Emergency Preparedness and Self-Reliant Living

Buying in Bulk and Food Storage Ideas:

2011-08-29T07:29:00.001-07:00

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

If you have been reading this blog for a while, you know that when I feel worried about the world, I feel better when I buy food. This has turned out to be a good idea, I think. I was reading my friend Gloria's blog, The Little Red House With The White Porch and she lives in the path of Hurricane Irene. (How are you, Gloria? Please let us know!) When she went to the store to pick up a few last items, many shelves were practically bare. And that is exactly what I fear will happen around here if some sort of disaster strikes. Except that our disaster will probably be wildfire and I don't know how much food I can put into the car with my dogs, computer, pictures, etc., but that is a different story. We have a pickup too, so that would help.

Anyway, back to the topic. Last week, Kylie and I went to one of my favorite stores to buy food, CASH AND CARRY in Bend. They used to only sell to restaurants, grocery stores and other food service outlets, but now they sell to anybody ... even me. Thank goodness.

We bought a lot of food and brought it home. Then I needed to figure out what to do with it all. The dry foods are the easiest to figure out, if you have a lot of canning jars or other good airtight containers that mice or bugs cannot get into. I have been planning on canning, but that is still a bit intimidating for some reason. Still, I am good at buying canning jars. Bi-Mart keeps them in stock year round now, so I try to pick up a boxful of one size or another every week or couple of weeks, especially when they are on sale. The average price is $8.99; sometimes less and sometimes more. I am partial to the quart jars because I like to use them for my cookie mixes, but have been buying other sizes too. If I do want to use all of these jars for canning, I'll just dump out the popcorn and rice and put them into something else. Even big Rubbermaid totes will do fine, if you have the room for those.

The food on this table (not counting the containers) was only $82.83. I was curious to see how much 25 and 50 pounds of stuff really was, so here we go:

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Ahh! The harvest table.

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Fifty pounds of popcorn. You may be asking me why I would want to buy so much. Well, the bag was only $20.89 (or .42 lb) at Cash and Carry, I love popcorn, and it will keep well. I am thinking of selling the smaller jars after decorating them with fabric and raffia with a matching gift bag in my little store.

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

Here is fifty pounds of rice ($17.99, or .36 lb) and fifty pounds of onions ($11.25, or .23 lb). There were really 17 more onions, but we used one and I dehydrated the other 16.

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

These two jars contain 16 dehydrated good sized onions. Pretty cool, huh? Our house smelled like onions for a day, but there are worse smells.

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

I put the 25 pounds of quick oatmeal into Ziplock freezer bags, because I have room for them and will be using them in my cookie mixes. At Cash and Carry, it cost me $15.00 for 25 pounds (.72 lb).

The 25 pounds of sugar cost me $17.62 (.72 lb). I put most of it into old spaghetti sauce jars. I also bought 50 pounds of flour for 16.09 (.32), but I left it in a Rubbermaid tote in the garage for now.

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy ~ Kathy Matthews

I also bought 5 dozen eggs for $6.00 (.10 each). I boiled up 4 dozen, and we made egg salad and pickeled eggs. The pickled eggs will last for a couple of weeks in the fridge. I just put pickle juice over the eggs ... beet juice works well too.

I have a bunch more food in the fridge that I need to deal with, and my freezer is full so I have to figure out something else to do with it. I think that I will dehydrate some broccoli and green onions, and more of yellow onions. Though buying this way is less expensive, it does take a lot more time to make things convenient, but the work is easy.

Best of luck! I'd love to hear about how you guys do this sort of thing, so please leave me a comment or an email if you want to.

~ Kathy Matthews

Cash and Carry, Ziplock Bags, Ball Canning Jars, Rubbermaid ... none of them even know about me ... I only wish this were a paid advertisement!

Staying Warm in a Cold Snap:

2010-11-30T08:07:00.000-08:00

It is very cold in Mayberry. I think it was -10 this morning ... perhaps it is a little bit warmer or a little bit cooler. I am too lazy to go outside and start my car to find the temp gauge that I find to be the most accurate ... the one in my rear view mirror.

Long ago, I self-appointed myself to be the one in charge of home atmosphere. When we were little and I was the babysitter of my bro and two sisters, they had to clean the kitchen and family room and I was in charge of the living room. Even back then, I thought that the living room should stay clean, just in case company dropped by. They felt this was unfair, because they said that all I did was rearrange magazines on the coffee table. However, that was not true at all. A lot goes into to making a good first impression.

That bit of information aside, let us get back to it being cold in Mayberry. I still like to be in charge of our home's atmosphere, and that includes keeping it warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Since we don't have to worry about keeping it cool right now, I will tell you how I try to keep it warm.

We are grandparents, and grandparents like to stay warm. We live in our sweatshirts and sweatpants when we are at home. I like to keep the heat set to 71* or so. My husband likes it at 73*, but sometimes I get too hot. So I think that I have figured out a way to make 71* feel like 73*. For you new people, this is what we looked like last summer when we were camping. Just to get a visual of these particular grandparents. Cary was wearing a sweatshirt then too. I think he gets colder easier than I do.

Oh, my best friend husband is so dang cute! Sorry ladies, he's taken.

Anyway, back to keep our home warm when it is below zero outside. First of all, I think that the snow actually helps keep our home warmer, when it gets deep enough. It forms an insulation around the foundation. Second, not only do I close off the back bedrooms, I keep those heater vents closed and covered with something over them. In the Mom Cave, there is a bookshelf on top of the vent. In the guest room, there are just pillows. I don't want our guests to freeze. I also do that in our computer/sewing room, and only have one vent open in our bedroom. My theory is that this technique forces more warm air into the living area.

We are living in an manufactured home, and our ceilings are kind of high and vaulted. So, here is my little plan to help keep things warmer in here. I know, this is an ugly picture below, and our carpet really needs to be cleaned, but the key here is the little fan, which actually is on, though you can't tell by looking at this photo:

The fan is facing up to the ceiling. There is another identical fan in the dining room. Because heat rises, these little fans really help to keep the warm air circulating through out the area. Ceiling fans would work too, but we don't have them in these rooms.

Keeping the mini blinds and curtains closed on the cold days and nights really does help keep the heat in too. Though if we are home, I love looking out at he snow, so that doesn't always happen during the day.

This house is around 10 years old, so it is insulated well. Super good cents or something similar, and we are lucky there. I like how there are heater vents under all of the sinks; that really helps to keep the pipes from freezing. We also leave the faucets dripping with COLD water on these cold nights. Hot water causes condensation and your pipes can still freeze if you are using that. I keep the cupboard doors open at night also, but I don't think I really need to in our case. In our master bathroom I keep them closed, because that is where the mice were last year and it freaks me out. Still, I want a hot shower in the morning, not frozen pipes, so I make appropriate judgment calls to myself on this sort of thing. I just like thinking and figuring out these sorts of things. Of course, make sure that your hoses are unhooked from the faucets outside.

Speaking of frozen pipes, here is a little story that my friend Bunny told me about. On a cold snap a year or so ago, their pipes were fine. Bunny went to do a load of laundry, and ended up with a flooded laundry room! That happened because there was some water in the wash machine drain pipe that had frozen the last time that she had washed some clothes, and the ice blocked the water of the new load from draining. Who would have ever thought about that? So, I decided to hold off on washing clothes until it warms up a bit, just in case.

If you have a big windstorm or snowstorm coming, and live in the country where you depend upon a pump, it is a good idea to fill up your bathtubs. Not for drinking water; but you can fill up a pan and use that bathtub water to flush your toilets. Some folks new to the country don't know about that handy little tip.

We don't have a wood stove or and alternative heat source, and we aren't too worried about it for now. I wouldn't mind a wood stove though. We have a travel trailer, and if we lose electricity for too long and get too cold, we can just go out there and use the propane heat and watch movies with our little t.v. that plugs into the truck cigarette lighter. Heat up cans of Ravioli. And snuggle by candlelight.

There are also these little propane heaters at Bi-Mart though, that are safe for use inside a house, trailer or tent. They are called "Mr. Heater Buddy" and they cost around $80. You just screw in those little bottles of propane that cost around $3.00 each. I got a medium-sized one, and it will heat up to 200 square feet. Just in case we would ever want to use it.

So, there you go! I think that this is going to be a very cold and snowy winter out here in the Pacific Northwest. I always try to plan ahead, and these are just some of the ideas that I have thought up to keep us warm.

Oh, the fuel was jelled in Cary's diesel truck this morning and he barely got it started. Make sure you keep some anti-gel jell on hand if you are not using a gasoline engine. And, it goes without saying to take extra special care of your outside animals.

Stay warm and stay safe!

~ Kathy

Canning Jar Lanterns:

2010-11-24T10:27:00.001-08:00

Speaking of being prepared, here is a very easy little thing you can do ahead of time and then just put away until you need them: Canning Jar Lanterns.

I have seven of these made up, and a bunch of extra candles. I just used fine gravel in the canning jar to hold the emergency candle up. How easy is that?

I found that the emergency candles are actually cheaper at the grocery store than they are at Bi-Mart. Who would have guessed? The last time the power actually did go out, Cary was pretty impressed when I whipped these little babies out. Being inside the jar, the candle gives off more light than it would by itself.

Ti-da!

2010-04-04T15:44:00.000-07:00

Home Schooling Highlight:

http://oldfashionededucation.com/

I am highlighting this website, because Maggie accomplished quite something when she made this website about homeschooling. Incredible hard work went into its development. I just found it today.

If you like what I am trying to do on my Children's Literature website, you will love what she has already done.

Another thing that I have been learning today, as I have been gathering links on home schooling, is that these sites are invaluable when it comes to American History. Make sure to check out the links offered by the home schooling sites. This is a whole new world to me. I didn't home school when my kids were little, but am strangely interested in learning about it now. I love the internet!

New Project: Recording America as We Know It

2010-04-04T07:44:00.000-07:00

I have been expanding and working on one of my other blogs with a purpose in mind. I want to capture, to remember and pass on, the America of my lifetime. There are many links, songs and time lines provided as a resource for others to use. One idea is for you to copy, paste and print out the information you like and then place it into a notebook or scrapbook. That way, you will have a hard copy to pass on to your children and grandchildren.

Children's Literature, American Folklore
and American Traditions

http://ogocaj9.blogspot.com/

Health Care Alternatives: Taking Charge

2010-03-23T09:09:00.000-07:00

I don't have a well thought out speech or article today. I am just thinking about how we need to really take being healthy into our own hands, now more than ever. This is a good time to learn about natural healing and alternative medical practices. Educate yourselves. Buy books. Take classes. Learn about and buy homeopathic medicines, and herbal medicines, or find a practitioner that already knows how and learn the basics from them. Research how people did things effectively in the old days, using what they had available.

Our medical physicians are great people, but we do not know what the future is going to bring with this new government health care plan. I really just do not see how we will be receiving any better care than we are now. Fining people for not having health insurance does not guarantee that we will have better health care provided to us. I think that a lot of doctors are going to quit because they are not going to be paid enough. Fewer young people will even want to venture into medicine, because they will not even make enough to even pay off their student loans.

Be aware of what corn syrup does to the body. It is in so many processed foods right now because it is cheaper than sugar. Corn syrup is one food that bypasses the liver, and probably has a lot to do with so many little kids being obese in America. I haven't really researched this yet, but have heard some things about it. Hmmm, I am feeling a "term paper" coming on right now.

Take a look at the prescription medicines you are taking, and learn if there are other ways to address your medical conditions. In many instances, you have no choice. If you are diabetic, you have to have insulin. But, are there other ways to lower your cholesterol? Your high blood pressure? Your depression and anxiety? I don't know if there are or not. I'm just asking you to think about it.

Another thing to look at is food allergies. The main ones are cows milk, gluton and peanuts. Does your baby get ear infections all the time? Most likely he or she is allergic to cows milk. Before getting tubes put in the baby's ears, check out your options. No more cows milk and homeopathic medications fixed my baby right up. Be careful of Tylenol; too much damages the liver. Baby liquid Tylenol is easy to overdose.

I appreciate our doctors and hospitals, and am so glad they are there. I am just trying to encourage people to be proactive and learn about their other options. Knowledge is power, and while we still have a free internet, spend some time on it learning about alternative medicine.

Articles and links on how to use your car battery to run small appliances:

2010-03-22T09:14:00.000-07:00

How to run TV's, audio, and other line-powered products from your car battery:

http://www.ehow.com/how_5628956_run-other-linepowered-products-car.html

Website for Converters, etc.:
http://www.starkelectronic.com/st500.htm

This looks interesting ....

2010-02-23T14:56:00.000-08:00

20th LIVING ON A FEW ACRES CONFERENCE

On Saturday, March 20th from 9:00am-4:30pm at Deschutes County Fairgrounds, in Redmond, Oregon, there will be a workshop from OSU Extension Service focusing on people living on small acreages.

Register with the University extension program: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/deschutes/

541-548-6088

$35 before March 15, $50 after.

Hard Copies ....

2010-02-22T08:38:00.000-08:00

For those of us who are hoping for the best and preparing for the worst, stocking up on food and supplies, etc. what will happen if we really do lose electricity and internet? What if that EMP attack occurs and we no longer have computer access to everything we want to know all at our fingertips? What if we cannot even get our computers to turn on?

When I buy books at the used bookstore, I am really buying hard copies of information that somebody has cared enough to put on paper. Now I have begun printing out stuff of off the computer and the internet for my hard copies too. How to make candles. How to sew diapers. How to make your own infant formula. How to can. How to use herbs and homeopathic meds. Lyrics to Jimmy Buffett songs. Lyrics to church songs. Phone numbers for landlines (just in case they will still work). Whatever is dear to your heart ... write it down, print it off and file it away. If you do it now, it will be there when you want to use it.

I was reading an article in magazine the other day about organization. Organization is dear to my heart, but going paperless is not. The author suggested that you scan your recipes from your favorite cookbook into your computer and get rid of the cookbook. Are these people crazy? Even if your hard drive crashed you would be in trouble there.

There are so many great blogs and websites out there, full of information on self-reliant living and emergency preparedness. Glean from those that interest you the most, and print out what ever you think will come in handy as you hope for the best and prepare for the worst. I have been posting cool blogs that I find on the sidebar, and then check out their links to find new websites. Please let me know if you have sites that you would like listed. It's all free!

~ Kathy

Saving Your Containers for Transformation:

2010-02-22T07:04:00.000-08:00

When I was at the used book sale recently, I found these two great books:

I don't know if they are still in print, but they were written in the late 90's, and are published by Leisure Arts. Here is the website to that company: http://www.leisurearts.com/default.aspx

These books fit in wonderfully with my recycling plans. I have have been recycling good containers: things like wine bottles, spaghetti sauce jars and even plastic juice bottles. I am not putting these items outside next to the garbage can though, oh no. I am reusing them ... for food storage and/or art projects. I put my recyclables that I want to keep in a tote, after they are all cleaned up:

The books above help with the art projects. They even show you how to make "kitchen angels" out of liter plastic pop bottles. I didn't make her, but when I do make one, I'll show you how I did it:

I plan on using the wine bottles for homemade syrups and homemade kaluah. The plastic juice bottles, and the spaghetti sauce jars will be filled with rice and beans at our house. If I had more freezer storage, I would fill them with water and to freeze and use in the ice chest during the summer.

A small bag of beans and peas will fit perfectly into a small spaghetti jar, with room for the bag they came in. I like to keep those, because they give you instructions and recipes.

I also save good boxes, large and small. The larger ones I use for mailing gifts at Christmastime. The smaller ones, I use for storage or gift wrapping. These books have inspired me to cover my favorite boxes in fabric and then use them as decorative storage.

So many ideas, so little time to get everything done that I want to do!

Cold Climate Gardening Seminar by Linda Sephenson:

2010-02-18T06:46:00.000-08:00

L & S Gardens is presenting a Cold Climate Gardening seminar on Saturday, March 6, from 1pm to 4pm at the La Pine Senior Activity Center. Linda Stephenson, owner of L & S Gardens, will present the What, When and Where of gardening in south Deschutes county. Bring your gardening questions for a question and answer segment of the program. Linda's books will be available for purchase. A donation of $5 per person is requested with proceeds being donated to the La Pine Sign Project. Coffee and cookies will be served. For more information call Linda at 541-536-2049 or e-mail here at lsgarden

Cold Climate Gardening: My Adventures in Gardening

2010-02-16T05:46:00.001-08:00

I have been growing flowers in containers each summer, in the front of the house. However, that is about as far as I was willing to go regarding gardening. I usually spend around $100 per season on flowers and hanging baskets. I have learned to wait until June to even buy my plants; the earlier ones just don't seem to make it.

For several years, I have been wanting to try planting a vegetable garden here in La Pine, but I knew that was going to be a difficult challenge. The reason being is that we have a short growing season and big temperature fluctuations that include freezing temps at night, even in the summer.

Last summer, I seriously studied our property, figuring out where to put the garden. I have decided to use livestock fencing, and block off part of the back yard that gets lots of sun. My idea includes a long rectangle of space backed up against the wood fence. It will be filled with raised beds, drip hoses, a portable greenhouse and a chicken coop. We'll put chicken wire along the livestock fencing so that the chickens stay in and the dogs stay out. Cary has always wanted chickens, and now that I am trying to become more self-sufficient, I think that chickens are a good idea. Fresh eggs. No roosters.

I was so happy to find this book at Round Butte Seed Company in Bend yesterday. It is written by Linda Stephenson, the owner of L & S Gardens here in La Pine. Linda tells it how it is, in plain language, exactly how to garden here. It cost $16.95, but that is pretty inexpensive for all the information that she has put there.

Last night, as I was reading the first few pages of this book, I realized that the raised bed idea was actually a pretty good one, and figured out how many boxes that we need to make, and which kinds of plants to put in each box. I learned that root plants need different fertilizers than plants that grow on top, like lettuce. Keeping them in separate beds will make it easier to give everybody what they want and need.

To say the least, I am pretty excited about this new project. This is the year, if everything goes the way I would like it to. Hopefully, by the end of the season, we will have some home canned veggie's from our own garden. That sounds like fun to me!

Here is a link to Linda's website. I just learned that she has several books out, including a couple on dutch oven cooking. I guess that I'd better go to their nursery and get some of those too.

http://www.lsgardens.com/

Dutch Oven Cooking:

2010-02-09T08:23:00.001-08:00

Dutch Oven Cooking:

In my effort to half-way "go back to the old days" theme, I am interested in how to do as many things as possible without electricity. In case of emergency. Electricity is fine by me in all other cases. I am not an extremist. So, anyway, I have decided to learn how to cook in dutch ovens this summer.

Last year, I bought these cast iron dutch ovens and griddle at Bi-Mart. They were unseasoned, and I got them in the camping department. It is much cheaper to season them yourself. (The seasoned cast iron is in the housewares department and costs $15.00 to $20.00 more per item.) Seasoning is not difficult, I just slathered them inside and out with shortening and baked them in the oven on low for several hours. You might want to do this on a nice day so that you can open the windows if things get a little smokey or smelly.

This is the griddle (you flip it over and it is a grill) and the smaller cast iron dutch oven that I have. I will not be able to use these on my stove, but I can use them in my oven. I guess when you have a flat-top stove top using these will wreck the burners, and we can't have that.

This is the grill side of the griddle. This large dutch oven has legs on it, so I could use this on the stove if I want to. However, I already have my favorite pots and pans, and the stove requires electricity, which kind of defeats my purpose here.

I figure that I have several of choices on using my cast iron. On the propane BBQ, on the propane stove in the travel trailer, with charcoal, and with fire. I think that I can figure out the BBQ and trailer stove, so I want to learn how to cook with charcoal.

I have learned so far that there is a real science to cooking with charcoal: so many pieces of charcoal on the lid and so many underneath equals 325*, for example. I bought a bunch of charcoal last year at Costco. Charcoal is kind of expensive, come to find out. If you get a good deal on it, go for it. You can always store it in a new, clean plastic garbage can lined with a garbage sack to keep it fresh and dry.

Also, I am printing out recipes and making a notebook on all of this stuff, because if you don't have electricity, you may not have computer access either.

Below are some links to dutch oven cooking. When I actually do some of, I'll give you a step-by-step photo tutorial of what happens. I know you are on edge waiting for that post. I just hope my first meal turns out better than that dang rock candy!

"Seven Secrets of Dutch Oven Cooking"

by Roger L. Beattie

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/beattie47.html

Byron's Dutch Oven Cooking Page
http://papadutch.home.comcast.net/~papadutch/

Dutch Oven Dude
http://www.dutchovendude.com/

U.S. Scouts Website:
http://www.usscouts.org/cooking/cook_05.asp

2010-02-01T20:50:00.001-08:00

Dehydrating Experiments:

Our house smells like oranges. It is a very pleasant smell, in my opinion. For some reason, I have been getting some good deals on food lately. I keep expecting prices to be higher than they are. Bags of oranges, 2 for $5.00. Bags of onions, 2 for $4.00. Bags of potatoes, 2 for $4.00. Not wanting to pass up on a good deal, I went ahead and bought those bags of oranges, onions and potatoes. Then I had to figure out what to do with all that fresh food. It does not last forever, as we all know, and there are only two of us here. I get tired of finding rotten potatoes in the cupboard. So, I decided to start using that food dehydrator that I bought last year at Bi-Mart.

I started with the oranges. I cut them in half, cut the ends off and then sliced them at about 1/4" thick. The first bag of oranges were not very sweet, so I have decided to use them for crafts. They were still a little moist and sticky when I took them out of the dehydrator, so I let them dry overnight on cookie racks. That didn't help dry them out very much, so I got to thinking about how well the rice worked on the orange spice balls that I made before Christmas. I used a medium sized bag of rice and a cake pan; layering the orange slices with the rice. In a few days, those oranges should be very dry and ready for use in making a garland.

The second batch of oranges were sweeter, so I plan on keeping them around for snacks. I dried the ends too, and I am going to put them in my blender and grind them up to use as a spice. I bought some banana's also. I have dried bananas before, and they turned out pretty good. I put them in little jars in my refrigerator so they will last longer.

These were from the second batch.

I tasted one, it was good but a bit tart.

We'll see how the other things turn out. Dried onions should be easy, and will be so much cheaper than those in the little spice bottles that we get at the store. The potatoes will be a little trickier and more time consuming, since they need to be peeled and blanched (in the microwave) before placing in the food dehydrator.

It sounds like fun to me!

Learning to can...

2009-09-14T07:26:00.000-07:00

Okay, now I am going to try something new to me: I am going to learn to can. I like making soups with my leftovers, and we only have a small freezer. We could get a bigger freezer, but then if one of these disasters happen where we lose electricity, then we lose the food. So, I am going to do what my Grandma's did and can.

I have most of the stuff that I need, except for a pressure cooker. That will run about $100.00, but we will always have it. I am going to make the commitment and buy one. Then, I'll show you my progress as I go. I found an awesome website right off the bat, with recipes, videos and everything. Thanks, Canning USA for doing such a wonderful job and teaching people like me how to can!

Canning USA.com Link:
http://canningusa.com/TableofContentsGeneral.htm

Dennis Murphy (City of Springfield Fire Cheif) Pandemic Influenza Plan:

2009-04-23T07:06:00.001-07:00

Pandemic Influenza Plan

Pandemic Influenza
“Get Prepared, Not Scared!”

The Flu Threat – The threat of flu has become more important as the possibility of a world wide influenza pandemic has become well known. Starting with concerns over world wide spread of Bird (Avian) Flu from birds to humans, world health experts now predict there is a much greater likelihood of a mutation (change) in this new type of flu so that it is easily transmitted from human-to-human. If this happens, there would likely be widespread serious illness and deaths as a result. There are currently no vaccines for a new type of flu, since it is unknown what form it will take. As a result, it will take an estimated 4-6 months or longer after the start of a pandemic for a sufficient quantity of vaccine to be manufactured and distributed. During this time, each community and every person should be prepared to take steps to limit the spread of illness.
Better Prepared than Scared – There are a number of steps that we can all take to be better prepared for the possibility of a pandemic. Federal, state, and local governments are leading the way with Pandemic Influenza Plans (PIP) but they need your help to make them work. This website offers simple instructions for all persons, groups, and organizations. Just click on the links below that match your interest and see what you can do. This advice comes directly from the official website managed by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
Springfield Pandemic Influenza Plan (SPIP) – If you live in the City of Springfield or areas nearby, you receive one or more services from local government (fire, ambulance, schools, parks and recreation, utilities, police, library, planning, public works, etc.). All local government agencies in this area have joined together in what is known as “Team Springfield.” These agencies are collaborating in the development, testing, and improvement of the Springfield Pandemic Influenza Plan (SPIP). The SPIP addresses the need for government, business, community agencies, and individuals to continue to function during this type of major emergency. The plan is modeled after similar plans at the state and federal level. More information will be made available on SPIP in the coming months. Check here for the City of Springfield's Emergency Management Plan.
FireMed Program Provides Pandemic Control Information Materials – FireMed, the City of Springfield ambulance membership program, sponsors information on illness and injury prevention, including this website on pandemic control. The “Get Prepared, Not Scared!” campaign is a public information service of FireMed.
Check back periodically to learn more about local preparations for Pandemic Flu. For more information and useful planning guides check out the U.S. Government avian and pandemic flu information pages below. These pages are managed by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Planning for yourself and your family

Business & Industry planning

Business Pandemic Influenza Planning Checklist [Printer-Friendly PDF - 151KB] [En Español (PDF)]

Schools and Daycare

Community and Faith-Based

Faith-Based & Community Organizations Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Checklist [Printer-Friendly PDF - 69KB] [En Español (PDF) (268KB)]

2009-04-19T07:42:00.000-07:00

Getting Prepared for an
Electromagnetic Pulse Attack

by Jerry Emanuelson

The science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke once said:

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

This statement is commonly known as Clarke's Third Law. Many people have heard this quotation, but few people really think about its implications.

We now live in a world that is so completely immersed in advanced technology that we depend upon it for our very survival. Most of the actions that we depend upon for our everyday activities -- from flipping a switch to make the lights come on to obtaining all of our food supplies at a nearby supermarket -- are things that any individual from a century ago would consider magic.

Very few people in industrialized countries do work that is not directly assisted by electronic computers, although that computerized assistance is often quite invisible to the average person. Few people think about things such as the fact that whenever we buy some food item at a supermarket (and many others are buying the same item), the next time we go to that same supermarket, they still have about the same supplies that they had before. There are invisible infrastructures all around us that are made up of advanced technology. Most of us just take the magic for granted.

Few people stop to consider what would happen if, in an instant, the magic went away. If our advanced technology were suddenly and completely destroyed, how would we manage to survive. A nuclear EMP could make the magic go away. I hope it never happens, and I don't think that it is at all inevitable. It makes no sense, however, to be blind to the danger. It is both much less likely to happen -- and also less likely to have a catastrophic impact -- if, both as a civilization and as individuals, we are prepared for an attack on our advanced technology. A nuclear EMP would be a seemingly magical attack upon our advanced technology, the technological infrastructure upon which our lives depend.

This is a page about some of the things that individuals can do to prepare for an electromagnetic pulse attack. I'm an electronics engineer who has been thinking about the EMP problem for about 3 decades. I even have an ancient Radio Shack TRS-80 Model 4 that is completely electromagnetically shielded. It's just a personal antique, useless for anything but a personal reminder of how long I've been thinking about this problem. That early-model personal computer didn't even have a hard drive.

I've spent much of my career working with radio and television transmitters on high mountaintops where there is a lot of lightning and other kinds of electromagnetic transients. I understand how fragile our advanced technological infrastructure can be. On this page, I'm going to concentrate on a nuclear EMP attack, but much of this also applies to natural events such as unusual geomagnetic storms due to extremely large solar flares.

First: A brief note about solar flares (and similar natural events), and then I'll get back to nuclear EMP. Solar flares would primarily affect the power grid, and are not likely to harm things like computers. Also, solar flares would only disrupt communications temporarily, and would not be likely to cause direct harm to communications equipment. A extremely large solar flare, though, could destroy a substantial fraction of the large transformers on the power grid. If this happened, electric power might be out for months or years. The last solar flare that could have caused this level of damage happened in 1859, before the power grid was in place. The power grid has only been in place for a tiny fraction of one percent of human history, and a really large solar flare has not happened in that time. There is a general assumption that any solar event that is similar to, or larger than, the 1859 solar flare will simply never happen again, although there is no justification for such an assumption. There is a good possibility that such a solar flare will happen in this century. If it happens in the current situation without spares for our large transformers, a large part of the power grid will be down for at least a year.

What just happened???

The most important piece of information you can have after any sort of unusual electrical event is information about what happened. If there is a bright flash in the sky at the same time that the power goes off, and you've been thinking about nuclear EMP, your first reaction may be to assume the worst -- but it is probably just a cloud-to-cloud lightning that happened at the same time that a distant cloud-to-ground lightning strike knocked out the power. Even if you thought the sky was clear outside, there may have been a distant thunderstorm, and lightning bolts sometimes travel remarkably long distances.

If it is a nuclear EMP, though, you will want to know about it right away, and the local radio and television stations are going to all be off the air. The internet will also be down. There might be some telephone service if you are very lucky, but anyone that you would call probably won't know any more than you. The only way that you will get any timely information will be by listening to broadcasts originating on other continents using a battery-operated shortwave radio.

If you have a shortwave radio, it is likely to be knocked out by the EMP unless it is adequately shielded. To be adequately shielded, it needs to be kept inside of a faraday cage, and preferably inside nested faraday cages. A faraday cage is an total enclosure made out of a good electrical conductor such as copper or aluminum. Large faraday cages can get rather complicated. For small portable electronics, though, completely covering the electronic equipment in aluminum foil makes a faraday cage around the equipment. The foil covering needs to be complete, without any gaps. A single layer of foil may not be adequate. In order to enclose the equipment in a nested faraday cage, place the foil-covered device in a plastic bag, such as a freezer bag, and wrap that bag completely in aluminum foil. If you really want to protect the equipment against a large EMP, add another layer of plastic and foil.

Just adding layers of foil directly on top of foil won't do much good, due to what is called "skin effect." I won't bother to explain skin effect here, but you can look it up if you're curious.

Of course, any antennas or power cords need to be either disconnected or contained completely within the faraday cage.

You'll need to keep plenty of batteries on hand for the radio. There are some models of shortwave radios that have hand-crank or solar power, but those "emergency radios" that I've tried don't have very good shortwave reception. The idea behind having a shortwave radio is to be able to directly receive radio stations on another continent that has been unaffected by the EMP. The radio that I like best of the portable, and not too expensive, receivers is the SONY ICF-SW7600GR. This model is not cheap, but you can usually find it for at least 25 percent below its "list price."

Many people have bought or kept old vacuum tube radios for use after an EMP attack. Although vacuum tubes are thousands of times more resistant to EMP than transistors (and discrete transistors are more resistant than integrated circuits), other components of vacuum tubes radios can be damaged by EMP. In fact, vacuum tube radios actually were damaged in 1962 high-altitude nuclear tests by both the United States and the Soviet Union. Vacuum tube radios also have the disadvantage of requiring much more power than solid-state radios, and electric power will be a rare commodity after a nuclear EMP. Although a vacuum tube radio would have a high likelihood of coming through an EMP event undamaged as long as it was turned off and not connected to an antenna, a modern solid-state shortwave radio kept inside of a nested faraday cage is the best form of insurance for obtaining information after an EMP event.

A nuclear EMP will severely disrupt the upper atmosphere, so it could be several hours after an EMP before you get decent shortwave reception with any radio, but that will be long before you could get information from any other source. If you're in the United States, you may be able to get emergency information from a local NOAA Weather Radio station. I believe that a few NOAA emergency transmitters are EMP-protected, but most are not. Repairs to many of these transmitters will be able to be made by military personnel, who can also supply emergency power to them for a while, but that emergency power may not last very long. If you're in the United States, though, it is important to have a NOAA Weather Radio. These radios really are inexpensive, and whenever the NOAA transmitters are working, they can provide local information that is critically important. Like your shortwave radio, your NOAA Weather radio needs to be kept in a nested faraday cage until you need it. NOAA Weather Radios could be especially important in the case of a large solar superstorm, where the radios would probably continue to work and give information, even though much of the power grid could be out for years.

If you learn that you have been in an EMP attack, don't make any premature assumptions about how bad it may have been. It may have just hit a part of the country, or it may have been with a relatively small weapon so that the power grid may be back up and running in a few weeks. It also could be from a large weapon, or multiple weapons, that totally destroyed the infrastructure of the country. There is an enormous spectrum of possibilities for an EMP attack.

If you have a spare laptop computer, it can also be stored in nested faraday cages, just like your radio.

A few days after an EMP attack, a lot of people will become really terrified as their food and water supplies run out, and they discover that there is no way to obtain fresh supplies. Within two or three weeks, the military services will likely come to the rescue for many people. If the size of the attack has been very large, though, that period of relief will probably not last very long. Most people will simply begin to starve to death.

Whatever the scope of the EMP attack, the longer that you can remain at home and be fairly self-sufficient, the better things will be for you. This is likely to be especially true during the first few weeks after the EMP event. In most industrialized countries, it is not customary for individuals to keep very much in the way of emergency supplies in their homes. In fact, many people who do keep many emergency supplies are regarded with some suspicion, thought to be "survivalists" or some other strange breed of humans. Disasters are frequent enough, though, that any prudent individual should maintain some basic level of self-sufficiency. Most people in industrialized countries see large-scale emergencies happening frequently on television, while maintaining the irrational and completely unwarranted assumption that it will never happen to them. It is the people who do not plan for personal emergencies who ought to be regarded with suspicion as a strange and irrational breed of human.

There are several mainstream companies that specialize in these emergency supplies. The MREs (meals ready to eat) used by military services, especially during emergencies, have to be made on an industrial scale, and they are available for sale to individuals during non-emergency times. Many of these same companies make freeze-dried food in cans, which have a far longer shelf life. After any sort of large-scale disaster, these supplies are only going to be available from government agencies, and government agencies will only have a finite supply. Many basic emergency supplies can be purchased from reputable companies that have been around for years. The food that these companies sell normally has a shelf life of 5 to 20 years or more, depending upon exactly how it is prepared and packaged. Although I do not want to get into the process of naming companies, one that I believe to be one of the best, especially for those who have not thought about the subject before, is Emergency Essentials.

For any emergency food supplies that you do get, it is important to get food you personally like and are actually likely to use, even if a personal emergency never happens. Then, if an emergency does happen, it will be you, not distant relief workers, who will determine how good your food is. Don't forget about water. Few people keep an emergency supply of water, in spite of the fact that it is inexpensive and easy to do. Almost every country of the world has a period of days every year where many people in some large area are without drinkable water. In most countries, much of the water is pumped by electric motors. After a major EMP attack, electricity for most of those pumps is going to be unavailable for a very long period of time.

If you want to really be part of the solution, instead of part of the problem, and increase the probability that your country can return to normal within a few years after an EMP attack, then you can be prepared to become part of the new infrastructure. The more electronics equipment that you can store under nested faraday shielding, the better. If you want to be able to use that electronics equipment after the batteries run down, you will need a personal power source. A simple small electric generator, that does not depend upon electronics to run, is always a good idea. After an EMP attack, though, fuel for the generator will be a scarce commodity. Solar panels can be used to supply a small amount of electricity indefinitely, especially if you also have some good rechargeable batteries that match the voltage of your solar panel. I don't know how resistant solar cells are to EMP (the technology here is ever-changing), but if you have something like a 50 watt solar panel, you can store it in a nested faraday cage. Only very rare individuals are going to be able to have full electric power after an EMP attack, no matter what advance preparations they might like to make. In a post-pulse world, though, any amount of reasonably reliable electricity is going to be a real personal luxury.

If you want to store larger items in a faraday cage, you can use copper screen or aluminum screen. Most commercial faraday cages use copper screen, but copper screen is expensive and difficult for most individuals to obtain. Bright aluminum screen works almost as well, and aluminum screen can be obtained in rolls at many building supply stores such as Home Depot. Don't worry about the fact that this screen is not a solid material. The size of the tiny ventilation holes in the mesh of ordinary window screen is irrelevant to EMP protection. Aluminum screen can make a very effective electromagnetic shield. Ordinary ferrous (iron-containing) window screen is not a good material for a faraday cage.

It is important to have all of the computer data that is important to you backed up onto optical media, like CD or DVD. Paper printouts are fine, but after an EMP attack, most of the data on paper printouts will simply never get typed back into computers, so those paper printouts will just become your personal mementos.

CD and DVD data (in other words, optical media) is not affected by EMP. Even if your computers are destroyed, if your country's economy can get re-built after an EMP attack, then new computers can be purchased from other continents. If all the computer data is gone, then recovery is going to be many years later than it would be if the data could just be reloaded from optical media. Computer data runs our modern world. It is a major part of the invisible magic that I mentioned at the top of this page.

Much of what has been written elsewhere about faraday cages is based upon the assumption that the faraday cage is going to be a room or building sized structure. Large faraday cages need to be grounded, but for smaller faraday cages, such as you would use to shield a radio or a laptop computer, any wire running to a ground is likely to just function as an antenna, and possibly as a very efficient antenna for gathering EMP.

As the Soviets learned in 1962, even large underground conductors (such as underground power lines) can absorb huge induced currents from nuclear EMP. The same thing can happen to underground conductors like cold water pipes, which are commonly used for grounding. In a nuclear EMP, a cold water pipe ground may become a large underground antenna. For shielding small items like radios and other electronics equipment, use the nested faraday cage system of alternating foil (or screen) and plastic, and don't bother with the ground connection (unless you plan to physically bury your equipment). EMP grounding gets very tricky, and the ordinary rules for grounding do not apply. (Most high-power transmitter antennas are actually at a DC ground.)

Protecting most electronic appliances in your house against EMP, if they are plugged in and in use, is probably hopeless. There is always the possibility, though, that you will be near the edge of an area that is affected by an EMP attack. For this possibility, the combination of ordinary surge suppressors and ferrite suppression cores could be very valuable.

Ferrite suppression cores are those imbedded cylindrical things that make the cylindrical protrusion in the power cords on sensitive electronics equipment. They can be very effective to protect your equipment against ordinary transients -- such as the type that occur constantly on the power lines and slowly damage your electronics equipment. The ferrite suppressors on power cords (and inside of many surge protectors) are usually the common type 43 ferrite material, which offers a considerable amount of protection against ordinary transients, but would hardly do anything at all to the very fast E1 component of a nuclear EMP. You can buy separate snap-on ferrite suppressors, including snap-on ferrite suppression cores with type 61 ferrite, which will absorb much faster pulses. The ferrite cores with material 61 don't cost all that much more than the older ferrite, and they will attenuate the spike from a nuclear EMP. If you're in an area where there is a strong EMP, it won't attenuate it enough to do any good at all, but if you're at the edge of the affected area, or just get a nearby lightning strike, or have a lot of ordinary voltage spikes on your power line, these snap-on ferrite cores with material 61 could be extremely valuable. They are sold by companies such as Mouser Electronics. Look for items such as Fair-Rite part number 0461167281 or 0461164281.

Items like surge suppressors and ferrite suppression cores are only going to be effective against relatively small pulses that come in through the power line. A large EMP will totally and completely fry your large screen television by directly inducing currents in the equipment itself that are far too large for it to handle. The same is true for much of the other electronics in your home. There is no reason to assume, though, that any EMP attack will be maximally effective -- or that you will never be right at the edge of the affected area. Also, even if an EMP attack never happens, an endless barrage of small voltage spikes is eating away at your electronics equipment every day unless you are doing something to protect against it.

There are all kinds of EMP attack scenarios. There are many situations one can imagine where the area around the edges of the EMP zone is extremely large. There could be entire large cities where even the unshielded equipment with minimal protection mostly survives, but everything unprotected is fried.

I'll have more to say about this subject later. There is actually quite a lot that can be done to protect your electronics from a small EMP attack or if you happen to be at the edge of the EMP-affected area. If you live in a lightning-prone area, many of these things will give your electronics equipment a much longer lifetime. Repeated hits from small electrical transients is a major cause of electronic failures, ranking second only to heat as a cause of most types of electronic failure.

It is important to read the EMP Commission Report on Critical National Infrastructures, so you'll have some idea of the scope of the EMP problem.

This EMP Commission report is the best information, but definitely not the last word, on likely EMP effects on today's infrastructure and equipment. The EMP Commission relied heavily on data from simulators, and this data does not explain all of the effects that were actually seen in the 1962 nuclear tests, especially in the EMP tests over Kazakhstan.

One thing that you'll discover in that Critical National Infrastructures Report is that automobiles and trucks seem to be much more resilient against EMP attacks that what is portrayed in most fiction. Although many vehicles would be rendered inoperative, and it will be a regular "demolition derby" on streets and highways, most (but not all) vehicles that are not running at the time of an EMP will be likely to run just fine when they are started (although you are very likely to experience damage to non-essential functions).

Vehicles, especially gasoline vehicles, have to have a certain amount of electromagnetic shielding around the entire ignition system. Otherwise, the ignition noise from all the automobiles would render radio and television sets unusable (especially car radios). The most difficult part of operating a car after an EMP event (or even a solar superstorm) is likely to be obtaining gasoline. It is very foolish to ever let the level of gasoline in your tank get below half full. In a wide range of emergencies, one of the most valuable things to have is a full tank of gasoline.

It is important to remember that the last time an automobile was actually tested against nuclear EMP was in 1962. Everything since then has been in simulators that we hope and believe are close to the real thing.

In the 1962 Soviet high-altitude nuclear tests over Kazakhstan, even military diesel generators were damaged. This process was apparently started by a large voltage spike from the fast E1 component of the pulse punching through the insulation on the wiring. According to Vladimir M. Loborev, one of the chief scientists who studied this phenomenon, "The matter of this phenomenon is that the electrical puncture occurs at the weak point of a system. Next, the heat puncture is developed at that point, under the action of the power voltage; as a result, the electrical power source is put out of action very often." (From his report at the 1994 EUROEM Conference in Bourdeax, France.)

Go to the Real Science of Dark Angel Page

Go to the main Futurescience EMP Page

From William R. Forstchen, Ph.D.'s Website, Author of "One Second After":

2009-04-18T08:18:00.000-07:00

For more information, click on the sidebar link to William's websiste.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

NOW

ABOUT THE THREAT

OF AN EMP ATTACK?

Any who are reading this who live along the Southern coast or in “Tornado Alley,” already know the basics.

Every American should consider doing the same in case we are ever hit by an EMP attack.

Food and Water.

Safe water and food are your starting point. If you already buy bottled water, save the bottles and recycle them. Simple enough, just refill with filtered water, seal, and put in the basement or a closet so that you have at least a week’s worth on hand, though the more you have stockpiled the better off you are. Canned food is great, just remember to check expiration dates, I tend to buy an extra few cans of soup etc. now whenever I am in the market. If you have friends who are Mormons, ask them, they’re the experts on what to buy and how to safely store it! Do not use recycled milk containers, unless you sterilize them, otherwise you’ll have problems.

The longer you stock pile for, the better off you will be, though even a week or two of supplies could be crucial. Again, this is something anyone in a hurricane, earthquake, or tornado zone is already aware of.

You can also reference numerous websites for survival packages. Just be aware that much of it is overpriced and with a little research and effort you can make your own at a fraction of the cost.

Medication.

The usual first aid kit supplies for common injuries. Infection and infectious diseases which the day before an EMP were trivial concerns now could be deadly. Downloading from your computer NOW and learning basic survival treatment skills is essential. There are numerous websites devoted to what I would call the “Boy Scout Level” of First Aid training we should all be familiar with. For any of us on necessary medications, the collapse of a national infrastructure could mean that you might be cut off for weeks at absolute best, most likely far longer, maybe forever.

If you have life threatening concerns, NEVER let your med supply drop down to only a day or two before refilling. If there is a way for you to safely and legally have a supply of several months on hand of crucial medication, do so now. It just might buy the time needed for survival.

Climate survival.

This is a tough one. I live in a rural community, have the wood stove and wood supply in place and extra propane tanks for cooking. I realize that is impossible for most, especially in urban environments. Safety is a key thing here with heat sources such as kerosene space heaters. Study up on it before preparing. A darn good investment is Coleman or propane fueled lamps, along with candles and old fashion kerosene lamps. The more on hand, the better.

Other survival needs.

Sanitation produces from anti bacterial soap, to knowing how to set up a portable toilet with household items, to, embarrassing as it might be for this guy to talk about, feminine products. . . (you don’t want to be facing some of the issues your great grandmothers dealt with, including possible infections). Again, the more you stockpile the better.

You are on your own. . .for weeks, maybe months. Those of you living in Louisiana, Mississippi and coastal Texas know what I mean. Don’t count on the government to come to your rescue in a post EMP America. Consider yourself on your own from “one second after,” the event. Those who realize that now have the greatest chance of survival.

Personal Security.

This is a tough one to discuss. In 1999 I kinda chuckled at some friends who were convinced Y2K was going to wipe us out and I think were slightly disappointed when it did not. I am not some right wing gun fanatic who sees conspiracies lurking round every corner, but I do take personal security seriously. This is a personal choice you will have to make on your own, I can’t advise other than to say this:

There is a percentage of our population who will view a post EMP world as a paradise, where their system of survival, their personal greed, their willingness to use any means possible to survive will come to the fore. Yes, it is a plot point of the novel, but it is also a harsh reality. There are places in this world, at this very moment, where someone would kill you for a can of food. Someday, that could be America.

If you do not own a gun but should decide to do so now, please get the proper training. I was fortunate in that my father was a firearms instructor during WWII and my training from him was the best, a training I have passed on to my daughter. Always remember the valid statistics that a weapon in your house is an increased danger to you and your family, especially without proper training of all family members and not just yourself, but on the other side, it might be the crucial factor of survival in a post EMP world. If you are unfamiliar with firearms but decide to purchase one, talk to the experts, you will find your local police are great guys to point you in the proper and safe direction. I have a permit to carry a concealed weapon. I know that in some areas you can not obtain that. If you can, the training to get the permit is superb and again crucial to your own safety and that of your family and does insure that your having a loaded weapon on you is legal.

If you live in a community or on a street where neighbors know and trust each other, do not hesitate to talk about “what if this happens? What do we do?” A few hours conversation before hand might be the crucial difference between your living and dying. Who on your street understands personal security and can offer solid advice? Who is the person who is the gifted “tinker” who might get some things running again? Who has special needs that others can help out with? Who can you trust? And sadly, who can you not trust? It is better to know now rather than later. A street or neighborhood plan can make all the difference in who lives and who dies.

Personal Health.

Do your own personal assessment now. Realize you will be living in a world without automobiles, without electricity, without infrastructure or any kind of immediate medical aid. Are you fit enough to survive? If not, take a serious look at this for your own sake and that of your family. Friends of mine who read this will shake their heads because I am in a constant struggle against smoking. Could I walk ten miles hauling a twenty pound sack of rice? Frankly I have to get my act together as should all of us.

Plan as a Family.

Think about how far you commute every day. How far away is your child’s school? It might be daunting when you realize it. If we are hit by an EMP, you might have to walk home. How does your child get home? Do you have an elderly parent living close by? How do you pull your family unit back together and then survive. Talk about it now and lay out plans. . . .”I will walk from my office and pick up our youngest at her elementary school on the way back, while you go to grandma’s place and get ready to move her. . .” is crucial now, rather than trying to figure it out when all communications are down. Most of all, everyone should be able to recognize, IMMEDIATELY, if we have been hit by an EMP. The signs are obvious. Power goes off, but beyond that nearly all cars will no longer start, your cellular service is dead, there is a complete blackout. Know the signs and react. He who reacts swiftly and logically stands a far better chance of survival then those who will wait for “them” or “the government” to sort it out.

This might seem off the wall but I’m a dog person. OK, I even lean towards PETA on some issues. In a harsh post EMP world, your dog might help you survive, it is a point in the novel that when writing it, struck me one night. While doing the first draft of the book my yellow lab came out and assumed his usual spot. . .curled up by my feet and I suddenly realized. . .”what happens to him?” How will he and my other dogs survive? Keeping several months of food for them on hand might save you from a very horrible choice. If nothing else on this page motivates you, but a love of your pet or companion hits close to home and starts you thinking about the broader issues here, then let it.

Communications.

A simple thing called a “Faraday Cage” is nearly a fool proof protector of electronics from an EMP. You can find the plans on line and purchase the material to make one for just a few dollars from any hardware store. Make sure it is properly grounded. If you then buy a couple of simple hand held two way radios, plus a good short wave radio and place them inside the Faraday Cage (make sure they rest on a non conductive surface such as a ceramic bowl) they will survive even the worst EMP hit. In your family survival kit be certain you have plenty of batteries to support them since you might be relying on these things for months. You now have communications with your family, or neighbors and news from the outside world.

If you are one of those types who is a “handy-person” think further. You have an emergency generator. Don’t plug it in to your home because the “surge” will blow it out. Instead, disassemble any delicate components and put them in the Faraday cage. If a regular emergency such as power failure due to a storm happens, you can always pull them out, reinstall and you’ll have power anyhow. In the event of an EMP, that generator might be a life saver. What about an old moped, or even extra parts for an old car? The few real life experiences of EMP, dating from nuclear tests in 1962 showed that even then, car ignition systems burned out. If you know how to repair these components, get the parts now and just store them away. You might be the only person driving in your community the day after we are hit.

LOCAL ACTION AND POLITICAL ACTION

So far, the national government reaction in relationship to EMP is abysmal. One of the few shining lights is Congressman Roscoe Bartlett (Republican—Frederick, MD), who headed up a Congressional Committee on EMP. He too believes this is our number one threat. If you read this and agree, send an email letting him know of your appreciation and support, no matter where you live. Check out his testimony on line by just simply going into Thomas.gov Then contact your own Congressional representative. In some ways government is very simple. . .the squeaking wheel gets the oil. Right now, concern about EMP has no “constituency.” You and I could name a hundred “causes” which on a daily basis get national attention and national funding, and which pose a threat to only a very few in our society as compared to over 300 million Americans. If over a span of several months a local Congressional representative starts getting letters, emails and phone calls saying “hey I’m concerned about the threat of EMP, you should talk to Roscoe Bartlett,” believe me, they really do check. Remember they need your votes come 2010. All Congressman Bartlett needs is the support of a couple of dozen Congressmen and women from both sides of the aisle and his hope to get this issue off center, and out of committee, and into the reality of planning and funding on a national level will happen.

Talk Radio.

What a powerful vehicle for getting out the message. I know because I hosted my own show for a couple of years. My radio show was once a week and just a fun show about history. It amazed me how sometimes months later I’d be talking to someone in a store and a stranger would come up, ask if I was “the history guy,” and then want to talk about some issue I had raised. Nearly every community has a well known talk show host. Call in. Talk about this issue and voice your concern. Chances are your host might not know about it, but your voice will be heard. This is not some advertising on my part but tell them to read my book and darn it, the hell with the royalties, get it out of the library if need be or find it in a used book store. Tell folks to go on line, get to this site, then go to the links and study up on the subject. Your one call might trigger dozens more and in the end, action.

Local Action.

In researching for this book it would have been impossible to pull it together without the help of a lot of people. The scene in the novel set in the nursing home came out of direct experience when my community was hit by a hurricane, my father was in a nursing home and I was asked to come in and help out because most of the nurses could not get in due to the storm. In fact that night was one of the major triggers for this novel, because I knew help in terms of emergency water, medical supplies etc., were on their way thanks to the fact that a great local talk show host stayed on the air all night giving us updates. But I did wonder. . .suppose this had been an EMP instead and no outside help with water, food, and medications would be here for weeks, months, maybe never?

I’ve interviewed a number of local law enforcement officials for this book. A couple were caught off guard by the topic and I had to bring them up to speed. Several though, the moment I mentioned EMP all but grabbed me, ready to exclaim “thank God someone else is thinking about this,” and the conversation would then go on for hours, both of us expressing our worst fears. In the book I acknowledge Jack Staggs, my local police chief. My hat is off to him again, he is a guy who on a local level is already thinking about EMP and planning for it.

If you know a local police official, first responder, your mayor, whomever, talk with them. You might be surprised that they too are deeply concerned. They will tell you, and this is frightening, that there has been almost zero preparation and training for this kind of threat. Hundreds upon hundreds of hours of training and funding have been allocated on your local level since 9/11 on the “standard” scenarios of terrorist hitting a local school, a chemical or bio attack, a “dirty bomb” even a suitcase nuclear device being detonated, but nothing on EMP.

If local officials know that their citizens are concerned, they will definitely respond. A minimal investment of a few thousand dollars at a local level could prepare your first responders with communications equipment properly stock piled in EMP proof storage areas, an operational plan as to what to do in those crucial first hours after an attack, and how every “first responder” should recognize an EMP strike and then how to report in and start organizing your community to survive.

There is a lot more than can be said on this topic. This is only cracking the door open for you to think, talk, and even reply on this site if you should wish to. In closing consider this story from history. At around 7:00 AM on the morning of December 7, 1941, a new technology, radar, was being used atop a mountain peak on the northern tip of the island of Oahu. The two men manning the radar unit started to pick up a huge inbound “blip.” Their shift was just about over, it was a Sunday morning, a day on the beach beckoned but they decided to call in to headquarters with a report. The officer in charge there. . .well God save and forgive him. . . he shrugged and told them not to worry about it, it was most likely some of our own planes anyhow, so close up their unit and call it a day. They did as ordered. Fifty minutes of warning time was lost. How different history might have been if that officer had reacted, said the hell with “channels” and called for a full alert.

Consider this moment, right now as you read this. Is it 7:00 AM on the morning of December 7^th yet again? If you should decide to go to alert now, rather than wait for others to do so. . .what might that mean for you, your family and neighbors, your community. . .and our nation?

2009-02-08T09:05:00.001-08:00

Who Depends on You?

By Tyler F. Ray
Homeland Security Emergency Manager
Washington State Patrol
(From the Inside/Out, September/October Edition 2008)

“The City of Everett has recently launched and emergency preparedness campaign that asks the question, who depends on you? As we winter the winter storm season and remember the flooding and other tragedies that affected oru communities last year, this is an important question for each of us in the WSP family to reflect upon. Every one of us whether commissioned, civil service or retired has others that rely upon us every day. Most notably, the public depends on WSP to provided critical public safety services, both every day and, even more so, in the event of a disaster or large-scale emergency. It is not just the public, however, that depends on us: each of us has families, loved ones, neighbors and others that place their well-being in the trust of our actions. We are public servants, but first of all we are parents, children, spouses, partners and responsible citizens.

To continue to provice the best in public safety servies in a disaster, we need to ensure that those who depend on us know what to do when we’re not there and they have the supplies needed to stay safe and comfortable. Does your son or daughter know what to do if there’s an emergency? How will you contact them? Do you have food, water, and supplies if the power goes out? Does your family know where supplies are kept? During Hurrican Katrina, we saw first responders abandon their posts, forced to choose between duty and their loved ones. Acting responsibly today will ensure we won’t have to make theis difficult decision should an earthquake, tsunami, or other Katrina-like disaster affect our state.

Will you be ready to respond, and have you taken the necessary steps to guarantee that those wo dependon you are adequately prepared to take care of themselves?

There are three simple things that we can all do to become better prepared:

1. Build a kit - In emergency preparation, it is best to stick with the basics: fresh water, food, clean air, and warmth.

2. Have a plan - Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so it is important to plan in advance: how you will contact one another; how you will get back together; and what you will do in different situations.

3. Become informed - Some of the things you can do to prepare for the unexpected, such as making an emergency supply kit and developing a family communications plan, are the same for both a natural or man-made emergency. However, there are important differences among potential emergencies that will impact the decisions you make and the actions you take. Learn more about the potential emergencies that could happen where you live and the appropriate way to respond to them. You can find information on how to become more informed at the following sites:
http://www.ready.gov/
http://www.redcross.org/
http://www.emd.wa.gov/

Everyone should have a plan.

When it comes to natural disasters or terrorist attacks, we must have the tools and plans in place to make it on our own, at least for a period of time, no matter where we are when disaster strikes. WSP wants its employees, past and present, to prepare for possible emergencies. In the next few page is information to start planning and preparing your family to be ready should a disaster or terrorist attack occur.

Before the Emergency … Make a Plan

Family Emergency Plan:

It may be easier to make a long-distance phone call than to call across town, so an out-of-town contact may be in a better position to communicate among separated family members.
Be sure every member of your family knows the phone number and has coins or a prepaid phone card to call the emergency contact. You may have trouble getting through, or the telephone system may be down altogether, but be patient.
Consider how a disaster might affect your individual needs.
Plan to make it on your own, at least for a period of time. It’s possible that you will not have access to a medical facility or even a drugstore.
Identify what kinds of resources you use on a daily basis and what you might do if they are limited or not available.
Get an emergency supply kit.
If you must evacuate, take your pets with you, if possible. However, if you are going to a public shelter, it is important to understand that animals may not be allowed inside.

Emergency Information :

Find out what kinds of disasters, both natural and man-made, are most likely to occur in your area and how you will be notified. Methods of getting your attention vary from community to community. One common method is to broadcast via emergency radio and TV broadcasts. You might hear a special siren, or get a telephone call, or emergency workers may go door-to-door.

Emergency Plans:

You may also want to inquire about emergency plans at places where your family spends time: work, daycare and school. If no plans exist, consider volunteering to help create one. Talk to your neighbors about how you can work together in the event of an emergency. You will be better prepared to safely reunite your family and loved ones during an emergency if you think ahead and communicate with others in advance.

Older Americans:

Each person’s needs and abilities are unique, but every individual can take important steps to prepare for all kinds of emergencies and put plans in place. By evaluating your own personal needs and making an emergency plan, you can be better prepared for any situation.

Plan in advance for shelter alternatives that will work for both you and your pets; consider loved ones or friends outside of your immediate area who will be willing to host you and your pets in an emergency.

People With Disabilities and Other Special Needs:

Create a support network to help in an emergency.
Tell these people where you keep your emergency supplies.
Give one member of your support network a key to your house or apartment.
Contact your city or county government’s emergency information management office. Many local offices keep lists of people with disabilities so they can be located quickly in a sudden emergency.
Wear medical alert tags or bracelets to help identify your disability.

For more information and tools related to emergency preparedness for persons with disabilities, go to Emergency Preparedness for Individuals with Disabilities’ Resource Center at

http://www.disabilitypreparedness.gov/

Prepare for Disasters Before they Strike:
Build a Disaster Supplies Kit

Build Your Preparedness Kit Checklist:

Items in My Preparedeness Kit :

Water

Food

Medications and Special Items

Tools and Supplies

Sanitation

Clothing and Bedding

Emergency Car Kit

Important Family Documents

First Aid Kit

There are six basics you should stock for your home in case of an emergency: water, food, first aid supplies, clothing and bedding, tools and emergency supplies, and special items for medical conditions. Keep the items that you would most likely need during an evacuation in an easy-to-carry container. Below is a list of what should be included in your kit for a complete list of information regarding preparedness, please visit

http://www.read.gov/ or http://www.emd.wa.gov/

Recommended Items to Include in a Basic Emergency Supply Kit:

Water, one gallon per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation.
Food, at least a three-day supply of nonperishable food.
Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both.
Flashlight and extra batteries.
First aid kit.
Whistle to signal for help.
Dust masks for family members, to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place.
Moist towelettes, 5 gallon bucket, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation.
Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities.
Can opener for food (if kits contains canned food)
Local maps.
Additional Items to Consider Adding to an Emergency Supply Kit:
Prescription medications and glasses.
Infant formula and diapers.
Pet food and extra water for your pets.
Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records in a waterproof, portable container.
Cash or travelers’ checks and change.
Emergency reference material such as a first aid book or information from

http://www.ready.gov/

Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person. Consider additional clothing and coats if you live in a cold-weather climate.

Complete change of clothing including a long-sleeved shirt, long pants and sturdy shoes. Consider additional clothing if you live in a cold-weather climate.

Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper. When diluted nine parts water to one part bleach, bleach can be used as a disinfectant. Or in an emergency, you can use it to treat water by using 16 drops of regular household liquid bleach per gallon of water. Do not use scented, color safe or bleaches with added cleaners.

Fire extinguisher.

Matches in a waterproof container.

Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items.

Mess kits, paper cups, plates and plastic utensils, paper towels.

Paper, pencils and pens.

Books, games, puzzles or other activities for children."