Run, Hide, Fight

    I find it curious how our definitions change.  Disasters come in all different shapes.  Ordinarily we think of tornadoes, blizzards, house fires, or earthquakes.  Recently we have been forced to add another category:  Man-made disasters.  In recent memory it was attacks by terrorists on our military installations and naval vessels.  Now it has come to include active shooters in schools, malls, theaters, workplaces and even churches.  

    The odds are still astronomical that you will ever be involved in one of those situations.  But with a school shooting at a nearby community college and now a company Christmas party it seems someone is turning up the volume, so to speak, on man-made disasters.  With the worldwide political climate being what it is experts aren’t seeing a decrease in violence any time soon. At least one college president (Liberty University) is calling for students to get their permits and carry concealed.  County Sheriffs all across the nation are urging responsible citizens to do the same.  “The only thing that stops a bad man with a gun is a good man with a gun!”

    So put yourself in this scenario.  You’re in a building and hear shots fired.  Most of us have trouble dealing with that because we just can’t believe it’s happening.  Our normalcy bias kicks in and tells us since we’ve never been involved in anything like this, it’s probably just a backfire, someone dropped a stack of books or some other innocuous loud bang.  By the time most people come to grips with what is actually happening they have lost precious time they could have used to better their situation.  

The City of Houston, Texas, in cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security has produced a video designed to offer a plan for what to do if a shooter “goes active” in your space.  “Run, Hide, Fight,”  is a six-minute video offering advice you hope you never have to use.  

    Most shootings are over within minutes, and by the time the police arrive the shooting has stopped.  It is in those first few minutes the action you take may save your life or the lives of others.

Run.  Get out of the there!  Leave your purse, your cell phone and anything else you think is so important.  Go out the back door.  Get others to leave with you, but without wasting time convincing them to do so.  I don’t mean to sound selfish here, but this is YOUR life at stake.  Get out and get away.  And try to not look like a perpetrator.  There just may be police or security personnel out there and if your hands are raised and you’re crouching, that may score some points for your non-perp-ness.

Hide.  Sometimes you can’t get away.  The shooter is between you and the exit.  If it’s an office or class room, barricade the door, hide in a closet, under a desk or table.  Get out of the line of sight of someone looking to find you.  And don’t forget to silence your phone!

Fight. As a LAST resort!  This is the one that seems to raise the most controversy.  If a shooter is bent on taking lives, there is no sense in just letting him have his way.  Don’t just stand there waiting to be another statistic.  If multiple people rush a shooter, he can’t get all of you.  Grab something to use as a weapon and when he enters the room, take him out!

    I really hope none of us ever need this information.  But decide right now to do something if that moment ever comes.  A little “preparedness” may come in handy and just might keep you alive.

    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.”

goTenna Part 4

    So wouldn’t you just know it?  The day after I wrote the previous column about how I hadn’t yet received my goTennas, guess what showed up in the mail.  You guessed it!  My pair of long awaited, pre-ordered goTennas.  

    If you’re wondering what I’m talking about, check last week’s column or go to www.goTenna.com.  This is the new device which enables smartphone users to send and receive text messages when there is no cell phone service.  Whether you are out in the hills away from a service area, or there is a cell phone outage, you can still communicate by secure text message.  

    The pair of devices arrive in a cleverly designed, no nonsense box  Included are two goTennas and two USB cables for charging.  The company claims the unit will operate for 24 hours on a full charge.  The units are identical except for the different colored ½ inch web straps affixed to the back of the unit.  One reviewer stated they were about the size of a Snickers bar.  Not any Snicker’s bar I’ve ever seen.  If you must compare it to a candy bar, I’d say it’s more like a rectangular Tootsie Roll.  Measuring 5 ¾ inches long with the antenna retracted.  Extending the antenna (total length 8 ⅛”) turns the unit on.  A single blinking LED signals power-on and successful Bluetooth pairing and readiness.  

    Setup requires going to Google Play for Android users and the App Store for iPhone customers.  Simply download the app, follow the simple instructions and you’re ready to proceed.  Included in the app is a high-quality map, similar to Google maps.  Your position is pinpointed as is your companion’s. The menu offers choices for a “Shout Chat” (, “Group Chat” or a “1-to-1 Chat.”  So far I have only tried the 1-to-1 function.  My companion was located about ¾ mile away (the device gives you distance information as well).  We had almost a clear line of sight and were able to communicate with no problems.  I was on a hill and he was in the valley, seated in his car.  We did note that it worked better when placed the goTenna on the roof of his car, rather than inside.   We tried later with a hill between us at approximately the same distance;.  No contact.  

    Even with that, I’m still impressed with the goTenna.  It is lightweight, compact, seemingly rugged and fills a niche no other product can touch.  The app is simple and straightforward, with no bugs.  At least none that I’ve found.  I do wish it had more “horsepower” but I have a feeling that will come in time.  Most electronic devices these days seem to increase in power and capability as time goes on.  Even as it is, I highly recommend the goTenna.  It will make a great Christmas gift for your outdoorsman or prepper.

    On a different note.  We were again saddened and shocked this week by yet another active shooter incident.  There is a training video produced by the City of Houston Mayor’s Office and Department of Homeland Security.  The title of the video is “Run, Hide, Fight.”  So many times during a shooting incident, the victims simply stand idly waiting their turn to become a statistic.  This six minute video gives good advice on what to if an active shooter invades your world.  This video will save lives!  Just go to www.youtube.com and enter “Run, Hide, Fight.”  Great advice you hope you will never need.     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.”

goTenna Update

    Every disaster planner knows the importance of reliable communications when something goes wrong.  Which phone lines are secure?  Which radio frequencies need to be set aside for fire, police, and EMS?  What if everything goes down?  What if your cell phone no longer works?

Enter the goTenna. I wrote about this product a few months back while it was still in the development and government red-tape stage.  The goTenna was invented by a lady on the East Coast that lived through Superstorm Sandy three years ago and lost all communications. Vowing to never experience a total communication blackout again, she developed the goTenna. This device pairs with your smartphone through bluetooth technology and enables you to send secure text messages to another goTenna holder.  

Think about it, if there is no cell phone coverage, you may need to connect with your kids who are still in school.  Do they stay put?  Are you on your way to get them?  Should they head home?  Or how about this:  You are hiking or hunting with your companions.  Suddenly you realize you are separated from your group.  No problem, just give ‘em a call on your cell phone.  Oops, no coverage out here in the hills.  That’s when you pull out your goTenna and establish contact with your friends.  One feature of this little device is that it includes a topographical map that displays the exact location of your hunting partner on your phone.  Likewise, his phone also shows your location.  When in range you simply text back and forth and the day is saved.  

Initial claims of 50-mile effective range have been adjusted to a more realistic 1-5 miles (maybe slightly more) based on terrain and conditions. According to the photos on their website, the goTenna seems to be about the same size and shape as the toothbrush holder I carry in my shaving kit.  Naturally they are rechargeable and easily slide into your backpack or Get-Home bag.  You might argue that similar technology is already available with products such as the Garmin Rhino GPS radio.  This is true, but a Garmin Rhino, fully equipped will cost up to $450.00 per unit.  Besides the communication is in no way secure.

One popular feature is that your messages are encrypted.  When the cell towers are bypassed, there is minimal opportunity for eavesdropping.  Also you can opt for a “message destruction” feature that is also secure.  All of this means something to the folks that are concerned about the security of their messages even if you are in an area that has cell service.  Not only will this product work when you are out in the hills, but in the concrete jungle as well when you want to keep your messages private.

I was given a pair for Christmas last year.  Only problem is I haven’t received them yet as they have been undergoing final testing and bureaucratic approval for the past several months.  Some friends of mine have reported they now have received theirs, so mine should be in the mail any day now.   This might just be the solution to your Christmas  shopping for that hunter/outdoorsman/prepper that already has everything.

When mine arrive, I’ll write a review on how well they perform.  Until then 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.”