Cascadia Preparedness

Alaska Magazine provided the following tips for survival in rural / wilderness areas. 1. Alaska’s weather changes constantly. Wear non-cotton layers and always take rain gear. Even hats and gloves are often a summertime staple in locals’ backpacks. 2. Never leave the trailhead without food and water, even if you plan only a short hike. You never know when you might decide to see what’s over the next rise and before you know it, you’re several miles out. 3. Always bring bug dope. Always. 4. Pack matches or a lighter. An accidental spill from a kayak or a slip of the foot into the river could chill you quickly. A small crackling fire might be your only hope of fending off hypothermia. 5. Make plenty of noise in bear country, which is pretty much all of Alaska. 6. Study a map before you go, or better yet, take one with you. Refer to it as you travel so you know where you are and what landmarks to look for should you become disoriented or lost. 7. If you do need to “shelter in place” unt...

  Disaster preparedness planning recommends that every family have at least two-weeks of supplies set aside in case of emergency. Many people by bulk foods, such as bags of beans, bags of rice, along with various canned foods for their emergency food supply. This is reasonably inexpensive and provides bulk food that can be stored for a long time. But, what happens if you have to use your emergency food in the aftermath of a disaster? Can you prepare nutritious, tasty meals using your storage food? You may read in some preparedness forums that "you'll eat anything if you're hungry enough". While this may or may not be true, we believe that it is bad planning to assume that your family will be best served by having to choke down some bad tasting gruel for breakfast, lunch, and dinner while attempting to recover from a disaster. Having a hot, nutritious, and good tasting meal can improve morale, reduce stress, and prevent illness. We recommend learning to prepare meals f...

According to the USDA : " There are currently no nationwide shortages of food, although in some cases the inventory of certain foods at your grocery store might be temporarily low before stores can restock. Food production and manufacturing are widely dispersed throughout the U.S. and there are currently no wide-spread disruptions reported in the supply chain. " In 2021 , food-at-home prices are expected to increase between 2.5 and 3.5 percent, and food-away-from-home prices are expected to increase between 3.5 and 4.5 percent. In 2022, food-at-home prices are expected to increase between 1.5 and 2.5 percent, and food-away-from-home prices are expected to increase between 3.0 and 4.0 percent. Drug Shortages Drug Shortages can occur for many reasons, including manufacturing and quality problems, delays, and discontinuations. Manufacturers provide FDA most drug shortage information, and the agency works closely with them to prevent or reduce the impact of shortages. The FDA da...

  The University of Pittsburgh offers an on-line Disaster Preparedness course through Cousera. (13 hours) Have you ever viewed a news report depicting the aftermath of a devastating natural disaster? The damage to human life and property are both staggering and heartbreaking. All parts of the world face the possibility of floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, landslides, earthquakes, tsunamis, and other natural phenomena. Are you prepared if disaster would strike you? This course will help you prepare! The course is appropriate for any learner who is proactive about developing the core competencies of disaster readiness and survival planning. It is especially useful if you are seeking techniques that can ensure your personal protection, as well as the safety of your family, property, and belongings, during a natural disaster. In addition, it offers essential preparation for a variety of emergency situations and inconveniences, even if you do not live in major tornado, flood, hurri...

Cyber-Security and Electronic Surveillance Self-Defense are essential parts of individual and family preparedness. In a world where millions of digital communications are silently intercepted, collected, and stored every day, how do you effectively say “I do not consent to this search?” Community-driven, trustworthy, and proven digital security tools exist, but can require a sometimes steep learning curve. Also, all technologies have certain limitations. Knowing exactly what these are is crucial to using them safely and effectively. Finally, technology changes faster than the law. New back-doors and security flaws are discovered by researchers—or leaked to journalists by inside dissenters—every week. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) stated "Privacy today faces growing threats from a growing surveillance apparatus that is often justified in the name of national security. Numerous government agencies—including the National Security Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigati...

  In the aftermath of a major disaster, drinking water sources may be contaminated. While stored drinking water can mitigate this risk, water can be difficult to store in large quantities. If you must collect water from questionable sources (ponds, rivers, or a potentially contaminated well or commercial water system) it is important that you treat this water to prevent illness from drinking bad water.  Water treatment involves removing suspended particles in the water, killing biological pathogens in the water, and removing chemical contaminates. The 3-pot method of letting particles settle out of standing water over a period of days is a first step in water treatment.   Wiki-Water discusses several methods of water treatment that can be used at home. The SODIS method of water purification relies on sunlight to kill biological pathogens in water. While the method is effective, it requires strong sunlight throughout the day, and may therefore not be the best choice dur...

If an earthquake, hurricane, winter storm, or other disaster strikes your community, you might not have access to food, water, and electricity for days or even weeks. By taking some time now to store emergency food and water supplies, you can provide for your entire family. As you stock food, take into account your family’s unique needs and tastes. Familiar foods are important. They lift morale and give a feeling of security in times of stress. Try to include foods that they will enjoy and that are also high in calories and nutrition. Foods that require no refrigeration, water, special preparation, or cooking are best. Download a copy of Food and Water in an Emergency here .  The Canned Food Alliance suggests stocking your emergency pantry with a variety of nutrient-rich foods and recommends keeping the following amounts of food and water per person, per day. *  Suggested amounts reflect the amount of food in common sizes of canned products, and help people consume amounts cl...

Dr. Chris Ellis, a US Army Strategic Planning and Policy Program Fellow working with Cornell University published a paper in which he described a Resilient Citizen as someone who can handle at least a 31-day emergency or self-reliance scenario (Highly Resilient Citizens (HRCs) can survive for 90+ days). You might understandably think that the majority of RCs hit that 31-day threshold and quit there. After all, that month of self-reliance is enough to cover the vast majority of emergencies. Yet the majority of people who are prepared at all are actually prepared for more than 90 days! Out of the estimated 13 million RCs in the United States, 8.3 million are HRCs. Dr. Ellis also split up RCs into five sub-groups: Homesteader, Faithful, Sentinel, Interdependent, and Noah. The five groups are defined by methodology and motivation. eg. Sentinels are largely defined by their use of firearms, but their primary motivation is adapting to a world without rule of law, while many Mormon groups are...

The LDS Preparedness Manual , while written (in 2012) to support the active members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, has not been endorsed or produced by the Church, and its contents and the opinions it expresses are those of the Editor and the separate authors.  Regardless of your association with the Church, the LDS Preparedness Manual is a useful reference for anyone wanting to improve their personal and family preparedness.  A free PDS copy of the LDS Preparedness Manual is available from AVOW: Another Voice of Warning | P. O. Box 100, Rigby, ID 83442-0100 (a printed copy is available for $23). Table of Contents 4 Note to my Readers 5 Table of Contents 9 Preface 10 Book of Gomer Parable 12 A Sense of Fear and Urgency about Preparing, by Christopher Parrett Section 1: Emergency Preparedness. Why? 16 Getting set for a possible modern day repeat of Haun's Mill, By Roger K. Young Expert Counsel 23 Normalcy Bias, It's All in your Head, by Survival Mom 25 Un...

        According to an MSN News article, the Charlton, MA Police Department suggests that if you are lost or stranded you should change your voice mail to let people know... ???  This seems like a very BAD IDEA! If I am lost, stranded, or injured why would I not call for help or at least send a text message alerting friends and family to a potential problem? To change voice mail on a phone you need to have active cellular service (your voice mail message isn't local on your device - that is why you call the voice mail number to hear your messages or change your out-going message, and why people can hear your voice mail and leave a message when your phone is off). If all you do is change your voice mail, the only people who will know you need help are people who call you and listen to your voice mail out-going message. What happens if you are lost and nobody calls you for two or three days? - If you have cell service and need emergency help CALL 9-1-1. If it is...

At Cascadia Preparedness we believe that everyone should have, at a minimum, basic First Aid and CPR/AED training. The American Red Cross offers basic first aid courses on-line. Additional medical training expands your ability to respond in the wake a disaster. On-line training is available to help build that additional medical knowledge, although hands-on training and real-world experience under the supervision of a qualified medical professional is still recommended. The following on-line courses are just some of the available options for expanding your first aid skills:    Basic Wilderness First Aid Course (Online) (University of Colorado ($95)) This course, open to everyone (not just students at the University of Colorado!) is an online course where you will learn backcountry first aid and earn a Basic Wilderness First Aid certificate.(Note: This is not a standard WFA certification) Online instruction for the following topics: Head and mental status Circulation ...

The Great ShakeOut 2021

  GMRS is a land-mobile radio service available for short-distance, two-way communications. A GMRS system may legally be operated only with an FCC license. The individual licensee is responsible for the proper operation of the GMRS system. A licensee may permit his or her immediate family members to operate the GMRS system. A GMRS system is made up of station operators and a mobile station consisting of one or more mobile units. It may also include one or more land stations. Some land stations operate as repeaters, thereby extending the range of GMRS mobile units. New GMRS licenses are granted only to individuals, but GMRS licenses granted to non-individuals (such as businesses) before July 31, 1987, can be renewed if certain conditions are met. You can apply for a GMRS license online, or by filing FCC Form 605. The FCC sets license filing fees annually, and licenses are granted for 10 years. The Midland has an article on their web-page, " Why Do I Need a GMRS License & How Do...

The president of the Seattle Police Officer’s Guild (SPOG) could not have been blunter about the potential loss of manpower due to city and state vaccination mandates for government employees: "Be prepared to defend yourself and your family because it’s going to be a long time before a cop can get there" MSN has reported that " 127 Washington State Patrol Employees Out of Job Over Vaccine Mandate ". It is not just departments in the Pacific Northwest that are affected by vaccine mandates and job loss. In Chicago, about 4,500 police officers didn't report their vaccination status by Oct. 15 as mandated by the city. In Massachusetts, the head of the troopers' union says state police are missing nearly 600 uniformed members because of their refusal to comply with the vaccination mandate. Cascadia Preparedness makes no judgement on the validity or effectiveness of the vaccine , and we suggest that you consult with your personal physician regarding health questi...

  Communication is an important part of preparedness. It is important to have a plan to communicate when telephone, cellular, and Internet systems fail in your area as the result of some type of disaster or infrastructure collapse. Amateur (Ham) radio is one of the most effective means of maintaining communication without the need to rely on commercial communications infrastructure. However, unlike using a cell-phone or sending a message on Facebook, amateur radio requires a bit more planning and practice. Amateur radio operators build and maintain their own communications infrastructure, as opposed to relying on commercial systems (although amateur radio systems can also be connected to both the cellular network and the Internet).   At Cascadia Preparedness we encourage everyone to obtain their amateur radio license and learn to use their radios to communicate in an "off-grid" environment. The following on-line courses and videos provide an overview of amateur radio and an i...

The Emergency Management Institute (EMI) offers self-paced courses designed for people who have emergency management responsibilities and the general public. All are offered free-of-charge to those who qualify for enrollment. The most recent (Oct 1, 2021) published course is " IS-36.A: Preparedness for Child Care Providers " This course is designed for childcare providers of all sizes and for all age children, including, but not limited to, home childcare sites, childcare facilities, nursery schools, camps, scouts, sports programs, faith-based programs, and after-school programs. However, anyone with a personal or professional interest in childcare site preparedness is welcome to participate. Teachers, camp counselors, parents, volunteers, scout leaders, and coaches alike will find useful information in this course. View the entire course list here.

The TACDA Academy Manual was written by a collaboration of civil defense experts, scholars, military personnel, and other professionals to teach in easy to understand formats the basics of survival. This 143 page manual is a comprehensive guide to civil defense concepts and teaches in depth how to survive emergencies and disasters. You can download the individual chapters here .    You can also join the TACDA for free and receive ( https://tacda.org/ ) A FREE E-Journal of our Bi-Annual publication The Journal of Civil Defense Access to read, buy, and download all back issues of the Journal of Civil Defense since 1968 Access to the TACDA Academy and other Member Resources Member discounts on products in the TACDA Survival Store Voting privileges at member meetings  

When emergencies strike, public safety officials use timely and reliable systems to alert you. By signing up for community alerts in your province, county, or city you will receive early warning of potential hazards and risks in your community.  Here are some places to opt-in to community alerts in the Pacific Northwest: Alert & Warning Notifications (WA) https://mil.wa.gov/alerts Public Alerts (OR) https://www.publicalerts.org/ Public Alert Notification System (PANS) (BC) https://www.crd.bc.ca/service/fire-and-emergency-programs/public-alert-notification-system Alert Ready (BC) https://www.emergencyinfobc.gov.bc.ca/alert-ready-wireless-public-alerting/ North East BC Emergency & Public Alerts https://member.everbridge.net/453003085617750/login Fairbanks Emergency Alerts https://www.fairbanksalaska.us/police/page/sign-emergency-alerts You can learn more about Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) , the Emergency Alert System (EAS) , and NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) from Ready.Gov ...

The Cascadia Subduction Zone is a 600-mile fault that runs from northern California up to British Columbia and is about 70-100 miles off the Pacific coast shoreline. There have been 41 earthquakes in the last 10,000 years within this fault that have occurred as few as 190 years or as much as 1200 years apart. The last earthquake that occurred in this fault was on January 26, 1700, with an estimated 9.0 magnitude. This earthquake caused the coastline to drop several feet and a tsunami to form and crash into the land. What is most surprising is that evidence for this great earthquake also came from Japan. Japanese historic records indicate that a destructive distantly-produced tsunami struck their coast on January 26, 1700. By studying the geological records and the flow of the Pacific Ocean, scientists have been able to link the tsunami in Japan with the great earthquake from the Pacific Northwest. Native American legends also support to the timing of this last event.   Oregon has t...

Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills are an annual opportunity for people in homes, schools, and organizations to practice what to do during earthquakes, and to improve preparedness. The Great ShakeOut is the world’s largest Earthquake drill! Each year, on the third Thursday in October, participants all over the world use this opportunity to practice what they would do in case an earthquake occurred suddenly: Drop, Cover, and Hold On! https://www.shakeout.org/  

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program educates volunteers about disaster preparedness for the hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. CERT offers a consistent, nationwide approach to volunteer training and organization that professional responders can rely on during disaster situations, which allows them to focus on more complex tasks. Through CERT, the capabilities to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters is built and enhanced. The course consists of 8 units and a review. The course agenda is generally as follows: Disaster Preparedness: Addresses hazards specific to the community. Materials cover actions that participants and their families take before, during and after a disaster as well as an overview of CERT and local laws governing volunteers. Fire Suppression: Covers fire chemistry, hazardous materials, fire ha...

The Mountain Rescue Association offers a free, on-line course - "General Backcountry Safety" ( http://training.mra.org/ ) - that is designed to provide an introduction for beginners and intermediate backcountry enthusiasts to help develop safe habits in the backcountry. This material is designed to cover the fundamental ideas that will help equip you to travel safely and be able to deal with emergency situations that can occur in the backcountry. At the conclusion of this course, students should be able to: Demonstrate an understanding of outdoor fundamentals Identify how to be adequately prepared for a backcountry trip Know what to do when you are lost Determine how to avoid the hazards of nature If you spend time exploring the backcountry of Cascadia, General Backcountry Safety is the course for you. The course manual (PDF) can be downloaded here .  For younger children, SAR Academy offers the Hug-a-Tree and Survive program, which teaches children how to survive in the woo...

The University of Utah School of Medicine offers "Neighborhood Emergency Response Planning", a free, on-line course that trains individuals and communities how to work together in the coordination of responding to an emergency.  Based on the FEMA guide, Are You Ready: A Citizen’s Guide, this course is an excellent resource and can be used with other available materials in planning for any emergency. Module 1: Prepare and Plan Module 2: Response Actions & Recovery for a Return to Normal Living Module 3: Earthquakes Module 4: Home and Wildland Fires Module 5: Severe Weather Module 6: Floods (each module only takes 30 minutes to complete) To take this FREE on-line course register at: https://medicine.utah.edu/rmcoeh/about-us/outreach/nerp.php

  Disasters can strike at a moment’s notice. If your area needs to be evacuated, the last decision you want to be faced with is leaving your pet behind or sticking it out at home. And if you do stay home with your pet but need to be rescued, there’s a good chance first responders won’t be able to take your pet. During a disaster, many pet owners want to evacuate their pets with them, only to find that evacuation and sheltering options are limited or nonexistent. This disregard for companion animal welfare during a disaster can have public health consequences. About 44% of people who refused to evacuate during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 did so because of their pets, according to a paper published in the American Journal of Public Health . Do you have a disaster preparedness plan for your pets? The Humane Society provides information on how to make a disaster plan for your pets.

Trauma is the leading cause of death for people 1-40 years old.  More specifically, according to the National Trauma Institute, hemorrhaging is responsible for almost 35% of pre-hospital deaths and 40% of deaths in the first twenty-four hours after a traumatic event. Stop the Bleed recognizes that while the public is relatively well educated about layperson lifesaving for cardiac arrest and choking, there is no similar knowledge dissemination for traumatic emergencies. To further the Stop the Bleed initiative, the National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health (NCDMPH) developed a series of educational tools to facilitate layperson tourniquet application. To access their educational website visit: https://stopthebleed.usuhs.edu/