Category: Neighborhood groups

Sometimes you think you’re pretty well up to speed on preparedness – and then a real emergency hits. You get the chance to see how your plan holds up. Today, I want to tell you about the recent breakdown of our evacuation plan – and what we’ve done about it since.

(Oh, I know the saying that “No plan withstands first contact with the enemy.”  Source? Graf Helmuth von Moltke, Prussian field marshal during Franco-Prussian war of 1870, known as Moltke the Elder – just in case you wanted to know. I always want to know these things.)

But back to the story of our evacuation plan breakdown. It happened only two months ago.

Not only did our plan break down, but we discovered we hardly had a plan at all!

It’s taken us a while to dig out from under, but now’s the time to share just what we discovered and what we had to do as a result.

My goal is to encourage you to spend some time looking at your own emergency response plans to see if you can spot some holes.

If your plans are as bad as ours were, you’ll want to take remedial action!

What happened that day. . .

You’ll recall earlier Advisories about our “near miss” with a wildfire in the final weeks of October. It was during one of Southern California’s well-known Red Flag (high wind) events. A vegetation fire started in the early morning. By afternoon it had exploded to over 5,000 acres – and it was barreling right toward our town.

Evacuation orders were issued and extended, covering zone after zone of the town. By 5 pm they had reached the apartment complex right across the street from us.

I’ve detailed a lot of what we were doing that day to alert neighbors, keep them up to date with evacuation warnings and orders, where shelters were being set up, etc. (If you didn’t read my “Diary” of that day, please do. I think you’ll find it useful to get the blow by blow.)

As it turned out, late in the afternoon the winds changed direction. We never got a mandatory evacuation order.

But by 5 pm we had learned a whole lot of why evacuation would never have worked.

In the following four weeks we learned even more. Here were the realities in our senior retirement community:

• More than half of our neighbors received no emergency alerts. Either they hadn’t signed up, or they’d turned them off. By afternoon everyone did realize that there was a fire because of the heavy smoke in the air.
• The 30% (or more) of our community without internet access had no idea about evacuation routes or where shelters were to be found. (The shelter location map put out by the city was excellent – but it was online.)
• Around 40% of our neighboring households could not evacuate without assistance, i.e. help with physically getting out of the house, or help with transportation. We didn’t know who they were.
• Neighbors with pets had no emergency supplies: crates or carriers, leashes, and ID papers that would allow the pets to accompany their owners to shelters, hotels, etc.
• Despite multiple calls to various city offices, we got no useful answers about what official help to expect.

We are a community that has actually won awards for being so well prepared! How could so many failures have existed?

The answer is amazingly simple.

Over 10 years ago, following multiple wildfire tragedies, our neighborhood emergency response group hosted a series of meetings. Local fire department, police, utility companies, community managers, and experienced neighborhood response group members attended.

We discussed how to evacuate the community. We identified many of the same issues that are listed above. It was agreed that evacuation would be so challenging that it would have to be the very last resort. Professionals advised us that our energy would be best used helping neighbors be ready to shelter in place.

So for the past 10 years, that’s what we have done!

What we did differently after this evacuation plan breakdown.

Our “near miss” was so traumatic that Joe and I wasted no time is raising the alarm. We wrote to the mayor. We gathered more facts by surveying neighbors and the property managers via phone, zoom and email. We contacted our city’s emergency manager, who helped pull together a virtual meeting that included all the key players, just as had happened years ago.

This time, the results were different.

First, we discovered that a new evacuation plan for the city had actually been completed just before COVID hit! The shutdowns meant that where we normally would have had a community meeting to reveal the plan, it never happened.

Second, members of our group spent hours tracking down the answers to questions that still remained. The next step was to share this information.

Getting more information out to the community.

The only way we have of reaching all our neighbors is via flyers. Accordingly, members of our neighborhood emergency response team researched, wrote, duplicated and distributed a series of flyers – in multiple languages — to all 360 homes in our community.

(Photo of actual flyers, slightly crumpled and purposefully blurred since they contain phone numbers specific to our community. See more details below.)

The flyers reminded people that they are responsible for their own evacuation . . . and urged them to take immediate steps to be more prepared.

• Flyer #1: Get Connected! reminded people how to sign up for various emergency alert programs and suggested multiple sources for emergency news.
• Flyer #2: Get Packed! reviewed the importance of having an already packed evacuation Go-Bag and listed what needs to be in it. (Supplies for pets, too.)
• Flyer #3: Get Out! listed evacuation transportation options, with particular guidance for people who need assistance. Most important: make sure your needs are known before an evacuation is called! By the way, here was my original sentence that the Fire Department asked me to soften, “If you refuse to leave, First Responders will not come back for you.” (Even though it’s the truth!)
• Flyer #4: Know where to go!  provided a map of our city showing likely shelters, complete with addresses and phone numbers. (This was particularly for neighbors who do not own cell phones.)

Our flyers were written specifically for our community, taking into consideration its cultures and languages, ages, role of property managers, and resources of our city. If you have questions, or would like to see the actual flyers, just let me know.

For the time being, we’re confident that our community’s evacuation plans have been strengthened. Now our job will be to repeat and remind neighbors of all its recommendations – without overlooking the continuing emphasis on shelter in place.

What should be your next steps?

I urge you to take another look at your family’s evacuation plan and at the same time, your community’s evacuation plan. After all, one doesn’t exist without the other. Ask a lot of questions!  “What do we do if . . .?” “Where do we go if…?” If you have questions with no good answers, become an “activist.” Get to know your city’s emergency manager!

I can assure you, you won’t forgive yourself for an evacuation plan breakdown.

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

P.S. This Advisory has touched on just a few aspects of evacuation. I hope you’ll consider getting our Mini-series book on the topic. It covers more questions and offers answers that may fit. (Click the link above, scroll down on the page until you get to Evacuate!)

Being stuck at home due to Covid-19 has given us the chance to finish our Mini-Series of booklets on emergency preparedness. As of this week, there are 14 booklets lined up and ready to go! Today I want to give you some insight into what we discovered along the way as we completed this project.

Why a Mini-Series?

We’re always trying to make it easier for people to get started on preparedness. The Mini-Series booklets cover just one topic each. Pick the topic you feel is most urgent or that you want more details on. (Here’s the link to a page that describes the “why” behind the series.)

Now, if you’re a writer, you know that writing even a short booklet takes a lot of time. And although we were comfortable with each of these topics, we wanted to be sure to add solid background so readers could make useful decisions. So we did research on every topic to see what more we should include.

The bonus from the Mini-Series research?

We learned a lot! And while we got great ideas for people just starting we also uncovered needs for those of us who have been working on preparedness for a while.  

Here are a few of my favorite discoveries from some of the booklets.

They may be just in time for Black Friday or whenever you start thinking seriously about holiday gifts! The links below take you to Amazon; if you buy through these links we may earn a small commission.  

Need #1 — Ever more clean water

About 10 years ago my son somehow caught a bug from water in a high mountain stream. (He wasn’t even drinking the water, just crossing the stream.) It put him into the hospital for 5 days! Since then I’m particular about clean water.

And as I was reviewing how we will fare in an emergency, with no municipal water, I read more and more about FAMILY SIZED water purification systems. Yes, individual water purifiers like the LifeStraw are handy and effective, but in a longer term situation you’ll need more capacity. Check out this Berkey. (Berkey is hands down the favorite of so many of our preparedness colleagues.) As you might expect, there are several models and sizes. This travel version is gravity-fed, filters enough for 1-3 people a day. (Note it comes with two types of filters.)

Travel Berkey Water Filter with 2 Black Berkey Filters and 2 PF2 Fluoride Filters

Need #2 — More medical competence

I learned more writing this booklet than any other in the series! It’s clear that relying on common sense only goes so far when it comes to medical emergencies. We have to get training! So in addition to the trainings recommending the booklet,  I have two recommendations you can start with right now.

I bought and devoured The Ultimate Survival Medicine Guide by Joseph Alton, MD and Amy Alton, ARNP. And then I discovered there is a newer version, out now, and I recommend it highly! (There’s a deal whereby you can actually get 3 copies for the price of 2.) The Altons’ books are totally readable and make you fee a WHOLE lot better about addressing wounds, sickness, etc. I cannot recommend them more highly.

Along with the first aid Guide we all need a better quality first aid kit. I’ve complained consistently about cheap first aid kits. And I still will. It’s time to step up to a more complete collection of first aid tools and supplies.

The kit shown below comes from SurviveWare. At Amazon you’ll see several kit options: bigger, smaller, for home, for truck, etc. You may not be ready for the most comprehensive (and most expensive) kit, but you can certainly feel more confident with the basic pack shown here.

Surviveware Large First Aid Kit & Added Mini Kit for Trucks, Car, Camping and Outdoor Preparedness

Need #3 — Better emergency communications

As I described a couple of weeks ago (seems like ages, so much has happened since!) we came close to a mandatory evacuation in the face of a wind-blown wildfire. At 7 that morning we were wakened by the property managers looking for the bullhorn owned by our team.

Joe got it out (see photo above!) and used it to wake up neighbors in our immediate vicinity. Later we used an automated emergency telephone message to alert everyone. If power had been out, that bullhorn would have had a more important role to play!  

If you work with a group, you may want to take another look at having a bullhorn available. But first off, a cautionary note. While we consider this to be an important addition to your emergency equipment, many people report quality control issues on even the reasonably priced units. More professional products such as used by police and First Responders cost more but are likely to be more reliable. We like to recommend products with a high reliability — this is one area where we may be challenged to do that.

(Our own budget doesn’t allow for multiple high-end products. We have had good experience with the moderately priced one Joe is holding, but if our budget allowed we’d look at more expensive models.)

In any case, here are some features to compare: how is the bullhorn powered? Rechargeable or C batteries or either? Voice, siren and ability to record a message that can be repeated automatically? Built-in or handheld microphone? If there’s a question, remember that Amazon offers returns for items only within 30 days of receipt of shipment.

Pyle Megaphone 50-Watt Siren Bullhorn – Bullhorn Speaker w/ Detachable Microphone, Portable Lightweight Strap & Rechargeable Battery – Professional Outdoor Voice for Police & Cheerleading – PMP57LIA

 Need #4 — More emergency lighting

It should be pretty clear what one item is important in each of these two emergency situations! So I really don’t need to write much more. We have stocked up and we continue to find the VONT lanterns simply the best!

We have one in every single room in the house and one in the shed. We use them as night lights and when we work on the plumbing under the sink. We give them away as prizes and as Christmas presents. Other people seem to like them too, because they are the top seller of everything we write about! Lightweight, bright (adjustable), not expensive. And now, VONT has packaged the lamps with companion headlamps. When there’s no power, you’ll want both.

Vont 2-Pack Spark Headlamp + 4-Pack Lantern Bundle – Must-Have for Biking, Camping, Hiking, Hunting, Other Outdoor and Night Activities – Ideal for Emergencies and Outages During Storms, Hurricanes

The Mini-Series started it all.

We’ve highlighted a few volumes of the Mini-Series here. Just this week we came out with Protect Your Pet — a whole new adventure in emergency preparedness! You can see more about each book here on our site, or even jump directly to Amazon where the whole series is featured!

As I’ve mentioned, the next and final step with the series is to turn it into a course meant to help a group build community and skills at the same time. Watch for more!

In the meanwhile, take a closer look at some of the resources and equipment mentioned in this Advisory. I think they are all important.

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

I’ve been asked more than once why I keep on promoting emergency preparedness, particularly when it’s so often an uphill battle. (You’ll see that uphill-ness in last month’s report on the National Preparedness Survey.) Well, my answer isn’t because I’m a wilderness survivor wannabe, though I was an enthusiastic camper in earlier years.  And it’s not because preparedness is a get-rich-quick scheme.

Still, the questioners have a point. Why DO I keep working year after year on sharing preparedness ideas and tips? And if you do this too, then the question is a good one for you!

Here are some of the reasons why I promote preparedness.

I’m an educator at heart.

Want to see me perk right up? Simply give me a white board or a microphone and any size audience. Or just a small kid trying to understand how a tool works. When it comes to sharing information about emergency preparedness, if you’re like me you see people around you who – to put it bluntly – are just waiting to become the victims of whatever disaster comes along! I always feel that just a few sensible changes could do so much to protect them!

Education is the impetus behind our weekly Advisories. In particular, it’s the impetus behind our 2020 “Q&A mini-series” of simple, educational booklets. Pick just one booklet, follow through with some of the questions, and it could make a big difference for your safety and security!

I’m on the last booklet in this series, now. It’s all about protecting your pet in an emergency. Just last night I finished a question and answer about the five different kinds of emergency shelters you might encounter in an evacuation situation. And only two of those shelters will accept your pet! If you’re a “pet parent,” plan to get your hands on this booklet as soon as it gets published! (In the meanwhile, here’s the link to all the booklets that are already available.)

A second reason that I promote preparedness is because I believe in “lifelong learning!”

Now, this is closely aligned with curiosity, defined by Merriam-Webster as “inquisitive interest.” (My daughter goes so far as to describe me as “indiscriminately curious!”) For example, I am currently doing research and setting up interviews for an article on the topic of “helicopter water hydrants.” You got that right. These are big water tanks strategically placed where a helicopter with a snorkel can quickly fill up to fight a nearby fire. You can bet I’m learning a whole lot more about aerial firefighting – all the equipment, and what it costs!

Perhaps you’ve also noticed that I often produce Advisories in response to readers’ questions. The first Advisory about face masks, for example, came about when a reader asked about smoke after the fires in Northern California. And the Advisory on pepper spray and stun guns was prompted by a granddaughter. Invitation: if you have an emergency preparedness topic you’d like to see more about, please let me know. We might be able to work on it together.

Result? Over the years, taking an emergency preparedness lead becomes a way of life.

After getting the CERT training Joe and I added more classes of one sort or another nearly every year. We “improved” our collection of gear by researching and then buying better quality stuff. (I share a lot of that kind of research.) We follow our own advice to always have gas in the car and toilet paper in the cupboard – so when COVID resulted in an overnight shut-down, we sat back comfortably and didn’t have to go to the store for several weeks. (In fact, we traded some of that toilet paper for peanut butter, if I recall.)

So I think you could say that for me . . .

Sharing the “preparedness way of life” has become a mission!

(Now, I wouldn’t classify it as a passion. That’s a bit too wild and exciting. We’re more interested in a steady, common-sense approach!)

How do you measure the progress of a mission?

As already mentioned, we haven’t witnessed a massive improvement in preparedness in the country or in our community. Our surveys reveal our community to be a bit better than average, but since the community keeps changing . . .! But I do look for signs of progress like these:

• A continued stream of well-attended community meetings featuring preparedness experts. (Remember the “digital fire extinguisher” meeting I described last year? A perfect example of getting neighbors engaged and involved!) Of course, those meetings have stopped for now. We’re having to promote preparedness via online meetings these days!
• Steady activity at Amazon where our little books and our recommended products keep selling. In the marketing world, a favorite saying is “Nothing happens until somebody buys something.” Activity at Amazon means something is happening!
• Emails from readers wanting sample worksheets or a chance to discuss the outreach they are doing in their own community. These personal interactions are the highlight of my work.

So while the progress toward more preparedness isn’t dramatic, it does feel as though our work is leaving the world a little better than when we found it. That feeling alone is enough to keep us motivated!

What’s your reason for promoting preparedness?

Now, I have taken a whole page to describe our Emergency Plan Guide “mission.” Traditionally, a business’s “mission statement” is just one or two sentences about goals and purpose! I’m not sure I could condense everything to something that short without a lot more effort! (You’ll remember what Mark Twain said about not having time to write a short letter . . .)

Long or short, what would your “mission statement” answer be if someone asks you about why YOU keep promoting emergency preparedness? Let us know in the comments!

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

P.S. The why question isn’t an idle one. The more we know about why, the easier it is to identify people who share that why — and the results you can get by working together will be magnified!

What are you doing TODAY to help prevent getting infected by COVID-19? Check out these two things that we are doing. Maybe you can find them useful, too.

(I apologize to new readers for jumping right into action here, but there doesn’t seem to be time for a gentle introduction! I’ll be working on more “conversational” blogs in the coming days!)

Masks reduce the chance of getting infected and of infecting others.

We live in a retirement community – which puts all our neighbors, by definition, at a higher risk of carrying and getting seriously ill from the coronavirus. The good news is we have developed a Neighborhood Emergency Response Group that stays in touch (with regular walkie-talkie drills! and now, with zoom calls or telephone conference calls) and tends to be proactive instead of reactive.

Our neighborhood group is sewing and delivering masks.

For instance, this morning I picked up two sets of hand-made masks from one of my group members. The masks were stitched, disinfected and packed carefully in clean plastic baggies. With ever more urgent information coming out about wearing masks all the time in public – and maybe even in the house if you have someone who is ill – this is the second wave of protection that we’ll be offering to all our neighbors. (We have already been practicing distancing and sheltering-in-place for weeks.)

So the question – where are you getting masks for yourself and your family? To avoid depleting the commercial supply for health care workers, you can make them yourself. Here is an article with links to several different models and patterns, plus a video showing a simple mask made with just a handkerchief and rubber hair bands, no sewing at all!  However you make or buy masks, it’s clear that the more layers of cloth, and the closer the fit (without gaps), the more effective the mask.

(If I were going to buy the hair bands as shown in the video, I’d look for some like these shown below. Click the link and you can see what prices are for these and similar bands at Amazon. Full disclosure — we are Associates at Amazon and can get a small commission if you buy through this link. It doesn’t affect your price, of course.)

AwEx Strong Brown Hair Ties,72 PCS,4 mm Regular Loop Hair Bands,No Metal Hair Elastics,No Pull Ponytail Holder

Improve your lungs even before you get infected by COVID-19.

True story. Last November friends of EmergencyPlanGuide were alerted to my partner Joe’s life-threatening anaphylactic response to the contrast dye associated with a CT scan. This had nothing to do with COVID-19, of course. And I am happy to report that he is not only back to normal but even BETTER than he was before this all happened!

During the episode, though, doctors were concerned that his lungs had been damaged. And they kept testing and testing. One of the tests is what I want to mention today. It seems as though there could be a use for it as more and more people are threatened with respiratory distress associated with being infected or even having survived COVID-19.

Joe was using only half his lung function.

After those days in the ICU, Joe couldn’t exercise. He was lying down much of the time. He was breathing very shallowly.

To get Joe to exercise his lungs, doctors told him to use what’s called an incentive spirometer. Put simply, you breathe in through the spirometer tube and it measures how well your lungs are working. Because it measures, you get a baseline and as you practice, you can see your lung capacity improve.  The spirometer allows you to keep your lungs active even without exercise.

Here’s a video that shows how the spirometer works. 

And here’s a link to Amazon, where you can purchase a spirometer.

Teleflex Medical Voldyne Volumetric Exerciser – 8884719025EA – 2,500 mL, 1 Each / Each

Now I’m not a doctor and I’m not giving you medical advice. We are using each of these two items and I don’t think either one has a downside. So I pass them along for you to consider as you do your best to be proactive in this difficult situation.

And tomorrow, I’ll come back with more info about who I am and how Joe is better than before it all happened . . .!

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

You have surely read many articles about why and how to store water for emergencies. The picture above came from one of our own earlier Advisories! But with hurricane season starting, an a tornado having just hit last week, it’s time once again to address this most important preparedness topic.

If some of this looks familiar, please jump to the bottom half of the Advisory where we address Buckets, bladders and bags! All new!

Why is storing water so difficult? Consider these possibilities:

• Your household changes. What you needed to survive for 10 days a couple of months ago won’t be enough with the new baby plus your mother now living with you.
• You move to a new home in a new location with a totally different climate. You used to be near the Washington coast. Now you’re in the middle of Oklahoma.
• Another hurricane is threatening off the coast. Its storm surge will overrun your municipal water system — again.
• Carcinogens and toxic contaminants have been discovered in the drinking water in your state.

The point? You can’t just check the box one time and be done with it! Having enough water in the right place at the right time is an ongoing challenge.

So, time for another look at how best to store water for emergencies.

Plastic bottles of water? Handy but . . . maybe not!!

Here’s another photo from my own camera. The bottle is from a case of water that has been sitting in our HOA office for about a year.

Plastic bottles are NOT a good idea for long-term, emergency storage. (Not to mention the issue of plastic waste . . .) Plastic doesn’t stand up to weight or to heat. And that heat issue makes them particularly impractical for storage in the car.

On the other hand, high-quality BPA free plastic containers DO work for longer-term storage.

The following examples of storage containers come from Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn a commission if you make a purchase through these links.

WaterBricks –In the past we’ve talked about WaterBricks – relatively expensive but of excellent quality and extraordinarily useful for apartments and condos where storage space is limited. They stack and fasten together for stability. The full-sized brick holds 3.5 gallons; the half-size holds 1.6 gallons. You can also get a spigot for a brick, so you could set it up on a counter for real dispensing convenience.  (I’d get more than one spigot.)

WaterBrick Blue Water Storage Container (6 pack) 3.5 Gallon

Last time I checked at Amazon, the WaterBricks were on back order. I soon discovered Saratoga Farms, another stackable container set, slightly different but just as useful. It’s “blocks” hold 5 gallons each.

Saratoga Farms 5-Gallon Stackable Water Containers (100 Total Gallons), 20 Pack, Blue, BPA Free, High Density Polyetholene (HDPE) with Built in Handle

Plastic containers for ice. Don’t forget to fill smaller-sized clean plastic containers with water and use them to keep your freezer tightly packed. (Be sure to leave plenty of space for the water to expand. And avoid containers marked “3” (for polyvinyl chloride, or PVC), “6” (for polystyrene, or PS), and “7” (for polycarbonate). Frozen plastic “cubes” will help save energy by maintaining the cold in the freezer, and if the power goes out they’ll give frozen foods a bit of a longer life. Finally, you can use the melted ice as a source of emergency water – for hygiene if not for drinking.  (Once-frozen water sometimes doesn’t taste so good.)

[16 Pack] Food Storage Containers with Lids, Plastic Food Containers with Lids, Airtight Storage Container Sets for Healthy Diet, Vegetables, Snack & Fruit (Small&Large Size), BPA Free & Leakproof

It’s probably best to recycle the water in your WaterBricks and your food storage containers every 6 months or so.

Aluminum cans – Good for 50 years!

Last year Joe and I participated in an Emergency Preparedness Forum north of Los Angeles and there we were introduced to canned water. Here’s a picture of one of our cans. You can buy cases of the stuff, easy to store. And here’s the most exciting thing – the water has a 50-year shelf life! 

As you can image, these aluminum cans are relatively expensive. You can get them at Amazon – and they will be delivered. Here’s the link:

Blue Can Premium Emergency Drinking Water – 24 Pack

If you live in or near California, you may be able to get discounted prices on cases of Blue Can Water from my friend Patty Kirby. She introduced me to canned water, and she works with HOAs, businesses and other groups. (Obviously, an order big enough to fill a pallet (100 cases) would get the best possible shipping price.) Contact Patty directly: patty@BlueCanH2O.com

Water Barrels – Good for at least a year and probably twice that long!

Quite a few years ago we got a great deal on blue barrels for our volunteers. These days prices are considerably higher, but the need to store water for emergencies is still there, and maybe even greater. In fact, you may need more water than you did before!

Augason Farms Water Storage Barrel 55-Gallon Drum

Some thoughts to remember when it comes to water barrels:

• When it’s full, the barrel weighs about 480 pounds. So – how are you going to get the full barrel to where you can use it? Not easily! That’s why you need a pump to get out a gallon or two at a time.
• Be sure your barrel is of food-grade plastic. Give it a good clean by adding a couple of gallons of water, a cup of fresh chlorine bleach , and rolling it around until every surface has been exposed. Drain and rinse.
• Find a good place to set the barrel because that’s where it’s going to remain once it’s filled. Keep it out of direct sunlight. Don’t place it directly on a concrete floor – put some boards down as a platform. And you may consider how to camouflage it. No use broadcasting that you have a lot of water available.
• Once your barrel is clean, fill it with tap water as is. (Make sure the hose isn’t dirty!) But you may wish to add another layer of protection by treating the water you are storing with bleach or water purifier. The water storage recipe: add 6 teaspoons of fresh, regular unscented bleach to your 55 gal. barrel of water.

NEW: Buckets, bladders and bags to fill at the last possible minute.

Recently one of my LinkedIn groups was filled with water storage ideas. Here are several more containers for you to consider, based on recommendations from that group. Consider how HEAVY the various containers will be once they are filled with water! 1 gallon (in its container) weighs about 8 1/2 pounds.

(So the 2-gallon bag Joe is holding in the picture above weighs about 17 pounds.)

	We own a couple of these, and have them tucked into our survival kits. Probably not too durable, but they have held up for us. Certainly convenient! Stansport 2-Gallon Water Storage Bag
	If your container doesn't have a spigot, consider how you are going to get the water out. This one has a spigot. WaterStorageCube BPA-Free Collapsible Water Container 5.3 Gallon with Spigot, Camping Water Storage Carrier Jug for Outdoors Hiking Hurricane Emergency, Foldable Portable FDA Water Canteen (1-Pack)
	Rigid container, bigger yet. Gets excellent reviews. Reliance Products Aqua-Tainer 7 Gallon Rigid Water Container
	This is a one-gallon collapsible container, which makes it easy to store until you want to fill it. 4-Pack Bundle | Reusable Transport and Storage Water Container Solution | 1-Gallon | Collapsible | Non-Toxic BPA-Free | Space Saver Solution | Proven no leaks
	Comes in a variety of colors, and has a lid. Freegrace Premium Collapsible Bucket Compact Portable Folding Water Container - Lightweight & Durable - Includes Handy Tool Mesh Pocket (Green(Upgraded), 23L (Lid))
	Efficient. BIG when filled! (Bad illustration. Click below to get the full "picture.") AQUATANK2 Water Storage Bladder (60 Gallon)
	Another poor image for a dramatic piece of equipment. Power outage threatened? Lay the liner in any standard bathtub, attach the fill sock to the faucet, and fill the bladder to capacity, which takes approximately 20 minutes. A siphon pump is included to easily dispense the water into jugs or pitchers, making it easy to use your water every day. WaterBOB Bathtub Emergency Water Storage Container, Drinking Water Storage, Hurricane Survival, BPA-Free (100 Gallon) (1)

I encourage you to get some containers like those above. Knowing that you have what you need when the emergency threatens will give you greater peace of mind. And you’ll have some credibility when you remind neighbors that they should be ready or already storing water, too!

Let us know if YOU have a favorite water storage container.

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide Team

It’s one thing to make your lists and carefully assemble all your emergency supplies and equipment. I assume your stash includes walkie-talkies, or hand-held battery-operated radios.

But if you really build preparedness into your lifestyle, you’ll find yourself using walkie-talkies for emergencies but also for every day tasks!

We use walkie-talkies for emergencies but also for so much more!

If you haven’t considered getting radios for your own stash of emergency supplies, consider the following list of how you might use them if you had them.

Manage traffic using walkie-talkies.

Just yesterday Joe and I were asked to help direct traffic at a drive-thru food distribution taking place right down the street. (It was a last-minute call.) We grabbed our fluorescent-striped vests (always important for both visibility and authority), a couple of walkie-talkies each, and jumped into action. I stood at the distribution point, Joe positioned himself at the assembly point around the corner, and we made sure cars approached slowly, on the correct side of the street, etc.! Safe and easy because we could keep in constant touch!

Pickup at airport.

We always carry walkie-talkies when we’re picking up somebody at the airport. Joe drops me off and continues around the loop. (No parking and waiting allowed.) I run in, find our guest, keep Joe apprised of the timing, tell him exactly where we’re coming out – and he swoops right up in front of us! There’s no dialing, no answering of phones, etc. Joe just listens to my commentary so the pick-up is smooth and easy.

Convention contact.

In the days before COVID, we regularly attended industry conventions. Since the purpose is to network, that means you can easily get separated – one person stays to talk with a vendor, while the other cruises on down the aisle. Pretty soon you have lost each other in the crowd. But, with a handy walkie-talkie, you can let the other guy know right where you are. Again, no need to dial, no crossing your fingers hoping there’s reception within the conference hall. Works perfectly.

County fair.

This same concept works for any kind of fair, outing at a theme park, etc., but with an improvement: You can let the whole family know, all at once, that you’ve decided to take a rest by the Snow-Cone stand.  

Parking assistance.

Last week I watched as a neighbor tried to back his new camper into a parking space. (There was no option for a drive thru!) He was having a tough time. His wife was trying to help, but he couldn’t keep her in view because of the sharp angle. (And her hand signals weren’t too clear, either.) Joe and I have used walkie-talkies for years to safely back RVs (and RVs towing cars!) into campgrounds, storage areas, etc. It’s a lot easier to tell the driver when the hitch is just 6 inches from crunching into the corner of the rig than to try to SIGNAL it!

Tracking racers.

Our CERT group often participates when the city sponsors a long-distance race. People with walkie-talkies are positioned along the course and report as the runners come by, if there’s an emergency, etc. All the course monitors can hear as the race progresses and be ready as contestants approach. We’ve used walkie-talkies to track cars passing checkpoints in a hill climb, too.

Sporting events.

When you are in line at the stadium concession stand for hotdogs and beer, and your youngster needs to head to the bathroom, send him along with a walkie-talkie and instructions to check in at the top of the stairs, at the door to the restroom, etc. He’ll be fine – and you won’t have to worry.

Explore safely.

Part of the joy of camping is heading off into the trees just to see what there is to see! As a parent you want your kids to have that experience. But as a parent you naturally worry that they could get lost, injured, etc. Send your kids off with walkie-talkies so they can keep in touch with each other AND with you. Then let them all know when it’s time for lunch. One call is all it takes to reach the whole pack.

Car convoy.

If you’re traveling with a couple of cars it’s good to be able to agree to a stop, warn about something ahead on the road, report that you’ve lost sight of the other car, etc. Walkie-talkies are instantly available for messages like that! Now safe driving habits include not having to REACH for a phone and not having to use more than ONE FINGER to activate the phone. That’s why walkie-talkies are usually not included in legislation defining “distracted driving.” (At least, that’s what I’ve been able to discover. Check with your own state.) It’s best, of course, for the radio operator not to be the driver.

Construction and plumbing.

We occasionally find ourselves trying to figure out where there’s a break or an obstruction or a leak in a pipe. Picture Joe outside at the sewer cleanout, me inside at the sink.  “OK, turn on the water!” “OK, now turn it off.” No yelling. Easy and efficient. Or picture me on the roof, cleaning off dead branches. “Can you hand me up the leaf blower?” Again, no yelling!

I think you get the message! Walkie-talkies rock!

Of course, our walkie-talkies are our main resource for emergency communications. We fully anticipate that a wildfire could cause a complete communications shut-down. So we’ll be holding our monthly neighborhood group radio drill this very evening.

But having and using the walkie-talkies on a regular basis makes them even more valuable. If you haven’t yet considered adding them to your own supplies, now may be the time. Perfectly good ones are available for around $30 a pair.

Our walkie talkie reviews page goes over 6 things to watch for, and has links to examples of different styles and their costs. Our favorite for regular usage is the first in the list.

We think everyone can take advantage of walkie-talkies for daily living!

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

P.S. Let us know how YOU use walkie-talkies — for everyday and also for emergency communications. Really, these are some of the most valuable and useful tools available! (They make great gifts, too.)

With COVID-19, we are stuck at home. We can’t hold our monthly neighborhood group meetings . . . so how to keep our group together? Here’s some of what we’re doing to stay active . . .

Local Activities Keep Us Busy

• Regular email messages about pertinent topics. Last week, for example, we sent out information about “Managing Extreme Heat.” (I turned that into an Advisory, as you may have noticed.) By the way, that warning was extended to a second week. We had to send a couple of follow up messages explaining how the state grid operator manages “rotating outages” (1 or 2 hrs only) and how they differ from individual utility-managed Public Safety Power Shut-offs, which could last for days. Outages are rare – this is the first time we’ve had any in 19 years. We haven’t experienced any PSPSs so far this year, but they will be coming!
• Remote training via webinar. Last month was the first time I’ve been the featured speaker for a newly-forming group in the Bay Area of California. That wide-spread group is actively recruiting even during the pandemic! Topic for the training: “Building a Neighborhood Group.” I stressed knowing the audience/target rather than following a strict top-down procedure.
• Conference calls with neighbors. I’ve mentioned our volunteer team members who are sewing colorful, multi-layered masks. They’ve distributed 842 as of last week! (Some masks go to neighbors while others have been distributed to various non-profit groups that serve our community.) The reason we use a conference call instead of webinar is that this is our Low Vision Support Group! No need for a digital screen if you can’t see it!  (Obviously, not all members sew. But all get involved in other aspects of the project.)

So these are the very local neighborhood happenings – and there will be more info to come because we have a couple more projects in the works.

Publishing Activities Spread Valuable Info

More exciting, perhaps, is the fact that Joe and I added a 12^th book to our Emergency Preparedness Q&A Mini-Series just yesterday! The title: Crisis First Aid.

This is a topic that generates a lot of emotion! Every time we bring it up at local meetings we get questions like these:

• Oh, dear! How would I know what to do?
• Who should I try to help first?
• What if I try to help someone who is injured and I screw up?

Of course, Joe and I are not medical experts. And this 60-page booklet doesn’t make us one or make you one, either. But as we researched the writing we realized that we all have important experience to share in an emergency . . . not the least of which is a determination to approach the emergency with a plan, a collection of good medical supplies, and a basic understanding of what common sense actions we can take.

If these are questions that you have heard, or have asked yourself, consider getting this booklet. Give it a read. You may be surprised at how well positioned you already are to be of real help in a disaster. (Plus, there are other resources mentioned that you can follow up with.)

Almost Ready — Training for Other Community Groups

I know many of you share a desire to get more people involved in being more prepared. And of course, like us, you find it a challenge to make that happen!

I write weekly Advisories as one way to spread what I hope is good information. Joe and I reach out to our neighbors and plan regular meetings and training as a second level of sharing. Our books reach an even wider audience – but we still know that . . .

People don’t want to just READ about something, they want to EXPERIENCE A CHANGE!

While the Mini-Books were written to help people make that change one step at a time, the books also lend themselves to group training session.

Coming Soon — Preparedness as a Group Course

So our next goal is to turn the Mini-Series into an actual course that could become an activity for any kind of group: a neighborhood group, a youth group, a church group. The leader of the course will be one of the group members.

We’ll be calling on our years of formal educational training (I still have my Lifetime High School Teaching Certificate!) plus the many, many meetings and programs we’ve led for business clients and colleagues. We are developing simple tools to help course participants realize:

• WHY getting more prepared makes sense
• HOW to get past procrastination (with the help of your friends!)
• WHAT a change the course will make in your daily life – including new trust and confidence.

We have just a couple more booklets to write to finish the collection, and then we’ll be pulling together the course. Maybe you’ll even want to be a course leader???

We’ll be letting you know as the program develops. If you have suggestions for groups, ideas you would have liked to have experienced in your own training, tips for engaging adults – don’t hesitate to drop us a note. If you’re reading this, you’re out there doing much of what we are doing, I am sure!

Prices On Books Going Up

As I may have mentioned some weeks ago, we set the introductory price low to encourage people to get started sooner. Since then Amazon has repeatedly urged us to raise the price and we’ve agreed to do so on the 1^st of September.

So while the mini-series booklets are still very inexpensive – only $2.99 for an ebook and $4.99 for the paperback version – if you have thought about getting any of our books you can save some money if you do it now.

As I said, the latest mini-series topic is “Crisis First Aid.” Click here to see the whole collection. And if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re proud of these books and think they fit a real niche by being so affordable and easy to get through.

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide Team

A week ago I was invited to share some Emergency Plan Guide stories about building a neighborhood preparedness group. But it wasn’t via this website, and it certainly wasn’t in person. It was as the presenter in a Zoom webinar! Here you see me from both sides of the camera!

Of course, I’ve told many stories about group building over the years. Many have found their way into Advisories. I’ve even collected some of my favorite outreach stories and turned them into a book: Emergency Preparedness Meeting Ideas.

But this Zoom webinar was a new experience!

A LinkedIn connection passed my name along to a neighborhood preparedness group just getting organized in Northern California. Since all their new members and potential members are stuck at home because of the pandemic, they are doing outreach and training via Zoom – and they invited me to be the featured speaker at last Saturday’s meeting.

Like you, I’ve gotten used to attending online webinars. (I make it a practice to add a few questions and comments in the chat box to make sure the presenter realizes the audience is engaged and interested!) But this was my first participation as presenter. I had to manage lighting, and audio, and video. (What were audience members seeing in my office, behind me?) I had to switch screens to my PowerPoint presentation. All new skills!

The presentation went better than I had hoped.

I used mostly photos to share our experiences with team building here at Emergency Plan Guide. Some photos were from our own group, others from activities our readers have sent in, and a few were screen shots from online resources. Only six slides had any text.

The presentation went well, finished on time, and it was fun! (We encountered only one technical glitch, from which I was smoothly rescued by the host.)

A number of people expressed generous appreciation – this one was particularly kind: “. . . love that you are sharing your pragmatic recommendations and lessons learned so we don’t have to reinvent the wheel!”

Yes, sharing was the name of the game that Saturday morning. And I would like to extend that interest in sharing via . . .

An invitation to you!

People across the country are working hard to help neighborhoods get better prepared. And it’s not an easy job. The annual FEMA National Household Preparedness Survey shows that while a few more people collect a few more supplies every year, the number of people that participate in neighborhood group activities stays stubbornly around 51%.

I believe that until neighbors can work together to prevent or respond to a disaster, we are spinning our wheels!

Our emphasis at Emergency Plan Guide always comes back to neighborhood team building. Can you help?

What’s the best meeting you ever put on in your neighborhood?

Here’s a chance for you to try something new yourself during this pandemic. Send me a story of your “best meeting” for building your neighborhood group’s skills and connections. In turn, I’ll share it here at Emergency Plan Guide and on LinkedIn, too, where hundreds or even thousands of people will see it!

If you think this may be the perfect time to become “a published author” (!), let me know. I’ll send you some simple copywriting suggestions to help turn your story into a useful and shareable resource.

I know you can do this, because I’ve received great emails in the past that were perfect as “best meeting ever” Advisories. (Often, I have referred to them here!)

We need to be creative during these enforced stay-at-home times. I did my first webinar. Maybe you can do your first neighborhood meeting story!

I look forward to hearing from you. Together we can strengthen the entire community!

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

Dear Friend,

Last week was so tumultuous that I couldn’t focus long enough to draft a traditional Advisory. This week hasn’t been any better. The “photo op” episode in Washington D.C. can only be described as over the top.

We are all being forced to take a look a developing a new personal emergency plan!

Throughout all this turmoil, however, I have continued to think about my neighbors and my Emergency Plan Guide friends. So my first question:

How well are you managing during these challenging times?  

I trust that you are doing some of the same deep thinking I’m doing. It’s not easy. In fact, it can be exhausting! In any case, here’s some of what’s been on my mind that I want to share with you today, thinking that some new personal emergency plans or at least some adjustments to the “old” plans are necessary.

What I’m hearing from friends and colleagues.

First, as a matter of interest, nearly all the messages I am getting from long-standing preppers are focused on protecting families. I am receiving email after email describing how to barricade your home (or make it invisible), add to your firearm or other weapon collection, and revisit your plans for bugging out. Do you get these messages, too?

Second, nearly all the messages I am getting from non-prepper friends and family are also focused inward. But they don’t (yet) include plans. Rather, they develop the theme we were working on a few weeks ago in the midst of the coronavirus shut-down, namely, “What can I do that will be useful and helpful?”

Being self-sufficient is one thing. And it’s good. But being able to lean on, get support from others and give support in return – now that makes life even more powerful.

So if you’ve asked yourself “What can I do?” here are a couple of suggestions you can consider that have to do with building a more resilient community. (This focus on community is what distinguishes Emergency Plan Guide from most of the other survival/preparedness blogs out there, in case you hadn’t noticed.)

What actions here might work as part of your own “new emergency plan?”

1. For us emergency preparedness always begins by helping take steps to improve your personal readiness. You know that we regularly suggest people find out about and take local CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) training. Question: Have you taken the CERT training? Have you taken a Red Cross class on CPR or emergency first aid? How about car-pooling to a class with a neighbor (once classes start up again)? (Next on our own list: Stop the Bleed.) These skills will serve for years!
2. The next step is sharing information with and helping neighborhoods take action for the benefit of all.  Question: What informational flyers can you download or pick up and share with neighbors? (It’s hurricane season, and fire season, and earthquakes can hit at any time! There are also new groups forming online to examine policy changes in our justice system. Lots of good info on the Internet.) Can your local HOA or scout troupe or church group help pass out or otherwise share this information? (Retirement communities often have internal TV stations that could broadcast valuable alerts.) “The more we all know, the safer we all will be.”
3. In some communities, leaders start a local Neighborhood Emergency Response Group whose volunteer members meet regularly to learn and practice new skills. Question: Would a neighborhood volunteer group help create stronger relations in your community? How much safer would your community be if more neighbors knew each other and knew what to do in case of an emergency? Can you take advantage of the current activist momentum to start or support a group? We have several workbooks just for people wanting to set up a group and keep it going.

Some final thoughts . . .

I do have to make one final comment about another group of messages that I have received. I guess I can call them “business as usual.”  Cheerful messages exhorting me to “Make it a great day!” Intense phone calls telling me “Not to miss this one-time business opportunity!” Neighbors waving and hollering out, “How you doing?” expecting “Fine!” as an answer. It’s as though these people haven’t even noticed the upheaval going on around us. Or maybe these messages fall into the automated message-delivery service category? 

Whatever, I find it impossible to pretend that what’s going on isn’t significant.  

Getting “back to normal” isn’t the right expression. We all are being faced with having to look at things we’ve taken for granted — and to make some changes. Joe and I sat late last night over our kitchen table to figure out what we will do, personally, to help our community move forward into a future that is safer and fairer.

I’d love to hear from you what your latest emergency plans are.

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

P.S. And yes, I WILL have a “regular” Advisory out next week. It’s half finished already, and on the topic of solar-powered tools and equipment. Watch for it!

The market for drones for emergency response teams continues to expand.

Updated 5-2020

We started reporting on drones about 5 years ago. At that time, drones were mostly high-tech toys. Two years ago we updated our reporting, and today it’s time for another update because . . .

Drones for emergency response teams are becoming more common. 

Before you start looking at drones for use by your neighborhood emergency response team, however, it’s a good idea to listen to the advice I got from an excellent training film put on by the Pacific Northwest Economic Region  Center for Regional Disaster Resilience. Here’s the link to the video: https://vimeo.com/296920234  One of the speakers said: “Before you decide on a project, become the local expert and understand how to collect and manage data. ” By the time you’ve done that, you’ll know what equipment you need and the rules you’ll need to follow.

The video mentioned above was by and for a governmental agency. You may not be part of a governmental agency; you may be a hobbyist. But you need to know all the rules!  Here they are as of 2020 . .

Rules for hobbyists, commercial and non-governmental use of UAS (unmanned aircraft systems) . . .are changing!

You need a pilot certificate.

If you’re operating your drone as a hobbyist, that means hobbyist. You’re not operating as a service, or planning to be paid for your services, or to sell your photos, etc. In the past, you didn’t need a certificate but it looks as though you WILL need one soon if not already!

Getting a Remote Pilot Certificate from the FAA requires that you pass a test as well as meet other requirements. Here’s a link to find out more: https://www.faa.gov/uas/getting_started/part_107/remote_pilot_cert/

Register Your Drone.

Whether being flown by a hobbyist or for another reason, any UA must be registered. If it weighs less than .55 lbs you can register it online; otherwise, go to the FAA website to get started registering it on paper.  Here’s the link:  https://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/aircraft_certification/aircraft_registry/UA/  

A drone weighing MORE than 55 lbs. falls into another category altogether. (That 55 lbs. includes any cargo that the drone is carrying.)

Pilot Your Drone Safely.

Even though rules change, the main thrust for hobbyists and commercial operators is always on safety. You can check in on a regular basis to monitor any changes, at http://knowbeforeyoufly.org/

Here’s a summary of the current rules:

• Drones must remain in visual line of sight of the pilot or a sighter — no first-person-view cameras. (This means no flying by what the camera shows as opposed to what you actually see from where you are standing.) You can only fly one line-of-sight vehicle at a time. Maximum distance from pilot is 3 miles.
• Maximum speed is 100 mph and maximum altitude is 400 feet.
• Pilots must be at least 16 years old and hold the “remote pilot airman certificate,” mentioned above.
• Operation is only allowed during daylight hours or twilight with appropriate lighting.
• Pilots must avoid flying over cars, populated areas or over specific people not involved in the operation.
• You must understand airspace zones and respect them. Manned aircraft always have the right of way.
• You must be aware of no-fly zones. (The best drones have “no-fly” zones built into their software.)
• The big issue, of course, is privacy. While there don’t seem to be clear cut rules regarding privacy, you’ve got to remember that there is a concept called Expectation of Privacy. This usually translates into giving people a warning if you’re going to be flying, not capturing “private” footage if you don’t need to, and deleting it if you’re asked to. If you’re part of a group, you would do well to have a privacy policy to protect your members. Here’s a reference that might be helpful: https://www.ntia.doc.gov/files/ntia/publications/voluntary_best_practices_for_uas_privacy_transparency_and_accountability_0.pdf

Please note — again! – rules keep changing! Some changes have been promised and awaited but are now on hold as a result of the Coronavirus. Get the rules at the FAA.

Using Your Drone as an Emergency Response Tool

While not commercial, and yet not recreational, here are some uses your team might be considering. Before you actually decide to implement any, be sure your use is legal.

• Use a drone to provide overhead lighting when searching an area at night
• Inspect upper levels of buildings or structures (in industrial or high-rise residential areas)
• Film damaged areas or obstructions following a disaster (as long as you don’t interfere with First Responders)
• Identify “hot spots” after a fire (using infrared technology)
• Map area covered by the CERT team to segment into manageable areas
• Find a missing person
• Search areas for survivors
• Identify pathways for access or escape or to to safer positions
• Drop markers to designate specific damages or routes to follow
• Monitor teams during training exercises with filmed records for group critique
• Transfer supplies, first aid items, batteries, replacement radios, etc.
• Transport high value items over a distance, reducing the need for multiples of expensive equipment (e.g., gas sniffer)

You can probably come up with many more.

Challenges for Emergency Teams

1-Rules may limit your emergency response team’s use.

When you look at even this short list of uses, you will see that a number of these uses would be against current rules! Let’s look again . . .

• Can’t fly at night.
• Can’t let drone out of your sight.
• Can’t fly higher than 400 feet.
• Can’t fly over people.

From our standpoint as emergency responders, these restrictions limit the use of the technology. In a serious situation the safety of our neighbors in the community is more important that the actual altitude of the drone looking for them!

You may request a waiver of some of these restrictions if you can show you can conduct your operations safely. And we have confidence that some of these restrictions may be lifted or clarified, so we are not letting them stop our analysis.

2-Battery life may limit your team’s use.

Most drones have a flying time of only around 20-25 minutes. As technology improves, that will improve. To get a couple minutes more of flight can cost a couple hundred more dollars in purchase price. No matter which model you get, plan on getting at least 3 or 4 extra batteries right along with the machine so you can rapidly put the machine back in the air.

3-Set up in advance to be able to share your images and videos.

Clearly, the emergency planning and response ideas above would generate information you’d want to share with the rest of your team or with First Responders! There are several options available – the obvious one being sending footage to YouTube or Vimeo.

However, the FAA may label your video as “commercial use” if it appears with an ad on it, whether or not you wanted it!  (Again, in an emergency, I’d probably not worry about that. But be aware . . .) Other sharing options include apps provided by Facebook, Dropbox and certain drone manufacturers.

Moreover, if you share any photos, issues of privacy raise their head. Understand how you will manage your data to maintain privacy. Review the resource above in the long list of bullet points.

If you goal is to share your work, find out more before purchasing.

OK, with all this in mind,

Which drone is best for our Neighborhood Response Team?

In our community, we already have some guys who race electric cars. And there are a couple who build and fly model airplanes. The skills they bring to the table will be valuable – but not all of them are on our emergency response team, of course.

So, as we shop for a drone, we have to add “ease of set-up” and “easy to fly” to our shopping list.

Here’s the whole shopping list so far:

• Big enough to fly outside, in somewhat inclement weather (Cheap toys won’t work.)
• Strong enough to carry something to a designated location
• The best battery life we can get for the price
• Proven performance (not bleeding edge technology)
• Reasonable image and video quality, though not necessarily the highest
• Easy to set up and start flying
• Compatible with variety of hand-held mobile devices

We’ve done a lot of comparing of different machines to get to this point! I hope the data above will be helpful to you in your own search.

See our top choices for drones in Part Two of Drones for Emergency Response Teams.

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide Team

P.S.  I found these important additions. Become an expert before you buy or fly!

• “Report to the FAA within 10 days of any operation that results in at least serious injury, loss of consciousness, or property damage of at least $500.”
• “Failure to register an unmanned aircraft that is required to be registered may result in regulatory and criminal penalties. The FAA may assess civil penalties up to $27,500. Criminal penalties include fines of up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment for up to three years.”