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Sunday, January 16, 2011

Popular Mechanics: "Self Reliance"

How Self Reliance Can Get You Through Any Disaster


This article was in "Popular Mechanics", Sept. 11, 2009.  I liked these paragraphs, near the end of the article: 


"When it comes to large-scale emergencies, the country has a hidden weapon--and we can do more with this resource. I'm talking about a populace filled with self-reliant, community-minded individuals. During a major crisis, on the order of Katrina or a serious California earthquake, relief services can be overwhelmed. When individuals are prepared to look after themselves for a while, with food, water and medicine on hand, and alternative sources of heat or power, it makes a big difference. The government can't take care of everybody at once. If disaster-relief staffs don't have to worry about you, they can take care of others--which means that being self-reliant can actually help your community. 


Often, government officials worry about the public panicking in a widespread disaster. But they have that backwards. In studies of more than 500 emergencies, the University of Delaware's Disaster Research Center found that panic rarely occurred. In fact, people consistently jump in to help themselves and their neighbors. Research by scholars like Kathleen Tierney, who directs the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder, shows that the true first responders are often the people on the scene when a disaster strikes. They save lives by administering first aid, getting people out of hazardous areas and spreading warnings. Volunteers improvised the water-based evacuation of lower Manhattan on Sept. 11, called an American Dunkirk by some, that moved masses of people out of the danger zone. 

A self-reliant attitude is good, but skills help mightily, too. Citizen training is available through the Red Cross, Community Emergency Response Teams and Neighborhood Emergency Response Teams. One underappreciated resource is the amateur radio community. Acquire a ham radio license (American Radio Relay League) and you can become a major resource if a disaster strikes. It's fun, too." 

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