I recently was asked to talk to an Emergency Management group and I made some notes. I didn't just read the notes. I read a note and then answered questions about that note. Then moved on to the next note, etc.
This is a copy of my note sheet that you might want to use in case you are asked to talk about Prepping. It certainly isn't all inclusive and you might want to expand on it.
PREPPING
ECONOMIC COLLAPSE, WAR, SOCIAL UNREST, NATURAL DISASTERS:
DEBT:
1. Get rid of as much debt as possible before the collapse.
2. Don?t leave all your money in the Bank. Your bank account can be locked down with just the push of a button.
3. Hold some sort of measure of wealth such as Cash, Physical Gold or Silver. If you don?t hold it in your hand, you do not have it. Use your cash first and use Gold and Silver as a last resort.
FOOD:
1. Stock up on as much non-perishable food as possible. Sugar, Flour, Canned Goods, Rice, Pasta, Dried Beans of all sorts, Coffee & Tea.
2. Just because you have all the food you?ll need for a year or two doesn?t mean you have enough food. Your idiot neighbors who did not prepare will be coming to you for food.
3. Some preppers update their canned goods by eating the older stuff and replacing it with new supplies. Some preppers don?t update their canned goods. They save them for the idiot neighbors who come looking for food. Canned goods last many years longer than the ?Best By? dates printed on the cans.
4. Learn to grow your own food in your own garden. Buy Heirloom Seeds if you can because you can save the seeds for next years crop. Hybrid Seeds are only good for one crop and the seeds generally will not work in next years garden. Protecting a garden from wildlife and thieves is a lot more difficult than growing it.
POWER:
1. There will be power outages and you must have a method of producing electric power. Generators are great as long as you can get fuel for them. Solar Power is important even if it is a small system. Use the power grid until it quits. Use generators as long as there is fuel. Use Solar as a last resort unless you go totally off grid and have a whole house system.
2. If you go totally off grid, do not connect to the power company grid and expect to make money from it.
PERSONAL HYGEIN:
1. Stock up on lots of Body Wash, Shampoo, Toothpaste, Throw away Razors and Shaving Creme, Toilet Paper, Vitamins and Minerals, Over the Counter medications and even Prescription Medications if you can.
HEATING AND COOLING:
1. Prepare to find ways to stay Warm or Cool. Using a lot of Candles can heat quite a large area. A small fan blowing against a hanging wet towel can produce a small amount of cooling.
SECURITY:
1. People will be coming to take what you have and 911 will be of little use. The Police will be at home protecting their own property and families so Police resources will be spread very thin. If you don?t have weapons or don?t like weapons, then we?re going to miss you around here.
2. If you choose to arm yourself, then you must consider both long guns and handguns. Each member of your household should have and be trained to use the weapons.
3. Lighting around your house and property is a two edged sword. It helps you see who or what is approaching and it also makes those approaching aware that you have resources that they might try to take.
MAGS:
1. MAG is an acronym for Mutual Assistance Group.
2. Get to know your neighbors and form a group that will make themselves available to help each other in the group.
3. Some people feel that the LONE WOLF mentality is the best way to survive. Some Lone Wolves will survive but most will not. Becoming a Lone Wolf is only beneficial when all else has failed.
4. It is important to know what Skills and Resources your MAG members have. Are they Doctors, Auto Mechanics, Farmers, Computer Techs, Electricians, Plumbers, Carpenters, etc.
5. Trade within the MAG before trading with people outside the MAG.
COMMUNICATIONS:
1. Being a Ham Radio Operator gives you a head start on communications. It is very important to know what is going on around you and radios are a lot better than runners carrying notes to each other.
2. There are several non-licensed radio methods available. Citizens Band, Family Radio Service, Multi-use Radio Service, and Marine Band.
3. I personally have formed a crude MAG in my neighborhood and have supplied each household with a Handi-Talkie and we will be using the MURS(Multi Use Radio Service) frequencies because it is in the 2 meter range and is more efficient than the others. When things get bad, we all will turn them on and monitor 24/7 in case someone needs help.
4. Cell Phone towers and Internet Access can be shut down without any notice. Do not assume that will be available.
TWO IS ONE AND ONE IS NONE:
1. Extras of everything is important. It is especially true with tools.
2. Extras will be very valuable as trade items.
WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG:
1. War could go wrong. It could be an invasion or missile attack or even a Civil War.
2. Total Economic Collapse of the Monetary System.
3. Corona Solar Ejection or Nuclear ElectroMagneticPulse could take down the power grid and also destroy many electronic devices.
4. Famine due to supply chain problems or extreme drought causing crops to fail or some other natural disaster.
BUGGING OUT OR BUGGING IN:
1. This is an area where some preppers do not agree.
2. City dwellers might feel the need to grab their Bug Out Bag and leave urban areas because it becomes too dangerous to stay put.
3. Most Rural preppers will Bug In at home and only Bug Out as a last resort. In any case, all preppers need a bug out bag and a bug out plan.
TRADE ITEMS:
1. You don?t Smoke or Drink Alcohol? Well, stock up on at least some of that stuff because there are people who will trade what you need for it.
