DISASTER Upcoming Neighborhood Prep Meeting (yay!)

[Dancr]

I live in a semi-rural gated community of 15 homes. One of my neighbors, who is preparedness minded and well respected in the neighborhood (as far as I know), has called a preparedness meeting of sorts. She has previously gotten us together a couple of times over the years on similar topics. One that I especially remember is fire safety.

She's inspired by Katrina and the tsunami. She asked, via email, if there was interest it meeting to discuss how to be prepared for a five day isolation. This actually happened in our region in 1994. Due to a flood, we were trapped. Apparently there was enough positive response to her email to justify setting up a meeting which will be happening a week from Saturday.

Not knowing of my special interest in the topic, but only that I seemed agreeable to participate, she asked me to meet with her this weekend to come up with a survey to learn who has what skills, training and equipment. I'd like to avoid re-inventing the wheel.

Before the meeting, I think I'll make up a list of items recommended for a 5-day emergency kit. It won't be the exhaustive kind of list that I've developed for myself (and for *you* guys) but only a bare bones list that will be unlikely to produce eye rolls.

Potassium Iodide has always been high on my own list, not just in recent weeks. Fortunately, this is a good time to mention this one.

I might also distribute some information about storing ammonia and chlorine in separate areas. This is a topic on which I have been known to evangelize. (Maybe not. Focus.)

Can anyone point me to resources for surveying neighbors on their skills, training and equipment for this purpose? Or, just tell any ideas you may have about what we should try to find out about our neighbors.

 

[Jumpy Frog]

Awesome news. I lived in Big Sur when Hwy 1 slide into the Pacific and it took over a year to rebuild the Hwy to us. Dad had a 40Kw gennie that everyone in our 5 home complex (State Park) chipped in fuel for. Mom (teacher) couldn't get to Monterey to teach so she ended up being the Middle/High school teacher for those of us out of the K-5th bracket.

Good times for sure. I never forget the Red Cross and PG&E guys showing up and we're wacthing Laserdisk movies and eating popcorn. They asked if we needed to be evac'ed. Everyone asked why?

 

[night driver]

LTNS!!!!!

TRY to keep your little list under 12 pages, OK??? You KNOW how you are. ROFLOL!

I'd look thru JimRalwes site to be sure but I can't remember any survey having been shared to us masses...

Good to see you btw.


c

 

[mecoastie]

Just me but I would be wary if my neighbor handed me a survey asking stuff like what I had for gear and equipment. You might ask what sort of skills people have at the meeting but I wouldnt dig much deeper.

 

[dogmanan]

Very good, your neighborhood will be a head of the game, that's good.

later

 

[Blacula]

I'd play the part of a DGI and not let on that I was ahead of the pack. Keep that to yourself.

 

[Mother Love]

I'd play the part of a DGI and not let on that I was ahead of the pack. Keep that to yourself.

I like this! You don't want everyone coming to you for handouts. But I would offer advice. "I saw such and such what do you think about it?"

 

[Palmetto]

I'd play the part of a DGI and not let on that I was ahead of the pack. Keep that to yourself.

I have to agree.

Keep you cards close to your chest on this one. Listen. Don't offer much informaton.

The problem with DGIs is that they simply won't prepare.

However, they will:

1.) Make a mental note of those that do hoping for charity ("I'm coming to your house if TSHTF.")

2.) Make a mental note of those they think are kooks.

3.) Stand willing to call the PTB if you decide not to help them or just for the hell of it.

Watch. Listen. Learn.

Keep quiet.

Palmetto

 

[Tygerkittn]

Play devil's advocate. Say, "well, I see good reasons to prepare, but I just don't want to clutter up my home with a lot of food."
It might actually make the contrarians more likely to prep, and people will remember that you won't have a lot of food.

 

[vessie]

I'm with mecoastie, blacula and palmetto. Don't take for granted that all of the neighbors in your community will want to be preparedness folk.

They may come to the meeting only to put off as long as possible what they learned, knowing all along that they know which house to go to. And not only that, they will have family who live outside the community and if the SHTF, they will tell their family that they know who has food etc. It is a potentially ugly cycle not thought of by many preppers who have goodness in their hearts.

And the neighbor who wants the list, that's a bit creepy to me and set off my 'internal warning system' to be honest. I have a neighbor like that and she is the type that will want the list of things and try to take control and most likely can't keep their mouth shut, evidence being that they started this whole meeting thing.

It all sounds good in the beginning and on the surface but when you look deep, it isn't. Best to keep in the background if you do go to the meeting and as Mother Love and Tygerkittn pointed out, best to act/be obtuse with them. V

 

[blackguard]

PM sent

 

[Dancr]

Thanks to all who have replied, already

I forgot to include this in the original post:

Calamity Cooperation: Helping Stressed Neighbors
www.lacarte.org/calamity/cooperate

 

[Tundra Gypsy]

She wants to do a meeting to discuss how to handle being isolated for 'five days?' You first need to know what some scenarios would be; fire, earthquake, landslides, etc. If your little group were ever isolated, it would probably be for more than just five days. I'd start with the 'what if' scenarios and let the folks in the community come up with their own ideas as to how they would handle things; you could throw in your 'suggestions' without divulging what you have on hand. I too, wouldn't give out too much information or get too technical, as to not draw attention to yourself; let the group get involved.

 

[Ravekid]

I wouldn't volunteer any information. In fact, I would use such a meeting to paint myself as 95% unprepared. Tell them you don't own firearms. If they know you own some from talks/seeing you with them months ago, then say "I sold all my firearms to a relative." You could make it sound like you don't have much food, but do keep a camping lantern for emergency lighting after the power went out back in xyz date/year.

 

[Wise Owl]

Wow, I am amazed at the stuff thrown out here. This is a great opportunity to get the community organized and you guys are scared to death about it.

I would go to the meeting and while being quiet about what I already have, I would certainly throw out some suggestions. Maybe say you have watched disaster movies or something and noticed things people needed but didn't have and suggest those things might be good.

I could only WISH all communities in the US would do this. Maybe we wouldn't have so many dgi's.....

Use this opportunity well. It could spring into something that will pull you all together instead of fighting amongst yourselves when it does hit the fan.

I guess I am the eternal optimist......Be cautious be not discouraging. You never know. I think a lot of people are waking up.

 

[TJA]

Wow, I am amazed at the stuff thrown out here. This is a great opportunity to get the community organized and you guys are scared to death about it.

I would go to the meeting and while being quiet about what I already have...

There are very good reasons to be wary of this and you seem to have the same concerns.

The sheer numbers alone around here pretty much keep me quiet.