Monthly Archives: July 2013

Nuts & Bolts by Nick: The 911 Bag

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by Nick Romaniello -

ambulanceWith bugout bags, get home bags, EDC, etc, preppers tend to organize many go-to kits for various emergency scenarios. The prepper mentality is largely one of self-reliance, but what happens when injury or health emergency force you to rely on someone else? Do they know everything they should? I have recently experienced a few scenarios, both directly and indirectly, within my own family where medical emergencies rendered a person unresponsive. Without going into too much personal detail, one scenario had me alone with a person who lost consciousness from a drug interaction. Training had allowed me to avoid panic and react properly. A call was placed to 911 and information was conveyed in a calm clear way to assist responders as much as possible. When paramedics arrived on scene, the quest for information continued and I found myself suddenly unable to answer all the questions. “What medications does this person take?” “Who is their Primary Care Physician?” “We are taking them to So and So hospital, do you know the way?” I was suddenly at a disadvantage. A disadvantage that affected this persons effective treatment. What could I do to prevent this disadvantage in the future?

Pregnant women are often the most prepared for a sudden departure to a hospital or birthing center. They know they will be going, but just aren’t sure when. So they get prepared. When “it’s time” they just pick up and (relatively) calmly go, knowing that they will have everything they need. The truth is that we all may be on our way to the hospital and just don’t know when. Remember that “it’s not if, but when” mentality of being prepared and pack a small bag for each household to be grabbed in the event of a medical emergency. When a person is rushed to the hospital (especially if they are unable to speak) you will have important information and gear that will make the difference.

emergency roomWhile I’m sure there are resources out there that discuss this type of prep, I haven’t come across any. Based on my personal experiences alone, I would recommend the following to be included in such a kit:

  • Prescription Information: This includes a list of all current medications, dosage amounts, usual times they are taken, and prescribing doctors contact information.
  • Over-the-Counter or Natural Remedy’s: If the subject is taking anything that may react with prescriptions being taken or medications that may be administered in hospital the ER should be alerted.
  • Allergy Information: If the subject has any allergies to medication, food, latex, etc.
  • Copies of ID: Drivers license, organ donor information, insurance card, and a list of important phone numbers.
  • Personal Essentials: If the subject wears glasses, dentures or anything else needed to function normally be sure to either include spares in the bag, or list a reminder to get them on the way out the door.
  • Hospital Information: Depending on your location, there may be one or many possible destinations for an ambulance. A list of local ER’s with addresses, phone numbers and directions can help greatly when your mind is racing.
  • Clothing and Personal Items: A change of clothes, a book, and some comfort items such as a family photo can bring some peace to a person facing an unexpected hospital stay. Perhaps include some snacks and a book for the person sitting in the waiting room holding the bag. Include dollars and coins for parking and vending machines.

For me this type of kit is a recent concept and is far less refined than the oft-discussed B.O.B. so I would welcome any additional information or ideas to help make the 911 bag, as I am calling it, a more effective piece of prepping gear. A rush to the hospital is never a pleasant experience, but being prepared can help alleviate stress and speed effective treatment.

 

Momma Bear: Book Review: Wool

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by Leah, Momma Bear -

WoolI recently picked up the book Wool, by Hugh Howey. There were a couple reasons I picked up this book: it was a post-apocalypse story set in a missile silo, it was originally self-published as a short story/e-book and then later picked up by Simon and Schuster, and the movie rights have been picked up by Ridley Scott. I will be curious to see if this book ever develops into a movie. While this was a decent book, I would not put it on the same level as some of the genre classics.

I come from a family of big science fiction nerds. I have had a long love affair with science fiction and the end of our world, a science fiction sub-genre known as apocalyptic or dystopian fiction (the basic “we’re doomed” theme). From movies to books, I love it all. Most of us think of the apocalyptic genre as stemming from the 1940’s and beyond, coming from the Cold War at the end of World War II. But the truth is that the genre is actually much older. Mary Wool-1Shelley (the same lady who gave us Frankenstein) wrote The Last Man in 1826, which is believed to be the first modern apocalyptic novel, about a world-wide pandemic. Seventy years later, HG Wells hit the literary scene with such masterpieces as The Time Machine in 1895, and War of the Worlds in 1898. These stories, with their end of the world themes, continue to be popular today as we see them portrayed each summer in the latest movies. In fact, many of our favorite apocalypse movies are rooted in literature. For instance, Blade Runner is loosely based on the book Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick.

Wool is an intriguing read because it deals with the intricacies of human nature in a post-apocalypse society. Within the silo are the last vestiges of humanity, following some unexplained and no longer remembered apocalypse that has left the outside world toxic. Inside is a tightly contained, controlled, and stratified society in which every birth must be preceded by a death, a one for one population control essentially. Society itself is divided by a person’s occupation and location within the 100+ level silo, with the administrative/political people residing closest to the surface and the workers on decreasing levels until you reach the dark bottom, mechanics levels (though they are the ones who provide everything from air to electricity). But when a few people start to question authority, society within begins to crumble.

I found the setting of Wool particularly interesting because of the current popularity of Doomsday Preppers using old missile silos for end of the world retreats. Today in America, a couple hundred thousand dollars can buy you a rusting hole in the ground without electricity, or a million can buy you a small apartment within a luxury silo. It seems that these silos fall into the categories of “fixer upper” or “buy your survival”, with the latter leaving you unable to choose your neighbor and silo mates.  Whichever you choose, like Wool, it will take more than a few people and some structured society to keep it running. How do you choose the people for your silo team? How do you keep control when the s**t hits the fan and you’re in lockdown?

missile-silo-houseCheck out these links to available silo properties:

For more great apocalyptic reading, check out these lists:

Apocalyptic movies lists: