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| Author: Posted: Nov. 17, 2002 | This Page Viewed: 3,840,057 |
Question of the Week: 101 - 3/3/2003 Have You Made Any Extra Security Preparations? Faced with the potential threats of terrorism and/or war, many governments have asked their citizenry to ‘be prepared’. Have you stocked up on any items? Do you have a first aid kit? How’s your plastic to duct tape ratio? Should you ever have to vacate your home and you could only take ten (10) items with you, what would these items be? If you are trained in outdoor survival skills, medical emergencies or in other related areas, what advice can you share with us on how to be prepared in case the unthinkable does come to pass? What ten things do you think everyone should have on hand? |
| Reponses: There are 85 responses posted to this question. | Reverse Sort |
| No Security Preparations Here | Mar 10th. at 9:58:56 pm EST |
| Krystallwytch (Kentucky) | Age: 46 - Email |
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Maybe I am fatalistic, I don't know. I refuse to live in fear. I am 46 years old and will not be intimidated by any petty tyrant from any country, the US or any others. If there is a national emergency and I am in danger, I will face it with whatever courage and honor I can muster at the time. Should there be a nuclear attack, I hope I will have enough warning so I can make a margarita and sit in the yard with my sunglasses on and watch and perish in the blast. I don't think I would want to survive the aftermath of a nuclear war. I pray to my deities for peace and hope that human beings can learn to live together in peace and not destroy each other in an effort to prove that one way of belief is correct and the other is wrong. "Whoever has the biggest weapon wins?" I don't think so. Krystall |
| Getting The Heck Outta Dodge | Mar 10th. at 5:58:42 am EST |
| Morrighan (State of motion) | Age: 24 - Email |
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I'm moving to England. Not that there's any less threat there, mind you, but I would rather deal with Tony Blair than Bush any day of the week. Plus, boyfriend person lives there, and if we're going down in a blaze o' glory, I'd like to kick back with him and a bottle of Krystal and listen to Miles Davis. |
| Common Sense Directs My Preparations | Mar 10th. at 3:09:36 am EST |
| Jason Wright (Tacoma, WA) | Age: 31 - Email |
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I heard about the recommendations from our new Homeland Security dept. to stock up on plastic and duct tape. At first I thought it was someone trying to tell me a bad joke. When I learned it was true, a feeling of saddness passed through me. For people that understand chemical weapons, plastic and duct tape are vastly inferior to fresh air and basic common sense and understanding. Chemical weapons must be delivered at the proper concentration for a specific duration. Also, most all chemical weapons live in the body for a short duration. The military issues a counteragent to chemical weapons that (amyl nitride) that keeps the body working a few extra minutes so the toxins are used up. If someone is exposed, go to fresh air. This can mean, go upwind, get out of the building etc. Most chemical weapons are heavier than air, thus will find ways into low lying areas. Wash off any residues that are found on the body. Remember, during the 1990s a chemical weapon was used in the Japan subways? Less than 10% of the people died even with "perfect conditions" for chemical delivery. A strong wind will dilute the chemical and make it harmless. Rain will also dilute the chemical and also take it out of the air. The chemicals won't work when its freezing or when its too hot. Due to temperature inversions, sunrise and sunset are the best time for delivery. Chemical weapons are much better at causing terror and unrest. At the moment, the media hype and the terror alerts are doing a much better job. I'm not worried about chemical weapons. The real weapons of mass destruction are nuclear weapons. According to the UN, Iraq doesn't have any. Now, if a terrorist attack devastates my area, I'm trained to perform advanced first aid, Basic and Advanced Cardiac Life Support, and if called upon, assist MDs in emergency Cardiac Surgery, and Cardiac Angioplasty (PTCA) . I will do all that I can to help the injured. |
| Well... | Mar 9th. at 8:21:40 pm EST |
| Bronwyn (GA) | Age: 23 - Email |
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My husband and I both work for our county's EMA/EMS; he's a firefighter and I'm a 911 dispatcher; so if anything happens in our area, we're going to the station to do what is needed. That's our plan. As for what everyone should have on hand, I would strongly recommend flashlights and lots of extra batteries, a battery powered radio, a good first aid kit, bottled water, and canned foods (don't forget the can-opener) , among other things. The most important thing to remember in case of such an emergency is to remain calm and don't panic. Follow the instructions given out by your local and state EMAs and unless they tell you to evacuate your area, stay home! Don't crowd the roads and contribute to hysteria. Also, don't tie up emergency phone lines unless you have an emergency. It makes it very difficult to get to the people that truly need help when everyone calls 911 to find out what's happening. If you are sincerely concerned about an attack, find out if your local government has an Emergency Preparedness Plan or something similar and educate yourself, or contact your local EMA. |
| Preparations, Hmmmmmmm | Mar 9th. at 5:20:34 pm EST |
| Dancing Rabbit (West of Austin Texas USA) | Age: 51 - Email |
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No, not really. I guess I should stock up on things that I might be without if supplies to the local stores got inturrupted. I don't expect terrorists will target my little town in the middle of nowhere. If it's bio warfare, there is no place I could get vaccinated now even if I wanted to. I don't see the point of panicing and duck taping up a room just in case what happened. Isn't this sort of what the terrowists might want? Everyone in a state of constant terrow... Dan Rabbit |
| Nope | Mar 9th. at 4:22:20 pm EST |
| Silver Mercaeant (Indiana) | Age: 24 - Email - Web |
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No, we have not made any precautions. If there were to be a nuclear attack for instance, I highly doubt that duct tape and saran wrap are going to protect much of anything. We're honestly more worried about our terrorists - oh, I mean government - than anything else. They are something we can hopefully actually do something about, rather than spending our days worrying about some tragedy that may or may not come. I choose to live my life in the moment and try to put my time to productive uses. Why worry about death when life is here today? Brightest Blessings. |
| Fear Is What They Want From You | Mar 9th. at 3:06:09 pm EST |
| Mostin (Derbyshire, UK) | Age: 28 - Email |
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It always sounds unnecessarily smug when people in other countries (like mine) point out that America has, for many years, been blessedly free of something that we've had to put up with for a long time. It's true, though, and we've learned a lot from our experiences of terrorism through the years. Now, I don't criticise the US people for being scared since 9/11 brought terrorism 'home' to you - that's natural, and it *wasn't* something you had any real experience of - but I have to point out that, from my point of view at least, you appear to be doing exactly what the fanatics want you to do. We call them 'terrorists' because they work to provoke terror. Your companies, news media and other organisations are doing the same thing: falling over themselves to warn you about what terrible danger you're in, that it will happen to YOU, that YOU must be prepared... If you believe them, if you buy every anti-terrorist gadget going, and spend the rest of your life hiding under a table in the basement, well, that's the end of the Land of the Free. Live your lives - don't hide yourselves away because your enemies want you to. -- Moz. |
| Does It Really Matter? | Mar 9th. at 1:25:17 am EST |
| Nicholas (Florida) | Age: 18 - Email |
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No, My family and I have made no precautions, nor will we make any. I think people are just getting a little too scared. I have just really gotten to the point where I really dont care anymore...If we are going to get bombed and die...well I guess it is just our time anyway. In the meantime, I am not going to waste time and money when I could be doing better things with my life. So..No, no special precautions here. |
| Why Bohter | Mar 8th. at 11:58:07 pm EST |
| Zintac Dracon Mortrain (Detroit, MI) | Age: 24 - Email |
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Ok so if they do drop the nukes i live about 5 miles south of downtown detroit, so unless i'm all ready away there is no point. But if i could perpare here is what i would take. 1. First aid kit 2. A bow and arrows 3. Food and water. with a heating soucre. 4. A realy good knife. 5. Clothes: socks, shoes/boots, Pants shirts ect. 6. A color book on herbs and plants. 7. My covens BOS with a pen 8. Some candles and my scry. 9. A back pack with my tent and blankets. 10. The woman i love. (where ever she may be.) Thats about it. The us needs to get it's crap togther and stop being the police force of the planet. if they want to kill eatch other on the outher side of the world then let them. It's there problem. Most of the problems over there where caused by the us getting is nose in where it doesn't belong. So my advice to the president is to pull all over seas troops and bring them home. Then let them people over there sort out all there problems. Do what tho will and harm the None. Zintac Dracon Mortrain. Speeker of the moon. high preiset of House of shadows east. |
| No Special Preps | Mar 8th. at 1:26:20 pm EST |
| Steve Vallee (Fort Collins, CO) | Age: 57 - Email |
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I have made no special preparations...I have a first aid kit, but I have no plastic wrap and no duct tape...I don't think anything is going to happen. When I was in grade school, we had the duck and cover drills, now we have the duct tape and cover drills. What next? I think it is just silliness. If I had to evacuate my home, I would take my credit cards and cash, my guitar, my camping pack (already set into a big box to go in the back of my pick-up) , extra coat and boots and a helluva sense of humor. In this time we need humor more than anything else. The only weapon against the terror-minded is laughter. BTW, has anyone forgot that dying is the only way, short of the space program, that we get off the planet. Death has no terror for me: I survived a war with several decorations. I always figured that I was on borrowed time anyway. Tho only grouop to be wary of is our own government and the, quite misnamed/ justice department. Amyway, I am not goimng to worry about the ramblings and rumblings of the government. I prefer to put my energies into that which I can control and not react to a manufactured htsteria about a potential terror. Perhaps I am too cynical, but who is turning the profit from all this kerfuffle? That should be the question. |
| Just My Opinion.... | Mar 8th. at 7:10:36 am EST |
| bewitchingKitty (kentucky) | Age: 34 - Email |
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How do you prepare for such an event? I live in what locals thinks of a fairly safe place, but I think they need a good map. To the North within seeing distance on a clear day is a nuclear power plant, to the southwest there is the gold reserve and a army depot station to the south east, but what is a person to do. Have people really realized that saran wrap and duct tape are not the answer. Just exactly how do you go about sealing off a house or a room to prevent fallout seepage? When the officials were recommending sealing off a safe place did they think to tell people that they should purchase and oxygen tank to provide air. Sealed means "NO AIR" how many ziploc baggy users are out there?...to keep odors out the bag must be sealed to prevent air leakage. How long can a person survive without fresh air? The officials around here seemed to forget to tell people that they will need to seal off the dryer vent, all of the open sink drains, and the toilet & stove vents. You would have to seal off all heating and cooling ducts that lead from the outside as well as all water supply, most of the U.S. water isn't fit to drink without filtering, but air could pass through a drained water line. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have extra water, sealed matches and candles, sealed food for your family and your pets and whatever emergency provisions you might need to live if the power & water was shut off. We just spent a week facing a huge ice storm that shut off power and phones for over a week. The world has become to modern, we are way to dependent on the easy way of life. Everyone should know how to build a fire and boil water to make it drinkable, what plants and animals to eat to survive in nature and the basics that have been long forgotten in the modern world. Where are the horse and buggy days when you need them? Hopefully there will be a peaceful solution to our American loses, but if there is a nuclear disaster near KY and all is lost I would like to return as an endangered animal or plant life, something that would seem to make a difference. Blessed be to all and remember to speak with a smile upon your heart, because nice does matter. |
| AH! HEAD FOR THE HILLS... Not. | Mar 8th. at 6:23:59 am EST |
| Foxheart (NH) | Age: 23 - Email |
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I've stocked up on sour Skittles. Personally if it does come down to nukes and bio-weapons we're f**ked anyway. Pardon my pessimism. It's just that I think people are making a mountain out of a mole hill. The whole reason we are over in Iraq is so that they can't come over here and hurt us. That's why Bushy-baby is finishing what dad started. Sadam is a threat to be sure. And no I do not advocate war. War never solved anything. But Sadam is the modern-day Hitler. Take him out, help the Iraqi people form a democratic government and maybe just maybe they'll be on our side! What I will do, instead of building myself a cold-war bomb shelter stocked with all the necessities, is pray for our soldiers that they might be protected. I will also pray for the Iraqi people because the war is in their country and many of them will probably die. Women and children. I will pray that justice will be carried out with minimal loss of life and that if Goddess and God see fit they will intervene in our selfish human affairs. As always, Peace and Blessed Be. Foxheart |
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