For the road ahead…

Why Should I?

NOTE: For now, this is simply a copy of the original talk I gave regarding emergency preparedness. I would like to present it differently in the future.

Emergency Preparedness

I don’t imply judgement or offense. It has been as much a wake-up call for me as anyone. I just feel it’s an important issue.

What is emergency preparedness?

Emergencies happen. It comes in many shapes and sizes. You can choose to either prepare yourself for this, or live in denial.

Gavin de Becker wrote a post-9/11 book titled Fear Less in which he says:

“…denial can be seductive, but it has an insidious side effect. For all the peace of mind deniers think they get by saying it isn’t so, the fall they take when faced with new violence is all the more unsettling.

Denial is a save-now-pay-later scheme, a contract written entirely in small print, for in the long run, the denying person knows the truth on some level.”

While I talk, consider this rule of Threes:

My talk is on successfully facing this challenge.

Why is it my responsibility to prepare for such emergencies?

If not you, then who’s is it??? Govt? Church? Neighbors?

“The responsibility for each person’s social, emotional, spiritual, physical, or economic well-being rests first upon himself, second upon his family, and third upon the Church if he is a faithful member thereof.” (Spencer W. Kimball, “Welfare Services: The Gospel in Action,” Ensign, Nov 1977, 76)

Do you honestly think it’s a good, SOUND, idea to rely on others in an emergency? If you can’t help yourself, you can’t help anyone else. You also become just another in a long line of people needing assistance. You have to know that waiting to be bailed out by someone else, whether it’s the government or otherwise, will take longer than if you do so yourself. Katrina as prime example.

What types of situations should I prepare for?

In what ways can I prepare my family for these events?

Spiritual/Physical

Food & Water Storage

Why have food storage?

We have been commanded to, by the Lord as well as prophets: ”There is something in the Doctrine and Covenants, which says, ‘And there shall be a great hailstorm sent forth to destroy the crops of the earth.’ (D&C 29:16). …What are you going to do when that happens? Ah, brothers and sisters, [support] your welfare project, and when that happens and if you have your year’s supply of food in your home, let the hails come, and the winds blow, and our storehouses in our homes, in our wards, and in our stakes will be full just as they were in the days of Joseph, and we will be preserved. I like that plan. What good will be our greenbacks that we get from the government for security when all the crops of the earth are destroyed by hail?…You know in the days of Israel they worked this plan.” (Matthew Cowley [Apostle from 1945-1953], “Matthew Cowley Speaks,” Deseret Book, 1954)

You might not know when, where, or how, but you know it will happen!

“In Matthew, chapter 24, we learn of ‘famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes. …’ (Matt. 24:7) The Lord declared that these and other calamities shall occur. These particular prophecies seem not to be conditional. The Lord, with his foreknowledge, knows that they will happen. Some will come about through man’s manipulations; others through the forces of nature and nature’s God, but that they will come seems certain. Prophecy is but history in reverse—a divine disclosure of future events.” (Ezra Taft Benson, “Prepare Ye,” Ensign, Jan. 1974, 68)

When we are prepared we don’t have to worry about “what if’s” because we’ll have our food storage.

“If ye are prepared ye shall not fear.” (D&C 38:30) (Talks about spiritual preparedness, but can’t we apply it universally to other areas?)

What steps can I take to fulfill this need?

Step 1: Learn the basics of home storage.

Step 2: Acquire an emergency supply of life-sustaining foods and water and store them properly.

Step 3: Build up your storage gradually.

When deciding how to build and organize your storage, consider four food sources, listed in order of most to least desirable:

  1. A heavily stocked and supply of normal food-off-the-table pantry. Why not buy next week’s meals this week? Outside of bread, milk, and fresh veggies. This would be normal grocery shopping.
  2. Next we have canned goods which are set aside designated. Spam is the most famous of canned meats but there are also real canned meats you can get such as sausage, pork, beef, chicken, and turkey. This too is generally normal grocery shopping items, however could be augmented with canned supplies such as those the church offers at the cannery. Those cans have up to a 30 year shelf life. Once the meat in the freezer turns bad you can continue to cook basically  normal meals with these canned goods.Obviously the more of these first two categories you have, the easier shorter term emergencies will be for you. For instance, in the case of some natural disasters you might just need a week or two worth of inventory until you can get outside assistance. If it turns into a longer issue however, the more of these types you have stored, the more grateful your tastebuds will be!
  3. Freeze dried foods. Add water, heat, and eat! Partial to Mountain House. Very light-weight obviously and surprisingly tasty for what you would typically expect. Perfect for mobile food if you need to leave your area. Can buy individual packs to see what you like. Packs have 7 year life. Cans have 20-30 year life. Can bulk buy this for substantial discount.
  4. Finally MRE – Meals Ready to Eat which are complete meals that can be eatten cold with no preperation required. These things go in packs for the times we might not have time to build a fire or the extra water to add to the meal. Last resort and dire situations only. These things are generally pretty nasty in my opinion.

Step 4: Eat what you store.

72-hour kit | Buggin’

You need to consider not just what you will eat during these times, but also what you will DO.  You might find it becomes necessary to leave the area, such as cases of fire, earthquake, public unrest, etc…  Some survivalists use the terms buggin’ out.  At a more simplified level the church calls this your 72-hour kit, combined with a PLAN.

A BOB is a “Swiss army knife” of a pack that will help you through a crisis. It contains gear to keep you alive, and in many cases keep you comfortable too. The common theme for the BOB is for traveling/stranded in a crisis, but each person has their own spin on it. Could be a very small pack to help them get home from work or deal with emergencies. Others are large packs tailored to leaving town and traveling long distances. You should also consider carrying at least some form of a BOB in your vehicle.

Buggin’ In – Bugging-in might be a wise decision in some of the following situations:

  1. The situation is mild and does not require BO. This could be anywhere from a short power outage on up.
  2. The situation does not allow you to BO immediately. You will have to BI for a while, then BO later.
  3. You don’t have a good location to BO to, but your current location is not the best. Your chances are probably better if you stay put and make the best of it.

Some categories your BOB should cover:

Water and carry system
Options vary here from commercial water bottles, canteens, Naglene bottles, and hydration bladders. Long-term BOBs usually have a filter system and water treatment system.

Food
Freeze dried foods since they are light, easy to prepare, and store well in various temperatures. Fast grab food items such as jerky, or food bars are also very popular.

Fire
Since man became aware of fire it has served as a survival tool. This too is very personal selection ranging from Zippos, butane disposables, high tech lighters, matches, and flint/steel methods.

Shelter
A need for a shelter varies by geography and scenarios but is a typical piece of gear even if it is simply a coat, poncho, or small pack tent. In spending the night, being able to stay dry and warm can be a life saver and at the very least a good nights sleep will allow you to maintain your energy level better the next day.

Flashlight
Head lamps that keep your hands free. LED technology is very popular due to the long bulb life and low battery drain. Spare batteries are a standard item for flashlight carry.

Knives
Another very personal preference, it is still an essential part of any gear list. Usual types are fixed blade, folding blade, and multi-tools.

First Aid Kit
This is a typical found in almost all BOBs and BOB types. They vary in size and type but the basic needs is to handle cuts, blisters, insect bites, prevent insect bites (DEET), disinfectants, and pain meds. Required prescription meds should be a major part of any BOB planning.

Line
This is personal preference as well but the uses for line are so numerous it is typically considered essential gear. A favorite is paracord 550 which is a strong line 550lb rated, light, and the seven strands can be stripped to be used for numerous items.

Spare Clothes
Top of this list is socks for if your feet stop you stop. Everything else is season or geographic specific. The assumption here is that a survivalist will always dress for the weather and pack clothes should be replacement.

Cash

Toothbrush and toothpaste

Momentos and other items listed by priority and gathered based on space and time

Places to keep BOB’s:

Each location should be suited for what you would need to do there. Work should probably be geared towards getting you home. Home should be geared towards evacuating the area. Car should supplement home BOB for evacuating and also for stranded situations in general during normal trips and other activities. Shouldn’t plan on being able to use the car BOB when you plan your home one though. You might not be able to take your car with you, at least not the entire way.

I’d love to hear what others think too for our mutal benefit.