Dave’s 10 Principles of Disaster Preparedness
Part 2
Last week I started a series on my 10 Principles of Disaster
Preparedness. It is my sincere belief that your preparedness should
have a plan. Being prepared is more than a full pantry of Spam, rice
and beans. Preparedness begins with a mindset that says, “No matter
what happens, we’re going to get through any disaster thrown at us!”
Accumulating extra stores and planning ahead is all part of the overall
picture, but there should be some guiding principles behind how you
prepare and for what reasons. In case you missed the first three
principles, see last week’s column or check it out on my blog.
4.
There is value in redundancy. An old joke among government employees
is that somewhere deep in the bureaucracy swamp known as Washington,
there is an agency known as the Department of Redundancy Department.
This principle sounds a bit like #3, “Always Have A Plan B,” but if you
only have one way of purifying water, then two ways is even better. If
you have one case of toilet paper, two is better. The more you have
stored, the more you have available for barter or charity. Equally as
important are the qualities of versatility and flexibility. Disasters
don’t follow a rigid design, so it’s best if you design your plan with a
certain adaptability factor as well.
5.
Don’t make preparations out of fear. Several months ago we held a
class at our church on Disaster Preparedness. There were about 25
people in attendance. We discussed some of the reasons for prepping
including the possibility of a mega-earthquake. After the class one of
the attendees went home, gathered her children and pitched a tent out in
the middle of a field in fear of an earthquake destroying her house. I
carry a spare tire in my car, not out of fear of a flat tire, but just
in case. I have Band-aids in my wallet, just in case. The story is
told of an 80 year old woman confronted by police. It was found she had
two handguns in her purse, one in her glovebox and a shotgun under the
seat. The officer asked, “Ma’am, just what is it you are afraid of?”
Her
reply, “Nothing!” When you lay in extra stores, do so with the posture
of “just in case.” Not because you’re afraid of what might happen.
6. Beware of “Style Over Substance!” Politicians are fond of making
laws, usually with great pomp and volume, that are long on publicity and
short on actual effectiveness. We all know of products that don’t live
up to their billing. Not everything labelled “Survival” will be of
benefit when actually put to the test. I am convinced that much
so-called “survival” gear was designed by the P.T. Barnum School of
Marketing. You’ll recall their motto, I’m sure: “There’s a sucker born
every minute!” When making a purchase for your preparations, do your
research and think it through. First ask yourself if you know how to use
it. Then try to determine the probability of necessity if there is a
disaster. Make smart, well-informed purchases before you invest. It’s not only
your money at stake, your life may depend on this thing.
Next week we’ll continue with more of my Ten Principles. As always send your questions, comments and suggestions to disasterprep.dave@gmail.com.
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