# Emergency preparedness



## WaterholeWally (Nov 30, 2008)

Every year at this time I start getting out the latest project that I never finished.

Since the mid-nineties when the NE (PA, NJ, DE) got socked with back-to-back bad winters, I always get a new scheme started. Last year I got my deep-cell batteries, and a few different inverters. At least, I can charge the batteries from the cars if we go into a few days of no power. I always keep a couple of kerosene heaters ready for heat and cooking.

The biggest problem with my current mish-mash is that I'm only good for a few days max. If we ever get hit with (G-d forbid) terror or earthquake, we'd all be in trouble.

My latest idea is a multi-fuel generator. I've studied CNG and although quite interesting, it's probably a few dollars a gallon (gasoline prices) off for now. Propane is possibly the best mid-range fuel. I can store as much LPG in BBQ style containers indefintely, and they don't go bad. With the right combination of back-up systems, I could go the distance.

With the price of oil coming down it just about killed the incentives for alternative fuels. We shouldn't keep getting lulled into this stupor. BP cancelled the huge LNG plant they were building in South Jersey, with a little help from Delaware. Can't figure that one out.

Comments welcome.


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## Freon (Dec 1, 2008)

I just rode out hurricane Ike. So I'll give you one point to consider: The power was out, the gas stations were closed, but we never lost our natural gas service. So instead of keeping 50 gallons of unleaded in my gagage, I ordered a multi-fuel generator. (Gasoline, propane or natural gas).

Freon


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## Capt Worley PE (Dec 1, 2008)

My Dad bought a generator he runs off the PTO of his Ford tractor. It'll run his whole house.


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## WaterholeWally (Dec 1, 2008)

Good points. I would want a tri-fuel MG.

I'm always storing a few days worth of food and fuel, but I was more concerned about a long term plan.

We are lucky to have NG, but a few blocks away, they don't have gas service. I was looking for a good mix. If our gas service was disrupted a lot of people would be in trouble especially during the winter months. I've noticed some of the neighbors storing firewood, but they don't have fire places. They probably have some sort of stove just in case of outages.

I took PV training and plan on putting up a solar array, but the money ran out. Maybe I should put up at least one module just to charge batteries.

This is good a time as any to buy emergency gear. Just have to get another guard dog.

Wally


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## Dleg (Dec 1, 2008)

Which fuel would be most useful in a zombie apocalypse?


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## mudpuppy (Dec 1, 2008)

Napalm.


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## Dleg (Dec 1, 2008)

Good answer.

Now, which medical supplies would be most useful in the zombie apocalypse?


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## Supe (Dec 2, 2008)

Visine.

I'd inject it into my bloodstream to create a zombie diarrhea epidemic!


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## Chucktown PE (Dec 2, 2008)

Supe said:


> Visine.
> I'd inject it into my bloodstream to create a zombie diarrhea epidemic!


You are too smart for me. I don't know what I'd do in a zombie apocolypse.

Seriously though, my contingency plan has always been to have enough fuel to get to my parents' place. If I could get there, in a real emergency, then I think I could be okay.


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## Capt Worley PE (Dec 2, 2008)

I don't think fuel would be the problem, the clogged roads would be. My advice would be avoid 26 and get on 176 to Columbia.


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## Chucktown PE (Dec 2, 2008)

Capt Worley PE said:


> I don't think fuel would be the problem, the clogged roads would be. My advice would be avoid 26 and get on 176 to Columbia.


A boat is also an option. As long as the locks through Lake Marion and Moultrie are operating I could make it to Columbia fairly easily. If they aren't then I guess I can mow over the zombies with my gas guzzling SUV.


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## wilheldp_PE (Dec 2, 2008)

A gun and plenty of ammunition will get you anything you need in an emergency. Just make sure that the people around you are adequately stocked up.


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## Chucktown PE (Dec 2, 2008)

wilheldp_PE said:


> A gun and plenty of ammunition will get you anything you need in an emergency. Just make sure that the people around you are adequately stocked up.


Definitely no problem there. We're some of those crazy ass people that cling to our guns and religion.


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## Capt Worley PE (Dec 2, 2008)

That didn't go over so well in sunny SC, did it?


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## Wolverine (Dec 2, 2008)

It was very interesting and educational to be on storm duty for two weeks in Mississippi after Katrina. I had never imagined an AOG (Act of God) so powerful, nor considered the aftermath, and we were stationed 60 miles inland. The coast was worse. It gave me pause to consider what if one had to go a MONTH without power, fuel, or groceries? After the third day, everybody was BBQing everything from their fridge in the front yard.

Pretty much the main stuff was back on after a week, but then it took another week for the grocery, gas, and restaurants to get restocked. It made me realize how spoiled I am to live on a Hi-Rely circuit, two miles from the mall, in a large metropolis within 5 minutes of twenty gas stations.

There's nothing wrong with prepping for the Z.A.


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## Chucktown PE (Dec 2, 2008)

Wolverine said:


> It gave me pause to consider what if one had to go a MONTH without power, fuel, or groceries?


Easy answer there, loot some mother fucking flat scren televisions.


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## Dleg (Dec 2, 2008)

IN answer to my question about which medicines to stock, well obviously antibiotics and first aid supplies are necessary, but the only medicine that works for the zombie infection is 12 guage shotgun cartridges.


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## Capt Worley PE (Dec 3, 2008)

Chucktown PE said:


> Easy answer there, loot some mother fucking flat scren televisions.


I like the way you think.


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## Chucktown PE (Dec 3, 2008)

Capt Worley PE said:


> I like the way you think.


Just callin it like I see it. The next time we get a hurricane down here I have no doubt that it'll be the same shit.


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## WaterholeWally (Dec 5, 2008)

Not sounding totally selfish, I know a number of older people in the area that are using medical devices. They need to have a reliable source of power. I try to work them into my equipment plans. Last major outage, I had a half-dozen neighbors plopped at my house. That will never happen again. Like the Katrina fiasco, I'll give them cardboard boxes if they complain about my formaldahyde insulated trailer.

Having a nice variey of ammo certainly is a good thing. I've slowly catching-up there.


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## engineergurl (Dec 5, 2008)

kind of only really half following this... the zombies threw me for a loop... my biggest concern is always about water... not fuel. We actually have an emergency kit "tuff" box at our house, and my husband thinks I'm crazy to have it, but any kind of disaster would probably have him at work, so I don't want to be up craps creek alone with the animals and thousands of miles away from anyone I know... I seriously have done a ton of research on this topic... and here is what I have stock piled...

paperwork-

copies of my medical records, as well as the animals. Included with the animal medical records, I have snapshots of each animal, and with mine a copy of my finger prints, and an expired picture ID... also included is copies of all the health, life, car and home insurance papers, power of attny, medical power of attny, and my will as well as in case of emergency contact information. This stuff is in a fireproof carry case, hidden in an odd location that is easy for me to get to, and my mother has been told where it is kept.

food-

I have minute rice, canned tunafish and chicken, velveeta shells and cheese (requires no milk), regular velveeta, just add water bread dough and stuff like that to last one week for two people, and a stash of MRE's just in case.

water-

I have a case of bottled water that we always keep in the house, and several 2 liter bottles filled with water for the animals, as well as iodine.

fuel-

stock pile of wood that we have for the fire place, and several smaller cans of propane for the colman stove, oh and a bag of dryer lint (a cheap solution but THE best way to get a fire going in the world!)

medical-

our med kit is probably more intense then most people and includes everything from advil, to splints, to iv's, I know this last one sounds pretty gross, but it also has a pack of always in there... they make GREAT bandages for gusher wounds (ie like the kind where a knife is sticking out of it or would require major stiches), also a month supply of all perscriptions, contact solution and extra pairs of contacts, hand sanitizer, antacids, pepto, activated charcoal, rubbing alcohol etc etc etc. oh AND I have seditives for all the animals in there too as well as a flea/tick/heart worm treatment for each.

random other stuff-

blankets, flashlight, batteries, glow sticks, three plastic bowls, canned cat food, and a few dog toys, waterless soap, a few samples of laundry detergent and then some clothes (old ones, that we don't wear anymore, but that we could if we have to)... and a few tools...a write-in-rain notebook and some pencils

Basiclly, should we ever have to evacuate we could do so in less then 30 min, we would just have to load up this box, and the camping gear box, the fireproof lock box, the dog food bin, and their cages, and then get the cat in a carrier and go. Should we be stranded here at the house, we could live with out any problem for at a minimum of a month where all I would have to forage for would be water...

so yeah, water is my only concern... and should any one try to loot the flat screen tv's at my house, I would probably shoot ya before I would sick the dog on ya, just cause I wouldn't want to have to shoot around her...


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## WaterholeWally (Dec 5, 2008)

I certainly appreciate your detailed list. I should have a tuff box filled with all the things you mentioned. (instead of scattered about) What you did make me think about is putting my travel Brita water filter kit in the box. I started using nothing but filtered water over twenty years ago when I discovered how bad most water smells and tastes. The iodine and other absolute must have items are great tips.

Now I have a new project to work on...

Thank you.


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## engineergurl (Dec 5, 2008)

just remember that the Brita filter doesn't really filter the water fully if you need to drink rain water... you have to make sure to boil it to kill any bad little buggies!!!



WaterholeWally said:


> I certainly appreciate your detailed list. I should have a tuff box filled with all the things you mentioned. (instead of scattered about) What you did make me think about is putting my travel Brita water filter kit in the box. I started using nothing but filtered water over twenty years ago when I discovered how bad most water smells and tastes. The iodine and other absolute must have items are great tips.
> Now I have a new project to work on...
> 
> Thank you.


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## WaterholeWally (Dec 6, 2008)

Good point. I've been eyeing a low tech still for capturing boiled water. Of course, as a half-baked HVACR mechanic, I do own enough coiled tubing and non-leaded solders and brazing to make one without too much effort. I am still amazed at the garbage my filters collect with the wonderful public water.

This mornings brunch discussion was about your list. We are going to make-up a tuff box of stuff that needs occasional upgrading (food, wipes) and another with long term goodies. e.g. axe, tools, blankets. mosquito netting, boric acid, fishing gear. I still have some Civil Defense items from the sixties and Three-mile Island.

Again, thanks. I'm looking forward to getting this done. After finals, I'm gonna get serious about a good tri-fuel MG.


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## Dleg (Dec 9, 2008)

Wow, engineergurl, you are SO IN the compound. (The post-zombie apocalypse comound). I will be detailing you to logistics.

People often wonder how I got in the compound myself. It's purely for my skills with explosives.


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## engineergurl (Dec 9, 2008)

WOOT! Acceptance! I can even tell you what plants/bark/bugs are okay to eat if it comes down to it, but we won't go into that sort of survival mode unless absolutely needed...



Dleg said:


> Wow, engineergurl, you are SO IN the compound. (The post-zombie apocalypse comound). I will be detailing you to logistics.
> People often wonder how I got in the compound myself. It's purely for my skills with explosives.


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## Dleg (Dec 11, 2008)

^Yeah. I'd eat the dead first, but the problem with the zombie apocalypse is that the dead are already trying to eat YOU.


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## WaterholeWally (Dec 14, 2008)

This latest ice storm in the North East is another reminder of how horrible it is to be down in the cold months. A number of people have died, and these same people are built for this weather. I was in New Hampshire the past January and I was amazed how fast they cleared the snow. You have to be completely self-reliant in an ice storm.


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## mudpuppy (Dec 14, 2008)

For the most part I don't worry about major calamities like that--since I work for an electric utility I know I'll be out working if something major happens. The company will take care of me, or so I hope!


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## Dleg (Dec 15, 2008)

The good news is that in an ice storm, the zombie threat is greatly reduced.


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## rudy (Dec 15, 2008)

Wow! Very impressive. Engineergurl, you're going to win Survivor.


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## WaterholeWally (Dec 15, 2008)

Unfortunately where I live the utility workers have families and houses of their own. Last major storm the paper had a picture of a bucket-truck with a tree on top crushing same.


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## maryannette (Dec 15, 2008)

This is a different kind of emergency preparedness, but worth mentioning because there are a lot of people with younger kids here.

*If you have anyone else's kid with you and the kid's parent is not easily accessible in case of emergency, get a written permission to have the kid treated if there is an accident.*

We learned this lesson the hard way. It was years ago. We had our daughter's friend with us at the beach for a week. We knew the parents and they were fine with her going with us. The kid ended up breaking her arm and my husband ended up in the clinic with her waiting for hours until the parents could be notified and permission given to treat the minor. From then on, anytime we had other kids going anywhere with us overnight, we asked the parents for written permission to get emergency medical treatment. Never had to use it after that, but it is still a good idea.


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## TXengrChickPE (Dec 15, 2008)

Merry Mary said:


> *If you have anyone else's kid with you and the kid's parent is not easily accessible in case of emergency, get a written permission to have the kid treated if there is an accident.*


Excellent point! My in-laws always have a signed medical release when they have our kids. So far, we've never had other people's kids with us for more than a couple of hours... but that will likely change as ours get older.


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## csb (Dec 15, 2008)

We have some legal software that includes a super easy to print out Emergency Release Form that we send along with our kid.

And to go along with the original topic- we have water and some stuff put together. Not to the extent that engineergurl has, that's for sure. I always print the lists off and then never follow through. I will say that we have a ton of it already in one place ready to go, only we call it the camping boxes. I'm mostly nervous about paperwork stuff. In America you don't exist without paperwork.


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## wilheldp_PE (Dec 15, 2008)

csb said:


> We have some legal software that includes a super easy to print out Emergency Release Form that we send along with our kid.
> And to go along with the original topic- we have water and some stuff put together. Not to the extent that engineergurl has, that's for sure. I always print the lists off and then never follow through. I will say that we have a ton of it already in one place ready to go, only we call it the camping boxes. I'm mostly nervous about paperwork stuff. In America you don't exist without paperwork.


Papiere, Bitte!


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## Capt Worley PE (Dec 15, 2008)

You'd've made a good Nazi, Dan.


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## csb (Dec 15, 2008)

no joke!


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## FLBuff PE (Dec 15, 2008)

I just read through this thread. EG's list is impressive, and got me thinking. We had a huge snowstorm here this past weekend. With the addition of mini-Buff, I think I should have a snow-bound kit. I will start assemblage soon. If anyone has ideas as to what to include, please let me know.


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## wilheldp_PE (Dec 15, 2008)

Capt Worley PE said:


> You'd've made a good Nazi, Dan.


1. National Socialism is pretty much what we have now, and it is definitely what we are moving towards. Nazism had nothing to do with killing Jews (that was Hitler's own personal brand of crazy), but it had everything to do with nationalized infrastructure, welfare, and automobiles (Volkwagen...the people's car).

2. My last name is Wilhelm...good German name.


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## Chucktown PE (Dec 16, 2008)

wilheldp_PE said:


> 1. National Socialism is pretty much what we have now, and it is definitely what we are moving towards. Nazism had nothing to do with killing Jews (that was Hitler's own personal brand of crazy), but it had everything to do with nationalized infrastructure, welfare, and automobiles (Volkwagen...the people's car).
> 2. My last name is Wilhelm...good German name.



A lot of people don't understand that the academic definition of fascisim is simply an economic system in which land, labor, and capital is owned by the citizenry, but controlled and directed by the government. This is slightly different from socialism and communism but still very similar to what we have in this country and we're moving closer and closer to it each day.

_"Fascist ethics begin ... with the acknowledgment that it is not the individual who confers a meaning upon society, but it is, instead, the existence of a human society which determines the human character of the individual. According to Fascism, a true, a great spiritual life cannot take place unless the State has risen to a position of pre-eminence in the world of man. The curtailment of liberty thus becomes justified at once, and this need of rising the State to its rightful position."_

[Mario Palmieri, "The Philosophy of Fascism" 1936]


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## wilheldp_PE (Dec 16, 2008)

Chucktown PE said:


> A lot of people don't understand that the academic definition of fascisim is simply an economic system in which land, labor, and capital is owned by the citizenry, but controlled and directed by the government. This is slightly different from socialism and communism but still very similar to what we have in this country and we're moving closer and closer to it each day.
> _"Fascist ethics begin ... with the acknowledgment that it is not the individual who confers a meaning upon society, but it is, instead, the existence of a human society which determines the human character of the individual. According to Fascism, a true, a great spiritual life cannot take place unless the State has risen to a position of pre-eminence in the world of man. The curtailment of liberty thus becomes justified at once, and this need of rising the State to its rightful position."_
> 
> [Mario Palmieri, "The Philosophy of Fascism" 1936]


But our government keeps calling itself a democracy...they MUST have said it enough times now to make it the truth, right? It's funny because we never were even founded as a democracy...it was a Republic from day one. It's right there in the Pledge of Allegiance.


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