even though this is not an original self written piece, I felt it was comprehensive and useful enough to post here.
Regardless of the accuracy or inaccuracy of the timelines, it is some excellent information to take into consideration.
Hope you enjoy. God bless.
Jeff Citizen
The One-Hour Meltdown
Introduction
The following is just my opinion. It is nothing more than my opinion. I have nothing to substantiate or prove any aspect of my opinion. My opinion is simply the logical conclusion of a law-abiding sixty-year old Christian grandfather who has both an engineering degree and an M.B.A. degree and who has seen both good times and hard times during his life.
The Current Situation
At the present time every nation in the entire world is facing serious financial and social stress. If only a few nations were involved then it might be possible to contain the upcoming meltdown to a few specific geographical areas. This has been successfully done in the past. However, since the entire world is currently on the edge of the cliff, when the meltdown begins it will impact almost everyone on the face of the earth.
Unless God chooses to intervene, the meltdown is no longer avoidable. Our governments and our financial institutions are no longer in control. However, to keep the system working just a little longer they must maintain the illusion that they have the system under control. But the system is broken and it can't be fixed.
There are two reasons why the system can't be fixed:
1. It has grown beyond its own capacity to support itself.
2. It has become so complex that no one can do anything significant to fix it because it is hemorrhaging in too many different places.
The average person in every nation on the face of the earth knows the meltdown is coming. The wealthy people know it. The poor people know it. Nobody wants it to happen. But almost everyone is just patiently waiting for it to begin and at the same time hoping that it doesn't begin too soon.
Nobody knows when the meltdown will actually start. It may begin one-month from now. Or a year from now. Or three-years from now. But almost everyone knows that at some future date the meltdown will occur.
This widespread knowledge of the impending disaster is the reason that when the disaster begins it will quickly and completely spiral out-of-control in one-hour or less. In my opinion, most people do not seriously believe it could happen this quickly. Most people expect a more gradual meltdown. They may be right because nobody can predict the future, and that includes myself.
The One-Hour Meltdown
However, my personal opinion is that once the meltdown begins then in less than one-hour it will quickly escalate far beyond anyone's ability to control or manage it on a worldwide basis. The five basic assumptions that cause me to believe in my "one-hour meltdown theory" are as follows:
1. Banks: The financial institutions around the world cannot withstand a full-scale worldwide bank run. Therefore, they have already made plans to immediately shut down the instant they are told to do so. Within minutes, all across the globe, all the ATM machines will be offline, all credit card and debit card verification transactions will be halted, and all banks will have their vaults locked and their doors locked and their building emptied of all personnel, except perhaps for some special security guards. All high-level bank executives will immediately disappear to a wide variety of remote safe unknown locations. All telephone call inquiries to any of the financial institutions will be automatically answered by a computer with a pre-recorded message similar to the following: "Our system is currently experiencing an extremely high call volume and therefore we are unable to answer your call at this time. Please try again later when our call volume returns to normal.
2. Governments: The vast majority of our government leaders all over the world are relatively intelligent individuals. They completely understand the ramifications of a "bank holiday" in our computer controlled financial economy. Therefore, all government offices will also be immediately shut down, and they will empty their buildings and lock their doors. Any transaction in progress, including any trials in progress, will be immediately halted and postponed until some future date. All high-level government officials, including all judges and tax officials, will immediately disappear to a wide variety of remote safe unknown locations.
3. Retail Businesses: Since they will be unable to process even simple transactions, all retail establishments, both large and small, will immediately lock their doors to prevent anyone else from entering. If possible, they will complete any transactions for customers already inside their building if those customers have enough cash to pay for their purchases. Any customers wishing to pay by check or credit card or debit card will be told that the verification system is down and their transaction can't be completed. All customers will then be immediately escorted to the doors and the doors will be briefly opened and then immediately locked after they exit. In addition, in a manner similar to what happened during the World Trade Center meltdown, each store's management may demand that their employees remain at their stations until further notice or they will lose their jobs for leaving without management's permission. But most of the more intelligent employees will leave at the same time as the store's last few remaining customers. The store's special security guards may or may not remain behind in order to protect the store with their lives. Since most of these special security guards are not paid exceptionally well, a large number of them may decide that they should return home and protect their own families instead.
4. Criminals: Anyone and everyone who has any criminal tendencies and who has been patiently waiting for this to happen will immediately see it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to improve their financial situation. More than likely the vast majority of these criminals have already made very detailed plans that includes exactly which businesses they are going to rob first, second, third, and so on. Any business with a reasonable level of cash-on-hand will be very high on every criminal's list. Every jewelry store and pawn shop that has any type of silver or gold jewelry, or precious stones (diamonds, rubies, emeralds, etc.), will be very high on everyone's list. The warfare that breaks out at these establishments between competing criminals will not be pleasant.
5. Normal People: Normal average people will begin looting. Grocery stores will be broken into and they will be completely emptied from wall-to-wall, including the rear storage area, in less than one-hour. Stores that have firearms, ammunition, appliances, clothing, shoes, or anything else needed by the average citizen will be emptied in less than one-hour. In skirmishes over the few remaining resources, normal average people will begin killing one another inside the stores, and in the parking lots outside the stores, and on the streets as these fully loaded vehicles try to escape with their loot.
The above events will all happen simultaneously during the first one-hour of the meltdown. After that first hour has passed, things will really begin to get nasty. Everyone will quickly realize there are not are not enough law enforcement personnel to protect everyone and everything. Although the military will probably be ordered to protect specific high priority establishments and resources, there will simply not be enough military personnel to protect individual civilians or businesses.
Events After the One-Hour Meltdown
Almost everyone who has lost their jobs, their vehicles, their homes, and their life savings will now have nothing more to lose by seeking some form of retribution against the society that took everything away from them that they once "partially" owned.
Anyone who has received a minor speeding ticket in the recent past and who honestly could not afford the fine will be in a very unpleasant mood. Everyone who has had their property taxes increased at the same time their income decreased will not be in a good mood. Everyone who has had their credit card interest rate increased at the same time their employer was reducing the number of hours they worked each week will not be in a good mood. Everyone who has been reduced from a two-family income down to a one-family income will not be in a good mood. Everyone who lost their job because their employer went bankrupt will not be in a good mood.
The vast majority of these individuals will have been just barely surviving in a situation where they were living hand-to-mouth on government welfare or the charity of the local community (unemployment checks, welfare checks, food stamps, food pantries, etc.). The instant they realize there will be no more government welfare or charity, then these individuals will have no hope for survival unless they are able to immediately acquire the food and other resources they need before it is all gone. Anyone who tries to stand in their way, or who tries to reason with them, will have a life expectancy of less than three-seconds.
After the stores are all emptied, and there is nothing else to be stolen, the tempers of the individuals who were not successful in obtaining what they needed will turn violent. When that happens they will form into huge mobs without being asked to. And they will begin seeking vengeance on anyone or any establishment they have a grudge against. Banks, and government buildings, and courthouses will be burned to the ground. Anyone still inside those buildings will probably be shot or hanged. Then these mobs will start looking for the high-ranking officials that they believe are the source of their misery. But the vast majority of these high-ranking officials will have already disappeared to safe places unknown to anyone but themselves.
If you have not previously thought about the above, or if you are not intellectually prepared to deal with it, then the chances are not very good for your long-term survival.
If you have been waiting to buy a really critical item for your family's long-term self-sufficiency because you thought you could buy it at the very beginning of a slow gradual breakdown of society, then it will no longer be available. Your family will have to try to survive without that item, if that is possible. Since the vast majority of us have very limited financial resources it would be helpful if you could prioritize your purchases right now before it is too late. The following article on my web site describes how this could be done: Realistic Self-Sufficiency: The Do's and the Don'ts.
If the meltdown begins while you are away from home then your highest priority should be to collect the other members of your family and return home. Do not be tempted to participate in the looting. Regardless of what you think you might need, it would be foolish to risk your life and the lives of your family members at any store or business that is being looted. You should consider yourself "blessed" if you are successful at making it safely home with all your loved ones.
In my opinion, after the meltdown begins it will take about 24-hours for the vast majority of the criminals and the looters to self-destruct to at least one-half of their original number. In fact, human greed will probably reduce their numbers by a lot more than 50%. The reason this will happen is because every criminal will want whatever the other criminal has in his or her possession and he or she will probably be willing to kill to get it. The criminals and looters that survive will be the more ruthless and savage members of our society and they will gradually form into small gangs for protection and for their own mutual survival. When that happens things will just continue to get worse.
If you live close to the outside edge of a heavily populated area, and you can quickly and easily get onto a good road or interstate leading away from the danger area, and if you have a safe destination already planned, and if travel to that destination does not take you through another heavily populated area, then it may be possible for you to escape to your "retreat" if you act immediately and you do not hesitate.
However, if you live inside a heavily populated area, or if you are a good distance from a safe exit road or interstate, or if you do not have a safe destination to travel to, then loading your family into your vehicle and trying to drive anywhere at this time would probably not be a very good idea. In this situation, when the meltdown begins your best chance for survival will probably be to wait out the worst part of the meltdown inside your home. You should also be prepared to defend your home and your family during this difficult transition period.
I fully realize that the above suggestion goes against almost everyone's recommended strategy of "getting out of Dodge" (G.O.O.D) at the last minute. You are an adult and you will need to make your own decision in this matter. But before you decide, perhaps you should thoughtfully consider your chances for long-term survival in each of the following two scenarios:
1. Your family is trapped inside your vehicle in a traffic jam that is grid-locked and, although you don't know it yet, the cars in front of you and behind you are not going to move one-inch for the next several years. You and your family members quickly become physically and emotionally fatigued by the long wait inside your vehicle. Everyone needs to use the bathroom. Nobody can get any real rest. And as you watch one horror story after another unfold outside the windows of your vehicle you become terrified that you will not live to see another day. You are trapped inside your vehicle many, many miles from your home and travel in any direction by foot or by bicycle at this time would be suicidal.
2. Your family is temporarily trapped inside your home with whatever resources you have in your home. You can still use the bathroom in the privacy of your own home. You can still eat and drink in safety. Each member of your family can sleep in his or her own bed while one or more members of your family remains awake and on guard duty. On some future date, after your family has eaten a good meal and everyone is completely rested and mentally and physically alert, then perhaps on a dark rainy night your family will be able to escape by riding bicycles or by walking out of the danger zone to some safe remote place where you already have supplies pre-positioned and waiting for you.
In my opinion, neither of the above two scenarios is a pleasant one to think about. But if I had to choose between them I would select the second option.
Three Questions
Please allow me to ask you the following three questions:
1. How many people do you personally know who do not need to eat?
2. Where does most of the meat, bread, fruit, and vegetables that are consumed by the people inside a city actually come from?
3. If food deliveries into the city were stopped, how long would the city continue to be a safe place to live?
If you are satisfied with your answers to the above three questions and you still want to live in a big city then you should continue to do so. However, if you are not satisfied with your answers to the above three questions, then perhaps right now would be a good time to think about some other options for your family's survival.
Some Good News
Before you completely loose heart, please allow me to share some really good news with you. The meltdown hasn't started yet. You still have time to significantly improve your family's chances of surviving the upcoming meltdown.
Have you lost your job? That is good news. You can now relocate to a more lightly populated area.
Has the bank foreclosed on your home? That is good news. You can now relocate to a more lightly populated area.
Are you now living inside your vehicle? That is good news. If you can come up with some gas money then your can now relocate to a more lightly populated area.
You don't need to move to the unexplored wilderness in Alaska. You don't need to move into the heart of the Arizona desert. You just need to relocate to an area that is more lightly populated than a big city. The area you select should meet the following minimum criteria:
1. It is not on a major freeway or interstate.
2. It is at least several hundred feet above sea level.
3. It is surrounded by farm land, dairy cows, and other typical farm livestock such as horses, pigs, sheep, goats, and chickens.
4. It has a history of good average rainfall (not too much rain or too little rain).
5. It has a reasonable supply of trees and forest timber land.
6. It has a few nearby manufacturing facilities of any size.
7. Its residents still have the right to own firearms to protect themselves.
8. It has short mild winters.
You are smart. You could probably find a place like the above that is somewhere between 60 to 600 miles of where you currently live. When you get there, start looking for a new job.
At the current time good jobs are exceptionally difficult to find. Therefore, if you still have a really good job, then you would probably be better advised to keep your current job. But you could still move your loved ones to a small safe farming community that is at least 30 miles away from any heavily populated area, and which meets the first seven of the above eight minimum criteria. This would mean that you would have to commute one or two-hours each day to get to your current job. But your family would be safe when the meltdown begins. And if the meltdown occurs when you are at home with your family, then you would be there to help protect them. If the meltdown occurs while you are at work, and if you leave work immediately and don't stop anywhere, then there would be a reasonable chance that you might get back home before 24-hours has passed. This would require that you always have at least one-half tank of gas inside your vehicle's gas tank each day when you arrive at work. Finally, your survival would be greatly increased if you also had a little food and water, a few basic survival items, and a bicycle inside your vehicle that you could ride if you got caught in a grid-lock traffic jam. Most people will not abandon their vehicle immediately because they have an emotional attachment to their vehicle and to just abandon it would not "feel" like the most logical thing to do. The reason is because these people have survived traffic jams in the past by just waiting for them to eventually unravel. But this time it will be different. The traffic jam will never unravel. (Note: If it becomes necessary, park your vehicle on the side of the road and lock it, if that is possible.)
Conclusion
The vast majority of you will probably not share my opinion on this topic because it is just too "scary" and therefore it just can't happen. However, if you have taken the time to read this entire article then at least you now know about my "one-hour meltdown theory" and you can include it as one of your highly unlikely future scenarios. And if it should actually happen then at least you will not be too surprised by the events as they quickly begin to transpire.
On the other hand, if you think my "one-hour meltdown theory" is not all that ridiculous, then there are three things you could be doing right now to better prepare for the serious hard times ahead:
1. If you have not already done so, then move to a lightly populated area.
2. Pray often.
3. Pray sincerely.
Postscript
In order to minimize the number of future emails about the above article, on July 29, 2009 I decided to add this postscript to my original article.
As I mentioned in the above introduction, nobody can predict the future, and that includes myself.
And as I mentioned in the above conclusion, the vast majority of you will probably not share my opinion on this topic.
Instead of a "bank holiday" almost any reasonably intelligent individual could easily select a different trigger event, or combination of trigger events, that lead to the inevitable meltdown.
And, instead of a "one-hour meltdown," almost anyone could modify one or more of the original assumptions and change the time frame to 24-hours, or three-days, or two-weeks, or nine-months, or seven-years.
However, since writing the above article seven-days ago, so far I have not received any emails from anyone who believes the meltdown will never happen. The only points of disagreement are on the trigger event and the speed at which the meltdown will unfold.
Individuals who do not believe a "one-hour meltdown" is possible generally believe that our government and financial leaders have some reasonable degree of control over the social and economic factors that are rapidly deteriorating worldwide.
And those individuals who believe the meltdown will be triggered by a different event, such as a terrorist attack (similar to the World Trade Center disaster) or a nuclear explosion in some large city, generally believe that someone or some nation must intentionally do something disastrous to initiate the meltdown.
Since I can't predict the future I have no valid way to respond to these differences of opinion. As far as I am concerned, everyone has a right to his or her own opinion, and that includes myself.
As I stated in my article, I simply believe that our leaders do not have things under control and that a worldwide bank run could happen unexpectedly at any time, and our leaders have no way to prevent it or to contain it once it begins. It could happen on any day of the week and at any time during the day. But once it starts our leaders will immediately declare a "bank holiday" to prevent catastrophic damage to the financial system and to the reputations of our financial leaders.
May I please use the following analogy. The current worldwide financial situation is like a passenger bus being driven by a bus driver whose future employment depends on keeping to the bus schedule and maintaining the bus passengers confidence in the bus company. The bus is currently being driven down a straight stretch of highway on a really cold rainy day. But the bus is gradually picking up speed, and the temperature is quickly dropping. The bus passengers can see that ice is starting to form in different spots, and that there are some really dangerous curves just ahead. The driver calmly reassures all the passengers that he or she currently has the bus completely under control and therefore nobody should worry because the future will not be any different from the past or the present. However, the smart people on the bus politely ask the driver to stop the bus and when the bus temporarily stops, they get off the bus and they tell the driver they will walk the rest of the way. The remainder of the passengers have no desire to walk in the freezing rain and therefore the calm words of the driver helps to reassure them and they stay inside the bus as it starts back down the icy highway. The bus quickly picks up speed and then it enters the first dead-man's curve on the edge of a 1,000-foot cliff. The entire curve is completely covered with two-inches of ice. In a matter of seconds the people still on the bus will be no more. The people who got off the bus will still be alive but their continued survival will depend on how prepared they are and whether or not they actually know how to survive in their current extremely difficult circumstances. If they are already wearing a waterproof winter coat and waterproof footwear and they have some matches and some food and water then there is a good chance they will live to see another day.
May I now please interpret my own analogy. The bus is our current worldwide economy. The bus driver represents our current government and financial leaders. The ice represents the fiat money that is currently being increased at an ever accelerating rate. The dead-man's curve is a "bank holiday." The people still on the bus are the ones who believe that our leaders have a lot more control over our worldwide economy than they really do, and they are leaving most of their money inside the financial system, and they are continuing to live inside a big city. The people who got off the bus are the ones who live in a more lightly populated area and they are using whatever money they currently have to purchase the things they know they will desperately need in the future.
The above article is completely theoretical. The only reason I wrote the article is to provide you with a possible future scenario that you may not have considered too seriously in the past. However, it is my personal conviction that there is an extremely high probability that our future will be forever changed by a simple unexpected "bank holiday" that results in a "one-hour meltdown" of civilization as we currently know it. And, as I mentioned in the conclusion to my original article, I already know that most of you will not share this opinion with me. And that is perfectly okay with me and I am not in the least bit offended.
Respectfully,
Grandpappy.
Copyright © July 22, 2009 by Robert Wayne Atkins, P.E.
All rights reserved and all rights protected under international copyright law.
Regardless of the accuracy or inaccuracy of the timelines, it is some excellent information to take into consideration.
Hope you enjoy. God bless.
Jeff Citizen
The One-Hour Meltdown
Introduction
The following is just my opinion. It is nothing more than my opinion. I have nothing to substantiate or prove any aspect of my opinion. My opinion is simply the logical conclusion of a law-abiding sixty-year old Christian grandfather who has both an engineering degree and an M.B.A. degree and who has seen both good times and hard times during his life.
The Current Situation
At the present time every nation in the entire world is facing serious financial and social stress. If only a few nations were involved then it might be possible to contain the upcoming meltdown to a few specific geographical areas. This has been successfully done in the past. However, since the entire world is currently on the edge of the cliff, when the meltdown begins it will impact almost everyone on the face of the earth.
Unless God chooses to intervene, the meltdown is no longer avoidable. Our governments and our financial institutions are no longer in control. However, to keep the system working just a little longer they must maintain the illusion that they have the system under control. But the system is broken and it can't be fixed.
There are two reasons why the system can't be fixed:
1. It has grown beyond its own capacity to support itself.
2. It has become so complex that no one can do anything significant to fix it because it is hemorrhaging in too many different places.
The average person in every nation on the face of the earth knows the meltdown is coming. The wealthy people know it. The poor people know it. Nobody wants it to happen. But almost everyone is just patiently waiting for it to begin and at the same time hoping that it doesn't begin too soon.
Nobody knows when the meltdown will actually start. It may begin one-month from now. Or a year from now. Or three-years from now. But almost everyone knows that at some future date the meltdown will occur.
This widespread knowledge of the impending disaster is the reason that when the disaster begins it will quickly and completely spiral out-of-control in one-hour or less. In my opinion, most people do not seriously believe it could happen this quickly. Most people expect a more gradual meltdown. They may be right because nobody can predict the future, and that includes myself.
The One-Hour Meltdown
However, my personal opinion is that once the meltdown begins then in less than one-hour it will quickly escalate far beyond anyone's ability to control or manage it on a worldwide basis. The five basic assumptions that cause me to believe in my "one-hour meltdown theory" are as follows:
1. Banks: The financial institutions around the world cannot withstand a full-scale worldwide bank run. Therefore, they have already made plans to immediately shut down the instant they are told to do so. Within minutes, all across the globe, all the ATM machines will be offline, all credit card and debit card verification transactions will be halted, and all banks will have their vaults locked and their doors locked and their building emptied of all personnel, except perhaps for some special security guards. All high-level bank executives will immediately disappear to a wide variety of remote safe unknown locations. All telephone call inquiries to any of the financial institutions will be automatically answered by a computer with a pre-recorded message similar to the following: "Our system is currently experiencing an extremely high call volume and therefore we are unable to answer your call at this time. Please try again later when our call volume returns to normal.
2. Governments: The vast majority of our government leaders all over the world are relatively intelligent individuals. They completely understand the ramifications of a "bank holiday" in our computer controlled financial economy. Therefore, all government offices will also be immediately shut down, and they will empty their buildings and lock their doors. Any transaction in progress, including any trials in progress, will be immediately halted and postponed until some future date. All high-level government officials, including all judges and tax officials, will immediately disappear to a wide variety of remote safe unknown locations.
3. Retail Businesses: Since they will be unable to process even simple transactions, all retail establishments, both large and small, will immediately lock their doors to prevent anyone else from entering. If possible, they will complete any transactions for customers already inside their building if those customers have enough cash to pay for their purchases. Any customers wishing to pay by check or credit card or debit card will be told that the verification system is down and their transaction can't be completed. All customers will then be immediately escorted to the doors and the doors will be briefly opened and then immediately locked after they exit. In addition, in a manner similar to what happened during the World Trade Center meltdown, each store's management may demand that their employees remain at their stations until further notice or they will lose their jobs for leaving without management's permission. But most of the more intelligent employees will leave at the same time as the store's last few remaining customers. The store's special security guards may or may not remain behind in order to protect the store with their lives. Since most of these special security guards are not paid exceptionally well, a large number of them may decide that they should return home and protect their own families instead.
4. Criminals: Anyone and everyone who has any criminal tendencies and who has been patiently waiting for this to happen will immediately see it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to improve their financial situation. More than likely the vast majority of these criminals have already made very detailed plans that includes exactly which businesses they are going to rob first, second, third, and so on. Any business with a reasonable level of cash-on-hand will be very high on every criminal's list. Every jewelry store and pawn shop that has any type of silver or gold jewelry, or precious stones (diamonds, rubies, emeralds, etc.), will be very high on everyone's list. The warfare that breaks out at these establishments between competing criminals will not be pleasant.
5. Normal People: Normal average people will begin looting. Grocery stores will be broken into and they will be completely emptied from wall-to-wall, including the rear storage area, in less than one-hour. Stores that have firearms, ammunition, appliances, clothing, shoes, or anything else needed by the average citizen will be emptied in less than one-hour. In skirmishes over the few remaining resources, normal average people will begin killing one another inside the stores, and in the parking lots outside the stores, and on the streets as these fully loaded vehicles try to escape with their loot.
The above events will all happen simultaneously during the first one-hour of the meltdown. After that first hour has passed, things will really begin to get nasty. Everyone will quickly realize there are not are not enough law enforcement personnel to protect everyone and everything. Although the military will probably be ordered to protect specific high priority establishments and resources, there will simply not be enough military personnel to protect individual civilians or businesses.
Events After the One-Hour Meltdown
Almost everyone who has lost their jobs, their vehicles, their homes, and their life savings will now have nothing more to lose by seeking some form of retribution against the society that took everything away from them that they once "partially" owned.
Anyone who has received a minor speeding ticket in the recent past and who honestly could not afford the fine will be in a very unpleasant mood. Everyone who has had their property taxes increased at the same time their income decreased will not be in a good mood. Everyone who has had their credit card interest rate increased at the same time their employer was reducing the number of hours they worked each week will not be in a good mood. Everyone who has been reduced from a two-family income down to a one-family income will not be in a good mood. Everyone who lost their job because their employer went bankrupt will not be in a good mood.
The vast majority of these individuals will have been just barely surviving in a situation where they were living hand-to-mouth on government welfare or the charity of the local community (unemployment checks, welfare checks, food stamps, food pantries, etc.). The instant they realize there will be no more government welfare or charity, then these individuals will have no hope for survival unless they are able to immediately acquire the food and other resources they need before it is all gone. Anyone who tries to stand in their way, or who tries to reason with them, will have a life expectancy of less than three-seconds.
After the stores are all emptied, and there is nothing else to be stolen, the tempers of the individuals who were not successful in obtaining what they needed will turn violent. When that happens they will form into huge mobs without being asked to. And they will begin seeking vengeance on anyone or any establishment they have a grudge against. Banks, and government buildings, and courthouses will be burned to the ground. Anyone still inside those buildings will probably be shot or hanged. Then these mobs will start looking for the high-ranking officials that they believe are the source of their misery. But the vast majority of these high-ranking officials will have already disappeared to safe places unknown to anyone but themselves.
If you have not previously thought about the above, or if you are not intellectually prepared to deal with it, then the chances are not very good for your long-term survival.
If you have been waiting to buy a really critical item for your family's long-term self-sufficiency because you thought you could buy it at the very beginning of a slow gradual breakdown of society, then it will no longer be available. Your family will have to try to survive without that item, if that is possible. Since the vast majority of us have very limited financial resources it would be helpful if you could prioritize your purchases right now before it is too late. The following article on my web site describes how this could be done: Realistic Self-Sufficiency: The Do's and the Don'ts.
If the meltdown begins while you are away from home then your highest priority should be to collect the other members of your family and return home. Do not be tempted to participate in the looting. Regardless of what you think you might need, it would be foolish to risk your life and the lives of your family members at any store or business that is being looted. You should consider yourself "blessed" if you are successful at making it safely home with all your loved ones.
In my opinion, after the meltdown begins it will take about 24-hours for the vast majority of the criminals and the looters to self-destruct to at least one-half of their original number. In fact, human greed will probably reduce their numbers by a lot more than 50%. The reason this will happen is because every criminal will want whatever the other criminal has in his or her possession and he or she will probably be willing to kill to get it. The criminals and looters that survive will be the more ruthless and savage members of our society and they will gradually form into small gangs for protection and for their own mutual survival. When that happens things will just continue to get worse.
If you live close to the outside edge of a heavily populated area, and you can quickly and easily get onto a good road or interstate leading away from the danger area, and if you have a safe destination already planned, and if travel to that destination does not take you through another heavily populated area, then it may be possible for you to escape to your "retreat" if you act immediately and you do not hesitate.
However, if you live inside a heavily populated area, or if you are a good distance from a safe exit road or interstate, or if you do not have a safe destination to travel to, then loading your family into your vehicle and trying to drive anywhere at this time would probably not be a very good idea. In this situation, when the meltdown begins your best chance for survival will probably be to wait out the worst part of the meltdown inside your home. You should also be prepared to defend your home and your family during this difficult transition period.
I fully realize that the above suggestion goes against almost everyone's recommended strategy of "getting out of Dodge" (G.O.O.D) at the last minute. You are an adult and you will need to make your own decision in this matter. But before you decide, perhaps you should thoughtfully consider your chances for long-term survival in each of the following two scenarios:
1. Your family is trapped inside your vehicle in a traffic jam that is grid-locked and, although you don't know it yet, the cars in front of you and behind you are not going to move one-inch for the next several years. You and your family members quickly become physically and emotionally fatigued by the long wait inside your vehicle. Everyone needs to use the bathroom. Nobody can get any real rest. And as you watch one horror story after another unfold outside the windows of your vehicle you become terrified that you will not live to see another day. You are trapped inside your vehicle many, many miles from your home and travel in any direction by foot or by bicycle at this time would be suicidal.
2. Your family is temporarily trapped inside your home with whatever resources you have in your home. You can still use the bathroom in the privacy of your own home. You can still eat and drink in safety. Each member of your family can sleep in his or her own bed while one or more members of your family remains awake and on guard duty. On some future date, after your family has eaten a good meal and everyone is completely rested and mentally and physically alert, then perhaps on a dark rainy night your family will be able to escape by riding bicycles or by walking out of the danger zone to some safe remote place where you already have supplies pre-positioned and waiting for you.
In my opinion, neither of the above two scenarios is a pleasant one to think about. But if I had to choose between them I would select the second option.
Three Questions
Please allow me to ask you the following three questions:
1. How many people do you personally know who do not need to eat?
2. Where does most of the meat, bread, fruit, and vegetables that are consumed by the people inside a city actually come from?
3. If food deliveries into the city were stopped, how long would the city continue to be a safe place to live?
If you are satisfied with your answers to the above three questions and you still want to live in a big city then you should continue to do so. However, if you are not satisfied with your answers to the above three questions, then perhaps right now would be a good time to think about some other options for your family's survival.
Some Good News
Before you completely loose heart, please allow me to share some really good news with you. The meltdown hasn't started yet. You still have time to significantly improve your family's chances of surviving the upcoming meltdown.
Have you lost your job? That is good news. You can now relocate to a more lightly populated area.
Has the bank foreclosed on your home? That is good news. You can now relocate to a more lightly populated area.
Are you now living inside your vehicle? That is good news. If you can come up with some gas money then your can now relocate to a more lightly populated area.
You don't need to move to the unexplored wilderness in Alaska. You don't need to move into the heart of the Arizona desert. You just need to relocate to an area that is more lightly populated than a big city. The area you select should meet the following minimum criteria:
1. It is not on a major freeway or interstate.
2. It is at least several hundred feet above sea level.
3. It is surrounded by farm land, dairy cows, and other typical farm livestock such as horses, pigs, sheep, goats, and chickens.
4. It has a history of good average rainfall (not too much rain or too little rain).
5. It has a reasonable supply of trees and forest timber land.
6. It has a few nearby manufacturing facilities of any size.
7. Its residents still have the right to own firearms to protect themselves.
8. It has short mild winters.
You are smart. You could probably find a place like the above that is somewhere between 60 to 600 miles of where you currently live. When you get there, start looking for a new job.
At the current time good jobs are exceptionally difficult to find. Therefore, if you still have a really good job, then you would probably be better advised to keep your current job. But you could still move your loved ones to a small safe farming community that is at least 30 miles away from any heavily populated area, and which meets the first seven of the above eight minimum criteria. This would mean that you would have to commute one or two-hours each day to get to your current job. But your family would be safe when the meltdown begins. And if the meltdown occurs when you are at home with your family, then you would be there to help protect them. If the meltdown occurs while you are at work, and if you leave work immediately and don't stop anywhere, then there would be a reasonable chance that you might get back home before 24-hours has passed. This would require that you always have at least one-half tank of gas inside your vehicle's gas tank each day when you arrive at work. Finally, your survival would be greatly increased if you also had a little food and water, a few basic survival items, and a bicycle inside your vehicle that you could ride if you got caught in a grid-lock traffic jam. Most people will not abandon their vehicle immediately because they have an emotional attachment to their vehicle and to just abandon it would not "feel" like the most logical thing to do. The reason is because these people have survived traffic jams in the past by just waiting for them to eventually unravel. But this time it will be different. The traffic jam will never unravel. (Note: If it becomes necessary, park your vehicle on the side of the road and lock it, if that is possible.)
Conclusion
The vast majority of you will probably not share my opinion on this topic because it is just too "scary" and therefore it just can't happen. However, if you have taken the time to read this entire article then at least you now know about my "one-hour meltdown theory" and you can include it as one of your highly unlikely future scenarios. And if it should actually happen then at least you will not be too surprised by the events as they quickly begin to transpire.
On the other hand, if you think my "one-hour meltdown theory" is not all that ridiculous, then there are three things you could be doing right now to better prepare for the serious hard times ahead:
1. If you have not already done so, then move to a lightly populated area.
2. Pray often.
3. Pray sincerely.
Postscript
In order to minimize the number of future emails about the above article, on July 29, 2009 I decided to add this postscript to my original article.
As I mentioned in the above introduction, nobody can predict the future, and that includes myself.
And as I mentioned in the above conclusion, the vast majority of you will probably not share my opinion on this topic.
Instead of a "bank holiday" almost any reasonably intelligent individual could easily select a different trigger event, or combination of trigger events, that lead to the inevitable meltdown.
And, instead of a "one-hour meltdown," almost anyone could modify one or more of the original assumptions and change the time frame to 24-hours, or three-days, or two-weeks, or nine-months, or seven-years.
However, since writing the above article seven-days ago, so far I have not received any emails from anyone who believes the meltdown will never happen. The only points of disagreement are on the trigger event and the speed at which the meltdown will unfold.
Individuals who do not believe a "one-hour meltdown" is possible generally believe that our government and financial leaders have some reasonable degree of control over the social and economic factors that are rapidly deteriorating worldwide.
And those individuals who believe the meltdown will be triggered by a different event, such as a terrorist attack (similar to the World Trade Center disaster) or a nuclear explosion in some large city, generally believe that someone or some nation must intentionally do something disastrous to initiate the meltdown.
Since I can't predict the future I have no valid way to respond to these differences of opinion. As far as I am concerned, everyone has a right to his or her own opinion, and that includes myself.
As I stated in my article, I simply believe that our leaders do not have things under control and that a worldwide bank run could happen unexpectedly at any time, and our leaders have no way to prevent it or to contain it once it begins. It could happen on any day of the week and at any time during the day. But once it starts our leaders will immediately declare a "bank holiday" to prevent catastrophic damage to the financial system and to the reputations of our financial leaders.
May I please use the following analogy. The current worldwide financial situation is like a passenger bus being driven by a bus driver whose future employment depends on keeping to the bus schedule and maintaining the bus passengers confidence in the bus company. The bus is currently being driven down a straight stretch of highway on a really cold rainy day. But the bus is gradually picking up speed, and the temperature is quickly dropping. The bus passengers can see that ice is starting to form in different spots, and that there are some really dangerous curves just ahead. The driver calmly reassures all the passengers that he or she currently has the bus completely under control and therefore nobody should worry because the future will not be any different from the past or the present. However, the smart people on the bus politely ask the driver to stop the bus and when the bus temporarily stops, they get off the bus and they tell the driver they will walk the rest of the way. The remainder of the passengers have no desire to walk in the freezing rain and therefore the calm words of the driver helps to reassure them and they stay inside the bus as it starts back down the icy highway. The bus quickly picks up speed and then it enters the first dead-man's curve on the edge of a 1,000-foot cliff. The entire curve is completely covered with two-inches of ice. In a matter of seconds the people still on the bus will be no more. The people who got off the bus will still be alive but their continued survival will depend on how prepared they are and whether or not they actually know how to survive in their current extremely difficult circumstances. If they are already wearing a waterproof winter coat and waterproof footwear and they have some matches and some food and water then there is a good chance they will live to see another day.
May I now please interpret my own analogy. The bus is our current worldwide economy. The bus driver represents our current government and financial leaders. The ice represents the fiat money that is currently being increased at an ever accelerating rate. The dead-man's curve is a "bank holiday." The people still on the bus are the ones who believe that our leaders have a lot more control over our worldwide economy than they really do, and they are leaving most of their money inside the financial system, and they are continuing to live inside a big city. The people who got off the bus are the ones who live in a more lightly populated area and they are using whatever money they currently have to purchase the things they know they will desperately need in the future.
The above article is completely theoretical. The only reason I wrote the article is to provide you with a possible future scenario that you may not have considered too seriously in the past. However, it is my personal conviction that there is an extremely high probability that our future will be forever changed by a simple unexpected "bank holiday" that results in a "one-hour meltdown" of civilization as we currently know it. And, as I mentioned in the conclusion to my original article, I already know that most of you will not share this opinion with me. And that is perfectly okay with me and I am not in the least bit offended.
Respectfully,
Grandpappy.
Copyright © July 22, 2009 by Robert Wayne Atkins, P.E.
All rights reserved and all rights protected under international copyright law.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Emergency Evacutions
We have discussed some planning considerations for emergencies. This time let’s look at emergency evacuations. Emergencies, in most instances, do not happen when we are expecting them. If we were already expecting trouble, we would obviously be in a much better position to deal with the situation. Here are quick and simple long term and short term planning tools, in order to be prepared when things happen.
Short Term Evacuation Plans
Family Plan
If you are not ready, and your family is not together when you need to evacuate, then you need to have an emergency plan in place that includes where to go and what to do during an emergency, and everyone in your family has to know what their part is. Communications may or may not be operable during an emergency, so you must have these plans in place and understood well in advance. Even small children can learn that if something happens and they cannot go home, then they should go to Aunt Suzie’s house, or to meet you in front of the school for example.
Maps & Documents
Electronics are a wonderful thing, but always keep hard copies of important documents for emergencies, including maps. Google Earth may not be there when you need it most. If you need to find something in an emergency, such as an alternate route, a real map will save the day.
Shelter
Even if your emergency shelter plan is nothing more than a tent and some tarps, make sure you pack them away in good condition, and that they are easily accessible in an emergency. You may not have a lot of time to pack, or to dig up items.
Bedding
A couple sleeping bags and blankets will make surviving much more comfortable, or even possible. During the winter these can be a necessity rather than a luxury.
Clothing
Always keep 4 season clothing available. Even if it is the dead of winter or the peak of summer when you evacuate, you may not be able to get home as soon as you expect. Always take coats, jackets and boots, even if you are wearing shorts and flip flops.
Medical Supplies
Keep the emergency supply of medications, as well as a good first aid kit, ready to go at all times. Keep a good supply of supplies such as antibiotics, disinfectants and bandages. Make sure to include water purification supplies.
Food
Keep a supply of storable food, especially staples. Make sure to keep a good supply of the basics on hand, such as storeable protein, flour, sugar, salt and oil. Keep a supply of potable water on hand along with the food supplies.
Cooking Supplies
A set of dishes and soap, pots and pans, packed with a camp stove with fuel, or a grate to cook over a fire will go a long ways during an emergency situation.
Communications
This includes an AM/FM radio, 2 way radios, cell phones and chargers (even if they are not working at the time) or anything else you plan to use for communications.
Flashlights
The new LED flashlights are very bright, energy efficient, and are almost impossible to burn out as long as the batteries are good. Add a self charging/crank to the design and you are very well set for an emergency.
Batteries
For the devices that do not operate on human power, keep a good supply of batteries on hand as well.
Writing Supplies
Some writing tablets, pens or pencils, stamps and envelopes can be very useful post emergency evacuation. If communications capabilities are down, you may still be able to get a letter to your family letting them know your status and location. You may also want to keep a log or notes on events as you go, such as directions an locations.
Storage
Keeping all of these supplies together and accessible can be difficult and time consuming. Time may not be an available luxury during an emergency evacuation. Keeping your emergency supplies stowed in rubberized totes and ice chests, ready to grab and go, can save a lot of time and worry. It can also help prevent accidentally forgetting critical supplies.
Long Term Evacuation Plans
In addition to all of the above, consider what you would do if you cannot return home for an extended period-if ever, or there are no means of gathering supplies the ‘normal ‘ way. All of these things are wise investments, and can save our life in the event you need them.
Garden Supplies
Storing seeds and tools in order to grow your own food in an emergency situation can be the difference between survival and extinction. Make sure to store seeds that are not genetically engineered, as many will not reproduce.
Lumber Supplies
Supplies such as axes, mauls and hand saws will give you the ability to gather wood for heat, as well as the ability to build a shelter if needed.
Hunting Supplies
The ability to gather your own meat can be give you the means to provide food when other options have failed. This includes the means to cure or save the meat until you can use it.
Fishing Supplies
Fishing can also supply meat. Storing some tackle, line and poles away for emergencies is always a good idea near water supplies.
A little planning now, can go a long ways when you need it the most.
God bless.
Jeff Citizen
Short Term Evacuation Plans
Family Plan
If you are not ready, and your family is not together when you need to evacuate, then you need to have an emergency plan in place that includes where to go and what to do during an emergency, and everyone in your family has to know what their part is. Communications may or may not be operable during an emergency, so you must have these plans in place and understood well in advance. Even small children can learn that if something happens and they cannot go home, then they should go to Aunt Suzie’s house, or to meet you in front of the school for example.
Maps & Documents
Electronics are a wonderful thing, but always keep hard copies of important documents for emergencies, including maps. Google Earth may not be there when you need it most. If you need to find something in an emergency, such as an alternate route, a real map will save the day.
Shelter
Even if your emergency shelter plan is nothing more than a tent and some tarps, make sure you pack them away in good condition, and that they are easily accessible in an emergency. You may not have a lot of time to pack, or to dig up items.
Bedding
A couple sleeping bags and blankets will make surviving much more comfortable, or even possible. During the winter these can be a necessity rather than a luxury.
Clothing
Always keep 4 season clothing available. Even if it is the dead of winter or the peak of summer when you evacuate, you may not be able to get home as soon as you expect. Always take coats, jackets and boots, even if you are wearing shorts and flip flops.
Medical Supplies
Keep the emergency supply of medications, as well as a good first aid kit, ready to go at all times. Keep a good supply of supplies such as antibiotics, disinfectants and bandages. Make sure to include water purification supplies.
Food
Keep a supply of storable food, especially staples. Make sure to keep a good supply of the basics on hand, such as storeable protein, flour, sugar, salt and oil. Keep a supply of potable water on hand along with the food supplies.
Cooking Supplies
A set of dishes and soap, pots and pans, packed with a camp stove with fuel, or a grate to cook over a fire will go a long ways during an emergency situation.
Communications
This includes an AM/FM radio, 2 way radios, cell phones and chargers (even if they are not working at the time) or anything else you plan to use for communications.
Flashlights
The new LED flashlights are very bright, energy efficient, and are almost impossible to burn out as long as the batteries are good. Add a self charging/crank to the design and you are very well set for an emergency.
Batteries
For the devices that do not operate on human power, keep a good supply of batteries on hand as well.
Writing Supplies
Some writing tablets, pens or pencils, stamps and envelopes can be very useful post emergency evacuation. If communications capabilities are down, you may still be able to get a letter to your family letting them know your status and location. You may also want to keep a log or notes on events as you go, such as directions an locations.
Storage
Keeping all of these supplies together and accessible can be difficult and time consuming. Time may not be an available luxury during an emergency evacuation. Keeping your emergency supplies stowed in rubberized totes and ice chests, ready to grab and go, can save a lot of time and worry. It can also help prevent accidentally forgetting critical supplies.
Long Term Evacuation Plans
In addition to all of the above, consider what you would do if you cannot return home for an extended period-if ever, or there are no means of gathering supplies the ‘normal ‘ way. All of these things are wise investments, and can save our life in the event you need them.
Garden Supplies
Storing seeds and tools in order to grow your own food in an emergency situation can be the difference between survival and extinction. Make sure to store seeds that are not genetically engineered, as many will not reproduce.
Lumber Supplies
Supplies such as axes, mauls and hand saws will give you the ability to gather wood for heat, as well as the ability to build a shelter if needed.
Hunting Supplies
The ability to gather your own meat can be give you the means to provide food when other options have failed. This includes the means to cure or save the meat until you can use it.
Fishing Supplies
Fishing can also supply meat. Storing some tackle, line and poles away for emergencies is always a good idea near water supplies.
A little planning now, can go a long ways when you need it the most.
God bless.
Jeff Citizen
Monday, July 27, 2009
Emergency Communications Planning
The ability to communicate electronically today is considered mundane, not even rating as a luxury in our technologically saturated world. Basic communication capabilities can be significantly reduced, or simply become nonexistent, during many emergency situations. Natural disasters can take out communications and power, system overload can prevent your call from getting through, and system administration can block public access for emergency use. Your personal emergency plans should prepare your family for what to do and where to go during an emergency without communications capabilities.
This guide is a basic outline for you to design an emergency communication plan for yourself and your family. It is not intended as a full emergency plan, this only addresses communication. You should develop your own internal communication procedures including callsigns, codes, signals and frequencies. Keep the plan simple yet effective. Keep your equipment simple, effective and as portable as possible. Keep spare parts to make emergency repairs. Learn your radio systems so you can maintain and repair them, and keep them working to the fullest. If you are able, keep additional batteries, radio units, antennas and cables as backups.
Frequencies & Bands
40 Meter and 80 Meter are the most commonly used SSB High Frequency bands for distance communication. 11 Meter/Citizens Band is the most commonly used AM band, but this band has limited distance capabilities or applications, and can be crowded. The most popular FM band is 2 Meter, which relies on repeaters to operate over distance. FRS Radios are the most common radio communications available to the public, and they also have limited distance capabilities.
Typically even very old HAM radios will cover 10M, 20M, 40M & 80M. You should set up multiple previously designated frequencies on the bands you intend to use. You should have multiple bands available to cover different eventualities. Designate multiple frequencies to monitor on all bands you will use. Alternate the frequencies used in order to reduce the capability of outsiders tracking your communications. If using SSB, alternate upper and lower sidebands at times as well.
Most Commonly Used Radio Frequency Bands
FRS-Family Radio Service-Local Use
Capabilities: Line Of Sight to Several Miles
Frequency Range: 462.5625- 462.725 MHz
2 Meter-Local to Distance Use
Capabilities: Typically 30 Miles Radio, Repeater Use Allows Greater Distance
Frequency Range: 144.0-148.0 MHz
10 Meter-Regional to Distance Use
Capabilities: Vary By Radio Power, Interstate Communication Typical
Frequency Range: 28.000-29.700 MHz
11 Meter-Citizens Band-Local Use
Capabilities: Line Of Sight to Several Miles
Frequency Range: 26.965- 27.405 MHz
20 Meter-Distance Use
Capabilities: Interstate to International Communications
Frequency Range: 14.000-14.350 MHz
40 Meter-Distance Use
Capabilities: International Communications
Frequency Range: 7.000-7.300 MHz
80 Meter-Distance Use
Capabilities: International Communications
Frequency Range: 3.500-4.000 MHz
160 Meter-Distance Use
Capabilities: International Communications
Frequency Range: 1.800- 2.000 MHz
Communication Checks
During an emergency situation, most people or groups will not have the luxury of monitoring the radio full time. Excessive use of communications gear is time consuming, uses additional resources that may be limited including electricity, and may also draw unwanted attention from others that are monitoring for communications. Due to this, a 3/6, 2/6/12 or 6/12 hour check in schedule may be preferable. The ability to accurately monitor and track time may be a problem during some emergency situations, so there should be some flexibility in the plan. Certain days or dates can also be set for checks, or you can set checks daily, weekly, etc.
Sample 6/12 Radio Check Schedule
0300 HRS - Optional/Emergency Check-1/2 HR Monitor
0900 HRS - Regular Check-1 HR Monitor
1500 HRS - Optional/Emergency Check-1/2 HR Monitor
2100 HRS - Regular Check-1 HR Monitor
Join A Communication Network
http://americanpreppersradionet.blogspot.com/
American Preppers has started a weekly radio check in. Check them out if you are a HAM. They are currently using the 20/40/160 Meter bands for weekly checks.
See you on the airwaves.
Jeff Citizen
This guide is a basic outline for you to design an emergency communication plan for yourself and your family. It is not intended as a full emergency plan, this only addresses communication. You should develop your own internal communication procedures including callsigns, codes, signals and frequencies. Keep the plan simple yet effective. Keep your equipment simple, effective and as portable as possible. Keep spare parts to make emergency repairs. Learn your radio systems so you can maintain and repair them, and keep them working to the fullest. If you are able, keep additional batteries, radio units, antennas and cables as backups.
Frequencies & Bands
40 Meter and 80 Meter are the most commonly used SSB High Frequency bands for distance communication. 11 Meter/Citizens Band is the most commonly used AM band, but this band has limited distance capabilities or applications, and can be crowded. The most popular FM band is 2 Meter, which relies on repeaters to operate over distance. FRS Radios are the most common radio communications available to the public, and they also have limited distance capabilities.
Typically even very old HAM radios will cover 10M, 20M, 40M & 80M. You should set up multiple previously designated frequencies on the bands you intend to use. You should have multiple bands available to cover different eventualities. Designate multiple frequencies to monitor on all bands you will use. Alternate the frequencies used in order to reduce the capability of outsiders tracking your communications. If using SSB, alternate upper and lower sidebands at times as well.
Most Commonly Used Radio Frequency Bands
FRS-Family Radio Service-Local Use
Capabilities: Line Of Sight to Several Miles
Frequency Range: 462.5625- 462.725 MHz
2 Meter-Local to Distance Use
Capabilities: Typically 30 Miles Radio, Repeater Use Allows Greater Distance
Frequency Range: 144.0-148.0 MHz
10 Meter-Regional to Distance Use
Capabilities: Vary By Radio Power, Interstate Communication Typical
Frequency Range: 28.000-29.700 MHz
11 Meter-Citizens Band-Local Use
Capabilities: Line Of Sight to Several Miles
Frequency Range: 26.965- 27.405 MHz
20 Meter-Distance Use
Capabilities: Interstate to International Communications
Frequency Range: 14.000-14.350 MHz
40 Meter-Distance Use
Capabilities: International Communications
Frequency Range: 7.000-7.300 MHz
80 Meter-Distance Use
Capabilities: International Communications
Frequency Range: 3.500-4.000 MHz
160 Meter-Distance Use
Capabilities: International Communications
Frequency Range: 1.800- 2.000 MHz
Communication Checks
During an emergency situation, most people or groups will not have the luxury of monitoring the radio full time. Excessive use of communications gear is time consuming, uses additional resources that may be limited including electricity, and may also draw unwanted attention from others that are monitoring for communications. Due to this, a 3/6, 2/6/12 or 6/12 hour check in schedule may be preferable. The ability to accurately monitor and track time may be a problem during some emergency situations, so there should be some flexibility in the plan. Certain days or dates can also be set for checks, or you can set checks daily, weekly, etc.
Sample 6/12 Radio Check Schedule
0300 HRS - Optional/Emergency Check-1/2 HR Monitor
0900 HRS - Regular Check-1 HR Monitor
1500 HRS - Optional/Emergency Check-1/2 HR Monitor
2100 HRS - Regular Check-1 HR Monitor
Join A Communication Network
http://americanpreppersradionet.blogspot.com/
American Preppers has started a weekly radio check in. Check them out if you are a HAM. They are currently using the 20/40/160 Meter bands for weekly checks.
See you on the airwaves.
Jeff Citizen
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Long Term Emergency Preparation
Long term emergency situations without normal resource availability is a very difficult topic to address, sometimes even to discuss. There are as many ways to survive as there are problems you will encounter in the effort to survive. We humans are very creative, especially when our own survival is at stake. Example: Medication storage-Do you try to secure a long term supply, or do you find non commercial alternatives that you can get or store more easily? When it comes to your health, no one can make these difficult decisions for you. I will try to give you some options to help in this posting. Ultimate responsibility, including whether to take any of this seriously or not, falls entirely on you. One of the first major decisions you will need to make: Stay put or bug out? There are pros and cons to either decision. If you live in a highly populated urban environment, and have the means to leave, I recommend taking what you can and need, and getting out. During some situations, leaving may not even be an option, and you will have to dig in where you are. A major point of difference between a long term incident and a short term will be resupply versus storage, and I will point that out regularly throughout this posting.
Health: Your immune system is an integral part of survival, as are the rest of your bodies organs and systems. Malnutrition, dehydration, hypothermia and other matters are important factors that can affect survival quite suddenly. Influenza, hepatitis and your own medical issues are just as important. If a single system or organ goes into critical failure, it is a life threatening condition. Life threatening conditions during emergencies or disasters where normal resources are not available are lethal. You need to make every effort to keep yourself and your family healthy during these types of situations. Stock and maintain extra first aid equipment-not just band aids, I mean a real first aid kit. Minor infections can turn into major problems without proper treatment.
Medication Sources: Keeping a long term supply of necessary mediations on hand, such as heart medication and asthma treatments, is necessary. During a prolonged disaster, you may not gain access to resupply when you run out. Look at natural remedies now, before you need them. Find out what you can do to stay healthy and at least extend the time you can survive without your normal medications. A healthy diet and lifestyle now may very well save your life in the future.
Water Sources: If you are in a city or town, and the municipal water supply is not operational, or is not safe to drink in a long term situation, you need to find alternative resources. If you live in the country and rely on electricity to run your well pump, you may also find yourself without water as well. No matter how much water you store, eventually you will run out of water. For long term events, you will need to locate a source of fresh water in order to survive. Large stores of purification supplies is one way to help negate this in the interim, but regardless of how much you stock up, eventually you will use it up. Having supplies on hand is better than not having supplies, but you should start looking for these resources ahead of time, before you need them during an emergency. The fresher and cleaner the water supply is, the easier it will be to treat it and make it safe to drink. No matter what method you use for purification, it will use up some of your resources. Use them wisely.
Food Sources: Next to water and environmental concerns, food is the next item that will determine life or death, survivor or casualty. Once you are out of food, where can you get more? The grocery stores will not be open during a major disaster, and will probably be wiped out rather quickly once an incident occurs, whether they are open or not. Growing food is an excellent option if you are secluded, but this takes planning and supplies, and is not a ready option for sudden disasters. Do you know what naturally grows in your area that is edible? Now may be a good time to find out, and to start learning about wild plants, etc. Do you know where to find game animals? Do you know how to prepare them for food? How will you cook?
Heat Sources: Thousands of people die all over the world every year during both the summer and winter temperature peaks. Even with normal heating and air conditioning, people in less than ideal health die. Now imagine living thru these temperature extremes without any heat or air conditioning, no running water, and no medical capabilities. The ability to maintain body temperature at safe levels is critical for survival, and is directly affected by your physical condition. Keep on hand plenty of extra blankets, as well as warm outerwear for cold weather survival. For warm weather situations, try to keep water available in addition to your drinking water, so you can spray a little on yourself and keep a cool rag on your neck and head, evaporation may be the only cooling effect available. Cold weather primarily affects the organs, and warm weather primarily affects the brain, try to keep these areas properly regulated as much as possible. Maintain fire sources that last, such as flint or magnesium fire starters.
Shelter Sources: If you are staying put, you may already be in the best shelter you are going to find available. Find ways to make your current residence a place to survive for long term emergencies. There is nothing we can do that will significantly affect the temperature or the weather outside, so we have to make our own accommodations as best we are able. A well insulated shelter is the first step. Most homes, apartments or trailers are only marginally insulated at best, and very few qualify as well insulated. A well insulated shelter will maintain a fairly stable average temperature all year, without climate control and regardless of the weather conditions outside. A cave or underground structure is a prime example of this. Think about alternative shelters now, both where you are, and where you would like to be if you get out of your normal location. Make preparations both places if possible, with stored supplies. A pile of supplies at home does you no good if you end up at your secondary location with nothing.
Money: During a major long term crisis, cash will rapidly decrease in value to nearly worthless in a very short time, and credit will be totally worthless. Many people stock up on gold, silver, gems or other valuables. My point is this: Which of these can you eat, or feed your family with? I am not an economic or investment advisor, but if you are preparing for a long term emergency, I recommend using all available resources for the preparations. Even the rich die from lack of preparation. Never sell yourself short of preparation during an incident either, your preparation is just that-yours.
Fuel: The ability to make your vehicle get from one location to another requires a very hard to find commodity during emergencies. Maintain some extra fuel on hand at all times. Make sure you have stabilized it so it will still be good, modern gasoline breaks down in only a week or 2. Keep the tank as full as you can, and always maintain enough fuel to make it to your alternate location. All the planning and prepping in the world is no good if you cannot get there.
Firearms/Ammunition: During any crisis situation, does anyone ever say “Gee, I wish I didn’t have this gun!”? Can you even imagine that happening? Firearms can secure food, as well as secure your safety. A reasonable supply of the appropriate ammunition to go with the firearm is of course required to make it useful. For survival situations, I have 2 primary suggestions: a .22 caliber rifle, and a long barrel 12 gauge shotgun. It is quite easy to store and carry several hundred rounds of .22 ammunition. A small stock of bird shot and buck shot for a 12 gauge can bring home larger dinner items than the .22, as well as protect your family. Make sure to keep your ammunition dry, in a sealed container preferably. Handguns are a popular item, but their only true benefit is portability, during a survival situation they are of limited value against animals that do not walk upright. If you have more resources available than this, by all means utilize them, but these are my recommendations at a minimalist level. The more ammunition you have on hand, the longer you will have supplies before running out if the situation does not improve. That really is the objective, particularly in an urban setting, to have enough resources on hand to survive until normalcy returns. If normalcy is not going to return, you really need to find a way out of the urban jungle, and into the country where survival will still be difficult, but more reasonably accomplished.
Communication: During a major incident, standard communication methods may be diminished, or completely gone. Do not count on your cell phones, or any other communication lines, to work. You need to have plans in place prior to these incidents to reconnect with your family, both immediate and distant family planning should be in place. Make plans, and backup plans. Make plans on how to find each other if you are unable to get to the meeting locations. Make sure everyone in the family knows what these plans are, including children at school.
During a long term situation without normal available resources, amenities that are considered normal will become scarce, and then nonexistent. Simple things like bathing, toiletries and seasonings may become impossible to get. Even necessities like food and water can become impossible to get, but you have to try to get the necessities. Always remember the difference between a want, and a need, and focus all of your resources and energies on the needs only.
Your mental well being is as important during a time of distress as your physical well being. Be strong, stay focused and do not let the game of survival beat you down. If you have a family to take care of, keep them upbeat with a positive attitude. Spend some quality time together every day, you should have spare time on your hands. Be a leader, physically, mentally and spiritually. Spend time preparing for the worst, and hoping for the best.
My objective with these is not to give you all the answers to your personal survival, but to get you thinking about the future and how to better prepare yourself for it. Some planning is better than none, and lots of planning and preparation is better than that. As always, any questions or comments, feel free to contact me and I will attempt to help you as much as I can-jeffcitizen @ gmail.com, or just comment on the articles directly.
Stay alert, stay safe, stay prepared.
God Bless.
Jeff Citizen
Health: Your immune system is an integral part of survival, as are the rest of your bodies organs and systems. Malnutrition, dehydration, hypothermia and other matters are important factors that can affect survival quite suddenly. Influenza, hepatitis and your own medical issues are just as important. If a single system or organ goes into critical failure, it is a life threatening condition. Life threatening conditions during emergencies or disasters where normal resources are not available are lethal. You need to make every effort to keep yourself and your family healthy during these types of situations. Stock and maintain extra first aid equipment-not just band aids, I mean a real first aid kit. Minor infections can turn into major problems without proper treatment.
Medication Sources: Keeping a long term supply of necessary mediations on hand, such as heart medication and asthma treatments, is necessary. During a prolonged disaster, you may not gain access to resupply when you run out. Look at natural remedies now, before you need them. Find out what you can do to stay healthy and at least extend the time you can survive without your normal medications. A healthy diet and lifestyle now may very well save your life in the future.
Water Sources: If you are in a city or town, and the municipal water supply is not operational, or is not safe to drink in a long term situation, you need to find alternative resources. If you live in the country and rely on electricity to run your well pump, you may also find yourself without water as well. No matter how much water you store, eventually you will run out of water. For long term events, you will need to locate a source of fresh water in order to survive. Large stores of purification supplies is one way to help negate this in the interim, but regardless of how much you stock up, eventually you will use it up. Having supplies on hand is better than not having supplies, but you should start looking for these resources ahead of time, before you need them during an emergency. The fresher and cleaner the water supply is, the easier it will be to treat it and make it safe to drink. No matter what method you use for purification, it will use up some of your resources. Use them wisely.
Food Sources: Next to water and environmental concerns, food is the next item that will determine life or death, survivor or casualty. Once you are out of food, where can you get more? The grocery stores will not be open during a major disaster, and will probably be wiped out rather quickly once an incident occurs, whether they are open or not. Growing food is an excellent option if you are secluded, but this takes planning and supplies, and is not a ready option for sudden disasters. Do you know what naturally grows in your area that is edible? Now may be a good time to find out, and to start learning about wild plants, etc. Do you know where to find game animals? Do you know how to prepare them for food? How will you cook?
Heat Sources: Thousands of people die all over the world every year during both the summer and winter temperature peaks. Even with normal heating and air conditioning, people in less than ideal health die. Now imagine living thru these temperature extremes without any heat or air conditioning, no running water, and no medical capabilities. The ability to maintain body temperature at safe levels is critical for survival, and is directly affected by your physical condition. Keep on hand plenty of extra blankets, as well as warm outerwear for cold weather survival. For warm weather situations, try to keep water available in addition to your drinking water, so you can spray a little on yourself and keep a cool rag on your neck and head, evaporation may be the only cooling effect available. Cold weather primarily affects the organs, and warm weather primarily affects the brain, try to keep these areas properly regulated as much as possible. Maintain fire sources that last, such as flint or magnesium fire starters.
Shelter Sources: If you are staying put, you may already be in the best shelter you are going to find available. Find ways to make your current residence a place to survive for long term emergencies. There is nothing we can do that will significantly affect the temperature or the weather outside, so we have to make our own accommodations as best we are able. A well insulated shelter is the first step. Most homes, apartments or trailers are only marginally insulated at best, and very few qualify as well insulated. A well insulated shelter will maintain a fairly stable average temperature all year, without climate control and regardless of the weather conditions outside. A cave or underground structure is a prime example of this. Think about alternative shelters now, both where you are, and where you would like to be if you get out of your normal location. Make preparations both places if possible, with stored supplies. A pile of supplies at home does you no good if you end up at your secondary location with nothing.
Money: During a major long term crisis, cash will rapidly decrease in value to nearly worthless in a very short time, and credit will be totally worthless. Many people stock up on gold, silver, gems or other valuables. My point is this: Which of these can you eat, or feed your family with? I am not an economic or investment advisor, but if you are preparing for a long term emergency, I recommend using all available resources for the preparations. Even the rich die from lack of preparation. Never sell yourself short of preparation during an incident either, your preparation is just that-yours.
Fuel: The ability to make your vehicle get from one location to another requires a very hard to find commodity during emergencies. Maintain some extra fuel on hand at all times. Make sure you have stabilized it so it will still be good, modern gasoline breaks down in only a week or 2. Keep the tank as full as you can, and always maintain enough fuel to make it to your alternate location. All the planning and prepping in the world is no good if you cannot get there.
Firearms/Ammunition: During any crisis situation, does anyone ever say “Gee, I wish I didn’t have this gun!”? Can you even imagine that happening? Firearms can secure food, as well as secure your safety. A reasonable supply of the appropriate ammunition to go with the firearm is of course required to make it useful. For survival situations, I have 2 primary suggestions: a .22 caliber rifle, and a long barrel 12 gauge shotgun. It is quite easy to store and carry several hundred rounds of .22 ammunition. A small stock of bird shot and buck shot for a 12 gauge can bring home larger dinner items than the .22, as well as protect your family. Make sure to keep your ammunition dry, in a sealed container preferably. Handguns are a popular item, but their only true benefit is portability, during a survival situation they are of limited value against animals that do not walk upright. If you have more resources available than this, by all means utilize them, but these are my recommendations at a minimalist level. The more ammunition you have on hand, the longer you will have supplies before running out if the situation does not improve. That really is the objective, particularly in an urban setting, to have enough resources on hand to survive until normalcy returns. If normalcy is not going to return, you really need to find a way out of the urban jungle, and into the country where survival will still be difficult, but more reasonably accomplished.
Communication: During a major incident, standard communication methods may be diminished, or completely gone. Do not count on your cell phones, or any other communication lines, to work. You need to have plans in place prior to these incidents to reconnect with your family, both immediate and distant family planning should be in place. Make plans, and backup plans. Make plans on how to find each other if you are unable to get to the meeting locations. Make sure everyone in the family knows what these plans are, including children at school.
During a long term situation without normal available resources, amenities that are considered normal will become scarce, and then nonexistent. Simple things like bathing, toiletries and seasonings may become impossible to get. Even necessities like food and water can become impossible to get, but you have to try to get the necessities. Always remember the difference between a want, and a need, and focus all of your resources and energies on the needs only.
Your mental well being is as important during a time of distress as your physical well being. Be strong, stay focused and do not let the game of survival beat you down. If you have a family to take care of, keep them upbeat with a positive attitude. Spend some quality time together every day, you should have spare time on your hands. Be a leader, physically, mentally and spiritually. Spend time preparing for the worst, and hoping for the best.
My objective with these is not to give you all the answers to your personal survival, but to get you thinking about the future and how to better prepare yourself for it. Some planning is better than none, and lots of planning and preparation is better than that. As always, any questions or comments, feel free to contact me and I will attempt to help you as much as I can-jeffcitizen @ gmail.com, or just comment on the articles directly.
Stay alert, stay safe, stay prepared.
God Bless.
Jeff Citizen
Global Virus Pandemic?
Just a quick addition for now, due to the current H1N1 virus epidemic/pandemic situation.
1-Do everything listed in the last post.
2-Also stock up on quality vitamins, especially multivitamins, C and D, at least a 1 month supply of each per person. Start taking them now, everyone in the home. Vitamins C and D are major immune system boosters, and a healthy immune system will be the difference between getting sick, and getting really sick.
3-Monitor the situation, and stay away from problem locations. Due to the speed with which this virus is spreading, and the fact that people are contagious even before showing symptoms, plan on getting the virus unless you can stay home for the next couple months with no outside contact.
A useful place to monitor the progress of this virus is http://outbreaks.globalincidentmap.com/home.php.
For information about the virus monitor http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/.
Stay healthy, stay safe, and stay prepared. God Bless.
Jeff Citizen
1-Do everything listed in the last post.
2-Also stock up on quality vitamins, especially multivitamins, C and D, at least a 1 month supply of each per person. Start taking them now, everyone in the home. Vitamins C and D are major immune system boosters, and a healthy immune system will be the difference between getting sick, and getting really sick.
3-Monitor the situation, and stay away from problem locations. Due to the speed with which this virus is spreading, and the fact that people are contagious even before showing symptoms, plan on getting the virus unless you can stay home for the next couple months with no outside contact.
A useful place to monitor the progress of this virus is http://outbreaks.globalincidentmap.com/home.php.
For information about the virus monitor http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/.
Stay healthy, stay safe, and stay prepared. God Bless.
Jeff Citizen
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Basic Emergency Preparation
There is a lot of information available, telling people to secure their important documents, keep medications and clean water, etc. This information is going to be much more in depth. This is not how to prepare for a minor concern, this is how to prepare for a worst case scenario. Take it or leave it, your ability to take care of yourself and your family is ultimately your responsibility. Regardless of the cause of the emergency, including natural disaster, accident or attack, the ability to sustain without outside resources and assistance during a crisis is essential.
What To Store
Medications: Any essential daily medications, try to keep an extra month’s supply on hand, particularly if they are required to survive. A three month supply would be preferred, but a one month supply is good. Keep a well stocked First Aid Kit, with extras of the essentials such as bandages, alcohol, iodine and antibiotic ointment.
Water: Humans can survive for weeks without any food, but only days without any water. A couple of bottles of water will not last you long. Find a way to store large quantities of clean water, and sterilize it for storage. If you have a recreational vehicle, use the built in facilities, but be careful not to let it freeze and damage the unit. If you can store one hundred gallons of drinking water, you are far ahead of where you would be with nothing to drink during an emergency. An easy way to decide how much water to store is: number of people times days times .5 gallons. This does not include water for sanitation, but should cover cooking and drinking supplies. I recommend storing an additional and separate water supply for sanitation purposes.
Food: Only store food that is capable of keeping long term, and that can be used to provide essential nutrients. Dry goods such as dry beans, rice and flour are good choices. Some foods are not capable of storing long term, and will go rancid. Be careful in your storage selections. Canned goods such as vegetables and meat are useful items, but be careful that they will store, and be careful to ration the use during emergencies.
Heat: No matter the climate, the ability to produce heat is needed if you want to cook. Unless you store only food that is ready to eat, you will need cooking capabilities. Camp stoves are excellent backup cooking sources, but do not forget they require large amounts of fuel to be stored. If you are in colder locations, the ability to stay warm may be a deciding factor between life and death, making blankets and sleeping bags essential items.
Shelter: This can mean many things to different people. There are other things to consider other than just weather when selecting shelter options, including the type of emergency you are preparing for. Shelters to protect from radiation or chemical incidents are not the same as shelters to protect from moderate temperatures. Basic shelter requirements include the ability to maintain a dry environment above freezing temperatures, not for comfort purposes, but to be able to maintain basic functions. It is very difficult to drink ice. Cooking with ice, or thawing ice to drink, will take additional heat resources. Shelters to protect from dangerous substances are designed for short term use only, and will keep you safe from the danger for a short time until it is considered safe to evacuate the area. Consider a secondary location where you can store supplies, as you may not be able to take supplies with you from a contaminated area.
Money: During an emergency, cash or valuables will most likely be the only currency, and that still may not be accepted or useable. Take anything you have available, and use it how you can to maintain your essential supplies only.
Firearms: Many people have emergency supplies that include firearms. Many people that don’t wish they did. The right type of firearm is an excellent addition. It can be used to gather meat, as well as protect yourself if needed.
That is a basic introduction to Emergency Preparation. If you have specific topics or questions, submit them as comments for review.
Jeff Citizen
What To Store
Medications: Any essential daily medications, try to keep an extra month’s supply on hand, particularly if they are required to survive. A three month supply would be preferred, but a one month supply is good. Keep a well stocked First Aid Kit, with extras of the essentials such as bandages, alcohol, iodine and antibiotic ointment.
Water: Humans can survive for weeks without any food, but only days without any water. A couple of bottles of water will not last you long. Find a way to store large quantities of clean water, and sterilize it for storage. If you have a recreational vehicle, use the built in facilities, but be careful not to let it freeze and damage the unit. If you can store one hundred gallons of drinking water, you are far ahead of where you would be with nothing to drink during an emergency. An easy way to decide how much water to store is: number of people times days times .5 gallons. This does not include water for sanitation, but should cover cooking and drinking supplies. I recommend storing an additional and separate water supply for sanitation purposes.
Food: Only store food that is capable of keeping long term, and that can be used to provide essential nutrients. Dry goods such as dry beans, rice and flour are good choices. Some foods are not capable of storing long term, and will go rancid. Be careful in your storage selections. Canned goods such as vegetables and meat are useful items, but be careful that they will store, and be careful to ration the use during emergencies.
Heat: No matter the climate, the ability to produce heat is needed if you want to cook. Unless you store only food that is ready to eat, you will need cooking capabilities. Camp stoves are excellent backup cooking sources, but do not forget they require large amounts of fuel to be stored. If you are in colder locations, the ability to stay warm may be a deciding factor between life and death, making blankets and sleeping bags essential items.
Shelter: This can mean many things to different people. There are other things to consider other than just weather when selecting shelter options, including the type of emergency you are preparing for. Shelters to protect from radiation or chemical incidents are not the same as shelters to protect from moderate temperatures. Basic shelter requirements include the ability to maintain a dry environment above freezing temperatures, not for comfort purposes, but to be able to maintain basic functions. It is very difficult to drink ice. Cooking with ice, or thawing ice to drink, will take additional heat resources. Shelters to protect from dangerous substances are designed for short term use only, and will keep you safe from the danger for a short time until it is considered safe to evacuate the area. Consider a secondary location where you can store supplies, as you may not be able to take supplies with you from a contaminated area.
Money: During an emergency, cash or valuables will most likely be the only currency, and that still may not be accepted or useable. Take anything you have available, and use it how you can to maintain your essential supplies only.
Firearms: Many people have emergency supplies that include firearms. Many people that don’t wish they did. The right type of firearm is an excellent addition. It can be used to gather meat, as well as protect yourself if needed.
That is a basic introduction to Emergency Preparation. If you have specific topics or questions, submit them as comments for review.
Jeff Citizen
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Introduction
Welcome.
This forum has been created to help educate and inform people on how to prepare for the worst. It is not limited in geography, or any other limiting factor. As long as people are making an honest effort to contribute, they are welcome. Detractors and distracters are not.
Every successful venture takes planning. Are you prepared for a 'worst case' scenario? Regardless of the cause, from weather to war, you should be prepared. That is exactly what this information source will address. Planning & Preparation are keys to survival during these incidents.
I hope you find this venue useful, and I look forward to your contributions as well.
Oath Keepers: Oath Keepers: Orders We Will Not Obey#c7551035976473034860#c7551035976473034860#c7551035976473034860
A good reference on US Law, Politics, and what is happening... Highly recommended. Site is aimed at those who are sworn to protect and serve our Nation, and what they should do when things go wrong.If you are Active Duty Military, National Guard, Reserve, Law Enforcement, or otherwise sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution, please take the time to check this link out.
Also, please take the time to watch this video if you are not well versed on government. http://www.wimp.com/thegovernment/
This is an interesting bit on the current state of the US Constitution and your rights. http://www.dirtyunclesam.com/
Enjoy!
Jeff Citizen
This forum has been created to help educate and inform people on how to prepare for the worst. It is not limited in geography, or any other limiting factor. As long as people are making an honest effort to contribute, they are welcome. Detractors and distracters are not.
Every successful venture takes planning. Are you prepared for a 'worst case' scenario? Regardless of the cause, from weather to war, you should be prepared. That is exactly what this information source will address. Planning & Preparation are keys to survival during these incidents.
I hope you find this venue useful, and I look forward to your contributions as well.
Oath Keepers: Oath Keepers: Orders We Will Not Obey#c7551035976473034860#c7551035976473034860#c7551035976473034860
A good reference on US Law, Politics, and what is happening... Highly recommended. Site is aimed at those who are sworn to protect and serve our Nation, and what they should do when things go wrong.If you are Active Duty Military, National Guard, Reserve, Law Enforcement, or otherwise sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution, please take the time to check this link out.
Also, please take the time to watch this video if you are not well versed on government. http://www.wimp.com/thegovernment/
This is an interesting bit on the current state of the US Constitution and your rights. http://www.dirtyunclesam.com/
Enjoy!
Jeff Citizen
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