Monthly Archives: October 2014

October 31st, 2014
post by policysup | | 0

Flying defibrillator/ambulance drone

I go back and forth on the subject of drones but wanted to share this:

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A Dutch student has revealed a prototype ‘ambulance drone’, a flying defibrillator able to reach heart attack victims within precious life-saving minutes.
Developed by engineering graduate Alec Momont, it can fly at speeds of up to 100 kilometres per hour (60 miles per hour). Painted in emergency services yellow and driven by six propellers, the drone can carry a four kilogramme load – in this case a defibrillator. ‘Around 800,000 people suffer a cardiac arrest in the European Union every year and only 8.0 percent survive,’ Momont, 23, said at the TU Delft University.

‘The main reason for this is the relatively long response time of emergency services of around 10 minutes, while brain death and fatalities occur with four to six minutes,’ he said.
‘The ambulance drone can get a defibrillator to a patient within a 12 square kilometre (4.6 square miles) zone within a minute, reducing the chance of survival from 8 percent to 80 percent.’
The drone tracks emergency mobile calls and uses the GPS to navigate. Once at the scene, an operator, like a paramedic, can watch, talk and instruct those helping the victim by using an on-board camera connected to a control room via a livestream webcam.

The prototype has already attracted the interest of emergency services including that of Amsterdam, the Dutch daily Algemeen Dagblad said. The Dutch Heart Foundation also applauded the idea, the newspaper added. Momont however wants his drone to become a ‘flying medical toolbox’ able to carry an oxygen mask to a person trapped in a fire or an insulin injection to a diabetes sufferer.
However, the drone is still in its infancy as far as developing its steering mechanism and legal issues regarding its use are concerned, Momont said. He said he hopes to have an operational emergency drone network across the Netherlands in five years.

The drone is expected to cost around 15,000 euros ($19,000) each. ‘I hope it will save hundreds of lives in the next five years,’ Momont said. It is essential that the right medical care is provided within the first few minutes of a cardiac arrest,’ says. ‘If we can get to an emergency scene faster we can save many lives and facilitate the recovery of many patients. ‘This especially applies to emergencies such as heart failure, drownings, traumas and respiratory problems, and it has become possible because life-saving technologies, such as a defibrillator, can now be designed small enough to be transported by a drone.

Check out St John First Aid  video on how this works.

Youtube add:

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.


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October 30th, 2014
post by policysup | | 0

How to Build a Rotating Canned Food Shelf

Storing canned food in your kitchen cabinets is an inefficient use of space and you will often find old cans in the back. This easy-to-build shelf system will solve the problem by rotating the cans.

The cost is a small fraction of the price of retail canned food systems. There are many variations so modify the plans to suit your needs and abilities.

Step 1

Decide the size and number of shelves you need. This article will cover a 5-shelf system that is 32 inches wide, 24 inches deep and 64 inches tall.

Step 2

Cut the plywood on a table saw or with a circular saw.

  • Cut one full sheet in half length-wise. From each half, cut a shelf at 32 inches (should leave 64 inches for the sides).
  • Cut the other full sheet in half length-wise also. Cut each half in thirds at 32 inches each.
  • Cut the half-sheet of plywood at 32 inches. Cut the 32×48 piece in half (24×32). Set the remaining 16×48 piece aside for later. You should have 2-24×64 and 10-24×32.

Step 3

Using a router and straight edge, rout slots into the sides 3/4 inch wide and 1/2 inch deep. (An alternative is to attach rails that the shelves will rest on. The slot method is stronger and will not interfere with the rolling cans.)

  • The shelves need to have a 1:12 slope (1 inch drop for each 12 inches run).
  • For standard cans, the distance from the top of the input shelf to the top of the corresponding output shelf is 8 inches.
  • For standard cans, the distance from the top of the input shelf, to the top of the next output shelf is 4 inches.
  • For standard cans, the input shelf is 3.5 inches shorter than the output shelf.
  • For larger cans, add 1 inch to these dimensions.
  • Draw outlines for all slots.

Step 4

Trim the shelves. The finished outside width of the shelf system will be 32 inches. The shelves will fit in a slot 1/4 inch deep. Therefore, the width of the shelves is actually 31 inches. Each input shelf also needs to be trimmed on the back to allow a space for the can to drop. For standard cans, this gap needs to be 3.5 inches.

 

Step 5

Lay one side flat on the ground with the slots facing up. Insert the shelves into the slots and place the other side on top.

Step 6

Drive 2 inch screws through the side and into the edge of the shelf. Put two screws in each shelf.

Step 7

Turn the unit over and drive screws in this side also.

Step 8

Turn the unit over so the back is facing up. Attach the pieces that were cut from the input shelves to prevent the cans from falling off the back.

Step 9

From the 16×48 scrap plywood, cut 5 pieces 2×32 inch. Turn the unit over so the front is facing up. Attach the 2×32 inch pieces to block the cans from falling out the front.

Step 10

With the remaining plywood and/or additional scrap you have laying around, build a base that the casters will attach to. Stand the unit upright and attach it to the base.

Step 11

Decide the configuration of cans that you need. Each row will need to be about 1/2 inch wider than the can. On the table saw, rip 1/4 inch-wide strips from plywood, MDF, or dimensional lumber. MDF and lumber work best. Attach them to the shelves with wood glue.

Step 12

One problem you may have is the cans getting misaligned when they drop down. A solution for this is to add a divider connecting the row dividing strips, filling the gap. Cut cardboard in a trapezoidal shape to fit over the two row dividers. Cut out the center material of the cardboard and glue the flaps to the row dividers.

Step 13

Another problem occurs when the gap is too large for the cans. The can can get blocked, preventing other cans from dropping down. A solution for this problem is to glue wedges at the back of the lower shelf. This will cause the can to roll forward before the next one locks it in. The wedges can be cut from the same material used for the row dividers. They should be large enough to move the can forward.

Step 14

Start using the rotating canned food shelf. Add labels to the front of each row to identify the contents and load cans in the top portion of each shelf.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

Via: Wikihow.com

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October 29th, 2014
post by policysup | | 0

Did someone Hack the U.S. Emergency Alert System: Presidential Alert System Taken over in 3 Major U.S. Cities

This week AT&T U-Verse customers in Atlanta, Dallas, Michigan and Austin, Texas woke to find their TVs had been taken over by the Presidential Emergency Alert System. The message, claiming to be an emergency alert issued by The White House, alerted viewers that their programming was being re-directed or “force tuned” to another channel.

The strange thing about the alert, which is part of the EAN or Emergency Alert Notification system, is the only person who has the ability to activate this alert system is President – and only in times of emergency.

Video of the Emergency Alert as it Happened:

 

AT&T put out a statement saying: “Earlier today U-verse TV customers may have received an Emergency Alert notification. We have confirmed that there is no emergency at this time and we are investigating why this occurred. We apologize for any inconvenience.” 

Back in 2011 the Obama administration completely overhauled the nation’s emergency response system, giving the president the ability to instantly take over the entire broadcast system with the flip of a switch. In case of national emergencies, the new system allows the president to take over television airways, radio signals, and even the internet and your cell phone. Today’s mystery takeover of the EAS system raises some very troubling questions, and shows how easily the whole system can be forcibly taken over.

The White House has yet to comment on the situation, or even acknowledge what happened.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

 

Via:   offgridsurvival

 

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October 28th, 2014
post by policysup | | 0

Obama’s Defense Department puts returning Military under Mandatory Quarantine: No reentry into U.S.

After refusing to stop incoming flights from Africa, and then forcing governors in three states to stop quarantining returning doctors, the Pentagon has ignored the Obama administration’s own policy and has started quarantining returning members of the military.

U.S. Army soldiers returning from Liberia are being placed in isolation in Vicenza, Italy and will be held there for at least 21 days. Army Major General Darryl A. Williams, commander of U.S. Army Africa, and approximately 10 other members of the U.S. military have been placed under quarantine in Italy after returning from West Africa over the weekend, according to multiple U.S. military officials.

Williams’ plane was met on the ground by Italian authorities “in full CDC gear,” the official said, referring to the type of protective equipment worn by U.S. health care workers. Another 30 members of the military are expected to be placed under quarantine orders later today.

Refusing to use the word Quarantine, the Obama administration is instead saying the isolated soldiers are under “enhanced monitoring.” Despite the political name play, family members say the soldiers are confined to a building and are unable to speak to their families – sounds a lot like quarantine to me.

Two sets of rules?

This comes as the White House and the CDC both pressured New Jersey and New York to immediately stop their policies of quarantining returning healthcare workers. While the Obama administration seems to have a different set of rules for returning military, they have yet again changed their recommendations for everyone else.

This morning, federal health officials issued new guidelines calling for voluntary, home quarantine for people returning from West Africa at the highest risk of contracting Ebola. The new guidelines, similar to ones that allowed an infected doctor to roam freely throughout New York, have no real power, and do nothing to stop infected individuals from coming to the country and spreading the disease.

A senior U.S. official told Fox News, “The Obama administration is going to war with New York and New Jersey, but its own military is recommending the same thing.”

Officials have refused to fully explain why the group of soldiers was being put under “controlled monitoring”, which is counter to the Pentagon policy. The current DOD policy on monitoring returning troops says “as long as individuals remain asymptomatic, they may return to work and routine daily activities with family members.”

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Monday that the Defense Department policy is “still under development.” When pressed on the issue on why returning military will be subject to quarantine when returning doctors are allowed to freely roam the streets, Earnest said it’s up to the Defense Department to announce its policies for troops that return from the region.

“We are seeing this administration put in place the policies that we believe are necessary to protect the American people and to protect the American troops,” he said. “And we’re going to let science drive that process. And as soon as we have a policy to announce on this, we’ll let you know.”

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

Via:   offgridsurvival

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October 27th, 2014
post by policysup | | 0

Ebola Reaches the Big Apple, Mandatory Ebola Quarantines in NY and NJ

EBOLA ARRIVES IN NEW YORK CITY
On Thursday afternoon AlertsUSA subscribers were some of the first in the nation to learn of a possible Ebola case in NYC following an announcement by health authorities that a patient was being treated at Bellevue Hospital who met the formal symptom and travel profile including fever, gastrointestinal issues and recent travel from an affected nation. According to the early announcement by the NY Department of Health, disease detectives immediately began contact tracing in an effort to identify anyone who may be at potential risk.

While health authorities declined to say how many people may have come into contact with Dr. Craig Spencer, on Wednesday alone he is reported to have used at least one taxi, one train, visited a bowling alley and jogged several miles. His subway ride occurred just hours before his diagnosis.

Readers should note that the Centers for Disease Control announced that Dr. Spencer had successfully passed “through multiple layers of screening and did not have a fever or other symptoms of illness” when he arrived at JFK airport from Brussels. While the doctor did ultimately contact authorities once a fever began to manifest, he is the latest clear example of how easy it is for the virus to be transported via airline travel to the United States and how the current multi-layer approach of exit and entry screening of airline passengers only catches the low-hanging fruit.

Things That Make You Go Hmmm….

According to the latest information from the CDC, the average time between exposure and the onset of symptoms is 8-10 days. If news reports are correct, the doctor left Guinea on Oct.14 via Brussels, arrived back in the U.S. on Oct. 17, and only began showing symptoms on October 23rd (9 days after leaving Africa). This raises an interesting question: Was the doctor’s travel back to the U.S. at this time because he was aware that he had a critical exposure incident, or is it just a coincidence that he happened to get sick after traveling on an itinerary set weeks or months prior?

Hmmm…..

FEVER IS NOT A DEFINITIVE INDICATOR

While U.S. health authorities continue to emphasize fever is a reliable sign of infection, research published last month by the World Health Organization in the New England Journal of Medicine tells a slightly different story. Within the WHO study, data was analyzed on 3,343 confirmed and 667 probable cases of Ebola. Of these “confirmed and probable” cases in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and elsewhere, 12.9% did not exhibit fever.

MANDATORY EBOLA QUARANTINES IN NY AND NJ

As a result of the incident with Dr. Craig, late Friday, the Governors of New York and New Jersey announced their respective States will automatically quarantine for 21 days all medical workers and anyone else who has direct contact with infected individuals who is returning from Ebola-hit West African countries.

According to NY Governor Andrew Cuomo” “It’s too serious a situation to leave it to the honor system of compliance,”

OFFICIALS DOWNPLAY – EBOLA RESEARCHERS SOUND WARNING

Readers are cautioned with all seriousness that regardless of what elected officials and public health figureheads say to downplay the threat of Ebola here in America, the world’s top research scientists dealing with Ebola tell a different story entirely.

Just last week, one of the world’s top authorities on Ebola, Dr. Peter Jahrling, Chief Scientist of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, stated that he believes the current Ebola outbreak may be caused by an infection that spreads more easily than it did before.

“I have a field team in Monrovia. They are running tests. They are telling me that viral loads are coming up very quickly and are really high, higher than they are used to seeing. ‘It may be that the virus burns hotter and quicker. If this is the case we are dealing with a very different bug.”

Two weeks ago Michael Osterholm, the Director of CIDRAP (Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy), a prominent public health scientist and a nationally recognized biosecurity expert, delivered a presentation at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health during which he revealed that one of the world’s preeminent Ebola researchers, has found that the current strain of Ebola appears to be much worse than any strain seen before.

Osterholm on Ebola (at 20:17 in):

“Today I’ve been given permission to share something I’ve known about for a few weeks that has concerned me greatly. Gary Kobinger and colleagues at Winnipeg Canadian National lab actually took one of the strains from Guinea and put it into Macaques a little over a month and a half ago. What they saw was remarkable. It was unlike any of the Ebola viruses they’ve seen in monkeys. It was much, much more severe; the pathology in the lungs was remarkable. And as Gary said, [and he] is one of the most prominent Ebola virologists in the world, ‘It is very worrisome to me… about what I saw there.’

PENTAGON FORMS EBOLA STRIKE TEAM(S)

In response to a request by the Department of Health and Human Services, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel has ordered the formation of at least one 30-person expeditionary medical support team that could, if required, provide short-notice assistance to civilian medical professionals in the United States.

The team will consist of 20 critical care nurses, 5 doctors trained in infectious disease, and 5 trainers in infectious disease protocols to train local healthcare workers.

Upon conclusion of training, team members will remain in a “prepare to deploy” status for 30 days, available to be sent to other CONUS locations as required. They will not be sent to West Africa or elsewhere overseas and will be called upon domestically only if deemed prudent by our public health professionals.

NEW CDC GUIDANCE ON PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is tightening previous infection control guidance for healthcare workers caring for patients with Ebola, to ensure there is no ambiguity. The guidance focuses on specific personal protective equipment (PPE) healthcare workers should use and offers detailed step by step instructions for how to put the equipment on and take it off safely.

 

AlertsUSA has established an Ebola preparedness website offing specific guidance and information on how to prepare for and respond to a domestic outbreak of Ebola. http://www.EbolaReady.com .

Many of the preparedness suggestions on this page reflect common sense. Others will come across as cold and severe until it is remembered that Ebola is a highly infectious and deadly pathogen. More than half of those who become infected die and that death is particularly gruesome.

In addition, we make product suggestions on the site with links to a multitude of suppliers via Amazon as they are convenient and inexpensive compared to most retail outlets. That said, if you can find these products elsewhere at a better price, grab t. The links are there for your convenience.

OTHER RESOURCES

For 12 of the past 13 weeks, AlertsUSA and Threat Journal have been warning of the progression of the West Africa Ebola outbreak and the danger posed to the continental United States (See
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12). A wealth of information is available within those past issues.

As always, AlertsUSA continues to closely monitor developments with the spread of this virus and will immediately notify service subscribers of major changes in its spread to different regions, important notices and warnings by government agencies or any other major changes in the overall threat environment as events warrant

 

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

Via: threatjournal

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October 26th, 2014
post by policysup | | 0

“I’ll Come To Your Place When SHTF” –You Better Not

This article has been generously contributed by Glen Tate of 299Days.com. Glen is the author of the 10-part series 299 Days, which is inspired by his own life and personal journey. It begins with 299 Days: The Preparation and introduces us to a husband who awakens to the fragility of modern society and embarks on a personal journey that introduces him to a world of self-reliance and liberation. 

In the following article Glen covers an issue that is very dear to most preppers – what to do when neighbors, friends and family come knocking. With limited resources available we’re all going to have to make tough decisions. Like many of us, Glen plans on helping those truly in need. But what about those who refused to see the warning signs and stuck their head in the sand, perhaps even lambasted you for your extreme ideas and theories? Instead of being frugal and preparing, they focused their efforts on entertainment and good times.

But when the good times end, they will come to you for help. What will you do when they show up at your front door?



“I’ll Come To Your Place When SHTF” – No You Won’t
By Glen Tate | 299 Days

(This post is something you can send to your friends or print out and hand to them when SHTF.)

Dear Friend:

I love my friends, but I will shoot you if I have to.  I’m serious.  Here’s why.

I tried to persuade you to prepare for what’s coming and, in the process, revealed that to you that I’m preparing.  You realized that I have food, guns, etc., and ended up saying, half kidding but half serious, “I’ll come to your place when SHTF.”

No you won’t.  I will shoot you.  If you threaten me and my family, I will use force to defend against any threat.  And showing up at my place hungry and unprepared is a threat to me.  You will eat my food and use up my medical supplies, generator, firewood, etc.  That’s less of these life-saving things for me and my family.  That’s a threat.

Is this greed on my part?  No.  I will take care of the truly needy – those who cannot take care of themselves.  But you are different.  Very different.  You had plenty of chances to prepare for yourself.

But what did you do?  You spent the weekends watching football, went on expensive vacations, and never made your spouse mad at you with your “crazy” ideas that something bad was happening.  You didn’t do shit because… you would just come to my place.  Problem solved, right?  You didn’t need to spend time, money, and create domestic strife because I did that all for you.

Not.  Why should I spend my time, money, and stress just so you can waltz into my place and live happily ever after?  I’m a nice guy, but – really? – I’m going to spend my (very limited) free time, disposable income, and domestic tranquility just so you can have a leisurely life and more material comforts pre-Collapse while I don’t?

Why do you think I will sacrifice enormous amounts of my time and money so you can enjoy yourself while I’m slaving away?  Would you assume you could come over and leave your broken car at my house?  That I would just spend thousands of dollars on parts and several weekends fixing it and then hand it over to you with a smile – just because I’m a “good guy”?  Would anyone expect that?

You do, apparently.  You actually expect to waltz over to my cabin and receive – with a smile – thousands of dollars of food and other supplies that took me all my weekends to acquire and store.

So, my grasshopper friend (as in the story of the grasshopper and the ant), here is your official warning: if your “plan” for your and your family’s safety is to come to my place, you’re wrong.  When you show up, I’ll ask you to leave.  When you don’t, I’ll point a gun in your face.  If you refuse to leave, I will shoot you.  You are a threat to me.

You had years of time and very clear warnings to get ready.  But you didn’t.  Hey, I love football but haven’t been able to watch a game in a few years; I’ve been fixing up the cabin, buying supplies, and training with the Team.  I spent a lot of money doing all these things so I haven’t gone on a long vacation in… forever.  I have had several difficult times with my wife because of all the prepping I’m doing; I could have easily done what you did, which is just say “Yes, dear” and not prepare because she didn’t want you to.

I hope this message jolted you.  There’s still some time.  Go prep.  Please understand that your plan cannot be “I’ll come to your place.”  I don’t want to shoot you.



Glen Tate” (not his real name) is a lawyer and political person in Olympia, the state capitol of Washington State.  He was a secret prepper, hiding his activities from his wife – and he wrote the ten-book 299 Days series in secret, too. 

Glen has led an amazing life – and one that took a surprising turn. He grew up poor in the rural logging town of Forks, Washington. He worked hard to become a successful professional with a job in the political arena. Thinking he’d finally made it and everything was great, he was stunned to see how corrupt government is. From his observations at his job, he realized that America is collapsing and bad things are coming. Very soon. He began to prepare for him and his family to make it through the civil unrest of the coming collapse. That meant he had to return to his rural roots – quite a shock to his family and friends. Even more amazing was that he wrote down what he foresees happening during the collapse and it became a ten-book novel series published by Prepper Press.

The 299 Days series is available in Audio Book Format, as well as print and Kindle.

You can visit Glen’s web site at 299days.com

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

 

Via: shtfplan

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October 25th, 2014
post by policysup | | 0

Your Family Survival Plan – a Review

I decided to write a short review of a program –  Your Family Survival Plan.


This is another one of those products that we’ve all seen advertised on most of the prepper type blog via banner ads in the sidebars, and you probably, just skipped over it without even giving it a second thought. I’ve as guilty as you are for doing this, but recently, I’ve been paying more attention and I’ve even ordered several different programs of this type just to see what all of the hoopla is all about.

There is a total of 210 pages. The sections on food storage looks original, but it’s pretty much the same info that has been repeated in just about every food storage and prepper book ever written. If you’re new to prepping and have yet to store your first can of food in the pantry, then you might find something useful here, but if you’ve been doing this for any length of time then you won’t find anything of much use here…

Same with the sections on survival kits, bug out bags, first aid-kits, bug out vehicles.  The rest of the book is pretty much the same information that you can find in the U.S. Army Survival Manual or other such manual.

Okay, now that we have the negative stuff out-of-the-way, what did I like about Your Family Survival Plan…

For one it’s very professionally put formatted, who ever put this program together knew what they were doing – I will admit that I’m a bit envious right now and wishing that I had formatting skills like that. Unfortunately, my formatting skills are on par with a drunk monkey or something similar…

The expert formatting job makes the information, extremely easy to read quickly, and to understand the material. This is a huge plus – especially for new preppers.

When reading some books like U.S. Army Survival Manual, the reader is often left scratching their head in confusion, because the line drawings and descriptions give are hard to understand, unless the reader already has some knowledge of what they are reading.

Thankfully, because of the excellent formatting and more detailed how-to-do-it descriptions in Your Family Survival Plan this isn’t an issue.

Okay, so would recommend that you go out and buy Your Family Survival Plan? That depends. If you’re a new prepper that’s looking for a whole bunch of prepping and survival information that’s put together in an easy, to understand format, then yes, but if you’ve been at this for 20+ years like I have, then you’ll probably be disappointed.

But then there is a full no questions asked 60 day (I think it was 60 days) money back guarantee so if you do decide to take a look and find that it’s not useful to you, then you can get a full refund, so you really can’t lose.

Also check out:

The G.O.O.D Survival Manuals: Every Family Should Have One

Preppers Checklist : 10 Things To Do Now!

A Year of Supplemental Food Storage for $300 for a family of FOUR !

Keeping your family safe – PLANNING FOR THE OBVIOUS

How to Always Be Prepared, No Matter Where You Are

Family Disaster Planning

Be Prepared

The Top 5 Reasons I “Prepare”

Assess your personal survival situation

12 Strategies to Build the Ultimate Pantry

A Written Plan for Your Preparedness

How to Get Your Family Interested In Preparedness

Rules for Your Emergency Food Pantry

The Total Prepper Plan

First Time Shopping List For An Emergency Food Supply

Top 9 Mistakes Of Those New to Prepping

Getting Started With Food Storage

120 Powerful Pieces Of Advice For Preppers

Store Your Food and Be Ready

10 Things I Wish I Had Known About Food Storage 10 Years Ago

Why Prepping is a Good Thing

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

 

Via:   thesurvivalistblog

 

 

 


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October 24th, 2014
post by policysup | | 0

How We Can Stop Ebola

Check out this article from Ban Ki-moon Secretary-General of the United Nations

 

———————–


The Ebola outbreak in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone is the largest the world has ever seen, and transmission is rising exponentially. Since the start of the outbreak, the disease has infected almost 10,000 people and killed nearly 4,900. The disease has taken a severe toll on healthcare workers, with more than 400 infected and over 200 dead, and already fragile health systems are suffering. More people are dying from common, treatable medical conditions than from Ebola. The virus is also having a grave impact on economic progress and stability, with inflation and food prices rising.

From doctors and grave diggers to nurses and ambulance drivers, I salute the courage of the many medical and support personnel who are working at great personal risk on the front-lines of the Ebola epidemic. Day after day they step forward to care for the sick and help prevent the virus from spreading. We owe them an enormous debt of gratitude.

The UN stands with the people affected by Ebola – those who are infected, those who are caring for the sick, those who have lost loved ones and the people of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone who are living under the constant fear of infection.

They have asked for urgent help and the international community is answering the call with a totally unprecedented response. The first-ever UN emergency health mission, known as UNMEER, is working to respond to immediate needs and coordinate action on the ground. Many countries have made major financial contributions; others have sent trained and experienced medical personnel to give support on the ground.

We have five priorities for an effective Ebola response — stop the outbreak, treat the infected, ensure essential services, preserve stability and prevent outbreaks in non-affected countries.

To do all of this, we need a massive surge in assistance – in the form of mobile laboratories, vehicles, helicopters, protective equipment, trained medical personnel, medevac capacities and more.


I have launched an appeal for $1 billion, which is now 40 per cent funded. As a complementary measure, I have established a flexible, accountable, strategic and transparent trust fund for governments, businesses and foundations to channel their contributions. Commitments are coming in – some $49.5 million, but we need considerably more to finance critical unfunded priorities and help reduce the rate of Ebola transmission.

The private sector has an important role to play. The Business Engagement Guide outlines the ways that businesses can contribute to efforts – financially, with in-kind donations, by directly providing assets or services and more.

Spreading even faster than Ebola is fear and misunderstanding. We need to raise awareness of the facts of Ebola and what can be done to stop it.

Many people are unsure about how Ebola is spread and whether it’s safe to travel. The World Health Organization (WHO) is providing the answers to these questions and more. Follow them on Twitter and Facebook for regular updates.

Some also have questions about travel restrictions to and from Ebola-affected areas. Experience has shown that blanket travel bans don’t work and can in fact impede our ability to contain the disease. The only way to end this crisis is to end the Ebola epidemic at its source – and that means stepping up and providing the assistance so badly needed in West Africa. Isolation only hampers international efforts to reach people in need.


This week, WHO officially declared Nigeria and Senegal free of Ebola virus transmission, after 42 days without a single case. These success stories show that Ebola can be contained.

If you want to help, there are several ways that we as individuals — and as global citizens — can step up. Stay informed. Share the facts. If you can, make a donation to help the Ebola response. Qualified health workers can also volunteer to be part of the Ebola response on the ground in West Africa.

Every contribution and every show of support matters.

Find out more about the global Ebola crisis response.

Get information from the World Health Organization.

———————–

I think that he should also read these:

U.S. Refuses Close Boarders when Every Country in Africa that has stopped Ebola did so

 

Ebola: The Year Of Living Dangerously

 

A Single Ebola Patient Has Overwhelmed The System: Dallas Hospital Forced To Close Emergency Room

 

Governments Building Ebola Detention Camps to Quarantine the Infected: “Community Care Centers”

 

Martial Law Declared in Response to Ebola Virus

 

Model Shows How Ebola Will Spread: “It Only Takes One Infected Individual Making It Through An Airport Checkpoint”

 

What is Ebola? And How to Protect Yourself

 

Map Of Ebola Quarantine Stations: Here’s Where They’ll Send Those Suspected of Ebola or “Respiratory Illnesses”

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

Via:  Ban Ki-moon


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October 24th, 2014
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Basic Steps to Maintain Your Core Temperature

In a true survival situation, such as if you’re lost in the woods, the first priority is to do everything you can to maintain your core body temperature. Hypothermia (core temperature too low) can kill a whole lot faster than a lack of food or water. Hyperthermia (core temperature too high) is no fun, either.

First Steps

The first step is to get out of the elements if at all possible. Rain, snow, wind, and even the hot sun can all negatively affect you. Avoid sitting on damp ground or cold rocks. If you have a jacket or something with you, use it as a cushion to help avoid losing body heat through conduction. Insulating yourself from other objects is important when trying to maintain your core temperature.

Our first line of defense is our clothing, of course. Always strive to either wear or have with you seasonal appropriate outerwear. Even a small rain poncho stuffed into a pocket or pack will benefit you should the weather take a turn.

A good quality emergency blanket will also work well. I stress, though, that you should purchase one of good quality. The cheap ones, such as you might find at a dollar store, are so thin and fragile they are all but worthless. Spend a couple of extra dollars and get something durable, possibly even wool. More than one hiker has unfolded their cheap emergency blanket and found nothing but ribbons of material because it had worn through on all of the folds in the package.

Staying Warm

Emergency blankets work best when wrapped tightly around you, like a cocoon. However, they can also serve as a roof for an expedient shelter, keeping the rain and snow off of you. Most of them don’t come with easy attachment points where you can tie paracord (you do carry paracord, right?) but you can make your own grommets, after a fashion. Take a small rock and place it in the corner of the blanket. Fold the blanket around the rock a couple of times, then tie your paracord around the resulting bulge.

A small campfire can also serve to warm you up and dry you out. This is why every survival kit, no matter how small, should have fire making gear in it. A butane lighter, strike anywhere matches, and/or a ferro rod, coupled with tinder like dryer lint or cotton balls soaked in petroleum jelly, will make this job infinitely easier than trying to assemble a bow drill or some other primitive fire making apparatus.

If the weather has been rainy and you have a hard time finding dry wood, try batoning firewood. Yet another way is to use a pencil sharpener to carve off wood shavings from thin sticks. That should provide enough small fuel to at least get the fire started.

Staying Cool

But, what if the problem is too much heat, rather than too little? Baking in the sun will dehydrate you quickly, adding to your dilemma. Use your poncho, emergency blanket, or even a shirt or jacket to create shade to rest under. Limit your activity as much as you can.

If you have a body of water nearby, such as a pond or stream, soak fabric and place it on your neck and wrists. I do not recommend you use your available drinking water for this, though. Consume your potable water to keep hydrated.

Maintaining your core body temperature is absolutely crucial to survival. Be sure to have the proper gear with you any time you venture into the field.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

Via:   thesurvivalmom

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October 23rd, 2014
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Second Terror Attack in Canada: Active Shooter Situation as Terrorists Target Canadian Military

In the second suspected terror attack this week in Canada, a radicalized Islamist convert, Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, shot and killed a Canadian soldier and then stormed the Canadian Parliament. Police are reporting 3 separate shootings – one in Parliament, one at the Canadian war memorial, and one at Rideau Centre mall. Canadian authorities are looking for as many as three gunmen, and the entire area has been shut down all day.

Witnesses said the soldier was shot at point-blank range by Zehaf-Bibeau, who was dressed all in black, with a scarf over his face. The gunman then ran off and entered Parliament, a few hundred yards away, where 30 – 50 shots soon rang out. Ottawa police spokesman Chuck Benoit said two or three gunmen were believed to be involved in the attacks. Gilles Michaud, assistant commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, called it a “dynamic, unfolding situation.”

The shooting comes two days after another Islamic radical killed one Canadian soldier and injured another in a hit-and-run style attack before being shot by police. That suspect had been on the radar of the Canadian government, who feared he had jihadist ambitions and seized his passport when he tried to travel to Turkey.

Just hours after Canada raised its terror threat level, shots rang out at the Canadian War Memorial.

“The indications are there is more than one gunman. There may be several,” Canadian MP Marc Garneau told the BBC, adding he and fellow politicians were evacuated from the area.

Cabinet minister Tony Clement tweeted that at least 30 shots were heard inside the Parliament building, where MPs were holding their weekly caucus meetings. Emergency responders are still on the scene and paramedics took the wounded soldier away in an ambulance.



Canadian Military told not to Wear Uniform in Public.

After today’s shooting, military personnel in Canada are being warned not to wear their uniform in public.  CBC Montreal obtained a copy of an email directed to student soldiers with the Canadian Armed Forces telling them not to wear their uniforms, even on base.

An email sent to Canadian military personnel instructed them to avoid wearing their uniforms, and  instructed military personnel in uniform to not make any stops — not even at gas stations, daycares, schools and elsewhere — while travelling between the base and home.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

 

Via:   offgridsurvival

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