Active Shooter!

“Active Shooter On Oregon Community College Campus!” was the CNN News feed to my smart phone.  My blood began to race and I nearly dropped my phone bringing up more details.  I have two grandkids in the local community college.  As it turned out it was another campus about 60 miles away.  

Stories of heroism along with stories of unthinkable insanity are still coming out.  Political types are quick to make hay of one form or another.  Everyone in Southwestern Oregon is grieving not only the tragic losses, but just the fact that “this happened here!”

Police train and school administrators plan for what they hope will never happen on their watch.  Lockdown drills are held in schools all across the country. Some states even require periodic lockdowns.  But no amount of preplanning can cover every contingency.  The day after the Umpqua Community College shooting, certain mis-information and misguided posts on social media led to mid-morning school shutdowns in our own county. Every police officer, paramedic and emergency room worker knows that scared people behave badly.  That’s where dozens of mildly (to not-so-mildly)  anxious parents began arriving at schools to pick up not only their own children, but in some cases, their friends’ kids as well.  Phone calls clogged lines into the administrative offices, and traffic flow problems restricted  the movement of school busses. Add to this certain school policies designed to keep kids safe by restricting who can pick up whom and you’ve got the recipe for a secondary disaster.  

Now take this to the next level.  Let's suppose there is a natural disaster.  We’ll use “earthquake” just for the sake of discussion.  The roads are busted up, the phone lines are completely down, electrical power is out and the schools are full of our kids.  Have you discussed this scenario with your family?  Do you have a plan to reunite your family if this happens?  Even if schools can deliver your children home, is anyone going to be there?  Who have you authorized to pick up your children at the school if you can’t get there?  Do your kids know what to do?  These are all questions families need to address and get settled now, before something happens.

Likewise, schools need to work on disaster planning.  Is there a drill that can be designed to simulate a disaster and how do we pull it off.  Something that goes beyond the lockdown or the “soft lockdown”.  How do we make it work when nothing else (like phones) does?   Fire drills are proven to save lives and have for decades.  Lockdown drills, unscheduled school closure drills and serious disaster drills will save lives as well.  

To plan for just such a contingency, some schools have purchased lockdown kits.  The kit is usually stored in a five-gallon bucket and contains water pouches, food bars, first-aid supplies, and many other items considered useful to weather such an incident.  Some even include a snap-on toilet seat/lid complete with toilet bags to provide for the sanitary needs that would eventually arise.  Ideally each classroom would have a kit with enough supplies to meet the needs of several students.  One kit I checked out sold for $70.00 and contained 30 water pouches.  It also had a battery powered radio, several light sticks and several other items.

It is unfortunate we have had to turn our schools into fortresses, but with the right planning and some supplies on hand, we can make our schools safer for our kids.

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

Hunting Prep

Every year about this time, hunters all across the country head into the woods in search of wild meat and some outdoor adventure.  In our area it’s elk, deer, bear and sometimes wild turkey.  It is also about this time every year when we read stories of hunters getting lost, stranded, injured, or otherwise having more adventure than they bargained for.

Having hunted, fished, camped and backpacked a time or two in my life, I have picked up a few lessons about being in the out of doors.

First, get your vehicle in shape for where you’re going to be hunting.  Many years ago when I was a Deputy Sheriff we received a call that a single mom was overdue from an elk hunting trip on State Forest land.  The dispatcher took all the pertinent information from the caller and assigned a couple of us to search for the missing hunter.  We found her the next morning where she had slid her Oldsmobile sedan off in the ditch and spent the night in her car .  (Pre-cell phone days.)  She and her four year old son had slept in the car and were little the worse for wear.  But an OLDSMOBILE!!?  I have no idea what she thought she was going to do with an elk if she actually shot one, but her story is just so wrong on several levels. I have often used her story as an example of how not to go  hunting.   Your rig should be fully capable of navigating back roads and in good repair with good tires and recently inspected belts and hoses.  Oh and don’t forget to top off your fuel tank!  I know it sounds way too basic, but you never know.

    Secondly, take a few things with you that you can use just in case you can’t get out.  Sometimes a tree will fall across the road, blocking your way.  That chainsaw you threw in the back on impulse could be a lifesaver.  Or you could use it to cut firewood if you wind up spending the night.  Some extra food never hurts.  Most hunters take along plenty of snack food and some water or a thermos of coffee.  How about a first aid kit?  Some extra band-aids and gauze pads, tape, anti-biotic ointment are easy insurance and can bring peace of mind to what could be a trip-ending cut or other minor injury.  Firestarter.  Can you start a fire with what you have with you?  Matches, a small propane lighter or a ferro rod and steel striker like a Lightning Strike starter should already be in your kit anyway.  A good pair of walkie-talkies can be valuable when you and your companion get separated.  The list goes on, but you get the idea.  Murphy’s Law is always looking for a place to strike, so try to cover all the possibilities

    Finally, take along a good dose of common sense.  Always let someone know where you’re going, when you’re going to return, and then stick to the plan.  It’s a good idea to take a companion.  After all, you need somebody to wrap that winch line around the tree and besides it’s just easier to have help packing your trophy out of the canyon.    Remember your hunting grounds may not have cell phone service so don’t rely completely on that smartphone to get you out of a jam.

    As always send your comments, questions and hunting stories to disasterprep.dave@gmail.com.  Dave Robinson is the Postmaster in Bandon, Oregon, and the author of “Disaster Prep For The Rest Of Us.”