My Name is Debbie and I am a Prepper

  Michael Crichton wrote a book years ago called "State of Fear" the premise being that situations can be "tweeked"  to make people afraid thus furthering a particular agenda and to simply keep the cash flow going from a gullible public. The Jakarta Pandemic by Steven Konkoly follows the survival of a single family during a true pandemic and is frightening because it is in the realm of possibility.   No one will ever ask me to do a book review but I will tell you that the books were excellent and had the  underlying truth that most individuals will do anything to protect ourselves if at all possible even if it is an exercise in futility.  I can remember in elementary school kneeling under desks or in the hallway with our hands on the back of our neck in the "tuck and duck" position.  Now this was supposed to protect us from a bomb attack.  I believe that this was during the Bay of Pigs incident and no one questioned just how stupid this was. My mother was impressed that the schools were being so proactive and I remember thinking that if I would follow the exercise that I would survive.  A. Nuclear. Attack. Boy were we dumb but we practiced almost daily.  Every hospital I have ever worked  had practice disaster drills. For years we practiced plane, train, and bus accidents involving mass causalities.  They were useful and in my career I have participated in 2 real life mass casualty situations and I was grateful for the preparation. The tone of our emergency preparation has changed in that we now practice radiation poisoning, decontamination and treatment for chemical weapons.  I do at least one online educational program a year about chemical weapons. What I know without a doubt is that we are all unprepared for a true national disaster that would interrupt the delivery of food, the flow of water, the ability to receive medical care and electricity.  Think Hurricane Katrina and expand it to cover a whole region of the US or the entire country if you really want to be depressed. I believe that the general public will be reduced to its lowest form..... again look at Katrina and see what happened to the unprepared people of New Orleans.  The thing about hurricanes however is that you have ample warning to get the hell out of town.  If we would be hit with a true pandemic or an E-bomb(electromagnetic bomb) we would be thrust back to a time where there was no modern conveniences, like food delivered from all over the country to stock our local grocery  shelves, or electricity and to go along with the electricity NO AIR CONDITIONING OR HEATING, refrigeration, water flowing into our homes and an end to perishables that we take for granted.  Anything controlled by a computer will fail.  How would you care for your family or even yourself?  I imagine a large portion of people will assume that the government will care for them.  After all they are certainly caring for a huge amount of people in the form of food stamps and welfare. Good luck with that.  What people don't think about is that there will be no food to use your stamps on. If a major national disaster happened the stores would empty out of everything faster than poop through a goose.  What can you do as a responsible individual to protect your family or even yourself. Well, glad you asked... you can prepare.  Prepare for the worst and pray for the best.  Looking on line I went to a government site and was greatly amused at their advice.   The following is copied directly from www. ready.gov/make-a-plan

Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation

Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food

Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both

Flashlight and extra batteries

First aid kit

Whistle to signal for help

Dust mask to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place

Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation

Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities

Manual can opener for food

Local maps

Cell phone with chargers, inverter or solar charger

They forgot the guns and the ammo to protect that huge supply of food you have amassed. But then in our current political correct environment gun owners are considered a lower life form. Considering the government is trying to take our guns away they couldn't very well list the need for self protection on their preparation list.     Well if this list makes you feel better then by all means get it together it is better than nothing at all. You need to consider that after the three days of supplies you have collected what are you going to do for day 4 till however long? There are many sites on line to assist you in getting prepared for a national disaster.  Keep in mind the owners of these sites and stores are getting rich on our fears.  I personally don't mind paying for information and for assistance in getting prepared but I am certain there will be those "grasshoppers" who will play and not prepare like ant in Aesop's fable. Keep in mind that those grasshoppers will feel entitled to what you have saved.    I have many friends who are taking preparation seriously and they are perfectly sane individuals from all walks of life who recognize that we are living in perilous times.   There are others who think that the preppers are nuts.  I for one will err on the side of caution.  If the worst happens then I want to be able to feed and protect  my family.