Welcome

This blog has grown out of my weekly newspaper column. Enjoy.
A prudent person forsees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences. Proverbs 22:3 (NLT)

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Go Camping


    One of the more popular summer activities in our area is always camping.  We live in the middle of one of the most beautiful outdoor recreation areas in the world.  No matter where you live in the South Coast region of Oregon, you are only a short drive from an amazing camping location.  Whether you need full hookups for your home on wheels or simply a flat spot to pitch your tent, Southwestern Oregon has a camping experience to meet your need.
    While I have always loved to go camping, not everyone is in love with a back-to-nature weekend.  “Why would you want to pretend you’re homeless?”  “We have a nice house, why go live in a tent with no shower, no toilet and rough it?”  It is a lot of extra work, and when you get home, you have to clean up your stuff and put it away while you’re feeling grimy, tired and a little weird from eating too much junk food!  On the “plus” side, you have just made an amazing memory with your kids!
    But with all this being true, a family camping trip is a great way to test your disaster preparedness skills.  How organized are you?  I don’t think I have ever gone camping when I didn’t forget something I needed.  A few years back I took my grandson up in the Siskiyou National Forest for a three-day trip.  When we arrived at the Forest Service campground we set up the tent, arranged our ice chest full of food and it was then I discovered I had forgotten the Coleman stove.  I took stock of my situation and decided to go it without the stove.  It was too far to go back home and retrieve the thing, it was also too far to go to town and buy another one.  Besides I looked at my menu and decided I could cook everything on my list over an open campfire.  So we did.  It wasn’t as handy as the stove would have been, but other than blackening some of my cooking utensils, we made do with no serious consequences.
    Maybe a camping trip would be a good shake-down cruise for your disaster preps. Make a list, check off the items and spend a weekend in the wild.  You will invariably learn what you should have brought along.  You will even learn what you could have left behind.   If the power grid fails, or a major earthquake strikes, your camping gear will be your key to maintaining some kind of normalcy.  If you have it arranged in a general location, you’ll be able to lay your hands on what you need quickly. Maybe even in the dark.  Your lantern, your cook stove, and other gear will get you through while your neighbors are still trying to hunt up their flashlight.  While we’re on the topic of your neighbors; once your home is stabilized, make sure your neighbors are ok.  It’s possible they are completely unprepared and are sitting in the dark hoping the lights come back on soon.  
    If you’ve ever gone camping and forgotten something important, I’d like to hear about it. As always, your comments and questions may be sent to disasterprep.dave@gmail.com.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

C.E.R.T.


    Community Emergency Response Team, commonly referred to as C.E.R.T, refers to a cadre of volunteers who have spent time equipping themselves to respond in a disaster.  The professional emergency responders know they will be completely overwhelmed when an earthquake or other disaster strikes the region.  Having a volunteer group on call who has already been through “basic training” and possesses certain basic equipment will be a lifesaver during the time of crisis.  
    If this interests you, and you want to be listed in the asset column in your community then now’s your chance.  Signing up for C.E.R.T. training includes classes on First Aid, Triage,
Light Search and Rescue, the proper use of a fire extinguisher among other related topics.  In most communities, only C.E.R.T. personnel are allowed in the operational areas to assist in time of disaster.  Well-meaning, untrained volunteers are often considered obstacles to the mission at hand, in other words, liabilities.  
    Mark your calendar now.  C.E.R.T. training will begin on October 1, 2013, at the Bandon Fire Department.  Classes will be held every Tuesday evening for eight weeks, until November 19.  For registration information and more details go to: http://www.banprep.org/contact-us.php
    Most C.E.R.T. training sessions involve a long, intensive marathon weekend which is a little like trying to drink from a firehose.  The way this class is structured the student gets a chance to absorb and process each topic from week to week, and still keep all your weekends free.
    Additionally a new app for your smartphone is on the way.  Called CERTify, the app enables CERT coordinators to send messages and assignments to team members during an emergency situation.  It also enables decision-makers to keep a closer eye on volunteers’ safety and rescue credentials.  The app was developed as part of a contest to create applications for various public safety issues.  Available later this year, the app will allow C.E.R.T. members to be to able update their training profile and also notify the disaster coordinator or Incident Command personnel upon completion of assigned tasks.
One future enhancement in the works is the app will allow users access to an emergency communications channel that could be utilized if the cellular network was down.  
The subjects covered in C.E.R.T. classes are topics with which everyone should be familiar. You really should have some knowledge of basic first aid.  You should know how to conduct a search in your neighborhood.  The first time you look at your fire extinguisher should not be when the flames are licking at your neighbor’s curtains.  
As always send your comments and questions to disasterprep.dave@gmail.com.  

Friday, August 16, 2013

Get Home Bag


    If you’ve been reading this column over the past several months, you’re already on board with the theme, “Get A Kit, Make A Plan, Be Informed.”  Lets face it, most people know that they need to have some things set aside at home just in case the power goes out, but lets discuss what happens when you’re not home and a disaster happens.  
    Several months back I shared a story about how I was unable to get home from work on one occasion.  Although I didn’t have to sleep on the floor of my office, I did have a toothbrush, razor and other items that helped me get by until I could get home.
I live in Myrtle Point and commute to work in Bandon every day.  My wife works in Coos Bay, so both of us are away from home a large share of time.  The odds are very good of something happening while we are away from home.  Some time ago, our son challenged us; “If a disaster were to occur while you were at work, would you have what you needed to survive long enough to get home?”  Now, a few years have passed and my bag has grown.    Since then I am rarely without it.  It goes to work with me, if I leave town for a few days I’ve got it with me.  Like many folks my age, I take certain medications that keep my system on an even keel. In the event I’m stranded somewhere, then I would need my pills and have included a few days’ supply of my meds in the kit.  
You may have guessed there are kits available to purchase. Someone gave me a three-day kit about the size of a kid’s lunch box.  It is very tidy, compact and actually has enough to get by in a pinch.  It contains a little first aid kit, some food bars, a couple of water pouches and some odds and ends.  I don’t carry it with me, rather I use it for demonstration purposes. Everyone’s kit will look differently based on your individual needs.  
As usual I recommend building your own kit.  That way you will become ‘invested’ in this project, rather than let someone decide for you what you’re going to need.  I suggest you go online and check out the kits that catch your eye and get ideas to put in your own kit.  Those ready-made kits are going to contain items you will never use.  When you assemble your own you will have given some thought to every single item.  
You can begin with a medium-sized backpack, some extra clothing items, some toiletries and a few food items.  From there use your imagination.  Play the “what-if” game.  How about an extra pair of eyeglasses or an eyeglass repair kit?  A sewing kit?  Always include a first aid kit with easy-to-access Band-Aids and Tylenol.  Those will be the items you reach for most often. Don’t forget a good quality, compact flashlight, maybe a small box of candles (and matches or disposable lighter).  You’re starting to get the idea.  Be careful, this thing will grow.  Mine did.
If you have a unique item in your kit or a story to share, email me at disasterprep.dave@gmail.com.

Monday, August 12, 2013

Earthquake Science 101



By now everyone knows that earthquakes are caused by a rumbling deep inside the earth and if the rumbling is severe enough, there is damage here on the surface.  The amount of damage depends on several factors including the type of quake, and location.   Most folks look for a measure of intensity from the newsperson; “There was a quake last night in Outer Slobovia which measured 6.2 on the Richter Scale.”  We know that was a quake of moderate strength.  The higher the number, the more intense the quake, thus the more danger to life and property..
In 1935 Charles Richter developed a scale based on seismographic readings to measure the intensity of earthquakes. For several decades his scale was the state of the art for earthquake measurement.  But technology being what it is, the Richter magnitude scale eventually became obsolete, mostly because of its limitations in accurately measuring the quake several miles from the epicenter.  Then one of his peers improved on the original and it became the Modified Richter Scale.  Again technology drove the geology community to improve and along came the Mercalli scale.
While the Modified Richter Scale is still used to measure the intensity of the quake, the Mercalli Scale is used to measure the effects of the quake.  The effects are varied, compared to the distance from the epicenter. Then to further complicate matters, in the 1970s, along came the Moment Magnitude Scale (MMS).  The magnitude is based on the seismic moment of the quake.  A formula involving the rigidity of the Earth, the amount of slip on the fault, and size of the area that slipped, measures the MMS.  Fortunately for the layman, the numbers to report the MMS are the same as the Richter Scale numbers.  
I realize all this can be confusing, but hang on.  Did you know that an earthquake measuring 3.0 is ten times stronger than one measuring 2.0?  We are conditioned to break down numbers in tenths.  For example a sign reading 6.5 miles, means 6 and one half miles.  Not so with the Richter Scale.  Using ordinary logic, you’d think a 6.0 earthquake would be twice as intense as a 3.0.  Not so, in reality it is three-hundred percent greater!
Scientists can come pretty close with predicting where quakes will happen, but even with all of today’s technology and measuring equipment, it is still impossible to accurately predict when they will strike.   Thanks to GPS technology and literally thousands of sensors drilled deep within the earth’s crust, plate movement can be recorded as little as one-half centimeter.  Even as you read this, the Cascade Mountains are rising and tilting eastward as the Juan de Fuca plate pushes under the Continental Plate along the Cascadia Fault about 60 or so miles off our coast.  Currently they seem to be stuck, but they are still pushing.  When they become unstuck, we will have an earthquake that may earn the title, “The Big One!”
Check your supplies and your plan.  Now is the time to prepare!
As always, questions and comments can be sent to disasterprep.dave@gmail.com.  

Monday, August 5, 2013

Jump Start Your Food Supply
Part II

    Last week we began a shopping list of groceries to get started with your food storage plan.  These are everyday items you can buy at any food market.  All the experts recommend storing food with which your body is already familiar.  In the event of a disaster, everyone’s system is under stress and introducing strange food into your diet will only serve to sideline you at a time when you need to be 100%.  
    Don’t try to do this all at once.  Watch the sales, shop the bargains and buy what you know.  You can get the dehydrated meals if you like, and they will keep you alive, and they do look good stacked in your pantry, but I’m willing to wager that you’ve never tasted them.  
    If you missed last week’s column, you can check my blog in a few weeks for a complete list.
11. 10 lbs of pancake mix.  Buy the “just add water” variety, such as Krusteaz. Simple to make, easy to fix and everybody’s familiar with hotcakes.  Don’t forget a jug of syrup
12.  2 lbs of honey and 2 jars of jam.  Everybody needs a little sweetness.
13.  10 lbs of pasta. Again, easy to fix, familiar to everyone and a great comfort food.
14.  10 cans or jars of spaghetti sauce.  Goes great with the pasta.  Cheap and satisfying. It’s not homemade, but it does dress up the pasta.
15.  20 cans of soup or broth or soup mixes.  The beauty of soup is that they are a budget friendly, all-in-one meal solution and most require only water for preparaton.
16.  1 large jug of cooking oil. Olive oil, vegetable oil, coconut or some other cooking oil, but definitely get some.
17.  Spices and condiments.  “Spice” up your pasta and oatmeal with some of the spices you already have in your cupboard and are accustomed to using, but lay in some extra.  Garlic, pepper, tabasco, all your favorites.
18.  5 lbs of coffee and 100 tea bags.  For some of us life just isn’t life without our coffee.  Tea can be therapeutic and soothing as well.
19.  2 large bags of hard candies.  Peppermints, butterscotch and lemon drops can go a long way toward making a hard situation bearable.
20.  Flashlight and extra batteries.  Lots of extra batteries.  Ok, I know, this isn’t edible.  But you can never have enough flashlights and batteries.  
    Now I know what you’re saying.  There are a lot of essentials I forgot.  Remember this is a “starter” list.  Some might say we need flour, wheat, yeast, and other baking necessities.   Quite frankly a whole lot of folks today don’t have a clue what to do with flour, nor do they have an oven that works without electricity.  Those things,  and others,  are important and should be a part of every food plan so don’t pass them up for your comprehensive plan.
    As always, send your questions and comments to disasterprep.dave@gmail.com