By Maj. John A. Gagan Sunday, February 7, 2010

The writer, a native of Southern Pines, is now attending the Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kan. He wrote this as a class project.

As the Sandhills region of North Carolina recovers from the first substantial round of wintry mix since the blizzard of 2000, it seems fitting to highlight the need for actionable disaster preparedness plans that are easily executable by individuals, communities and municipalities.

Recently, Lt. Gen. Russell Honore, author of “Survival: How a Culture of Preparedness Can Save You and Your Family From Disasters,” spoke to our class at the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. (more…)

“My ideas have undergone a process of emergence by emergency. When they are needed badly enough, they are accepted.” –Buckminster Fuller

When I was 10, a woman from our neighborhood whom my parents had never met came knocking with her pre-teen daughter in tow. She asked my mom if her kid could watch my dad, the songwriter Carl Sigman, write a song. My mom’s deadpan reply: “He does most of his writing on the john.”

What if the very idea of community connection leaves you cold? You don’t have kids or pets, the street is just a place to pick up your mail and the idea of getting to know your neighbors fills your heart with dread. In the great tradition of Frederic Nietzsche, George Carlin and — to a lesser extent — my dad, you’re a curmudgeon, and only being left alone can make you feel truly at home. (more…)

So, I was digging around on the ready.gov website and I came across a cool widget (Quick Share) that allows you to generate an email text containing emergency contact info for you to share with family, friends, etc.  In addition to your info, it shares your emergency contact, out-of-town contact, and neighborhood meeting place. Right away I thought this was winner; everyone in your circle has everyone else’s contact info already save to their iphone, blackberry, laptop, etc. before any emergency arises. When you consider how fast telephone switchboards get overloaded and cell phone towers shut down after a major emergency having a prearranged meeting place along with contact info for everyone is vital.

What have past acts of destruction taught us about what will happen to mankind after the apocalypse? Is it inevitable that disaster will someday strike America on an unprecedented level? How has history prepared us?

History’s most dramatic events — Hiroshima, 9/11, Hurricane Katrina and others — are examined and analyzed with hard data gathered from their massive aftereffects.

The disappearance of water and food supplies, the effects of deteriorated sanitation and health care on the remaining population, and the increased use of violence as a means of survival — all illustrate how societies have responded and survived in AFTER ARMAGEDDON.

1/9

(more…)

With popular TV shows like “Man Vs. Wild”  and  “Survivorman” demonstrating their hosts survival skills in exotic places such as,  the Arctic Circle, deserts of North Africa, and the jungles of Panama, I think as viewers we tend to forget these guys are the best at what they do and have been training and fine tuning there skills for years.  As survivalist I think we all love to get out there and try out new gear and test out skills, but you gotta be reasonable in how you go about it. Take  41year old Richard Code for example. Code was a devoted fan of Canada’s Survivorman show and decided to put himself to the test in the Ontario bush in the dead of winter without a parka. When interviewed by  Yahoo Canada, his friend told the reporter:

“Code was well aware of the dangers, and prepared carefully for his trips, taking an axe, knife, and a top-of-the-line 17-function utility tool.”

In what world was does an axe, knife, utility tool and no jacket prepare you for10 degree nights and heavy snow fall? I hope the late Mr. Code’s story provides an eye-opening lesson about using your noodle BEFORE you head outdoors.

[Via Equip 2 Endure]

Interesting interactive map of the Oxfam relief effort in Haiti.

View Oxfam in Haiti in a larger map