Think flooding, extreme weather, loss of essential services, infectious disease, environmental disaster, civil unrest and terrorist or cyber threats.
I know the 'Prepper' community is far larger in the US than here in the UK but we may be getting a boost.
Last night at my local Ham Radio get together we were visited by a representative from our Local Resilience Forum (LRF). In the UK this is a partnership arrangement bringing together local authorities, emergency services, and other relevant organisations to coordinate emergency planning, response and recovery efforts at a local level.
LRFs tend to be established in each police area and are community led and tasked to respond to a wide range of emergencies. We get a lot of flooding round my way and Raynet (Radio Amateurs' Emergency Network) have shown to be a vital in regards to coordinating communications when at one point local cell towers went offline. But as mentioned above it's not just about flooding. And it's not just about comms.
Ham radio operators are and eclectic bunch of problem solving generalists from a variety of technical fields. A serious asset for the LRF which is all about sharing information, fostering collaboration, and joint decision-making in order to respond on a community level. Basically getting things done should the emergency services and local government be stretched. Which in the UK they very much are.
I have to admit I was a little excited at the meeting. Not because there appeared to be a sudden stepping up in emergency preparedness, something not seen in the UK since the Cold War, but because this meeting had justified my years of stockpiling equipment and knowledge alongside a passion for community building... just in case.
Beside the combined efforts of professionals and volunteers, I feel the amateur radio community has so much to offer. Yes a bunch of nerds and their knowledge of technology can undoubtedly enhance resilience and an emergency response, but addressing emergencies requires a holistic approach. Something that encompasses human skills, collaboration, information management and community engagement. Not to mention the ethical considerations in a time of crisis.
It is this combination of technological tools and human capabilities that will allow effective problem-solving in an emergency situation.
I’d be interested to know your thoughts on this…
So my question to you is are you ready? What have you done, acquired, built or learned that has you prepared for an emergency?
I’m not particularly prepped, but I do always like to know we’ve got an off-grid cabin in a woodland, an allotment and a garden veg patch… My most preppy thing was to buy iodine when Russie invaded Ukraine. It’s probably out of date now though…
Hi Katie, thanks for the comment. I think iodine has a shelf life of 2 to 5 years depending on whether it's solution to tablets. I think I have some that's about 30 years old. Best bin it :-)
I used to have a NBC outfit left over from NBC training in the cadets. Still have the respirator. Nuclear is the only thing I'm not at all prepared for. Other than I have the tech to measure ionising radiation. If things go that far I'd probably rather not know.
If I was to upscale anything it would be my ability to purify water. I have a few water filtration systems. Including one decent high capacity system. But I'd need a better water catchment solution other than the three small water butts I currently have.
In regards to growing our own food we have a tiny greenhouse and would have to survive on garden full of wood pigeon. :-)
Staying in LA I always knew where the go-bag was in case of earthquake son when the kids arrived I built my own from scratch to keep in the car here. I looked at ones you could buy complete online but the stuff was pretty low quality so although my gear is more expensive I know it won’t fall apart if I ever need it. Now it’s done I forget about it but have calendar reminders set so I know when to replace the energy bars etc.
I found I could buy a box of MRE energy bars for next to nothing. I had hundreds of the things. Date and banana I think. Some ended up 5 years out of date and still tasted good.
I’m not particularly prepped, but I do always like to know we’ve got an off-grid cabin in a woodland, an allotment and a garden veg patch… My most preppy thing was to buy iodine when Russie invaded Ukraine. It’s probably out of date now though…
Hi Katie, thanks for the comment. I think iodine has a shelf life of 2 to 5 years depending on whether it's solution to tablets. I think I have some that's about 30 years old. Best bin it :-)
I used to have a NBC outfit left over from NBC training in the cadets. Still have the respirator. Nuclear is the only thing I'm not at all prepared for. Other than I have the tech to measure ionising radiation. If things go that far I'd probably rather not know.
If I was to upscale anything it would be my ability to purify water. I have a few water filtration systems. Including one decent high capacity system. But I'd need a better water catchment solution other than the three small water butts I currently have.
In regards to growing our own food we have a tiny greenhouse and would have to survive on garden full of wood pigeon. :-)
Staying in LA I always knew where the go-bag was in case of earthquake son when the kids arrived I built my own from scratch to keep in the car here. I looked at ones you could buy complete online but the stuff was pretty low quality so although my gear is more expensive I know it won’t fall apart if I ever need it. Now it’s done I forget about it but have calendar reminders set so I know when to replace the energy bars etc.
I found I could buy a box of MRE energy bars for next to nothing. I had hundreds of the things. Date and banana I think. Some ended up 5 years out of date and still tasted good.
Yeah they’re a bit of a hassle which is why I went for a decent hatchet in case I need to sausageise the neighbours.