We’re seeing our neighbors again for the first time in a LONG time!

Three weeks ago I went to my first face-to-face, no-masks meeting since mid-March 2020. After 14 months of being shut-in at home, I felt almost giddy! That was the first such meeting. Since then, I’ve been part of two more. It’s been invigorating! In fact, a desire to “Get something new going!” seems to be catching!

In case you’re ready to get something going, too, here is an idea for  spreading the preparedness word.

Write and share a personal story about disaster!

I was encouraged to write just such a story when I saw an invitation on LinkedIn. It came from Mark Keim, MD, one of the emergency preparedness professionals I follow. He had put out a Help Wanted blurb, asking for personal stories to include as part of a series on his website, DisasterDoc.org. The website is a comprehensive one, focused on preventing public health emergencies around the world.

I submitted my story, and it was accepted! It is another look at what happened to us and our neighbors last year when we were threatened by a wildfire. You may want to give this version a quick read on the DisasterDoc blog, particularly if you are working with any fire departments or city emergency management agencies. For sure, evacuation will be on the danger list for many this summer!

The picture shows how my article was announced on LinkedIn. And here’s the link to the website blog page where the article appears: https://disasterdoc.org/blog/

While you’re there, be sure to read Mark’s post titled “How a children’s book saved my life!” That personal story is what caught my attention in the first place.

OK, with all that background, here’s my own HELP WANTED blurb, and your chance to get something new going!

Let’s hear YOUR story of an experience you’ve had working with neighbors in an emergency or preparing for one.

You wouldn’t be reading this if it didn’t matter to you what happens to other people in an emergency. Why do I know that?  Because anyone interested in preparedness knows you can’t really prepare all by yourself!

After all, when the hurricane hits, and your home is threatened by storm surge, so is every home around you. When the power goes out, what your neighbors do – or likely don’t do – comes right back to haunt you!

Here’s an excerpt from Elizabeth’s story about neighborhood preparedness.

Elizabeth wrote to me just a couple of weeks ago about having helped plan and practice an evacuation of her Northern California mobilehome park neighborhood – in advance of this summer’s wildfire season.

Her intro sentence was . . .“Well, we had our modified, practice Evacuation Drill last weekend and if I do say so myself, it went off rather well.”

Her report went on to talk about who participated and who didn’t, how many people had Go-bags at the ready, what a difference the donut hole snacks made.

She further reported — and this is key — that “Volunteers on almost every street offered to help disabled folks, notify them, and help them get out of the park. That is still a big issue! Where does personal responsibility start? Where does it end? What responsibility do we have for our neighbors?”

Great, eh? What story can you share? Maybe . . .

• You took a great Red Cross class or finished a refresher course? (The takeaway?)
• You’ve met with just a few neighbors to find out where the gas line shut-offs are? (What prompted it?)
• You’ve planned emergency drills with teachers at your kid’s school? (Were your efforts welcomed?)
• You made it through the Texas power outage? (What helped?)
• You’re an EMT and have a story to share about your team? (Heroes all!)

We’d love to know what you and your neighbors have done, or are doing, to be safer and smarter in the face of emergencies.

Nothing works like real stories to give the rest of us encouragement and ideas!

Just drop me an email with your idea! We’ll make sure you get your story written and published here as part of our “Get something going with neighbors” focus for the summer!

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

P.S. Many websites managed by “regular folks” are devoted to prepping, wilderness survival skills, etc. We do a lot of that too, but what we do that sets Emergency Plan Guide apart is getting the wider community involved. This Advisory is another effort to do that – and your story will help!

Cooking in an emergency

I’ve spent much of this past week working with our community on preparing for upcoming power outages. The short checklist from last week’s Advisory just wasn’t enough on cooking without power, so here’s additional info!

I’ve written before about using camp stoves in a disaster, but I’ve focused on the kinds I’ve used personally. Since I’m not a frequent back-packer, I don’t own an alcohol stove. And since I only occasionally cook outside (though I love being invited by a backyard chef!), I have limited experience with grills, too. But I have friends who do all these things, so their stories are incorporated here!.

Time to take another look at using camp stoves in a disaster!

Alcohol stoves for cooking in an emergency

An alcohol stove is perhaps the simplest way to heat water in an emergency! Here’s a basic alcohol stove that I really like. See how compact and handy it is?!! Makes you want to hold it in your hand, doesn’t it? Read below for more details about alcohol stoves, then click to head to Amazon for current prices. (This one seems to be on sale right now.)

Basics of all alcohol stoves:

• Round metal fuel container weighing only a few ounces, often just 1 ounce. (Imagine a cut-off soft-drink can.) Different versions have double walls, a top with a chimney, holes punched in the sides to create a ring of flames like a gas stove. The more “designed” the heavier it’s likely to be. I chose this one because it’s just about the simplest version available.
• Fuel to put into the container. Denatured alcohol (toxic to drink!), methanol (also toxic – sold as anti-freeze), ethanol. Fuels are readily found at sporting goods stores, Walmart, auto supply stores.
• Way to light the fuel.
• Stand to hold cup or pot above the flame. Again, my example has a companion stand that comes as part of the package.

Alcohol stoves are simple. Because they are so small and lightweight, you have to be careful not to tip them over, and you have to watch out for spilled fuel. You may need to shelter your stove from the wind. And you have to have the right size cup or pot to fit over the stove.

The key: even the simplest alcohol stoves can boil water in 5-6 minutes, enough to make hot drinks or soup for 1-2 people.

I really like the idea of something compact, light, and simple to operate in an emergency. You can actually build your own out of soda cans! (Great 3-minute video: https://youtu.be/wdGu_0eJr3k You’ll see an ad before the video starts, of course.) Or, you can buy a stove. Many are less than $20!

The stove shown above costs around $20. For about $10 more you can get the Vargo Triad, shown below. It’s made of titanium, with folding arms and legs that double as pot supports and anchors. This stove burns more than one kind of fuel. It also gets the best ratings on a variety of review sites.

Either of these two small stoves would make a great gift for a scout, a camper, or someone putting together a (better!) survival kit for the car!

Wood-burning stoves for cooking in an emergency

If you’ll be outdoors in at least a semi-wilderness setting, with fuel sources available, having a wood-burning camping stove makes lots of sense. No storing of fuels, no worrying about leaks.

Like the alcohol stoves, wood-burning camp stoves are very simple. Imagine a coffee can with some holes punched in it to let grasses or sticks and air in, and smoke out.

Like the alcohol stoves, these stoves also have ONE burner. You will be using ONE pot. Experts seem to be able to boil, fry and even bake – all on one burner. If you have a larger group, you may need more than one stove or take another look at the classic Coleman two- or three-burner box later on in this article.

I picked the wood-burning stove below because it got very high reviews from users. It’s meant to burn twigs, leaves, grass, etc., but can also burn alcohol. Easily add fuel, and air holes around the bottom keep the fire burning hot. I’d get some special camping ware to go with this stove to be sure everything fits and balances securely.

Cooking with classic camp stoves in a disaster

I pulled out our camp stoves. We have two of them, collected over the years. The pictures with dark backgrounds aren’t links – they are from my own camera!

This shows our trusty Coleman stove. It’s a three-burner which makes it really convenient. You can see how my own everyday small pot fits on the stove; with those three burners, we can use a large frying pan or even a griddle. Sometimes adjusting the flame takes some careful effort.

Here’s a link to the current Coleman 2-burner. (Maybe 3 burners are out of style?) It comes in other colors, too, but I wanted to show you a classic Coleman.

Our second stove is a one-burner model that we purchased across the street at an Asian market. It is smaller than the three-burner (Note the pot and the water bottle that appear in each photo for comparison.) and it weighs half as much, making it easier to pack and carry.

With either stove, we can accomplish the essentials: boil water for coffee, cook ramen noodles with dried vegetables (from the same Asian market), and have enough water left over for some washing up.

Here’s the current version of that same stove from Amazon (at today’s prices!) It comes with a carrying case.

Backyard BBQ for survival cooking

If you already have a backyard BBQ, whether fueled with charcoal or gas, you are probably already prepared for some cooking in an emergency when the power is out! Most of the gas powered grills use propane or butane. Some are connected to your natural gas supply.

These grills can be just the size for a steak or two, or big enough to feed a crowd. They can be on a rolling frame that holds the fuel tank and a couple of side table, or built right into a larger backyard entertainment center.

Just a couple of weeks ago I picked out a charcoal burning BBQ that I thought would be a great gift for Mothers’ Day! Remember that one?

Having any of these stoves will give you more flexibility for summer entertainment, for camping, and, of course, in an emergency. All of them require some experimenting and practice before they will work exactly as you expected.

Hope you can find the right one to supplement YOUR emergency cooking needs!

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

P.S. Write and let us know what experiences you’ve had with camp stoves. Every bit of knowledge helps!

We have often repeated that “Preparedness is more a way of life than a list of stuff.” So over the past few days, in the face of ever more ominous threats of power outages and drought here in California, Joe and I took another look at our emergency water supplies.

• Liter bottles. Oh yes, we have bottles of water. A couple dozen liter bottles in the house, a half-dozen in each car, more in our storage shed. We go through them steadily, and replace as needed. (As we’ve mentioned before, we try to find square bottles. They pack so much better!)
• Bigger bottles. We also have sturdy half-gallon plastic bottles of water as back-up. I like the ones with indentations for handles.
• Empty containers. We have empty plastic jugs and bags to be filled at the last minute.
• Frozen water. And of course we have square plastic containers full of water in all our freezer compartments. They help with energy use and serve as yet another backup supply in the case of a power outage. (“Previously frozen” water does not really smell very appetizing but it would certainly work for hygiene.)

Today, we take another look at our 55 gallon water barrel.

Every preparedness list also includes the famous 55 gallon barrel. We have talked about these barrels many times over the years, since that one item would make a really big difference in emergency water supplies for most families!

How much is 55 gallons?

Well, if you use the standard measure of “1 gallon of water per person per day,” then your two-person family could get along for almost a month using water from a full barrel! A family of four could manage for at least a couple of weeks. Honestly, it just makes sense to have one – if you can afford it and can find a place for it.

What’s involved in having a 55 gallon water barred?

Here’s what we did this past week . . .

We’ve had our barrel for several years. It was part of a discounted group purchase made available to our Neighborhood Emergency Response Group. The price included the necessary hand pumps. (All the barrels were dropped off on one afternoon to our neighborhood. Volunteers then delivered them one by one to the people who had already paid. As it turns out, a barrel will NOT fit in an ordinary car or its trunk, so several people with trucks and/or golf carts ended up doing all the delivering.)

Our goal this week was to refresh the water in our own barrel and make a better place for storing it. In particular, we wanted it to be relatively invisible while still accessible.

First, build the platform.

Joe did a lot of measuring and cutting and painting and screwing to build a sturdy platform in this narrow space. “Sturdy” is the important word. The full barrel weighs nearly 500 pounds!

We positioned the platform at the corner of our shed, where it would be accessible from two sides. Then Joe cleverly added hinged “doors” so that the barrel itself, when in place, really isn’t visible.

Then, prepare the barrel.

In the meanwhile, I pulled that barrel down, cleaned the inside with a strong bleach solution, and rinsed it out to be refilled.

(Sorry I don’t have any photos. Imagine me rolling the barrel over and back on its side, with the bleach sloshing about loudly on the inside.)

Then we put the barrel up onto its new platform. Note: one person cannot manage a barrel, even an empty one! It’s not that it’s so heavy, but that there are no handles. We tried moving it using the hand truck you see in the photos. No – better to just carry it. But it is fat and extremely awkward!  Get a friend to help!

Finally, fill the barrel.

I filled the barrel using the garden hose (carefully cleaned beforehand). Took 15-20 minutes. Added the proper amount of bleach to keep any nasties from growing inside. (See below for more on purifying the water.) Closed up the bung holes, covered the top, laid on a second, raised top to reflect sunlight and allow air to circulate, then stepped back to admire our work!

Voila! With the “door” closed, all you can see is the base of our hand truck, which fits in there very nicely, too!

If you’re inspired by our barrel, here are a few more guidelines to consider.

• Blue barrels can be pricey. (There are other colors, of course, but blue seems to be the standard.) On Amazon, where we’re Associates, you might find a price variation of as much as $40 for the same item!  Be sure you shop and get what you want.
• You need a way to get the water out of the barrel once it is filled, so don’t forget a pump. (There are electric pumps available, but in an emergency you aren’t likely to have electricity . . .!)
• Be sure not to place your barrel right onto cement or concrete. Raise it up on a couple of boards, at least.
• Water doesn’t spoil. It’s the creepy-crawlies and dirt that get into it that make it unpalatable or even dangerous. Be sure you can seal the barrel tightly using a bung wrench. (For some reason holes in a cask or in the top of a barrel are called “bung holes” and the stoppers are called “bungs.”)
• Consider adding purifier for your long-term water supply. We used simple bleach. You may want to use liquid purifier, as shown below.

This looks like the best deal going right now.

We’ve shopped barrels for years. Right now, prices vary a lot. This package looked to be the best and most complete deal available on Amazon. Start your shopping here.

And a couple of additional resources for emergency water supplies:

https://emergencyplanguide.org/store-water-for-emergencies/ This Advisory goes into more detail about all kinds of water storage bottles, bags and bladders. Lots of pictures, ideas for storage, etc. It’s been recently updated, too (which is how we noticed some of the differences in pricing!)

https://amzn.to/3rvGWM0 This link takes you to our Mini-Book on water. It has close to 50 easy-to read pages on storing water now, before the emergency hits; how to find water AFTER the emergency hits and you’ve run out of your supplies; and dangers to watch out for. If you’re going to invest money in water, I’d recommend investing $5 in this little book first!

Walk the talk. Don’t overlook your water supplies. (Maybe you can get a discount deal on a bulk purchase, too!)

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

When we wrote our “Neighborhood Disaster Survival Series,” Part Three  was aimed at building a more capable neighborhood. After all, our neighbors are our true First Responders. They are right there next door or down the street when calamity hits. They know our neighborhood. And we trust that, like good neighbors everywhere, they will be the first to help in an emergency. It follows then, that . . .

The more the neighbors know about threats to the neighborhood, the safer we all will be!

That’s why, after covering personal preparedness and training in Parts One and Two in the series, Part Three of each book provides a step-by-step plan to strengthening the neighborhood. One of those steps is doing a more thorough job of identifying THREATS to your particular neighborhood.

As you might expect, we include a long list to choose from. (59 different threats, to be exact. Even though our list was first compiled in 2018, I’m happy to say it included “Pandemic.” Who would have guessed . . .?!)

Now in the past I’ve done research and written an Advisory on the dangers posed by dams. If you know you have a dam nearby, I urge you to review that Advisory. And follow up with some of its recommendations. Why? Dam safety gets a “D” rating from by the American Society of Engineers. That’s why dams are high on the list of infrastructure improvements for legislation being considered right now. But along with dams,

My attention has recently been drawn to another, water-related threat.

While maybe not so dramatic, it’s equally scary. Take another look at the pig in the image above. Note that puddle he’s lying in. It could well end up in a so-called “hog waste lagoon.” (I find this expression offensive, actually. Trying to make something distasteful and dangerous sound benign . . .) Open air ponds and lagoons, typically built with earthen walls and sometimes lined with clay or plastic fabric liners, store water and all sorts of liquid products. Their level rises with rain, goes down thru evaporation.

If ponds and lagoons leak or overtop, dangerous and toxic waste can flow into neighborhoods and contaminate local water supplies.

Here’s the current news story that prompted today’s Advisory. It’s taking place today in Piney Point, Florida. There, an industrial waste pond, pretty much abandoned since its original builder went bankrupt 20 years ago, has started leaking.

Governor DeSantis has declared an emergency. People have been evacuated for fear that a full-fledged collapse could lead to a wall of “mildly radioactive” liquid pouring through their community. Special teams have begun siphoning millions of gallons of water off the top of the pond, and diving into it to inspect the pond liner. Thermal imaging is being used to ascertain the rate of flow of the leak. Authorities are issuing daily reports.

This NPR report has all the details,

This year I discovered threats I had known nothing about!

Just a year ago our town put finishing touches on a new Emergency Plan. Now, we only have a couple of visible dams anywhere nearby, and no animal farms. So when I got a copy of the plan I was amazed to find that we are surrounded by eight dams and reservoirs!

The plan makes it clear that if any of the larger dams were to fail, releasing their maximum capacity of water, millions of dollars of infrastructure and hundreds of thousands of people would be impacted. As you might expect, more vulnerable households would be disproportionately affected.

What about your town and your neighborhood? What threats have you overlooked?

Do you actually know what kinds of reservoirs or other water storage might be tucked into the hills or lying overlooked in agricultural fields or industrial areas? Does your water utility have ponds? What kind?

Time to add a water storage threat assessment to your neighborhood plan!

Here are some ways to do that assessment.

1. Find out if your city/town has an Emergency Plan that includes a Local Hazard Mitigation Plan. (That’s the chapter where I found out about those eight dams in our town.) It will probably list flood zones, dams, etc.
2. Then, contact your local water utility to find out about their water treatment system. They may have “waste stabilization ponds” – typically open basins that hold run-off and domestic wastewater. Each basin uses specific techniques to treat water, like sunlight, temperature, plants, oxygen and bacterial action.  Your water utility may also manage reservoirs for drinking or recycled water. If you can, schedule a tour for your neighborhood group!
3. You can also search for local dams and reservoirs on the following list, maintained by Wikipedia. (I found several of our local dams there!) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dams_and_reservoirs_in_the_United_States
4. Certainly, if you find local dams that would be high-hazard dams, see if they are following FEMA requirements for an “Emergency Action Plan.” (Only about 80% have one on file.) You can get more info about what should be in that EAP here.
5. Finally, if you feel you really need a better understanding of dams, reservoirs and other artificially-maintained bodies of water, it turns out that just this month FEMA has added three new courses on Erosion and Seepage.  

It seems strange to be writing this Advisory on floods and liquid seepage just as we head into the driest months of the year. But most everything we’ve talked about today may have been built 60 or 80 years ago – or longer ago than that. And things wear out.

Be sure you and your neighbors are thinking creatively about some of the hazards currently all around you, not just the storms or hurricanes that might be on their way.

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

P.S. Let me know what your investigation reveals. And if you don’t have your copy of the Neighborhood Disaster Survival Guide for YOUR neighborhood, here’s where you can pick the one that fits best.

Why, some of my best friends live in apartments (and condos)!

So much of what we read about preparedness and survival assumes a rural or at least a single-family-home setting, where there is room for a survival garden, water barrels, storage shelves in the basement, etc. There may even be nearby woods where you can practice building shelters, cooking over a campfire, etc.

But what about the 37% of us who live in rental properties, mostly in multi-family buildings? What about our safety and security? We have no room for many of the preparedness activities mentioned above. No place to practice outdoor survival skills. And we can’t just run outside if a fire threatens or we smell a gas leak.

And what role does the property owner play in taking care of safety and security items? Time to find out!

Let’s make sure renters are as prepared for emergencies as anyone else! Starting with . . .

Easily overlooked apartment safety and security recommendations.

Is your apartment secure?

Door locks. Whether you’re moving into a new unit, or have been there for years, take a look at the condition of your locks. Today, reasonable security for an apartment includes a deadbolt and a peephole. In fact, a peephole may even be required by your local building code! Find out before you make any assumptions, of course. And be sure to ask the landlord for help or at least permission to make any changes. You may be able to do these installations yourself, or you may have to pay to get them done. Read below for some ways to save money.

Oh, and while you’re talking with management, be sure to find out the property policy for management or maintenance to enter your apartment.

Balcony security. Don’t forget the locks on your balcony windows and doors, even if you are on the second level. Sliding glass doors are particularly vulnerable. Consider a security bar, or at the very least, a rod cut to the exact length of the sliding door’s track. Here’s an example of an adjustable bar that also locks to keep children from lifting it out.

Security system. If neighbors and/or the police records show danger of unwanted activity in your neighborhood, consider installing a security system. For a more detailed discussion of options, check this Advisory. For your apartment, there are many battery-operated systems that won’t damage the walls, and that you can then take with you when you leave.

Here’s a sample of a simple, battery-operated security system that could be mounted outside or in your apartment for additional safety and security. Click the image for price and full details. (The more options you want — lights, camera, audio, etc. — the more expensive the system, of course. This model is a good start for comparison shopping.)

Are you prepared for fire?

Does your apartment have a sprinkler system?  Starting in 2003, all apartment buildings were required to have sprinklers (but smaller and older buildings may have been grandfathered in). If you are moving to a new apartment, check closely. If it doesn’t have sprinklers, you may want to reconsider. (You may recall the story of how Trump Tower only has sprinklers on the lower floors. A fire there in 2018 killed a resident and injured six firefighters.)

Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors? Do they work? Don’t take a chance. Test, require they be replaced or replace them yourself. Depending on the type of sensing equipment you choose, you can get alarms for around $15-$20. (Here’s a link to our alarms reviews.) According to The U.S. Fire Administration, more than one-third (38 percent) of home fire deaths result from fires in which no smoke alarms are present!

Do you have a home fire extinguisher? More than one? Are the extinguishers located where kids or someone in a wheelchair can reach them? Does everyone in the home know how to operate the extinguisher?

Can you get out of your apartment safely?

Getting out of a large complex is a lot different than fleeing a burning home! So, lots to think about.

Just as you want to know that your doors and windows can be locked, you want to test to be sure they all OPEN in case of emergency.

The standard “Family Evacuation Plan” calls for you to identify two ways to exit every room. Obviously, in a rental apartment, that may be tough, because the second exit is probably though a window. Can you actually get out your window? Can you get down to the ground safely? Does your family plan have a place for you to reassemble after having evacuated?

If your apartment is no higher than 4 stories, consider an escape ladder. Escape ladders are available in 2 to 6 story lengths, but the longer ones become quite a bit more expensive, and of course are more demanding in terms of required strength and agility.

Since in an emergency you could get trapped in an elevator, do you have more than one stairwell as an option for your family? Do all family members know where other stairwells are located? Are these stairwells well marked? If a family member is unable to get down stairs, do you have a plan for carrying that person down? Do you have the equipment that would make carrying possible?

Evacuation chairs and evacuation sleds may be the only way to get someone who is ill or unable to walk down stairs safely in an emergency. Find out about costs and capacity (different sizes for different sized people), note whether equipment takes two people or just one person to operate. Here is a place to start your research. And below see a 4 min. video that will give you a good idea of just how an emergency sled works.

Do you have renter’s insurance?

Worth it. Check with neighbors to see what they have. The discussion alone will add to the safety and security of your apartment! Bring up the topic at a community meeting. Bring up the idea in the next paragraph at a community meeting, too!

Does your community have a community emergency response plan?

Knowing your neighbors is the best defense. They will be the best source of help in an emergency!

Put in the effort to create a community emergency response group and a plan. Engage management’s support and assistance – they have everything to gain by keeping tenants safer, too. Together with management, learn more about your buildings, security, utility service, maintenance, etc. Agree on emergency procedures – who will be responsible for what.

Added benefit of having a group for apartment safety and security

Working together, you will have more power to negotiate with the property owner. And you may be able to save money by buying locks or security lights in bulk. You may also be able to arrange with a handyman or contractor to install them for everyone in the group. Best of all, you could provide a job if that handyman or handywoman is one of your own neighbors!

We’ve written a book to get you started on putting that neighborhood group and plan together.

“The more we all know, the safer we all will be!”

Thanks for taking action on this.

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

I wrote my first Advisory about self-defense products about 5 years ago. Since then, I’ve added a couple more and then, last year, I turned an update on self-defense products into a whole booklet in the Emergency Preparedness Q&A Mini-Series!

The Advisories and that booklet have generated a number of comments. The topic continues to be one of our most popular. Still, no matter how attractive as a subject for reading, buying and actually using self-defense products isn’t for everyone!

At the same time, personal safety continues to be a concern, today more than ever.

So we keep up with the news and reviews about all aspects of self-protection, including Second Amendment controversies. I’m not ready to jump into recommending firearms yet, but I certainly can suggest some non-lethal alternatives that may serve ALL our readers.

Stun Guns vs. Tasers – They are NOT the same.

The confusion about these two items continues in the public, at least. Even on Amazon, there is no distinction!

Here are three differences you need to know:

1 – Different technology

While both these devices operate using a charge of electricity, the stun gun generates a shock when the probes on the gun itself are pressed against someone. Stun guns are available starting at around $20. On the other hand, the taser shoots a projectile that creates the shock when the projectile hits someone. Tasers start at around $300 and quickly go up in price from there.

2 – Different uses

Obviously, given the technology, the stun gun is an up-close weapon useful when you are being physically attacked. The taser can be put to use from a distance – typically from 10 – 25 ft, away.

3 – Different regulations

Stun guns seem to be legal in most states. Tasers may not be legal without a weapon carry permit and the training that goes with it. It all depends on the state – or even the county – you live in.

Here is a place you can begin research about your own state: http://outdoorsmagazine.net/stun-gun-laws/ (Updated as of 2020)

No guarantees! Check with official agencies in your OWN town to be sure you know the rules. And if you’re looking for more about the advantages of stun guns vs. tasers, check out this Advisory. The Advisory shows several sample products, too.

Warning about these NON-LETHAL devices.

The taser really isn’t non-lethal. It has been reported as causing the deaths of hundreds – now over 1,000 – of people in law-enforcement related incidents. Only some of these deaths seem to have been accidental.

My recommendation – Unless you are willing to come up with the cost for a taser, get the appropriate training and licenses and run the risk of a tragic accident that could get you mired in the legal system – I’d stay away from a taser.

Stun gun vs. Pepper Spray

The disadvantage I see to a stun gun is that your attacker has to actually be within arm’s reach for you to use the device. Of course, its colorful “Zap” may have some deterrent effect, but that’s it.

When it comes to stopping an attacker before he gets too close, I’d prefer pepper spray.

A hand-held canister of pepper spray can shoot a spray or cloud at least 8-10 feet, and probably more.

The important questions to ask about pepper spray:

Size of canister – Does the spray canister fit easily and comfortably in your hand so you can grab and use it? Sizes range from lipstick-tube-size to much larger cans. The 2-oz. size offers enough liquid that you can test a couple of times without emptying the canister.

Safety features – If you hang your canister on your key chain or onto the outside of your purse, or carry it IN your purse, what keeps it from accidentally going off? Flip top? Twist top? Can the safety features be operated WITH ONE HAND?

Life of product – Pepper spray won’t last forever, although it should last at least a couple of years. Check the expiration date on the packaging, and test to see that the spray is working every 6 months or so. You don’t want to need it and discover that nothing happens when you press the button!

Product quality – There are a number of manufacturers of pepper spray, and while I am usually happy to get “the best deal” on anything I buy, in this case the cheapest is not likely to give me what I am looking for.

My research has led me to one particular manufacturer of pepper spray – Fox Labs.

Reviews from law enforcement users as well as “regular” people are compelling. This product seems to work when other products, similarly priced and highly promoted, do not.

Here’s what the 2 oz. canister looks like. It should provide 18 or so ½ second bursts, so you can practice a couple of times. Its range is advertised as 17-20 feet.

Click on the image to get the latest pricing at Amazon. (It was just over $20 when I last looked.)

There is also a 4 oz. canister that may shoot even farther and has double the number of bursts, but that size is not legal to be shipped in California, so may not be legal where you live, either. Again, check local regulations!

Note that this product must be shipped via ground, so it may not arrive immediately.

Important Update! Thanks to a prompt from one of our readers (See his comment below!), I’m compelled to add another couple of items to this Advisory! They are both variations on the pepper spray theme.

There are now pepper sprays in GEL format and in FOAM format! They have the same basic capsaicin ingredient and serve the same purpose of self-defense. But neither is as likely as spray to blow back onto you in a confined space! Moreover, pepper gel goes a good 6 feet farther than either spray or foam, so you can use it from a safer distance. The gel doesn’t spread out as much though, so you may have to be better at aiming.

Click on the link below to get to a sample of gel made by SABRE. I own the SABRE spray and find it fits my hand well, and it looks as though the gel is packaged pretty much the same way.

Finally, if you purchase any pepper product, check your canister carefully. Note its expiration date. Then . . .

Practice with self-defense products!

Practice getting it out of your purse, unlocking the cover and shooting. You must be able to do it in the dark and when you are nervous!  Get your moves down, and then refresh your skills from time to time.

If you ever need this, you’ll need it.

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide Team

P.S. Joggers and bike riders say this spray works great on threatening dogs, too.

P.P.S. I mentioned that we’ve written other articles about protecting yourself from danger. If you are serious about buying for the first time, please get a copy of our 2020 mini-book, Personal Safety. Its 50 pages of common questions and answers will give you an update on self-defense and self-defense products plus a discussion of the necessary state of mind required to use force or weapons.

Our neighborhood emergency response group is in the midst of updating after a year of very little activity. COVID has added new perspective, so managing risk for volunteers is part of our update. Fair warning: this is only the first episode on risk!

Our volunteers’ risks may be different from yours.

Every group is different. Risks depend on WHO is being covered and WHAT actions they are taking.

Take a look at our volunteer group. It is made up entirely of senior citizen volunteers. Their ages range from 55 to 85. Some of them have had CERT training and some have not. (CERT training has been the basis for all our organizing and training.) However, we share one mission: be of service to our senior community by helping each other prepare for and manage our way through a disaster.

Over the years, we have met frequently with local First Responders. They have encouraged us to above all focus on everyday safety and security with a secondary emphasis on shelter-in-place.

Some historic examples of our volunteer activities.

With these two priorities, we’ve held many educational meetings, often with 50-100 people in attendance. As we look back, we can see where and how some of our activities might be considered to have risks! For example:

• How to stabilize furniture and shelves to keep things from falling in an earthquake (Local handyman gave demo and volunteered to help secure shelves, TVs, etc. in neighbors’ homes.)
• How to build up emergency supplies (Local hardware store brought examples of lights, fire extinguishers, first aid kits, etc. People bought whatever equipment they decided they needed.)
• How to protect home from wind-blown sparks (FD did tour of entire area and we wrote up their findings regarding weeds, flammable decorations, etc. There was no follow-up to confirm whether people followed the recommendations of the fire department.)
• How to avoid ATM scams (Police department crime prevention specialist gave Zoom presentation.)
• How to turn off gas line to your home if there’s a leak (Our group owns a real gas meter attached to a base, so people can practice turning the valve using a wrench. Unfortunately, every time we have a practice, somebody runs home, smells “gas,” and shuts off their meter! One year the “gas smell” resulted in a visit by our emergency response team plus a visit by the fire department. No one could find the leak until we determined it was the smell of marijuana floating over from a nearby backyard . . .!)

A new risk emerged in 2020.

Last fall we faced a new situation – a near miss with a rapidly moving wildfire! Since then we’ve expanded our education to include evacuation. In coordination with the fire department, police department and city emergency operations, we came up with a series of recommendations. (You can read details about how the evacuation threw everyone for a loop here and what we did afterwards here.)

As a result of the evacuation scare, it has become clear that, at least in our senior community, an informal volunteer group cannot be responsible for an evacuation. People have to make their own decisions! And now the question regarding managing risk for volunteers:

If our neighbors don’t take precautions, or don’t make smart decisions, can they (or their relatives) somehow blame our volunteers?

That’s the question that started this whole Advisory. As I began to do the appropriate research on managing risks for volunteers, I realized there were three main issues to examine. I’ve spent the last month or so asking questions of Emergency Plan Guide subscribers, LinkedIn connections, and insurance companies.

As you continue to read, please realize we are not offering legal advice. We trust you will follow up with research on your own volunteer needs and your own country or state laws.

Part 1: How does the Good Samaritan Law work?

Generally, a “Good Samaritan” is someone who volunteers to aid an injured person in an emergency.  The term comes, of course, from a parable in the Bible. The Samaritan helped the victim of a robbery, even after others had passed the victim by.

In the United States there is no one law.  Each state is different. Moreover, state laws sometimes change. Action item: Go to your browser and type in “Good Samaritan Law [your state}”. What follows here is our best understanding as of the date of this Advisory, and some examples to show differences. 

What separates a Good Samaritan from a First Responder?

 In an emergency setting, a Good Samaritan someone who has no duty to give aid and is not trained to do so but volunteers to help. 

A member of the fire department, for example, is not volunteering to help in an emergency. CERT members who have been “activated” and are serving under the direction of CERT leadership may or may not be volunteers. The point? You have to know your own circumstances.

What kind of care can I give and be considered a Good Samaritan?

The Good Samaritan Law protects you if you provide assistance “as an ordinary prudent person would under the same or similar circumstances.”  (There is a similar “Prudent Man Rule” that operates in the world of finance.) It is assumed you won’t try something that would be considered “wanton or reckless.”

Do I have to ask the person if they want help? 

Generally, if the victim is unconscious, it is assumed that they give their consent for your help.  If they are conscious, it’s a good idea to first ask permission to help. (You see a person choking. He can’t talk. Before you start the Heimlich maneuver, it’s a good idea to ask: “Are you choking? Do you need help?” and get a positive nod!)

A recent law in California added Good Samaritan protection to people who call 911 to protect people who have overdosed. This broadened the scope of the law from providing purely “medical assistance” to “non-medical” – and saved lives because the 911 callers were often underage or engaging in dangerous or illegal activity themselves and thus were afraid to call.

What if their injuries are such that I can’t really help? 

In most states, you are not obligated to give help. You can at least call 911. It may be considered negligence if you simply do nothing. You’ll have to check with your local laws to see if you have a “duty to help.”

What if I make it worse by helping? 

If you are acting in good faith you will likely be protected. But, here are the limitations that you don’t want to ignore if you are depending on Good Samaritan protection.

Make sure you know these limitations to the Good Samaritan Law!

• First, you must provide the care at the scene of the emergency, and to protect the victim from what might be considered “imminent peril.”  An example. There’s been an automobile accident, but there is no fire or danger of a second collision. The victim is stable. Moving her at that time might be ill-considered.
• Second, your assistance won’t be considered having been given in good faith if you think it will result in payment. Even getting a reward days or weeks after the fact may exclude you from Good Samaritan protection.

What about volunteer activity that takes place when there is no emergency?

Now we get to a completely different situation!  So, let’s take a look at a Federal law passed in 1997:

Part 2: How does the Federal Volunteer Protection Act work?

Its goal was to encourage volunteerism at a time when social services were needed. Non-profits formed, but volunteers were afraid to help because they thought they might be sued. The VPA was passed to help manage risks for these volunteers.

The non-profits are expected to provide the appropriate training so that the organization’s mission or purpose will be properly served. Training usually includes clearly laid out policies and procedures. In addition, volunteers agree to follow them!

Just like the Good Samaritan Act, the VPA has limitations. Volunteers are covered if –

• They are performing within their assigned job description.
• They have whatever license or certification is required.
• Their action in question is considered “ordinary negligence” and not “willful or criminal” or reckless.
• They aren’t using a vehicle that requires a State-issued license and/or insurance.

The volunteer won’t get the benefit of the VPA if the volunteer commits a hate crime, denies someone’s civil rights, or is volunteering while drunk!

Note that the VPA protects the volunteer of a non-profit, but doesn’t protect the organization.

Part 3: What about Insurance Protection?

As you can imagine, insurance for managing risk for volunteers is detailed, confusing and can be expensive. Speak with a local expert (maybe several!) before making any decisions.

Here is a BRIEF list of different types of insurance that I have discovered. This discussion assumes your “organization” is a non-profit. If your emergency response group is affiliated with or sponsored by a city or a fire department, you are probably already covered by one or another. Find out which.

• Liability coverage carried by the organization typically covers bills for accidents or damage caused by the organization. Volunteers can be added as “additional insured” to give them protection for a claim that arises while they are performing their assigned volunteer duties.
• Professional liability insurance (also called Errors and Omissions or Malpractice insurance) protects the organization if it is charged with giving bad advice, making a mistake or failing to do something that was expected.
• Directors and Officers insurance covers Board members from allegations of fraud or mismanagement, mostly involving the organization’s money. (This could include not having enough insurance!)
• Volunteer Accident Insurance provides limited coverage for a volunteer who gets injured while on the job.

Every volunteer group runs some risk. Certainly, as you reach out to recruit more members, you may be asked about how you are managing risk for volunteers. You will want a good answer!

Today’s Call to Action

To repeat the same sentence we used at the beginning, every group is different. You can use this Advisory to start a discussion about where your volunteers’ actions could lead to problems. Make a list. Then, reach out for help from an expert who understands your community. You should probably talk to more than one expert (i.e.: insurance agent). Then you can decide what coverages your group needs – if any – and how best to pay for them.

We’re in the midst of reviewing our own situation. I’ll report on the decisions we come to!

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide Team

P.S. In the meanwhile, if you have good insurance stories or good insurance recommendations, please share them. The world of emergency preparedness is “a different animal” and we can all use pertinent information!

By now you will have heard how the FBI is using cellphone data to track down people who were at the January 6 storming of the Capitol. Early last year, you may have seen the orange-dots-on-black maps that tracked a group celebrating spring break in Fort Lauderdale as they headed home — potentially carrying COVID. What about you? Have you been in any situations lately where you think someone might have been tracking your phone?

Whether you like or don’t like the idea of being tracked by your cellphone, it is happening!

Not because you are a suspect in a crime. Not because you could be carrying a virus. No, you are being tracked because you are a valuable marketing asset! In fact, years of your location data has probably already been recorded, sold and re-sold multiple times, without you getting a single penny for it!

By now you may also be wondering, “Virginia, what does phone location data have to do with emergency preparedness?” As you’ll see, there are a couple of interesting angles to this story.

Assumptions behind this Advisory

First, we assume you have a smartphone. If you’re like most people, you count on your phone as your main communications tool for emergencies. How your phone is set up could play an important role in its usefulness.

Second, we think everyone interested in preparedness should be knowledgeable about security. We assume this includes phone security.

Before we go any further, here’s a disclaimer. Cellphone technology changes monthly, maybe weekly! Please confirm what you read here today with experts (your phone manufacturer, the app developer, your IT consultant, etc.) before you take any actions!

The vocabulary of phone tracking

And before we jump into what I’ve learned this week, I have to start with some vocabulary. (I had to look up these words myself.)

• A GPS chip in the phone is what allows it to be tracked. The chip reveals location data: where your phone was and how long it stayed there. (GPS refers to the Global Positioning System, operated and maintained by the U.S. Air Force for “Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing.”) Satellites, cell towers and Wi-Fi can all be used to pinpoint the location of your phone.
• Metadata is the basic info about a phone message. It consists of who you are (your device, not your name), who you’re talking to (device), and when you’re talking.
• Content is what you are actually saying or sending by message. Your content can be encrypted for privacy.
• Encryption is a process whereby a message is converted into code, making it impossible to read unless you have the key to the code.

Of course, we rely on all this information on ordinary days and during emergencies.

GPS capability helps us chat with friends, make business arrangements and find our way there. It lets us check on what the weather’s going to be like, and figure out where to get gas.

In an emergency our phone uses the same technology. We can check to be sure family is OK, locate the fire or traffic jam, find our way to a shelter. If we’re trapped under a fallen wall, our phone could help direct First Responders to our rescue.

Some of these functions are built into the phone. We can add many other functions using apps – map apps, news apps, social apps, earthquake alerts, gaming, chat, roadside assistance, etc. etc. You will be interested to know that the average person has 40 apps installed on their phone — of the over 2 million available! That average person only uses about 20 of them, however. (As you might imagine, younger adults use more than older adults.) You can get more interesting details of phone app usage here.

So, phones and apps represent a lot of convenience.

The real value though, and the reason people are tracking your phone, is the information that apps capture about your location.

When you use your phone and apps, you are agreeing to be tracked in real time. Companies tell you they are tracking your phone in order to “Give you a better user experience” or “Improve service.” At the same time, many of the apps, and particularly the free ones, collect far more than the essential info they need.

They combine your location data with other users’ data and sell it to organizations that build and then in turn sell detailed user profiles for marketing purposes. Hundreds of companies buy the compiled user profile data. Examples are banks, insurance companies, credit companies, airlines, and retail giants like Nike and Amazon. Oh, and political parties!

Can the government buy this data, too? Typically, law enforcement has to prove why they need the data. But there’s been recent reporting of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spending thousands of dollars on location data – without being authorized to do so. The ACLU is suing for infringement of privacy.

However the lawsuits work out, you can pretty much assume that some of your personal location information has been collected and passed along to private and perhaps even governmental agencies. And this won’t stop.

What can you do to keep the world from tracking your phone?

Here are simple things we all can do that will make it harder for our location to be traced.

• Turn off the radios (think Spotify) on your phone, whether they are cellular or wi-fi.
• Even if your phone is off, though, its location can be found because Wi-Fi and Bluetooth still receive data. The easiest way to stop this is to turn on the “Airplane Mode” feature. 
• Go to “Settings,” “Privacy” and “Location settings” on your phone, and adjust. Apple also has a setting to “limit ad tracking.” (A lot of the apps you like probably need location settings, so be careful in shutting things off entirely.)
• Shut the phone down completely and take out the battery. Of course, then you can’t use the phone at all!

If you read any crime novels like I do, at this point you will be asking, “What about using a burner phone? (For the non-crime reader, these are pre-paid cellphones used just a couple of times and then trashed.) If you want to use a burner to avoid being identified, be sure to buy with cash (away from where you usually shop), keep your calls short, and remove the SIM card before you toss the phone. These phones can still be located but even if the phone is located there’s theoretically no link to you as an individual.

What about protecting the messages you do send?

Location is metadata, and can be tracked in a number of ways and by a whole raft of commercial enterprises. What’s in your messages is “content.” Content is a lot harder for people to get to – and pretty easy for you to make more secure.

For security, insist on encrypted messages. I didn’t really realize it, but many of our most popular messaging services automatically encrypt what you send – as long as the person on the other end of the message has the same service (and thus the key to the encryption).

For several years my family and I have been using WhatsApp to send messages and photos. In 2016 WhatsApp announced end-to-end encryption. (WhatsApp had been purchased by Facebook a couple of years earlier.) In 2018, Apple’s iMessage and FaceTime also announced end-to-end encryption.

Sounds good, eh? But it’s important to remember that if these companies store or back up your messages, the messages may be available at a later time. And since  these are for-profit companies, we cannot know exactly how they intend to approach privacy in the future.

My research for this Advisory suggests that if you are concerned about having a good, free and private encryption message service, you should look into the Signal Messaging app. It’s a non-profit company that has always been dedicated to end-to-end encrypted calling and texting.

Caution: In recent months the demand for “privacy” online has led to dramatic growth for Signal, and experts are watching to see how the company will respond to this surge in new users.

So you’ve set up your phone for a better level of privacy. Now what?

What else can you do to your phone to yourself from being tracked, surveilled or hacked? Here’s a last list of suggestions. I hope most of these recommendations are familiar to you!

1. Set up a password on your phone, the longest one possible. Don’t be like the 70% of people who use the same password for multiple accounts!
2. Consider using a fingerprint or faceID instead of a passcode. Harder for a thief to get into your phone. On the other hand, easier for police to force you to open it.
3. Don’t charge your phone in public places like airports or shopping centers. You don’t know if that outlet itself has been compromised and thus might be transmitting your private data while all you think is that you’re charging the phone.
4. Use the same caution when picking public “hotspots” – like a Starbucks – for connecting to the internet.
5.  Remember that companies can be subpoenaed to give up your data. You may not even know it has happened.

Finally, keep track of your cellphone!  Over 70 million are lost or stolen each year!

Go onto YouTube and you can see video after video of people’s phones being stolen right out of their hands as they are standing talking on the street. Most of these “grab and run” thieves zip by on a bike or scooter and before you realize it, your phone hand is empty! We wrote about “scooter” thefts last year, when there was a rash of them in San Francisco.

And if you’re still remembering the image at the top of this page, it is meant to represent another situation where phones get stolen. You are going up the escalator, the thief is going down, and BINGO, your phone has disappeared.

I found a couple of inexpensive items that might be useful for forgetful or careless types.

First is a lanyard to keep you from walking away from your phone. This one comes in different colors, even in two-packs so you can change colors to fit your outfit (or share with another family member).

Or maybe you’d prefer a wrist strap to you can keep the phone handy even when your hands are otherwise full. And a wrist strap would keep that escalator thief from grabbing and getting away!

If you’re worried about your phone slipping out of your pocket, or being slipped out by a pick-pocket, consider this. It uses a magnet to “pin” your phone securely in place inside your pocket or purse.

One last note about cellphone security.

Your security depends on the person you are sending to having good security, too. I love this oh-so-timely quote: “Think of it as herd immunity. The more people practice good security, the safer everyone else is.”

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

P.S. What other suggestions do you have? Let us know. Dealing with our phones is not going to get any easier.

Times are unsettling.

Whenever we experience a big disaster, whether it’s a man-made massacre, a devastating hurricane, or a raging epidemic — we all jump immediately into survival mode. Chances are greater that we might be attacked or simply caught up in an event that suddenly turns dangerous. We need to be ready to defend ourselves in these circumstances.And for people who are prepared, survival includes self-defense.

Keeping out of trouble is the very best form of self-defense.

For most of us this means simply staying at home, avoiding planned demonstrations, not being drawn to accident scenes. Staying at home, even after a wide spread disaster, is easy enough if you’ve taken basic steps to store food, water, medicines, etc.

If you must go out to replenish supplies, keep a low profile. And have a plan to get away from trouble if you feel you are heading into it! Know where you are going, and have an alternate route in case you need it. Avoid wearing flashy clothes and carrying purses or packs that could catch the eye. Go with the crowd, but stay on the fringes so you can get away quickly if necessary.

UPDATE 2021: We’ve expanded the whole topic of self-defense this last year by devoting one of our Mini-Series books to the topic. Read this Advisory, then come back to this block to find out more about the Mini-Series and Personal Safety.

But if you must protect yourself . . .

1 – What about stocking up on guns and ammunition?

I must admit to seeing a big increase lately in emails coming across my desk that advertise weapons, including all sorts of guns. Some messages promise information about how to get guns legally and illegally. Others promote accessories that will make guns easier to draw, quieter to shoot and harder to notice when you are carrying them on your body.

Now if you have been reading our Advisories for a while, you know that Joe and I both have histories with firearms. Joe was in the military. I hunted with my Dad starting at about age 12. So we are comfortable with guns.

But our Emergency Plan Guide mission is to create more resilient citizen responders and resilient communities. That includes senior citizens, young people, employee groups, etc. We try to stick with plans that are suitable for most everyone. In our estimation, a gun-owner needs a special mind-set and special training in order to be a valuable member of the community.

So, in this Advisory we are looking at other options for personal safety and self-defense.

2 – Martial arts skills are a potent defense for some.

If you are a trained martial arts master there is no doubt you might have a much better chance of surviving a violent attack by someone even with a weapon. In fact, nearly everyone can become more skilled, without having to become a master. (I’ve seen classes advertised for kids, for young women – “Don’t get raped” — and for senior citizens.)

I think even I could handle several of the self-defense moves illustrated in this article: http://www.cracked.com/photoplasty_1376_16-self-defense-moves-to-impress-your-friends-muggers/

But – and here’s the big caution. I am NOT in the best shape of my life, nor have I trained or practiced these moves. So I’m NOT confident that I would remember exactly which move to apply when. What about you?

In other words, unless you are willing to sign up for a professional class and become proficient if not professional, a casual approach to martial arts is probably as useless and dangerous as a casual approach to guns.

3 – When you have to fight, your ultimate goal is still to get away.

There may be a time when your “antennae” just didn’t work and you can’t avoid a person who is threatening you. (Like the guy in the image above.)

Or, and I hate to say this, YOU may have provoked a situation by threatening, annoying or insulting someone (Road rage? Street protest?) to the point they attack you. At that moment, you need to be able to let go of your own emotions and recognize the danger you’ve put yourself in!

Either way, if you decide that you must fight for your life, then commit to it. Any half-hearted attempt will be inadequate and could put you in even more danger.

Some self-protection suggestions that make sense for me.

• First, yell sharply and loudly right in the face of the attacker!
  “BACK OFF!” makes it clear you are not going to be a willing victim. Your aggressive resistance may even be enough to make the attacker look for an easier victim. Note you are yelling at the attacker, not yelling for “Help!” from some unknown source.
• Then, use what you have or can find as an improvised weapon.
  If you have keys in your hand, use a key to scratch or cut. Hurl a cup of hot coffee. Toss dirt or sand. Spray an attacker with perfume or hairspray.
  Use what you can to distract the attacker so you can get away.
• Consider “weaponized” personal items for self-defense.
  Any device is useless unless you understand how to use it, and you have it in your hand ready to use. This takes us right back to “mental attitude.” Here are some ordinary items that become weapons if you use them that way. Click the blue links under the images to go to Amazon to get current prices and full details. (We are Amazon Associates. If you buy using our link we may get a small commission. Your price is the same.)

Examples of weaponized personal items

I try to carry a flashlight all the time, for light and as a weapon.  

Lately, we have the choice of “tactical” flashlights that serve both purposes. My favorite “tactical” flashlights have a ridged grip that won’t slip and a sharp front edge that would cut seriously when used as a slashing weapon. A wrist strap means you won’t drop it so easily. (The image shows just one flashlight. You can order a pack of two from this company, too. Just click the box on the sales page.)

I also like to carry a “tactical pen.”

Here’s a picture of one of my pens attached to my small, cross-body purse. (Not when I climb on an airplane, though.)

This purse looks pretty ordinary. And the pen is almost invisible. But it’s easy to grab, solid, has a pointed end and a thumb rest on the other end for a secure grip. It could break a window, too. There are other pens that are more pen than weapon, and pens with other tools built in. (see example below).

And two dedicated self-defense items you should know about

Carrying guns or knives requires a level of training outside the scope of this Emergency Plan Guide Advisory. But there are other options to consider. The items below are NOT expensive — and they work. Check them out.

Please be aware that laws regarding stun guns and pepper spray vary. Before you buy either or both, check with your own state. Here’s a link to get you started on that legal research.

Stun gun.

You hold a stun gun in your hand.  When you press it against the body of an attacker, its “electrical punch” can completely disable and disorient him for seconds or minutes, giving you the chance to get away. Before you purchase, be sure a stun gun is legal in your state or county. (For a lot more on stun guns – and tasers, which we do NOT recommend — see our earlier Advisory.)

I like the model shown below because it has a safety disable pin. If you lose control of the gun, the pin pulls out and it won’t shoot. It comes with a wrist strap, too – and in pink and black.

Pepper spray

As I just said, for your stun gun to work, you have to press it against your attacker’s body. That means the attacker is VERY CLOSE to you!

That’s why I prefer to carry a canister of pepper spray. It can shoot a spray at least 8-10 feet. Anyone over 18 can buy and carry pepper spray. These days you can also get pepper spray as a gel or as a foam. They have the same basic capsaicin ingredient and serve the same purpose. The gel isn’t as likely to blow back onto you in a confined space, but you may have to do a better job of aiming. Most important feature of the gel: it goes at least 6 feet farther.

Finally, if you purchase any pepper product, check your canister carefully. Note its expiration date.

Here’s a pepper spray one I recommend. It has a pocket clip and actually shoots 10 ft. (We tested it.) with up to 35 bursts. (This brand also comes in pink, with a key-chain attachment. Pick the one that works best for you!)

Be sure to read all the instructions and safety precautions!

SABRE ADVANCED Compact Pepper Spray with Clip – 3-in-1 Formula (Pepper Spray, CS Tear Gas & UV Marking Dye), Police Strength Self Defense Spray, 10-foot (3 m) Range, 35 Bursts – Easy Access Belt Clip

There are now pepper sprays in GEL format and in FOAM format! They have the same basic capsaicin ingredient and serve the same purpose of self-defense. But neither is as likely as spray to blow back onto you in a confined space! Moreover, pepper gel goes a good 6 feet farther than either spray or foam, so you can use it from a safer distance. The gel doesn’t spread out as much though, so you may have to be better at aiming.

Click on the link below to get to a sample of gel made by SABRE. I own the SABRE spray and find it fits my hand well, and it looks as though the gel is packaged pretty much the same way

Finally, if you purchase any pepper product, check your canister carefully and note its expiration date.

Should you make a change in what you normally carry on your person? (Don’t store pepper spray in the car where temperatures could get so high it might explode!) Should some of your family members have one or more of these self-defense items?

Remember if you are faced with any of these emergencies – while you are shopping, jogging or simply resting on a park bench — you will only be able to protect yourself if you act without hesitation . . .

• Assess the situation.
• Decide what to do.
• Do it!

Here’s to your safety,

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide Team

P.S. If you’ve read all the way through to here, then you will want to know whether bear spray is legal. The answer? It depends — on the state and even on the country! Generally, bear spray is meant for defense against — you guessed it — a bear attack. Carrying it may be legal. Using it against a person is illegal.

Our best-selling book last year was Emergency Preparedness Meeting Ideas – that is, up until COVID hit and in-person meetings were cancelled! Happily, our Q&A Mini-Series was finished just in time to take up the slack. The mini-series booklets can provide the perfect launch for a series of virtual meetings on the topic of emergency preparedness. Whatever your topic, though, you want to make virtual meetings more fun — and as effective as possible!

We’ve scheduled different types of virtual meetings since our in-person meetings were cancelled.

Telephone Conference Calls

Earlier this week, for example, we held a simple telephone conference call to discuss an upcoming COVID vaccine clinic being held in our neighborhood. We chose a simple telephone call-in format so neighbors without internet access would be able to participate. About 40 people joined the call. (Hint: Even a simple conference call needs managing! Be sure that you know how to mute and unmute attendees, and explain what you are doing when you do it! First-timers on a conference call may never have heard the word “unmute.”)

Virtual Video Conference Platforms

Joe and I have also participated in many webinars, several Zoom meetings and a Microsoft Teams meeting. Meetings were as long as 2 hours; participation ranged from 15 to as many as 60+ people. Some sessions could have been more effective and a whole lot more fun. Here is some of what we experienced . . .

• Some people’s faces are in total shadow so you can’t see if they are awake or asleep.
• Probably half the attendees pay close attention; others bob around, eating and drinking.
• A few people simply disappear for a while and leave you seeing just their name, or worse, their empty chair!

We want to improve on results for the meetings we are hosting!

A while back we compiled some best practices for preparing for and managing virtual conference calls. They still hold. Today we want to step up to another level of effectiveness – an increase in engagement, education, and just plain fun.

Whether you are the host or a participant, you can help get your message across by including some of the following suggestions. We’ve included emergency preparedness examples to help in your planning.

As you will see, these suggestions assume a relatively small group – maybe 12-15 people. A group this size keeps everyone visible in gallery view. Plus, you can see people’s expressions, their hand motions and, if they want to hold something up to show, everyone can see it. This size group is also exactly what we had in mind for the Prepare & Share concept, where the goal of the meeting is to help build relationships, not just deliver information!

Show and tell, don’t just talk!

• Demonstrate a piece of equipment or a tool. If the topic of conversation is emergency lighting, for example, you can hold up your foldable lantern, flip up the handles and pull to turn it on, show how the switch activates different white/red/strobe lighting options.
• Show variations on a theme. Have several members of the audience bring their favorite pocket knife or maybe their favorite first aid kit — and be ready to explain which feature/s they particularly appreciate.
• Illustrate using a miniature or a picture – either of which can be held up to the screen so everyone can visualize the item. For example, what about a model mobile home or tent, a chain saw or a firefighting helicopter with its snorkel? Too big to hold up to the camera!

Give weight to your words.

• Make words or ideas tangible. Are you quoting a good book? Hold up the book where the words can be found. Point to the picture of the author!
• Illustrate a concept. Show how the wrong sized wrench can’t accomplish the job! Or remember the little kid’s toy, with holes for the various shaped blocks? Use either to illustrate the importance of the right fit.

Ask for feedback along the way.

• Ask for a quick vote: thumbs up, or thumbs down? Interrogate a couple of your participants as to why they voted that way.
• Take a survey. Go around the “room” and check to get everyone’s opinion regarding an option, their biggest concern, etc.  Use this information to schedule the next meeting topic, invite a guest speaker, etc.

Make virtual meetings more fun!

• Pick a theme and decorate! Have participants create their own (homemade) video background based on the theme of the discussion. Let everyone vote on the winner.
• Dress up for fun! Have everyone wear a hat illustrating the theme or the topic of the day. (Fire helmet. Police cap. Ear muffs for bad weather. Headlamp. Hard hat.)
• Bring something to illustrate the topic! For example, people could bring and share “the one thing they would HAVE to have in their Go-Bag!” You’ll be surprised . . .!
• Celebrate a holiday or a birthday – or an “un-birthday.” Share a photo of a past birthday, or a wedding. Or a holiday. There’s a holiday of some sort every day! Today, for example, it’s National Chili Day! See https://www.calendarr.com/united-states/observances-2021/
• Grab a screen capture of your group so you’ll have something to share on a completion certificate, or in a church newsletter, etc.

Be confident in your personal “look.”

• Wear real clothes, not your PJs. You may have to get up and “reveal” yourself. No use being embarrassed.
• Set up lighting so your face is clearly visible. Your remarks will be more effective. And people want to see that you are paying attention! (See lighting hints here.)
• Avoid annoying and disconcerting glare from eye-glasses by further adjusting lighting. (Here’s an excellent and energetic YouTube video to give you help with avoiding eyeglass glare!)
• Know how to mute and unmute yourself. Practice.
• Stay “in the frame.” Make sure you, your hands and your props stay “in the frame” that everyone else sees. Rule of thumb: your head should take up 1/3 of the screen. You may have to practice holding your props at the proper distance from the camera, pointing to a specific feature using a pencil, etc. (You can go to Zoom before your meeting and test your audio and video.)

Whether you’re hosting a meeting of neighbors, family or business colleagues, I hope you’ll find some suggestions here that will work to make virtual meetings more engaging. If I were responsible for facilitating a meeting, I’d try to fit in an “activity” like one of those above every 6-10 minutes.

And don’t be shy. You can use items from this list to make virtual meetings more fun and more effective even when you’re not the person in charge!

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

Send a copy of this Advisory to every one of your team (along with the list of Best Practices) so they each will have some good ideas with which to start their next virtual meeting!

Now, I’m always on the lookout for ideas and activities that help spread the word about emergency preparedness. Since you’re here, I assume that fits you, too. If you’re in business,

Here’s a way to use emergency preparedness to make your business stand out from the crowd!

It’s a simple idea. Just copy what one of my friends does so well!

Jacque is a longtime and very successful real estate sales professional. She’s also a CERT graduate. Now, while I don’t buy a house every year (!), Jacque and I do enjoy meeting up at various trainings, city meetings, etc.

Like many business owners, every year she delivers a holiday gift to clients and friends.

Of course, corporate gifts are common, particularly among professional service providers. I’m sure you’ve received boxes of candy, coffee cups with a company logo, maybe even a fancy bottle of wine in a tote bag. (Most of these gifts are worth less than $25, the magic number as far as IRS deductibility is concerned.)

These promotional items work to retain connections and create goodwill, and that’s why businesses continue to include them in their marketing plans.

What Jacque does that is different, though, is to deliver gifts with an emergency preparedness theme!

A couple of years ago, when our part of the world experienced multiple deliberate power shut-offs because of fire danger, Jacque’s gift was a bright red battery-operated lantern! (Collapsible style)

Last year, after we’d been threatened by evacuation, she handed out emergency radios pre-tuned to the city’s AM emergency channel.

And this year, she announced to me that for 2021 she wants to hand out “two or three of your mini-books” to help people get settled in their new home and feel more confident about what to expect in their new location.

We got together via Zoom and picked three (Shelter in Place, Custom Go-Bags and Power Outage) with two alternates. She placed her order and the books have already arrived! (I am eager to see how she packages them. Her gifts are always so stylish and tasteful!)

Emergency Preparedness gifts are a win-win promotion.

Of course, as author, I am proud to see my books being shared. And I earn a few pennies for every one sold.

But as a “Preparedness Activist,” I’m even more pleased. Getting people to take action has become our mission here at Emergency Plan Guide. Jacque’s clients and friends are a part of our community. The more prepared they are, the better off we will be, too!

Emergency Preparedness is a marketing message unique in our community. It can be a unique marketing message for your brand, too.

How can YOU take advantage of it to make your business stand out?

Joe and I stand by to join in a discussion of how you might offer tools or planning, discuss, gift or distribute emergency preparedness items to prospects, customers, and employees. There are many, many ways to turn your own expertise and this special interest into value for your business.

If you’d like to talk it over, send an email to get the conversation started!

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

P.S. Some links to items (similar to those) mentioned in the Advisory:

• A set of colored lanterns – blue, green, purple and black, collapsible
• Small black emergency radio (AM, FM), battery-operated
• All our mini-books

Covid-Fatigue is a Big Problem

Yesterday I had a video-visit with my doctor. It was a regularly-scheduled check-up, and as soon as it was clear there were no medical issues to discuss, the conversation went to my state of mind. (On the list of interview questions these days, I am assuming.)

Then I turned the question around and asked about HER state of mind. As a kidney specialist on the front line, she laid it out clearly and starkly. “Virginia, I haven’t had one of my patients walk out alive.”

Punch in the gut. Then the call was over. And I can’t forget what she said.

Later the same day I was struck by the title of this recent article about Covid-fatigue, coming from The Atlantic: The Pandemic Has Erased Entire Categories of Friendship

The author writes about all the people and simple social interactions she has missed, “without fully realizing it.” Her list includes watching sporting events in a crowd of fans, saying hello to the local barista, even discussing the weather in the break room at work.  Ordinary conversations with people not so close but people who “were all, in some capacity, my friends, and there was no substitute for them during the pandemic.”

My own list of missing people doesn’t include sports bar fans (!), but I miss greeting the stylists at the salon. I miss discussing books when I visit our neighborhood library. (Only one person at a time allowed in the room.) My world has become strangely silent since all those people that used to make up my day are staying safely invisible at home. Has your circle of friends gotten smaller, too?

Some Ideas for Covid-fatigue Relief

So let me report on a couple of ideas that may work to help. Of course, they are related to emergency preparedness. Happily, preparedness isn’t controversial. Pretty much everyone can relate to the topic. So you may find more response to either of these than you might have expected!

Idea #1: How about a one-time Zoom call featuring a police officer on the topic of personal safety?

We’ve had more neighborhood reports of cars being broken into and stolen, wallets disappearing from shopping carts, packages scooped up by strangers right out from under the Ring porch cameras. Facts are hard to come by – mostly we get stories via fearful or angry online messages.

People in our neighborhood are calling me, too, because I’m head of our local emergency response team. They want to report on “strange people” they have seen in the street, or worries about elderly neighbors being abused . . . things that I can do little about. But I listen and offer what little advice I can.

These negative stories, mixed in with misinformation about the availability of Covid vaccine, started taking over our daily communications. We needed facts and realistic recommendations, not more rumors.

So I took the initiative and scheduled a zoom call with the police. I invited everybody on my neighborhood email list to join in. For some, this was their first ever Zoom call. For most, it was useful info. And for all, it was a chance to see smiling neighbors’ faces WITHOUT MASKS, and to hear voices!  Yes, a social interaction! 

I recommend you call your police department immediately and set up something similar! (I’ll be happy to share the invitation I used, with the questions I wanted to be sure to get answers to.)  In a future Advisory I’ll be sharing all the tips we got.

Idea #2. How about a multi-session group activity designed to make new friendships while helping everyone in the group get better prepared?

You know we’ve been publishing a series of booklets on preparedness topics. It’s called the Emergency Preparedness Q&A Mini-Series. One topic to each mini-booklet; 14 topics in all.  

What you may not know is that as the series developed, it became clear that each of these little booklets could be used as the basis for a group discussion – on Zoom or in person.

The whole series can be a tool for building community – and fighting Covid-fatigue!

When I say “community” I’m referring to groups. Which kinds of group do you have in your life?  

• Church group
• Scout troop
• Service organization
• Neighborhood group
• Etc., etc.

The secret that makes this idea work for any group? “Shared Leadership.”  That is, your group doesn’t need an “expert” to lead the group. With the help of the mini-series booklets, members of the group make it all work by themselves!

The last booklet in the series, Prepare & Share, goes into great detail about how to use this tool to help your group reconnect with current members, or attract new ones.

If you and family or neighbors are struggling with COVID-fatigue, either or both of these suggestions may put some welcome “social activity” back into your lives. If I can be of any help setting them up, please let me know.

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

P.S. Visit this separate webpage for full details on the Prepare & Share concept!

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!)

The news is so frightening these days!

Threatened bombings, actual shootings and beatings, rape. Awful. Disheartening. And, unfortunately, reality. Here at Emergency Plan Guide we try to be as upbeat and level-headed as possible. At the same time, it seems sensible to be aware of personal safety options.

One option, legal in most states, is a stun gun.

You hold the stun gun in your hand. Press it against the body of an attacker, and its “electrical punch” can completely disable and disorient him for seconds or minutes, giving you the chance to get away. In fact, the zapping sound and electric blue flash of a stun gun being set off may discourage the attacker from approaching in the first place.

Here are a couple of examples, available at Amazon where we are Associates. They come in pink and black, and in different “strengths.” (The more the jolt, the more expensive the gun.) Personally, I prefer the pink because it’s a lot easier to find in a purse or the glove compartment. You can click on the images or on the link below to do some “shopping.” Read the “shopping questions” below, though, first!

Is this really something to consider carrying for personal safety?

I asked these questions as I was researching for this post on personal safety.

1. Is a stun gun legal?

Stun guns are treated differently in different cities, different counties and different states! Sometimes you have to go through a registration process to own one.

To give you an idea, one stun gun advertised on Amazon carries this disclosure: “We do not ship to the following locations: Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, Connecticut, New Jersey, Illinois, New York, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, District of Columbia, Annapolis, MD, Baltimore, MD, Chicago, IL, Philadelphia, PA, Baltimore County, MD, Crawford County, IA.”

If you intend to purchase one, I recommend you check carefully to find out the LATEST rules governing buying and carrying stun guns in your town. If you plan to travel with your stun gun, then check again, because different rules apply there, too. (Mostly, it appears as though a deactivated stun gun can be carried in checked luggage. But don’t take my word for it!)

A good place to start your legal research: http://www.stungunbuyersguide.com/stun-gun-laws/

2. Is a stun gun the same as a taser?

Legislation sometimes lumps stun guns together with tasers, and sometimes treats them separately. For our purposes, there is a distinct difference.

• A taser is a “long-distance” (15-20 ft.) weapon. It shoots out wires that carry the electrical current, and once it’s shot, you can’t quickly reload. Tasers start at around $400 and the “professional” models used by police cost more than $1,000. These tasers are of colored plastic in the shape of a pistol, with a hand grip and trigger, and are worn in a holster.
• The stun gun, on the other hand, is a close-up self-defense tool. It has to be pressed against the body to create the circuit. You can use it repeatedly as long as its battery is still charged. Stun guns start at just over $10 and there are many available in the $20-40 range. They could be carried in a purse or pocket.

You can see more about tasers and stun guns for personal safety here.

3. How do you charge the stun gun?

Obviously, your stun gun needs to be charged to have any impact. The typical gun comes with rechargeable batteries and a cord that you plug into the wall. You’ll get instructions to charge it fully (10-12 hrs?) when you receive it and then to “top it off” on a monthly basis.

A solar-powered charger suitable for charging your computer or phone would likely work to charge your stun gun, too. Check.

4. Other features to consider?

Stun guns have been incorporated into other personal items. We mentioned the flashlight/stun gun style above. Stun guns have also been incorporated into iphone lookalikes, into actual iphone cases, and into batons and other professional law enforcement tools.

There are many sizes and styles.

Pick the one that suits your own needs and lifestyle.

If I felt threatened, or were heading into an unsavory or dangerous place, I’d have my stun gun in my hand and ready to use. I personally like the “safety disable pin” that comes with the example above. This gun also comes with a wrist strap attached to the pin. (Scroll over all the images to see the wrist strap.) If the stun gun is taken away from you in a struggle, the pin will be pulled out. This stops the stun gun from working so it can’t be turned against you.

In my opinion, the stun gun is closer to being a weapon than other personal safety items we’ve talked about. I’d investigate carefully before deciding to carry one or to give one to a family member.

It might, however, be something that would give you new peace of mind.

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide Team

P.S. Do you already have a stun gun? Have you ever used it? What more information can you share with Emergency Plan Guide readers to help us make our decisions?

This is one of my favorite topics. Or rather, it is one of the topics that I spend time researching. I am worried about busy business owners being held personally liable for not taking steps they should have taken to protect the business.

As we reach the end of 2020, the pandemic is absolutely raging. Cyberattacks threaten our government and a number of major U.S. corporations. The threat of lawsuit is more critical than it’s been in all the dozen years I’ve been maintaining this blog!

And as a business owner, your threat of being sued continues to intensify.

You could be sued by employees or customers who claim they got sick in your establishment. You could be sued by customers or shareholders who claim you didn’t protect confidential data. You’ve heard this saying: “You can be sued by anybody for just about anything.” Well, it seems true.

We are not lawyers. We aren’t saying you will get sued. We can’t keep you from being sued and we can’t help you if you do. Our goal is to raise some of the important preparedness issues that may serve to protect you. For sure, these are issues you need to be aware of.

It all starts with “The Prudent Man rule.”

The concept of “the prudent man” (or more likely today, “the prudent person”) is well established in the world of finance. It says that if an incident occurs, a money manager will be examined to see if he or she made the decisions that “a prudent man in the same position with the same training would make.” Often, those prudent decisions are closely tied to what might be considered “best practices.” If best practices have NOT been followed, then that manager might be held personally liable for negligence.

Today, the prudent man rule is being expanded.

This means your problems may be expanding, too. Three examples with important questions . . .

1. With cybercrime increasing exponentially, what are considered “best practices” for information, cyber and network security continue to evolve. Are you keeping up with other “prudent people” in your industry as regards information security for your business?
2. With health policies changing rapidly (even erratically) as a result of the coronavirus, is your business keeping up with regulations from OSHA, your state, county or city? Are you taking and documenting the steps that a prudent person in your similar business situation would take?
3. Given this year’s economic upheavals, not just from the pandemic but from storms, wild fires and other disasters, have you updated your business continuity plan to include coping with all likely disasters? (Was “pandemic” even included in your previous plan? Have you included it in your updated plan?)

If your answer to any of the questions above is “No,” you could be personally liable if your business gets caught up in a lawsuit!

Unfortunately, keeping up with industry “best practices” isn’t easy. Here at Emergency Plan Guide we regularly attempt to bring readers’ attention to business-related issues, including those associated with cybercrime and even public health policies. Since we’re not specialists in either of these areas, this sort of information is tough to stay on top of. We do what we can.

However, we do feel confident reminding all our readers about building and updating their business contingency plans.

It’s an ongoing effort. Just like individual families, some businesses have an “exit plan” aimed at getting employees out of the building in an emergency. (OSHA requires such a plan if you have more than 50 employees.) But at least half of small businesses have no workable plan for getting back to work following an interruption. Even fewer — only about 30% — have even consulted with an insurance agency about business interruption insurance.

An emergency exit plan may save lives, but, the lack of Business Continuity and/or Disaster Recovery Plan means that there may not be a company to come back to. In that case, everybody loses . . . employees and their families, owners, investors, creditors and customers.

No-cost or low-cost help is readily available.

If you are concerned about being personally liable because your business doesn’t have a reasonable business continuity plan, you can start putting the pieces in place using some or several of these resources.

• Many cities, in conjunction with FEMA and other local organizations, offer the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training to residents, businesses and employees of businesses to help save lives and property in a disaster. Most classes are free and some actually issue equipment to aid in light search & rescue, triage, etc. (Lots more about CERT here.)
• The American Red Cross offers classes and online information. Look at www.redcross.org.
• The Small Business Administration provides an online guide for drafting a business continuity plan.
  https://www.sba.gov/content/disaster-recovery-plan
• The Insurance Institute for Home and Business Safety® offers a guide to help small businesses stay open, called OFB-EZ. (“Open For Business – Easy”)
• Many insurance companies offer documents and assistance in evaluating risk and risk mitigation efforts before helping you purchase any business interruption insurance. Start with a conversation with your own property insurance carrier.

Taking advantage of these services should be the logical first step for the “prudent” business owner. When you’ve done some research, or it you want to get right to creating your plan, consider our book:

Emergency Preparedness for Small Business

We wrote this book for the busy, DIY business owner who isn’t ready to hand over planning to an outside consultant. The book trusts in-house expertise to build your plan and give employees “ownership.” Joe’s military experience led him to come up with the “file folder” approach that is so easy to delegate!

If you’ve been with us a while, you’ll recognize our straight-forward, step-by-step approach in Emergency Preparedness for Small Business. Plus there’s a companion WORKBOOK that will make it even easier for you to get started on your small business continuity plan. Click the links to go directly to Amazon for full details.

The resources listed here may not cover everything the business needs, but with them you will have made a solid start. Use your own industry experts to fill in any blanks about current “best practices.”

Going back to the Prudent Man rule, it says that a person making decisions for others can’t simply rely on what he or she knows. The Prudent Man will be held accountable for what he SHOULD know.

Don’t get caught on this one!

Joe Krueger and Virginia Nicols
Your Emergency Plan Guide Team

OK, so you have been working for a while on being prepared for disasters. You’ve made it this far, and think you’re in pretty good shape, ready for whatever rain may fall! 

Maybe you even qualify as an expert?!

Last year Joe and I took an emergency preparedness quiz at a meeting sponsored by the Great American Shake-out. Sure enough, although we’ve been “Activists” for years, we were missing several key items!

That inspired me to put this quiz together for all the Emergency Plan Guide readers. (I’ve updated it for 2020, too.) The questions were gathered from a variety of sources. See how well you do! Score yourself at the end!

Emergency Preparedness Quiz

1-Is your house ready to take a hit from a disaster? Check if YES.

• No heavy/dangerous items over the bed, couch or desk (or wherever you spend a lot of time).
• Bookcases, TV, speakers, computers, printers, mirrors — bolted to table or to wall. Need a stud finder to finish this job?
• Water heater and other appliances secured.
• Outside of home squared away to protect against sudden fire (trash cleared away) or wind.
• Home adequately insured for standard risks also local risks (flood, earthquake, etc.).

2-Does your family know how to respond to a natural or weather-related disaster? Check if YES.

• Everybody knows and has practiced: Drop-Cover-Hold On (earthquake), Drop-Roll (fire). Grandma, too.
• Family members know and have practiced 2 ways to get out of house: doors, windows, second floor. Can you get down the escape ladder?
• Everyone knows where fire extinguishers are, and how to use them. How many fire extinguishers do you need, anyway? And are they all workable?
• Adults know where water and gas shut-offs are, and when to shut them off. Tools attached near shut-off valves.
• You have a back-up plan for pets if you’re not home. Decal on front door or window alerts emergency workers that you have a pet.
• Everyone in the family has memorized out-of-town contact phone number.
• Everyone who has a phone has a battery back-up (Power bank), knows how and to whom to text.

3-Are survival kits (72-hour kits) packed and ready to go?

• Do all evacuation and survival kits have masks so you can operate within COVID guidelines?
• A survival kit in the house for every family member, customized to size, skill, medical needs, etc.?
• A kit for every pet?
• A kit in each car?
• A kit at work for every worker?

4-What about handling the immediate aftermath of a disaster?

• Every room has emergency lighting – lantern and/or flashlight.
• All first aid kits are fully stocked with up-to-date items.
• We have at least one emergency radio (solar, hand crank, battery) tuned to local emergency station, with extra batteries.
• Everyone has sturdy shoes for safely getting around, clothing/gloves to protect against cold or broken items. Pets have protective booties/jackets, too.
• Supply of warm clothing, blankets.
• Everyone knows ways to report in that they’re OK.

5-Are you prepared at work for the immediate aftermath of a disaster?

• Every room has emergency lighting – lantern and/or flashlight.
• First aid kits are fully stocked with up-to-date items.
• Emergency radio tuned to local emergency station, with extra batteries.
• Everyone has sturdy shoes for safely managing stairs, getting out. (Particularly important for female employees whose footwear may be stylish but impractical. Stash an extra pair of tennis shoes in the bottom drawer of the desk.)
• Partners check on each other’s situation. People with disabilities have designated partners who know how to help them evacuate.
• People responsible for shut-down or evacuation procedures step into action.
• Everyone knows how to report in assuming phones are out.

6-How about an extended recovery at home after a disaster?

• Supply of food that doesn’t need cooking. Can-opener. Utensils.
• If camp stove, supply of food that uses hot water or heating. Fuel for stove. Fire igniter. Pot. (Have you practiced setting up and starting the stove? A challenge under the best of conditions!)
• Condiments: salt, pepper, ketchup, mustard, chilies, soy sauce, sugar, honey, other.
• Water supply. Clean water supplies, a way to filter and/or disinfect other water.
• Pet’s food, water and hygiene supplies.
• Personal hygiene supplies: temporary toilet, toilet paper, wipes, paper towels, Clorox. Trash bags.
• Personal supplies: lotion, bug repellent, sun screen, soap, sanitary supplies, condoms, deodorant, toothpaste, etc.
• Medicines and prescriptions for at least 2 weeks.
• Clothing for cold, rain; ponchos, umbrellas.
• Tools appropriate for making repairs: saw, hammer, nails, tape, plastic sheets, tarp, crow bar, ax, shovel, emergency lighting.
• If someone can handle them and manage fuel: generator, chain saw.
• Emergency two-way communications: walkie-talkies, ham radios.
• Entertainment: books, games, cards, paper and pens.

(When it comes to extended recovery at work, that’s another quiz. It will be based on the type of work place, key functions of the business, number of employees, etc. Emergency Preparedness for Small Business can give you nearly all the guidance you’ll need to answer THAT quiz!)

7-And here’s a bonus emergency preparedness quiz item:

• I’ve completed CERT training. (I know, CERT training is being postponed until we can get back to meeting face to face. But at least, you can put it on your to-do list!)

And your score on this Emergency Preparedness Quiz?

There are 41 questions in this quiz, plus the bonus. They don’t have equal importance, so there’s no real way to rate yourself based on the number of boxes you checked off.  Still, just in reading the quiz you should have a FEEL for whether you are:

• Rookie – 10-15 check marks: A good start but still have a ways to go
• Solid – 15-30 check marks: Comfortable with your progress; won’t feel (too) guilty if something happens
• Expert – Anything above 30, plus the bonus! Heck, you should be teaching this stuff!

If you’re not actively “teaching this stuff,” you can use this emergency preparedness quiz to help yourself and other people you care about get started on their own preparations.

How to get started?

Start slowly — but get started!

Did some of these items jump out at you as being really important?

Start with just one or two. Work on a new one every week.

If you are part of a neighborhood group, maybe pick a couple of items to work on every month. (Our new Mini-Series was designed PERFECTLY for groups! Schedule one topic per week or per month, get people together — in person or via zoom — to discuss and share.)

Every small preparedness action you take will add to your family’s and your community’s resilience. Since your neighbors are most likely to be the people who end up rescuing you in a disaster, this step-by-step method has a double pay-off!

Let us know how it goes, and what YOU would add to the quiz to make it even more useful. We are all in this together!

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team

Over the past several weeks my neighbors and I have been caught up in the aftermath of our “almost evacuation.” (The next zone to evacuate was across the street, and we were just waiting for the police call.)

While I was fighting gusty winds and dust to get my own stuff packed up, I was particularly conscious of all my neighbors who have pets. In our senior community, pets are small. But many dogs are astonishingly aggressive. Few dogs and certainly no cats have any obvious obedience training. Many don’t seem to like a leash.

How would these pets and their owners fare in an evacuation?

Well, the threat never materialized for us. We were lucky. But as our neighborhood emergency response group continues to examine what should have gone better, pets take their place among the concerns at the top of the list. So today, let’s take a closer look at how to evacuate with your pet!

As it turns out, over this very same period I was putting finishing touches on the last book in our Mini-Series – entitled Protect Your Pet. Our booklet goes through fully a dozen situations that help define what it takes to be a responsible and loving pet owner. Throughout, it focuses on what really happens to pets in emergencies.

If you aren’t confident you’ve thought it all through, grab a copy of the book! You’ll feel a whole lot better once you’ve answered the dozen or so questions that it contains! They cover how to evacuate with your pet, but also how to cope with everyday emergencies, pet first aid, lost pets, etc. Every pet owner needs this information.

As far as this Advisory goes, though, I’d like to focus on just two things.

1- Does your pet have what it needs to evacuate with you or with someone else’s help?

A pet go-bag.

Just as you need a custom go-bag for yourself, each of your pets needs one too. It contains basic food supplies, water, a dish, medicines and identification. Yes, the pet go-bag can contain a lot more, but these are the absolute essentials. (We have a whole chapter on pet survival kits in the Mini-book.) The go-bag accompanies your pet and . . .

Your pet’s travel carrier.

One of my neighbors contemplating being bussed to a shelter said, “Oh, I’ll just take my cat with me, on her leash.”

Here’s the problem with that. Vehicles sent to pick up senior evacuees can’t manage loose animals! Can you imagine being on a crowded bus with a dozen or so pets pulling, twisting, climbing, barking, etc.?  

To be confident your pet will be allowed to accompany you, and to be sure it will be safe during the trip, it needs its own familiar and comfortable carrier. And you need to be able to manage that carrier yourself or have arranged with a partner to help.

There are hundreds of pet carriers on the market. If you don’t have a carrier for each of your pets, you really need to consider getting one. Here are some things to look for:

• Size. Is the carrier the right size for the pet? Some pets will feel comforted by a snug, closely fitting carrier, but most will want to be able to turn around and lie down. (Some carriers even have expandable sides to add extra room.) Before you start your search, measure your pet’s shoulder height and length in addition to knowing its weight. (Remember, only one pet to a carrier.)
• Weight. Some fabric carriers weigh less than 3 lbs; hard-sided plastic crates can easily weigh as much as 10 lbs. Add the weight of your pet. Remember, you will be carrying this! (You’ll see one option below that doesn’t require too much carrying!)
• Balance. A child strapped to your chest is easy to manage. So is a pet – and yes, there are chest pet carriers! But a small pet in a large backpack with a solid bottom may move around so much that you find it hard to walk safely. Moreover, while a pet may ride happily in a backpack, it can’t be left on the floor inside that soft-sided pack. Think about where you might be going and how you’ll carry your pet.
• Airline approved. If you think you might be flying with your pet, check now to find out the size and weight limitations placed on travelers by the airlines. In-cabin pet travelers must stay in their carrier the entire time, and that carrier must fit under the seat in front of you. Caution: Not all airlines have the same restrictions! 

Below you’ll find some examples of carriers. But first,

2- Does your pet know HOW to evacuate?

Every dog we’ve had has loved “taking a ride.” From what I hear, though, other animals absolutely HATE it! Some like to be able to see out, some cower under a blanket. Some pets welcome being in a crowd of strangers, others get aggressive or frightened.

If you want your pet (and yourself) to make it through the stress of evacuation travel and perhaps prolonged confinement, you need to train your pet HOW to evacuate! This involves obedience training and crate training. We offer suggestions in the booklet. Suffice it to say for this Advisory that as a beloved member of your family, your pet deserves these trainings!

Now, some examples of carriers and crates to help you evacuate with your pet — safely and comfortably.

Click on the links beneath the images to get to Amazon where you can get full details and prices, and compare with other similar styles. As you know, we are Amazon Associates and may get a small commission if you buy through our links.

Rolling Pet Carrier. I would choose this carrier immediately for one reason – I wouldn’t have to carry it! The telescoping handle doesn’t take up much room but would make walking through airports or bus stations or a high school gym shelter a whole lot easier. This carrier also includes washable mattresses to keep it clean and comfy for your pet.

There are other rolling carriers, of course. It looks to me as though the simple ones with just two wheels won’t stand up by themselves if you need to have both hands free for a moment.  

Katziela Pet Carrier with Removable Wheels – Soft Sided, Airline Approved Small Dog and Cat Carrying Bag with Telescopic Walking Handle, Mesh Ventilation Windows and Safety Leash Hook (Black)

Something a bit more fashionable!

This classic bag from well-known manufacturer Sherpa looks very secure and comfortable, even stylish, with quilted sides and flexible leather handles (and additional carrying strap). It has side plus top entry – absolutely something I’d want.  Flexible frame helps bag keep its shape, adjusts to fit under an airline seat.   

Sherpa Original Deluxe Charcoal and Camel Pet Carrier, Large, Gray

Yes, a hands-free pet carrying sling!

I carried my baby boy with a sling – so convenient! This one for pets comes in a variety of colors, three sizes to fit pets up to 14 lbs. Obviously, your pet can’t stay in the sling in an emergency shelter, but this would be excellent for quickly getting out of an emergency situation.

YUDODO Pet Dog Sling Carrier Breathable Mesh Travel Safe Sling Bag Carrier for Dogs Cats (S up to 5lbs Pink)

Very basic folding crate.

Mesh all around for plenty of visibility – and so you can see instantly how your fur-baby is doing. Removable stiff floor; plush blanket included. This one comes from the Amazon Basics collection.

AmazonBasics Soft-Sided Mesh Pet Travel Carrier, Medium (17 x 10 x 10 Inches), Black

Portable dog house!

During the recent evacuation members of our family had to remove by car to a hotel with their LARGE dog. He traveled with his wire crate. Something like this soft-sided crate might have been far more convenient and comfortable. (And would look a lot nicer as a piece of furniture in the house while he’s getting crate trained.)

EliteField 3-Door Folding Soft Dog Crate, Indoor & Outdoor Pet Home, Multiple Sizes and Colors Available (36″ L x 24″ W x 28″ H, Navy Blue)

One last thought about evacuating with your pet.

In reviewing articles and comments about pet owners and their experiences with carriers, it seems that some pets are simply determined to escape. They claw, chew, scratch, pull and twist until they are FREE! So keep pet and carrier under close watch until you are sure everything is secure!

Do you have experience evacuating with a pet? Share your story below in the comments. Everyone will appreciate it!

Virginia
Your Emergency Plan Guide team