The Journey

    Fall 1999.  Preppers everywhere were cautiously making plans for something called Y2K.  Some computer geek somewhere opined that computer chips everywhere were going to freeze up at one second after midnight, December 31, 1999. The idea caught on and spawned a movement to prepare for life without computers or chip-driven electronics.  I won’t go into detail but the concept made some sense.  Enough so that several folks considered the possibility of the electrical grid collapsing and knocking out every computer and electrical component on the planet.  As a result thousands purchased generators.  

    I made a call to my buddy who happens to be an electrical engineer.  My logic was that he was the best qualified person I knew who could answer my question.  The conversation went something like this:

Me:  I just bought a generator and would like to know the best way to hook it into my house.

Him: Why did you buy a generator, for Y2K?

Me: Yup.

Him: Well I’m glad you bought a generator, but you’re not going to need it for Y2K.

Me: Silence.

Him: You’re going to need it for the earthquake.

Me:  What earthquake?

At that my friend schooled me on the ongoing seismic activity of the Cascadia Subduction Zone and the very real likelihood of a major earthquake and subsequent tsunami impacting the coast of Oregon.  I learned due to the geographical structure and soils composition coupled with the several dozen bridges that would be damaged, our region would be completely cut off from any assistance for a considerable time.  

No electricity, no phone service, no trucks coming into the area carrying groceries or anything else for that matter.  Yes indeed, a generator was going to come in handy!  

Likewise a shortage of consumables like batteries, toilet tissue and other needed items   when stores can’t get resupplied.  Not only will our lives be disrupted, but first responders will be unable to respond.  Fire fighters, police officers and EMS (ambulance) personnel are going to be so overwhelmed that your emergency will be way down the list.  That’s when you will become someone’s hero.  Every neighborhood will need good Samaritans to check on the elderly, the injured and the stranded.  Mapping Your Neighborhood will become more than just a “feel good” exercise, but the reality that lives are being saved just because someone had the foresight to organize their neighborhood.

Not too long ago someone asked if there was some kind of warehouse with a stockpile of food supplies.  The answer is no.  The only supplies available are those each person has on their pantry shelves.  There are a few food banks serving the needy, but those supplies come from fragile streams of donations and some government programs and would soon be wiped out.

The best time to prepare is BEFORE the disaster!  Don’t be lulled to sleep by the gentle music of the “Procrastination Symphony”.  Next time you’re at the store, pick up just one extra non-perishable item.  Just one item!  Set it aside and then keep adding to it.  Just in case!

This column is a direct descendant of that conversation with my engineer buddy.  Maybe your preparedness will hinge on a similar pivotal moment, like reading this.

As always send your questions and comments to disasterprep.dave@gmail.com.  

Dave Robinson is the Postmaster in Bandon, Oregon, and the author of “Disaster Prep For The Rest Of Us”.  

General Prep

    Winter weather is just around the corner.  Fire season has been lifted and long, cool evenings are ahead.  It seems earthquakes, hurricanes, blizzards and Ebola come to mind when we think of disasters, and those are the events that get all the attention, however residential fires are the most common disaster in the United States.  Every year more than 2500 people die (that’s seven (7) people per day) and nearly 13,000 are injured in home fires in our nation.

Deaths and injuries can be minimized when families establish and practice a home fire escape plan.  The American Red Cross says you only have two minutes to escape a structure fire.  F.E.M.A. recommends practicing your home fire escape plan twice a year.  

Here are some tips:

1. Find two ways to get out of each room.
2. If a primary exit is blocked, you will need an alternate escape route.  A second story room might mean using a ladder to get to safety.
3. Make sure windows aren’t stuck and screens can be easily removed.  If security bars are in place, make sure they can be properly opened.
4. Practice feeling your way out of the house in the dark or with your eyes closed.
5. Place smoke alarms on every floor of your home.  The Red Cross recommends placing one in each bedroom.
6. Replace your batteries every year, and replace your smoke alarms every 10 years.

Fewer and fewer households in our region are burning wood for heat anymore, but if you still enjoy the comforting warmth of a wood fire, make sure your chimney is cleaned and inspected each year.  Various kinds of wood burn in various ways.  Some burn slowly and some burn faster.  Different kinds of wood and different conditions leave various levels of creosote inside the chimney.  Every chimney should inspected for safety and to be cleaned, if necessary.  

Successfully preparing for the disaster of a home fire is no accident!  It just may save your life and the lives of your loved ones.

Disaster preparedness isn’t rocket science!  Simply consider a game of “what if” and then make plans for what can go wrong.  Lay in supplies, keep your gas tank on the upper half and always have a back-up plan.  Many years ago when I was a student pilot, my flight instructor told me that a pilot always keeps an emergency landing area in mind, just in case.  This is no small feat in Western Oregon where there aren’t a whole lot of flat, level wheat fields to set a plane down.  The point being, you’ve always got to have a plan in mind in the event the whole system collapses.  

There’s a lot of talk about Ebola right now.  Do you have a plan in place if this disease comes to our region?  Have you discussed with your family at what point do you keep the kids home from school?  At what point do you stay home from work?  In other words, have you considered the concept of a self-quarantine and what that may mean?  Having said that, do you have enough supplies on hand to get through a period of quarantine?  

This is never about causing fear, this is about stimulating some thought and preparing for the “just in case” events that may or may not come our way.

As always, send your comments and questions to disasterprep.dave@gmail.com.  

Prepping for a Pandemic

    A month ago we were all smugly watching the news regarding the Ebola outbreak in East Africa thinking, “those poor folks, sure glad it’s half a world away!”  Then one thing led to another and now this disease has come ashore.  I never craft this column to cause fear, but this may be the exception. A word of caution here,  many folks hold irrational fears that are likely more contagious than the disease itself.  However in this case, we may do well to err on the side of cautious preparedness!

Ebola is defined as viral hemorrhagic fever disease.  Symptoms include fever, headache, joint  and muscle aches, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, lack of appetite, and abnormal bleeding.  Symptoms may appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after exposure to the Ebola virus, though 8-10 days is most common.   

Our generation has never faced a runaway pandemic although every few years we watch various strains of flu have a bit of a run before they fizzle out.  Now a Liberian man has been diagnosed with Ebola and quarantined in his home in Dallas.  It seems the system has broken down on several levels when it came to managing this incident.  From the highest office in the land to the local health officials in Texas, mistakes, missteps and downright malfeasance has characterized the handling of the matter.  If this is an example of what we can expect from our public health officials, then we certainly haven’t seen the worst of it yet.

The CDC (Center for Disease Control) offers the following:  You can only get Ebola from touching the blood or body fluids of a person either infected or already dead from the virus.  Contamination can also be from contacting objects like contaminated needles or the blood, meat or body fluids of infected animals. This being the official government position on the matter.  They also say that “Ebola poses no significant risk to the United States.”

In my opinion, the government will carefully word their press releases in such a way to avoid panic, sometimes compromising the accuracy of information. The last thing anyone in government wants is a pandemic coupled with a panic.  

Here’s what you can do:  Make preparations as you would for any other disaster.  Stock up on the basics.  Be prepared for a total breakdown in services as utility workers or first responders may be affected. In addition, make a plan to self-quarantine.  That means staying home from work, keeping the kids home from school (or daycare) and simply holeing up in what you know is a safe environment. In other words cutting off any contact with any potentially infected person. Drastic measures, I know, but they may just be what keeps you and your loved ones alive.  If you can’t avoid venturing out in public, do so with the benefit of protective gear, gloves, facemask and plenty of sanitizer.  

As always, send your comments and questions to disasterprep.dave@gmail.com.