FOCUSED PREPARATIONS FOR A CRISIS
One might conclude that with the colossal amount of “stuff” that Americans buy, not to mention millions and millions of firearms, that they would be thoroughly prepared for a crisis.
Yet, in the after-action reviews, time after time it is shown that many simply are not.
In my opinion, this happens chiefly due to poor planning. To maximize your preparedness, there are several simple steps that you need to take.
1. Honestly assess your risks and responses.
An excellent way to do this is to make a list of things that might happen—with an emphasis on the most likely, together with your ability to do something about it.
No one can prepare for a nuclear warhead using their residence as the hypocenter. Likewise, an invasion by North Korean paratroopers is possible, but quite unlikely.
Much more likely are earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, or a home invasion. With this in mind, ask what your goals will be if the crisis occurs, bearing in mind your ability to react.
2. Make a list of things you must have in a crisis.
This includes medicines, food, pure water, first aid supplies, communication, fuel for the car, possibly tire flat puncture repair cans, or things like jumper cables.
You must factor in your response plan here. If you intend to bug out of your residence, the vehicle must work and have gas. If you have sick family members, their unique needs must be looked at.
But also choose wisely: A food reserve of carefully selected items from the grocery store, which are rotated, can be built up a lot faster and cheaper than ordering dehydrated foods. Look at the expiration dates.
If you do get dehydrated foods, or foods that you don’t ordinarily use, practice cooking with them before an emergency occurs.
3. Of things you might need and can’t “collect:”
Where can you get them if you do need them?
An example would be to identify the nearest hospitals or clinics able to give you care in an emergency.
If you need shelter away from your home, know several hotels or motels along a clearly accessible escape route in multiple directions, if possible, and be able to reserve a room quickly.
Write the options down, including phone numbers, addresses, and directions, and put copies in each vehicle in case you aren’t there or aren’t able to take charge yourself.
4. Put extra sets of eyes on your preparedness plan.
None of us are as smart as all of us. Ask knowledgeable friends or other family members to weigh in.
This includes “Red Teaming” your plan to see how it could go wrong. Pretend you are the enemy and are trying to get you.
Be a pessimist. One jagged piece of road debris can put your car out of action.
How secure are your guns from a burglar? Or a curious child?
5. Have good sources for supplies.
As an armed professional, I know that with weapons—most of the time you get what you pay for.
Gun shows tend to cater to weekend warriors and serious equipment for professionals can be hard to find—or can be way overpriced.
Most of us know what we are looking for and shop carefully, using resources like Ammo Seek to locate loaded rounds, and manufacturers like Cold Steel for edged tools.
Also, don’t be shy to ask other prepared persons for their ideas and sources.
Backpackers and niche outdoor shops know what you need out in the wild, to include first aid kits.
6. Do the basics:
Keep the home fire extinguishers ready.
Get all vehicles maintained and checked per the maintenance schedule, and check the tires frequently for damage and nails. We depend on our cars but so many are surprisingly shoddy about maintenance.
Put batteries in battery caddies so they don’t start fires, and check them regularly. Keep some spare food in your vehicle(s), too, and rotate it regularly.
Order medications on time and keep enough on hand so you can go several days or more without a resupply. Keep all necessary prescriptions current and have a complete list of them.
Put that list in a Grab-and-Go along with important documents like birth and marriage certificates, deeds, insurance information, a list of credit cards, etc. Imagine you and your family drive home from a trip and find a tornado has carried off your house. What documents might you need to prove who you are, what you owned, what your child’s medicine was called, what your account numbers are?
Everyone uses cells phones these days. Do you know all (any?) of your important phone numbers now? Put at least a short list of vital contacts in the Grab-and-Go, too.
Make sure you have extra glasses and contact lenses saved also; try aiming that $1,000 rattlematic in a firefight in the middle of the night with blurry vision, or doing much of anything else half blind.
Have tools ready.
7. Think about this list.
Did I miss something that is relevant to YOUR needs?
We will be talking more about this subject soon. With the elections looming, and a distressingly great number of bad things possible due to the incompetence of Cackling Death and His Royal Senescence, and the array of enemies of our country out there that are ready to strike, we have work to do.
Mark Deuce has had a life-long career in community law enforcement. He is the author of Deuces Wild for TTP.