Dry Runs

               Fire drills are proven to save lives.  In 1958 a school fire in Chicago claimed the lives of 92 children.  Since then routine fire drills in every school across the country have taught children what to do when the alarm rings.  When that happens, there is no time for instruction, debate or second-guessing.  Every child in every school knows exactly what to do and where to go.  As a result, there have been no school-fire-related fatalities in the United States for the past few decades.
               Recently a tsunami drill was held in the Coos Bay-North Bend area.  When the sirens sounded at the appointed time, hundreds of people made their way to high ground and to safe assembly points throughout the Bay Area.  Organizers claimed it was a resounding success because, just like the fire drills, those who participated will know exactly what to do when the real thing occurs.
               There is a reason (and a requirement) airlines go through those recitations before every take-off.  You know the one, “Ladies and gentlemen, this is how a seatbelt works, and in the unlikely event of the loss of cabin pressure this mask will drop down…”  Frequent flyers always act bored and almost perturbed that they must endure this one more time, but the truth is, those little briefings save lives.  When there is an emergency landing, everyone already knows where the exits are, everyone knows how to open them and that there will be a big, inflatable slippery slide to safety.  Passengers know to put their own mask on first, and then attend to the children and others around them.  People know what to do ahead of time and lives are spared as a result.
               If you feel slighted because you missed the tsunami drill in Coos Bay, take heart, the Great Oregon Shakeout is coming!  The safety motto for earthquake preparedness is, “Drop, Cover, and Hold On!”  This provides “an annual opportunity to practice how to be safer during big earthquakes.  The ShakeOut has also been organized to encourage you, your community, your school, or your organization to review and update emergency preparedness plans and supplies, and to secure your space in order to prevent damage and injuries.”
               It’s easy to register for the event although participation is encouraged even without registering.  Check out their website at www.shakeout.org/oregon.  You’ll find that churches, schools, businesses, individuals, tribes, government agencies and much more are invited to register.  For those who register there are news updates, posters to print, and multi-media resources regarding the event.  You’ll also find ideas to organize your neighborhood and a reminder to refresh your emergency supply kit.
               The overall idea is to raise awareness and train people on what to do and do it quickly in the event of an emergency.  It’s all about saving lives and minimizing injury.  As always you may send your feedback to disasterprep.dave@gmail.com.

Stuff About Knives

“Mary gave him a bran-new "Barlow" knife worth twelve and a half cents; and the convulsion of delight that swept his system shook him to his foundations. True, the knife would not cut anything, but it was a "sure-enough" Barlow, and there was inconceivable grandeur in that - …”.   - The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

       Knives have always been a part of American culture.  From a rite of passage for Tom Sawyer to today’s hi-tech blade systems and multi-tools.  Whether or not you carry a knife in your pocket or purse every day, you should have one in your kit. There are folding knives, non-folding knives, multi-bladed knives and all kinds of spring-loaded knives.  Big ones, little ones and in-between ones.  There’s a knife for every purpose and for every budget, and like most things, you get what you pay for.        
       Everyone knows about Swiss Army knives.  Understand that not all red plastic- handled knives are the genuine article.  There are only two companies authorized to market “Swiss Army” knives.  Victorinox and Wenger. Victorinox acquired Wenger in 2005 and they have decided to retain the Wenger nameplate.  To determine the brand of a knife, open the blade.  The brand is engraved on the ricasso (base of the blade).  If it simply says “China” or “Pakistan” or “stainless” then keep looking, that is unless you’re buying a cheap gift for your brother-in-law.
               Some of the best quality knives are made right here in Oregon.  Gerber, CRKT (Columbia River Knife and Tool), Benchmade, Kershaw and Leatherman, to name a few.  These companies offer a wide selection of quality products.  Most companies offer knives that appeal to the “survival” crowd.  Once again, use wisdom when choosing a knife. Some so-called survival knives wouldn’t help you survive a 30-second power outage much less a real emergency.  Let me tell you about a couple of knives I own and recommend.  First is a folding knife made by Tool Logic.  It features one-handed opening, a built-in whistle, an LED flashlight and a magnesium fire striker.  Cost is in the $50 range.  The other is marketed by Bear Grylls (of Man vs. Wild ).  Manufactured by Gerber, it is a fixed-blade knife.  Incorporated into the design is a whistle, a firesteel, and a sharpening stone.  The butt of the handle is designed to pound things like tent stakes, walnuts and even nails should the need arise.  Cost is also in the $50 range.
               Another must-have for your kit is a multi-tool.  Multi-tools were made famous by Leatherman and have been copied by most other knife makers.  All multi-tools have a knife blade, an assortment of screwdriver heads, a set of pliers and depending on the manufacturer, a saw, wire-cutter and mini-scissors.  As most men already know, a good multi-tool is a very valuable item to have.  
               I would be interested in hearing your knife stories or recommendations for outdoor equipment.  As always, email me at disasterprep.dave@gmail.com.
          

Practical Preparedness

               Remember MacGyver?  He was the guy in the television series of the same name that could fix anything with a Swiss Army knife and a gum wrapper.  He could whittle a helicopter and fly it out of an enemy prison compound and make it seem believable.  I rarely missed an episode simply because he inspired us to make do with what we had and rely on our skills to overcome any adversity.  For some reason it was about then I bought a Swiss Army knife.  MacGyver didn’t always have the coolest gadgets, but he used what he had on hand and fashioned a solution.
               Some time back there was an article in a statewide newspaper about three hikers that spent an unplanned night in the woods.  Taking a wrong turn, they eventually realized they were lost.  One member of the group was quoted as saying, “…I just thought: What do I need?  I need shelter, I need food, I need water.”  The article goes on to say he built a shelter of branches, pine needles and two towels.  They had some trail mix and drank water from a stream.
               After they were rescued the next day, the local Sheriff’s Department commented, “Even if you’re not planning to spend the night, pack like you are. Essentials include food, water, a compass, a knife and a form of communication.”  I might add that some method to start a fire would be mighty handy as well.  A fire, besides offering warmth, is good company at night.  Their attitude, their refusal to panic, and their skills allowed them to survive the night.  In other words, they “MacGyvered” their way through a survival situation.
               There are a couple of handy gadgets to have on such an outing.  One is a GPS receiver, which I mentioned in a previous column.  A Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver would probably have helped them get back on the right trail, or possibly find another way out of the woods.  The other device is something known as a SPOT locator.  A SPOT locator is battery powered and fits easily in the palm of your hand.  Using a marriage of GPS and satellite phone technology, it provides one-way communication to pin-point your location, signal for help, or notify friends and family that your status is “OK.”  The price starts at $99, plus an annual service fee. Mountain climbers, pilots, kayakers, mushers, and all sorts of outdoorsmen are using them to give their families peace of mind and to summon help if needed.  One big advantage is they work where cell phones won’t.
               Now that summer is here, many of us will be heading into the great outdoors, so it’s a good time to check your backpack, gear-up and be prepared - even if you don’t plan to spend the night.  As always, your comments and questions are welcome at disasterprep.dave@gmail.com (Certain quotes and information were used by permission from the Statesman Journal and reporter Emily Gillespie.  link to the original article: http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/statesmanjournal/access/2684388611.html?FMT=ABS&date=Jun+12%2C+2012 )

Stress Management

       Often following a tragic event, I note where those responsible for post-event management have brought in, not only food, shelter and medical care, but counselors to deal with confusion, survivors guilt or other mental distress.  The most often heard phrase is, “remain calm.”  Remaining calm is NOT a natural response when your world has been shaken, your home burned or loved ones injured.  Many times people feel the need to blame someone or something.  This blame-placing urge usually results from a need to gain control of the situation by putting it into a familiar or understandable context.  The usual targets for fixing blame are authority figures or government officials who should have done more to lessen the effects of the disaster.
       Sometime back I had some friends who headed for a motel the minute their power when out.  When I asked about using their camping gear to get by until the electricity was restored they acted like that had never occurred to them.  It can be very unsettling when we find out how ill-prepared we are to handle a crisis.

It is important to be able to recognize and detect the signs of stress and/or shock during an emergency. Here are several warning signs that you may experience during emergency situations.

Physical signs: fatigue, upset stomach, shakiness, dizziness, heart palpitations, clamminess, disorientation, difficulty thinking, memory loss or loss of appetite.
Emotional signs: anxiety, grief, depression, irritability, feeling overwhelmed, thinking you or your loved ones will be harmed, nightmares or extreme fear.

When you are prepared, you are less likely to feel helpless and less likely to experience stress related disorders. You will remember what you discussed as a family and apply what you learned from those discussions and drills to help you overcome your situation.

Other things you can do now to help make a disaster less nerve-racking is to pack items in your emergency kits that you use in everyday life. For your children, pack coloring books, crayons, stories, gum, candy, stuffed animals and other useful items. For adults, pack a good book, a brush, razors, soap, playing cards, hard candy, paper and pen, medication, toilet paper and sundry items. These items can provide relief for stress during the times you have to wait for your life to return to normal.
    Other stress-relieving items are desserts.  Gelatin desserts, just-add-water, pudding, cake,muffin, and cookie mixes, candy bars, popcorn, dehydrated fruits and fruit drinks. These items may seem frivolous, but they can really make a difference in helping you cope in an emergency.
Developing a positive attitude and learning coping and stress relieving methods will help you, not only in times of disaster, but throughout your life. So prepare now--it will be well worth the effort!  As always send your questions or comments to disasterprep.dave@gmail.com.
       

C.O.O.P.

Everybody likes to poke fun at the government, especially the post office. I have worked for the Postal Service for over 30 years and have heard all the horror stories, complaints and “suggestions.” And yes, I admit, we do make mistakes, but we also do lots of things right. One of the things that we do well is keeping the mail moving when nothing else seems to be.

When Hurricane Katrina simply wiped some post offices off their

foundations and filled others with water and debris, the Postal Service was one of the very first agencies to respond quickly and kept the mail moving in areas while other government services were paralyzed for days, and in some cases, weeks.

Each year every postmaster is required to complete a Continuation Of Operations Plan (C.O.O.P.). This plan lists the personnel who are capable of providing leadership in an emergency, alternate post office in the area if your local office is somehow rendered unusable, and a plan to keep the mail flowing as much as possible. For those of us on the

South Coast of Oregon, keeping the mail moving to and from the region will depend on the bridges remaining in service and the roads being open, which in the event of an earthquake may or may not be realistic. The experts tell us a major quake will isolate us for several weeks due to closed roads and bridges. That will affect the trucks which transport our mail as well. Limited mail service could possibly be handled by airplane or helicopter until the roads are again made passable. While I’m on the topic, your grocer’s trucks won’t be able to get through either. Experience in other areas has taught us that grocery store shelves empty out within hours of a major event. I’m not here to scare you, but you really do need to be putting aside some groceries.

For those who receive medication by mail, this is another matter to consider. Connecting with your doctor to arrange an extra supply of needed prescriptions would be something you may want to discuss on your next visit.

Back to C.O.O.P., if you own a business, do you have a plan to continue operations without power? If an event happens during mid-workday and your employees can’t get home, is your workplace set up to provide for their needs until they can get home? I realize this is taking the conversation to a higher level, but if you’re serious about being ready, these are questions you need to ask yourself. This would be a good topic of discussion for your next staff meeting. Asking, and finding answers for, the hard questions now will lessen some of the hard decisions you may have to make when the time comes.

As always, contact me with questions or comments at

disasterprep.dave@gmail.com.

The Apps and Downs of Disaster Preparedness

               Back in 1996, I read Bill Gates’s book, The Road Ahead.  For those of us who can remember back that far, computers were fairly commonplace and the internet was just coming into its own.  Cell phones were just that, phones.  No texting, no cameras, no online capability.  Just phones.  Mr. Gates made a prediction that one day we would all carry around computers that would easily fit into our shirt pockets.  I remember wondering how that keyboard was going to fit.  
               Today, so far, I’ve used my phone to send and receive emails, text messages and checked the weather, the news and my appointments for the evening.  Oh yes, and I have actually made several telephone calls. Bill Gates’s prophecy has come true.  It even fits neatly in my shirt pocket, keyboard and all.
               One of the features about smart phones that everyone seems to like is the capability to run various applications (Apps for short).  Kids load games on their phones and we grown-ups, well we load games also, but we have grown-up Apps.
               No matter your area of interest, there’s an App for that.  Some are even helpful with disaster preparedness.  I have an App that notifies me immediately of an earthquake anywhere on the planet.  Location, intensity and whether or not a tsunami is a factor.  It’s called Earthquake Alert and is free (as are all the apps mentioned in this column).
               Another is called “iTriage.”  This App is designed by emergency room doctors and is very extensive.  You enter symptoms, the part of the body affected and you get a list of possible ailments.  It also has locations of medical facilities in the area and directions to them.  In fact, it will use your phone’s built-in GPS to direct you to your facility of choice.  First aid and trauma care are also features of this App.
               Then there’s the Military Survival Guide. Designed after the U.S. Army Field Manual FM-21-76.  Survival in various climates, conditions and circumstances are covered in detail.  How to build shelter, fire, make simple weapons and find food.  Which plants to eat, which to avoid.  Weather prognostication by observing clouds, complete with color photos of different kinds of cloud formations.
               I use my Weather Channel App every day.  Keeping abreast of the weather is all part of the “Be Informed” motto of disaster preparedness.  Another App tracks tide information, handy for those of us living on the coast.
               One I learned of a few months back, thanks to our local OSU Extension Office, was designed by the North Dakota State University Extension Service, called “Winter Survival Kit.”  It’s designed for those who travel in blizzard conditions.  If you should become stranded, it will calculate how many hours you can run your car’s heater before you’re out of gas.  There is a list of emergency equipment you should carry in your car and a place to enter your insurance information, auto club and phone numbers of persons to contact in case of emergency.
               All-in-all, just more examples of how we can use technology to our advantage.  As always, send your questions and comments to disasterprep.dave@gmail.com.