IRAQ and the US "front line" - just in case

I live in a city that will be a likely target for any post-Iraq shennigans, and while avoiding paranoia is always constructive, reasonable precautions make sense. Since evacuation is impractical (except for the well-known involuntary kind) and considering that airbourne agents (Chem/bio) may be used despite technical dispersal difficulties, some sort of gas mask might be a good idea.

Trouble is, there's no telling how long viable agents might linger and a gas mask has a limited "run time". Or does it? Anybody up on this stuff?

As a Flashaholic I'm well prepared lightwise, and I also have H20 and food. That's as far as I'm willing to go.

Anyone have any other general (practical, not panic-type) advice?

As I mentioned, escape is not a realistic option,
but I've never been a panicky sort. (So far)

Brightnorm

Go to the FEMA web page, and look at what they have to say. Get involved with your local Red Cross/Salvation Army unit. It's useful to know the folks there, so that their plans are if anything happens. If your City/Town has a Civilian Emergency Response Team (CERT) get in touch with them, and see what they say (you may even want to Volunteer). If your a Ham, look at your local ARES/RACES group

All the above mentioned folks have ideas for emergency kits

Originally posted by Charles Gallo:
Go to the FEMA web page, and look at what they have to say. Get involved with your local Red Cross/Salvation Army unit. It's useful to know the folks there, so that their plans are if anything happens. If your City/Town has a Civilian Emergency Response Team (CERT) get in touch with them, and see what they say (you may even want to Volunteer). If your a Ham, look at your local ARES/RACES group

All the above mentioned folks have ideas for emergency kits

Click to expand...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Thanks Charles.

Brightnorm

Brightnorm,

Check out www.equipped.org

They are nationally recognized, well organized, very professionally expressed reviews on emergency preparedness, survival, life rafts, flashlights, flare guns, knives, emergency kits etc.

Note: -Equipped.org is not to be confused with survivalists which is a whole different genre-

I've spent many happy hours cruising their forum pages. Actually, that is how I found Craig's site and later this one. The owner Doug Ritter is a respected aviation writer, and several of the moderators on the forum have pretty good creditentials as well. Expect to take about a week to do even a cursory review of past forum threads. They have links to many other related sites as well. You may also want to do a google search on emergency preparedness, food storage etc. as well.

The FEMA sites are pretty good as well.

I believe that there are several other CPF members who are ETS members or lurkers as well.

Happy reading,
LH

Originally posted by Lighthouse:
Brightnorm,

Check out www.equipped.org

...snip...
Note: -Equipped.org is not to be confused with survivalists which is a whole different genre-
....

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">LH,
I'll second Equipped - BIG TIME

I'll sort of agree with you about "survivalists" - but only sort of

The term "survivalist" has taken on a Rambo overtone, and there are a lot of that kind out there. There are also the folks who are getting ready for "The End Of The World As We Know It". Then you get others - who are getting ready for floods, Ice Storms and the like. The problem is that they are all lumped together.

Me? I describe myself as a survivalist. My main worries are (In order)

Getting Stuck at work (Unexpected OT)
Catching a cold/the flu and not being able to leave the house for a few days
Winter Storms
Hurricanes
Blackouts
Truck/car accident on local highway (Read as Chemical spill)
Car Accident
House Fire
Tornados

Notice something? They are not in severity order, but in a combination of likelihood and severity

Charles Gallo,

Actually, I agree with you 100% percent!

IMO What we have is a problem with a few -journalists?, muckrackers?, extremists? others?- that seem to have taken the term "survivalist" -and related words stemming from this word- and given it/them a bad rap.

This appears to be similar to what has occurred with guns ... the creation of an emotional "buzz" or by means of example "trigger word", that is being taken out of its original definition and applied to something that will emotionally charge a discussion, which may then more easily be distorted.

Actually, my original comment regarding

snip ON/ Note: -Equipped.org is not to be confused with survivalists which is a whole different genre- /snip OFF

was simplly to let folks first hearing about the site, know that Equipped To Survive or ETS for discussion purposes, is not really a TEOTEAWKI -The End Of The Earth As We Know It- type of site, and really geared towards the types of things in your post.

If we look around the home page of ETS, it will be readily apparent that Doug Ritter wishes to keep the distinction clear, that the site is oriented towards the very items which you've quite neatly addressed in your post.

In a couple of the ETS forum threads, there has been some rather thoughtful and well reasoned discussion regarding this subject, and the serious consideration towards renaming the various types of survival kits that are reviewed and used by many, from SURVIVAL KITS to EMERGENCY KITS.

To me, it is "a rose by any other name...", however, since certain terms either are, or have become emotionally charged, it may be the better part of discretion to use a different term.

So, therefore, by your definition, I too might be considered one as well.

Since 911, there has been a considerable increase in these very types of concerns in addition to the types of idoicy currently going on with the present sniper situation.

BTW It is a pleasure to participate in a board/forum where there civility is abundant, CPF and ETS both have a remarkable amount of knowledgable and polite folks involved.

Thank you for your thoughtful comment and for sharing your insight.

LH

Originally posted by brightnorm:
[QBThanks Charles.

Brightnorm[/QB]

Click to expand...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Your welcome - heck, you MIGHT even want to check MY web page on the subject It's in need of an update, but for some reason my site was not taking FTP last night - I have to change the flashlights

Originally posted by Lighthouse:
...snip...

Thank you for your thoughtful comment and for sharing your insight.

LH

Click to expand...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Your welcome - funny thing, as often as I've gone to ETS for reference, I've never even NOTICED they had a discussion board!!!!

I used to check out survivalist websites for the 2 or 3 years prior to Y2K. Most of these people are perfectly rational individuals, and are not "wackos". I also found them to be the most knowledgeable and practical minded people out there to get advice from on things like this.

In other words, if you check with the so called authorities, you can often get "advice" screened by lawyers and beaurocrats. "Survivalists" will give you straight answers.