Ian Stewart, state disaster coordinator, said … people should gather mattresses, food, water and raincoats in that area and not move from there for any reason. He said emergency services would not be able to respond to any calls while the cyclone was passing overhead.
“So people have to understand that they need to become first responders themselves to ensure the safety of their family, themselves and their neighbours,” he said.
Cyclone Yasi, with winds up to 300 kph:
I’m working on my BS in Emergency Management, and the common thread in every class is “how to get people to prepare for a hazard” Normally followed by “people won’t prepare so what do you have to do to be ready for their non-preparedness.”
I got stunned response when I suggested that we (EM’s) get to know the local “survivalists” in the area. It seems that future Emergency Managers have/had the ability to hold two contradictory ideas in their heads at the same time: People should prepare to survive a disaster and People who prepare to survive a disaster are nuts.
In my classes since then, i’ve pointed classmates and professors to this site, the survival podcast, and preparedness society. One of my prof’s mentioned in another class that he had subscribed to this publication.
What is hard is getting people to stop seeing being prepared for hazards as “nuts” and seeing it as “common sense”.
Claire –
This isn’t on the cyclone but didn’t know where to post this –
Sipsey Street has a fantastic load of new material on the GunWalker topic
Mike & David are really going after the snake heads
http://sipseystreetirregulars.blogspot.com/
Drill SgtK,
With you being such an exception to the rule in your class, it merely reinforces my belief that “networking” with gov employees prior to an emergency is a mistake.
From a former LEO friend who was in LA during the Rodney King riots:
1). Distance from disorder……and liberals
2). Associate only with your own kind (and by that I mean serious folks who are making THEIR OWN preps, properly).
3). Discuss things only with your own kind
4). Have as little to do with the “authorities” as possible.
Adding..
What can possibly come from poor choices in association except the confiscation/ coercered “sharing” of your hard earned supplies?
A.G., You are spot on!
Why would anyone want to share with the gov and their minions of do-gooders, when what they have demonstrated is a contempt for those who take preparedness seriously?
Nice try Drill Sarge, but a lot of folks aren’t buying your “we’re from the government and we’re to help” ploy. Ask about my emergency preparedness plans and if I don’t know you it won’t be a friendly chat. Come for my food and you will catch hot lead and copper. You would do well to cast away your notions of “managing” anything in a crisis. Mind your own business and keep your hands off of my stuff.
On a side note; I am not a religious person but for many years I held the Mormons in high regard due to their preparedness mind-set. The idea that every member of their church is required to store a 1 year supply of food is honorable….until you learn that when the SHTF the church fathers come to collect those food stores to be re-distributed among the flock!
300KPH! Head-math time to MPH..175 MPH? Windy! Too many people associate “preparedness” with “Hiding in a bomb shelter waiting for ICBMs to arrive”. In the last place I lived,I was near most of my friends and family,and could walk around and check on them if need be,and in some ways, sort of “accidentally prepared” for smaller disasters,anyway(all of us were,really). I(we) kept a lot of junk on hand,junk that had uses in a disaster. It doesn’t have to cost a lot-find blankets for fifty cents at Goodwill? Buy a few. Keep a few flashlights and batteries around. A kerosene lantern and fuel, canned stuff-no drama, just sort of keep a few things around,and keep an eye out for things you can use. A.G. and DrillSgt.K have got it pegged.
guess I’m a nut…no surprise there…
The dear “homeland security” folks here send out questionnaires each year, wanting to know if you have followed their silly “guidelines” and/or might be in need of help in an emergency.
Each year I shred it. I don’t want their “help,” and they don’t need to know anything about me, one way or another.
roger that!
AG and Keven3, What the Emergency Managers want to do is get people to prepare so that they don’t need to rely on the government. Putting out information on how to prepare, giving resources people can go to, all make the likelihood of your stuff being taken much lower.
EM’s don’t go around and check on what you have, but advocate getting ready. Just like the Red Cross. (One of the biggest employers of Emergency Managers.)
And Keven, I don’t think the church fathers will take from the members, as they are more likely to give to help. Add in that most of what the leaders of the church say is the food storage and preparations are mostly for personal disasters like job loss or illness.