Monthly Archives: November 2014

November 20th, 2014
post by policysup | | 0

Are You Prepared to Quarantine?

I’ve been seeing rumblings about the Bird Flu strains circulating in China right now. Apparently there are a couple of very fatal ones. Nothing new here folks, nothing to worry about, says the main stream media. I’m sure there are people out there prepping for it though. So let’s talk about what you’d need to maintain a quarantine if the situation ever called for it.  Food and water obviously.

Detention of humans or animals suspected to have communicable disease until they are proved free of infection. The term is often used interchangeably with isolation (separation of a known infected individual from healthy ones until the danger of transmission passes). It derives from the 40-day isolation period instituted in an attempt to prevent spread of plague in the Middle Ages.

So if you want to go all Medieval on it, you would need 40 days of food and water. 40 days of milk and fruit and bread. That’s a tall order.  But start small, get a week’s worth of food and water built up, then get another week’s worth. Keep at it and you’ll get to the 40 day mark.

LOTS of water. HOT water. It doesn’t really matter which plague or bug it is that you find yourself fighting. Hot water is usually the answer. Although it wouldn’t hurt to have bleach in your artillery too. I know, it’s heavy and expires too quickly to store well. I’m just saying, if you can arrange to have it, do so. Hot water though is your bare minimum to put up any sort of effective defense. Boil anything you’re drinking or cooking with. Bonus points if you boil your food too, this is not the time for salads and sushi.

Buckets and bags – this is more a practical matter than a super-secret prepper trick. Ideally you want a bucket for each person. Something to catch various body fluids in. Something that cleans out easily. Bags are nice for containing linens and towels that are fouled. Trash bags or large shopping bags are what you need here.

Disinfectant – Alcohols work well as both a disinfectant and an antiseptic. Alcohols are most effective when combined with purified water. A mixture of 70% ethanol or isopropanol diluted in water is effective against a wide spectrum of bacteria. Bleach I’ve already mentioned, hydrogen peroxide is another one I like to have on hand. My husband was raised with Iodine solutions.

You will need to determine if you’ll need physical deterrents to ensure your quarantine. A gate? A door barricade? Some sort of weapon? Perhaps you have space working in your favor. Will you alert family and friends or just go black? Lots to think about.

 

So let’s start thinking with at least this:

  • Instead of liquid bleach maybe have a 5 gallon bucket of large bleach tablets. They are the kind that are used for swimming pools and you can dilute them to the strength you need. They store well if you keep them dry and last forever. Another option came from local Menard’s sell bleach tablets that should last for years, only needing water to turn them into usable bleach. They sell them for $2.89 a bottle. I bought 15 of them and put away 14 of them. I’m using the 1 bottle to see how they work and so they seem to work just like liquid bleach in my laundry. Once I’m sure they work well I will vacuum seal them in a big canning jar and probably buy more of them.

     

  • And just to make the world nicer…one of those toilet seats that fits on top of a standard 5 gal bucket.

     

  • A bag of lime for the smell of buckets maybe?

     

  • I have some large tents and a camper for isolating people and ways to heat them. If it was bad enough I would go “black”. Close the gate, put up a sign, and keep things dark and quiet. For boiling water out and about, everyone needs to have some bricks around to build some rocket stoves. They are very efficient and reduce smoke to next to nothing after a few minutes. Your best weapon might be the illusion that everyone is infected at your homestead.

     

  • Don’t forget face masks and rubbers gloves.

     

Also check out:

11 Things You Must Have On Hand In Case Ebola Hits The Fan

Pandemic Preparedness

15 Preparedness Uses for Kiddie Pools

16 Uses for Plastic Sheeting

6 Ways To Prepare Ebola

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

Via :   shtfblog

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November 19th, 2014
post by policysup | | 0

11 Things You Must Have On Hand In Case Ebola Hits The Fan

Ebola is not over.  As it becomes more clear that Ebola is firmly a worldwide problem, there may have been unintentional exposure to hundreds of people outside of the hot zone.  To be prepared, you should have a few things on hand that will keep you safer than without them. Ebola is a serial killer and will take every possible opportunity to kill those who come to help.  But like any war, we have weapons too, and they are in the strategic categories of identification, defense, attack, and containment.  There is also an amount of practicality on this list.

By Doc Montana, a contributing author of Survival Cache and SHTFBlog

It contains nothing that costs more than a few dollars. Everyone should have these materials on hand since unintentional exposure is always accidental.  Therefore your planning time is now, and you will likely be on your own if this goes downhill fast.

Finally, do not take this list as anywhere near adequate to work with an Ebola-infected patient. Instead this list is designed to reduce your chance of exposure in public, and to make a last-ditch effort to prevent further spread should Ebola hit close to home.  More elaborate barrier methods including disposable Tyvek suits and full-face respirators will certainly better your odds, but only if you have them, replace them often, and have enough of them to outfit your family or community.

The Shopping List

Bleach:  Chlorinated water has been proven an effective disinfectant for Ebola.  For best results mix 1:10, or one part bleach to ten parts water (not the one to nine as is often written).  So a one-gallon bottle of household bleach (i.e. Clorox) will provide eleven gallons of disinfectant.  Only mix as needed since the diluted bleach loses its strength over a day or two depending on temperature and air exposure. And paradoxically, diluted bleach is a better disinfectant than concentrated bleach, so more is not necessarily better.  And keep the area or thing to be disinfected moist with the bleach solution for minutes rather than seconds.  At least 10 minutes if you can.


Gloves:  The professionals use heavier, thicker gloves, but that is because they are intentionally entering an Ebola theater.  Your prevention needs will be served fine with Nitrile or latex exam gloves.  They should fit snugly and be replaced often.  To remove the gloves, pinch the glove at the wrist with one gloved hand and then pull the glove off the hand turning it inside out.  For the other hand, slide your bare thumb under the other glove at the wrist and pull off the glove without touching its outside surface.  Of course you should soak your gloved hands in the bleach solution prior to removal, and rinse your bare hands again afterwards.  And since the exam gloves are like giant rubber bands, watch out for flying material as the gloves are stretched and removed.

Masks:  There are three main mucous membrane areas on the human face; the mouth, nose and eyes and all are like wide open doors into your body. Particle masks with a minimum rating of N-95 can offer reasonable light protection from Ebola.  While an N-100 mask is arguably better, the fit and ability to change the mask often is more important unless you plan on deliberately entering an Ebola facility. Plus N-100s cost much, much more than N-95s so they probably won’t be changed as often as they should be.

Eye Wear:  With the mouth and nose covered, the eyes need some help.  Eye wear or a transparent face mask does two main things. First, it keeps unintentional Ebola virus from reaching your eyes when virus-contaminated liquid droplets splash, squirt, spray, or projectile in your direction from another person or source.  The second thing is that eye wear helps to keep your own fingers out of your own eyes. It is easy and habitual to touch your own face, so in many ways the mask and eye wear protect you from yourself. You don’t need anything fancy unless deliberately encountering Ebola, good shop glasses or lab goggles are fairly effective. Even prescription glasses or sunglasses are better than nothing, but like wood chips or metal flakes flying around the tool shop, the virus can hit you from the side, bottom or top landing right in your eye.  Then its game over.

Alcohol:  The CDC has found that the Ebola virus can be killed by many common disinfectant agents. They also advise using waterless alcohol disinfectants that are popular these days. Keep in mind three things: 1) Disinfectants are only helpful if used, so having them is not the same as regularly using them. 2) Soap, running water and vigorous scrubbing is more effective so consider the alcohol only a stopgap measure until a proper washing can take place. And 3) Many other fluids contain alcohol, bleach, hydrogen peroxide, or acetic acid (vinegar). Just remember that Ebola, while not a particularly durable virus that will die within a day without a host, does put up a fight so using something like using methyl alcohol gasoline additives (Heet, etc.) as disinfectants will require more time than if a bleach solution was used. And be careful because garage or kitchen decontamination solutions may dissolve other plastic barriers or gloves as well as acting like solvents providing the virus a faster pathway through membranes and even skin.

Duct Tape:  Plastic tape and duct tape will provide an effective barrier if sealed tightly. Disinfection procedures should be followed both before and after the removal of the duct tape because the tape can provide protection to the virus in first-round of decon if it gets trapped between layers or behind corners.


Plastic Sheeting:  Whether drop cloth, ground cloth, or plastic tarp, you can use the material for many last ditch efforts to isolate an area of your home, and make impromptu body bags.  Use the duct tape to secure the sheeting for isolation, and notice the direction of airflow with the goal to vent contaminated areas to the outside.  Even though Ebola is not airborne like the flu, it does easily catch rides on other materials as they are moved about.

Gasoline or Diesel: 
Gas is not just for your bug out vehicle, but also for incinerating ebola-infected materials and bodies. While Ebola will die just fine in a few hours to 24 hours (but give it 48 hours just to be sure) if the Ebola is contained in a fluid that came from an infected person, it remains biologically hot for much longer.  Incineration is an effective way to kill Ebola, and everything else for that matter.  Just don’t do anything stupid while moving the hazardous items to your burn pit.


Thermometer:  An elevated human body temperature is one of the first objective symptoms of an Ebola infection. Therefore the humble thermometer should be used often and effectively to locate those who might be infected within your family, group, or community.  The time for concern is when the body temperature reaches 100.4 degrees F or 38 degrees C.  And remember that a clean bill of health should only be assigned when a person is exposure-free and symptom-free for a full three weeks.

Paper Towels:  You will need to use something to wipe down and dry off surfaces and body parts.  Paper towels are a better solution since linens require management and storage until properly washed. Paper towels can be burned quickly, buried or sealed in plastic bags.

Plastic Garbage Bags:  If hazmat materials cannot be burned immediately, or are made of plastic, you will need to contain them.  Everything on this list will need to be disposed of properly or burned. High quality, thick trash bags are a realistic solution to the problem of storage and disposal of potentially contaminated materials.  This is not the time to buy the cheap ones.  Don’t overload the bags, or drag them causing holes in the plastic.  And don’t just toss them outside since wandering animals of both the wild and formally domestic variety may consider your Hot Zone a free lunch.  Note, however, that the CDC has never received a report of a dog with Ebola.

Also Read:

Pandemic Preparedness

15 Preparedness Uses for Kiddie Pools

16 Uses for Plastic Sheeting

6 Ways To Prepare Ebola

Get Ready

The above list is incomplete and inconclusive. It is not a substitute for proper knowledge and common sense.  This list is, however, designed to provide you with basic supplies on hand that will make a difference.  Good luck.

Further reading on the subject should include the military manual on decontamination, and CDC’s flyer on Ebola:

Decontamination of Vehicles Used To Transport Ebola Patients (Click Here)
CDC – What You Need To Know About Ebola (Click Here)

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

 

 

Via :   survivalcache

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November 18th, 2014
post by policysup | | 0

The Costs of Survival

Guest post by F.R.

For many, the costs involved in preparing for any kind of emergency, whether man made or natural, is too high for most people to afford. It can be expensive to accumulate the things that would be necessary to give us some options in an emergency situation. I have always been cost conscious and have striven to get the most for my money, so this struggle is not new to me. Even if we had lots of money, it is still wise to try and get the most bang for our buck.

When I first started preparing, I made some purchases I now regret. Some things I acquired were either not really needed or too expensive for the benefit they provided. Most everyone who travels this path in life will make these mistakes. Adjustments must be made as you go along and lessons are learned. Some of these items I have sold at a loss and replaced with items that fit my plan better. This type of process is unavoidable, because it is a part of learning and growing. It is impossible to understand the game until you are in the game. With that knowledge, we then can make better choices.

However, there is one practice I have adopted that has saved me more money and provided better “stuff” than anything else. One decision I have made has allowed me to have more items I need at lower costs and many times without a reduction in quality, many times giving me much more than I ever dreamed I could have with the money I had to spend.

That practice is using estate sales and auctions to find the things I need. I will give you a few examples. My wife and I attended an estate sale that was liquidating the life’s accumulation of a household where both husband and wife had passed away and the estate was selling all their worldly goods. That scenario is fairly typical of these sales. The estate sale managers usually do not have emotional attachments to the sale items, so the pricing is more reasonable. At the above mentioned sale, we found the front porch stacked high with canning jars of every style and size. Most were in the original boxes. It was not the first day of the sale and it seemed no one wanted these jars, and the people running the estate sale were getting a little nervous about what they were going to do with them if they did not sell them. I negotiated to buy all of them for $2 a box. For about $50, I got all the canning jars we could ever use. At the same sale, the garage had shelves on one side that were completely filled with baby food jars, old boxes, and plastic storage cabinets full of drawers that were all filled with all kinds of hardware, nails, screws, bolts, nuts, et cetera. I told the estate sale person that if they did not sell the hardware that I would like to make an offer on all of it. I intended to offer a ridiculous price if in fact the hardware was still there later. Two days later the estate sale man called me and said that the hardware had in fact not sold and asked if I would come back by. My wife and I did, and we found that several other items we had been interested in had not sold either. When we told him we were interested in several items, he told us that if we would take all the items we wanted, he would give them to us free just to get them out of his way. Over that past several years we have made it a practice to find out when these estate and garage sales were taking place in our area and make the time to go to them. I have even found an app for my phone that I downloaded that will allowed me to be sent an email with a listing of the garage and estate sales in my area with specifics on what is for sale, the address, and the dates of the sale. Most of the estate sales in our area are conducted using the same modus operandi. That is, they normally run from Thursday through Saturday of any given weekend. On Thursday the price on everything is the price marked. On Friday the prices are reduced to 75% and on Saturday the prices are 50% of the original price. My wife and I usually wait until Saturday, when we have more time anyway; then we go and get the things we want at a great price. I bought two nice sleeping bags this way for $2 each. These bags were priced at more than $2, but it was Saturday and I made them an offer of $2 each, which they took. I also bought several camping items at the same sale for ridiculously low prices as well. All the merchandise that is left after these sales are over have to be discarded or disposed of by the estate sale people, so they are really motivated to get rid of the items as the sale progresses.

Another example is there is a community auction not far from our home that occurs once per month. It is in a farming community, so most of the items are farming things; however, there are many household things as well. It is held outside, and the items are lined up on the ground in long rows. If you can think of it, you will find it in this auction; they have everything from tools, animals, hay, guns and ammo, furniture, appliances, food, farm equipment, and all kinds of items to care for animals, to everything you would need to prepare for hard times. One day we were there and noticed a large flatbed trailer in one of the rows filled with boxes of food. The food consisted of bent cans and slightly outdated food items of other types. We ended up buying the entire trailer load. We gave a lot to our children and their families. We gave several boxes to our pastor’s family. We separated what we wanted and filled up our food storage closet. We took what was left, rented a space at a local swap meet, and sold a lot in order to earn enough to pay for the entire trailer load of food. Now I understand many will not have the money to pull this off, but the point is anyone could have bought several boxes of this food for a really cheap price and filled their prep shelves. All of the food was good and edible.

I have found fencing, fence posts, tools, building materials, buckets, appliances, canning equipment, cast iron cooking utensils, furniture, chicken houses, fruit trees, storage shelving, how-to books, and all kinds of things I wanted at a fraction of the cost. This same auction has been very useful in getting rid of items we don’t want any longer. We sell these items and use the money to buy the things we need.

Of course I have used craigslist for much of my stuff as well. There is even a section there of free stuff that people are giving away that sometimes contains items we can use.

I recently put up a greenhouse, and the shelving, the workbench, and the lumber I used to frame the raised bed inside the house was all purchased at estate sales. I even bought my strawberry plants at the community auction as well as my fruit trees.

The point of all this is that just like so many others who have shared their ideas on prepping in this forum, there are ways to get yourself in a better position, if you will just look around and do a little investigating as to what your options are. No matter what your budget is, there are ways to get prepared. I pray every day that our way of life will not die and that by some miracle things will work out, because even the most die hard prepper does not understand what our world will be like if any of the possible life-changing events happen. We tend to see only the romantic side of a forced simpler lifestyle, instead of all the human costs it would bring. I hope it never happens, but I do not see how we can go on the way we are. There are simply too many signs pointing to a very dangerous conclusion. I think some sort of accounting is inevitable. That does not mean we simply sit down and wait for the anvil to drop. Too many times in our history have we seen hard time come to people; the prepared survive, and those that didn’t prepare perished. I intend for my family to have some options when tough times come. I pray you will be ready too, and it is with that thought in mind that I offer this advice.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

 

Via :   survivalblog


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November 17th, 2014
post by policysup | | 0

How to Thrive and Survive in a Red Cross Shelter

During disasters like wildfires and floods, we’ve all seen TV news reports that the Red Cross is opening a shelter at such-and-such High School or other public building. It’s hard not to feel sorry for people who are either temporarily or permanently unable to return to their home, who may have lost precious pictures or other possessions. But have you ever imagined yourself in that place?

The need for an emergency shelter can be anticipated in some cases, such as a forecasted hurricane. In larger wildfires, fire officials can sometimes predict the need for additional evacuations requiring a shelter be opened. But in most cases, a shelter is opened with little or no notice. Similarly, the evacuated residents have a sudden need to leave their homes for an unfamiliar environment and an uncertain future. Fortunately, you can prepare in advance for an unexpected stay in a Red Cross shelter.

What is a Shelter?

A shelter is an improvised group dwelling with an organized support staff, established as the result of a disaster or local emergency. American Red Cross Chapters across the country have cots, blankets, and other supplies standing by in case a shelter needs to be opened in an emergency. They also have volunteers and staff trained as Shelter Managers, Shelter Staff, and supporting services provided by Nurses and Disaster Mental Health counselors.

In most cases, the Red Cross has identified the location, such as a school or community center, has inspected it and has entered into an agreement with whoever runs it far in advance of the need for a shelter. That way they can be sure how many people it can accommodate and that it has adequate restroom facilities and other requirements in advance.

However, not all shelters are operated by the Red Cross. Sometimes a church or local government will open and operate a shelter without the help (or knowledge) of the Red Cross; there’s nothing wrong with “spontaneous” shelters, but they may not be as organized or well-supported as a Red Cross shelter.

The Red Cross


Shelter, Santa Barbara CA, 2009

The American Red Cross is a non-profit organization with a unique relationship with the Federal Government and most state and local governments. For the most part, they rely upon the generosity of the American people’s donations to fund their operations.

Here is their description in the National Response Framework, the Federal Government’s emergency plan: The American Red Cross is chartered by Congress to provide relief to survivors of disasters and help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. The Red Cross has a legal status of “a federal instrumentality” and maintains a special relationship with the Federal Government.

The “Red Cross Shelter” is the gold standard of what Emergency Managers call “Mass Care.” Mass Care is the provision of group shelter, feeding, and supportive services to disaster victims. Images of school gymnasiums, cots and Red Cross volunteers handing out sandwiches come to mind. The Salvation Army, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, and many other non-governmental organizations have important parts in the effort. But we all expect the Red Cross to be there when we need them.

Finding the Shelter

So you’ve been evacuated, and need a place to stay, where do you go? Your local officials advertise the locations of shelters on TV and radio news stations, via their mass-notification systems, and on their web pages, Twitter feeds, and Facebook pages. The Red Cross also notes the locations of open shelters on their web page, http://www.redcross.org/find-help. They also have several “apps” for Android and Apple smart phones with great emergency and preparedness information.

What is an “Evacuation Center?”

In some cases, especially if evacuations occur earlier in the day, an Evacuation Center will be opened instead of a full shelter. An Evacuation Center is basically a shelter without the cots. Evacuees can get information updates, snacks, and a place to hang out away from the danger. Some Evacuation Shelters convert to shelters if the need is there, but some don’t.

What about My Animals?

Shelters have to accommodate legitimate service animals, period. Beyond that, the difficulties surrounding sheltering people with their household animals led to the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-308), also known as the Pets Act. The Act direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to ensure that emergency plans “take into account the needs of individuals with household pets and service animals prior to, during, and following a major disaster or emergency.”

In other words, take your pets with you when you evacuate. They are part of your family. Local governments are required to provide them shelter, just as they must provide you shelter. But understand that they may be sheltered away from the Red Cross shelter, especially at first. You may be temporarily separated.

Larger animals like horses will probably be sheltered elsewhere, like at a nearby fair ground, but help should be available. Registering with a local large-animal rescue group in advance will greatly facilitate getting help for them.

Also see: http://stayingprepared.net/preparedness-plans-for-animals/

Arrival

All shelter residents are required to register and agree to adhere to the shelter rules. You will be screened for health issues, disabilities, access and functional needs, and medications. You should have shown up with your needed meds. If you don’t have them, alert the staff as soon as you arrive. They may be able to facilitate replacements. If you arrived by car, leave any valuables locked in the car out of sight. Your locked car is more secure than inside the shelter.

Can You Really Prepare for Life in a Shelter?

You absolutely can prepare for a temporary stay in a shelter. In many ways, it’s like preparing for a camping trip. You can have a small “shelter kit” prepared in advance. Examples:
• They will provide a cot, but you can bring your own, which you can choose yourself.
• You can bring bedding for your special cot as well as good pillows.
• Pack a nice towel and small versions of favorite toiletries, brush/comb, toothbrush, etc.
• If you have special dietary needs or follow a certain diet (gluten-free, Kosher, etc), you need to bring your own food. They may not be able to accommodate your needs.
• Pack a small security container (like a pistol safe) that has a way to attach to something solid, to keep your wallet, meds, etc. Theft is sometimes a problem in shelters.
• Throw in a couple of paperback books, cards, puzzles, or toys for the kids to pass the time.
• Invest in extra phone and tablet chargers, an extension cord, and a multi-plug adapter. Outlets are few!
• Pajamas are a must, even if you don’t wear them at home. A robe might be a good idea, too.
• Pack earplugs and an eye-shade if you have difficulty sleeping.
• Anything else in your daily routine you or your family members would miss, such as coffee or tea.

The Bottom Line

Prepare. Talk it through. Practice. You have more control than you think.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

 

Via :   thesurvivalmom

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November 16th, 2014
post by policysup | | 0

Ebola and Islam – A Deadly Combination, White House Warns of More U.S. Cases

White House: Expect More Ebola Cases in the U.S.
National Guard Mobilized to Serve In West Africa
Ebola and Islam – A Deadly Combination
Between Nov 11-15, 2014, AlertsUSA issued the following
related Flash messages to subscriber mobile devices:
11/15 – Overnight: Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered the mobilization of 2,100 Army Reserve and National Guard soldiers for Ebola duty in West Africa.
11/11 – US Embassy New Zealand receives pkg w/ vial containing susp substance. Pkgs also sent to NZ Parliament + local paper claiming to contain Ebola-tainted blood.
What You Need To Know
On Tues of this week AlertsUSA subscribers were notified via text messages to their mobile devices that the US Embassy is Wellington, New Zealand, along with the NZ Parliament and a local newspaper, had each received packages with vials containing small bottles of an unknown liquid, along with correspondence referring to the Ebola virus. As of the time of this reports’ preparation on Friday, there have been no follow up reports indicating the results of testing on the liquids. While the U.S. embassy remained open during the incident, one worker was given a precautionary decontamination scrub down and the mailroom of the facility closed.
CANADA IMPLEMENTS TIGHTER CONTROLS

Readers will recall that earlier this month, the governments of Australia and Canada effectively closed their doors to residents of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, dramatically curtailing all visa services in a major effort to prevent travelers infected with the deadly Ebola virus from reaching their shores. The move caused bureaucrats within the UN and World Health Organization to spin off the rails, demanding both governments justify their actions.

On Monday of this week the government of Canada again put the safety of their citizens first and announced additional measures. Effective immediately, those traveling from the affected West African countries who have had any contact with Ebola patients, including health care workers, will be ordered into immediate and mandatory self-isolation at home or in a designated facility for 3 weeks and all will be monitored daily for symptoms.

Those travelers from the region without known contacts, while not ordered into self-isolation, will still be closely monitored on a daily basis by public health officials for the same time period.

EBOLA CZAR: MORE U.S. EBOLA CASES TO COME

On Tues, President Obama’s Ebola Czar, Ron Klain, told MSNBC that the U.S. would see additional cases of Ebola in our country, while at the same time mocking state officials like New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie who imposed strict quarantine procedures on returning healthcare workers that exceeded the CDC recommendations.

U.S. MILITARY EBOLA MISSION TO LAST APPROX. 18 MONTHS

At present, there are just over 2000 U.S. soldiers in West Africa serving in Operation United Assistance. Most of these troops are currently located in Liberia, with a small contingent in Senegal. Late last week, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey announced that the U.S. military mission in West Africa will likely last 18 months and that soldiers would be deployed, on average, in six-month rotations. This means that when all is said and done, there is a high likelihood that far more than original 4000 soldiers selected for deployment will serve time in the region.

OBAMA SHIELDS EBOLA CONTRACTORS FROM LAWSUITS

On Thurs of this week, President Obama quietly issued a memorandum protecting federal contractors hired for work related the outbreak in West Africa against lawsuits for importing Ebola into the United States. In short, if a contractor working in West Africa carries the virus back to the U.S. and infects others, that contractor and their employer are shielded from lawsuits.

SECDEF MOBILIZES NAT’L GUARD AND RESERVE

Late Friday, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel signed an order authorizing the involuntary mobilization of approximately 2,100 Army Reserve and Army National Guard soldiers to support Operation United Assistance.

Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby says that Army officials are now in the process of notifying individual soldiers and their families. Once all of the appropriate notifications have been completed, additional information will be provided about units and specialties being mobilized.

All soldiers will conduct regionally-specific training on Ebola prevention, malaria prevention, other medical threats, and medical readiness requirements before deploying.

EBOLA STATS
(CDC / WHO estimate actual numbers approx 4X higher)

WEEK

CASES

DEATHS
FRI NOV 14, 2014

14,413

5177
WED NOV 12, 2014

14,098

5160
FRI NOV 07, 2014

13,268

4960
MED STAFF (HCW)

570

324

SOURCE: World Health Organization


EBOLA AND ISLAM – A DEADLY COMBINATION

As if Ebola itself is not creepy enough, a quiet little secret rarely shared with the American public is that many of those becoming infected with Ebola are Muslim. Further, the rapid spread of Ebola in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, as well as the continuing difficulty in controlling the outbreak, is in large part directly attributed to strict practices under Sharia law.

For some context, consider that according to the CIA World Fact Book, 85% of the population in Guinea is Muslim. In Sierra Leone, 60%. In Liberia, ~13%.

When reading the following material, keep in mind that when an individual dies from Ebola the body is at its most infectious state. Viral loads have undergone extreme amplification and everything from the skin to bodily fluids are lethally “hot.”

ISLAMIC FUNERALS

Funerals in Islam (known as Janazah) follow very specific rituals which are obligatory (Wajib). One aspect of this process is known as Ghusl, or the washing of the corpse (For details, see this, this and this.).

When an individual dies, Sharia Law mandates that same sex members of the family collectively wash the corpse 3 or more times, though ultimately an odd number of instances. Ghusl may also be performed by a spouse.

Prior to each round of scrubbing, part of the detailed Ghusl process calls for those involved to press on the stomach of the corpse to cause the release of as much internal fluid and impurities as possible. The process also calls for the brushing of teeth and cleaning of the nose.

A mixture of water and camphor is used for the final washing, after which the corpse is dried and wrapped in white linens. In the case of women, the hair is brushed and braided into three strands.

Those present at the time of an individual’s death, as well as those who come pay final respects prior to burial, are allowed to uncover the face of the corpse and kiss it.

Prior to burial, it is also common for those in attendance to wash their face, hands and feet using a common bowl.

Burial is mandatory, cremation is forbidden.

This entire process is carried out either in a family home or within a mosque, many of which (including in America) have rooms specifically set aside for this purpose.

It is through these practices that many thousands of individuals have become infected. The dangers with traditional Islamic funerals in relation to the Ebola outbreak are so great that the World Health Organization has even addressed the issue by attempting to roll out a public awareness campaign and new protocols for safe, but dignified burials.

KEEP THE TOPIC ON YOUR RADAR

Here again, we urge readers to not grow complacent because mainstream coverage has dropped off. We are now at the start of flu season and the government is going to great lengths to make Ebola a non-story while scrambling behind the scene to prepare a stronger domestic response. This should speak volumes to anyone paying attention.

OTHER RESOURCES


For 15 of the past 16 weeks, AlertsUSA and Threat Journal have been warning of the progression of the West Africa Ebola outbreak, the danger posed to the continental U.S., and documenting the overall developments and response (See
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15 ). 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

AlertsUSA.com

OTHER ALERTS ISSUED THIS WEEK BUT
NOT DETAILED IN THIS NEWSLETTER

11/11 – Missouri Gov Nixon announces major law enforcement rollout in advance of Ferguson Grand Jury decision. Nat’l Guard on standby, 1000+ officers to deploy.
* Know Instantly If Ebola is Detected in Your
Child’s School District.
* Get Away Early, Give Your Family Extra Safety.
* In Wide Use By Gov, 1st Responders, Travelers.
* 24/7/365 Monitoring. No Hype. Just the Bad Stuff
* Issued Hours and Days before the MSM.
* On your Cell Phone, Tablet or Email.
* We Give The Clear Truth, Unlike the MSM.
* Over a Decade in Operation!
We are NOT part of the government.
In fact, they are our customers!

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

 

Via :  threatjournal

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November 15th, 2014
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Sentry Safes offer versatility, variety, and peace of mind

I think I made a new enemy a couple of weeks ago when my UPS driver delivered three Sentry Safes to my house. I watched the poor guy lug these huge, heavy boxes from his truck to my doorway in 114 degree heat, and he didn’t seem happy about it. I probably should have offered him some lemonade, but he wasn’t in the mood.

Two of the boxes were so heavy that the dolly (hand truck) from the garage was needed to move the largest safes from the doorway to the family room. Inside were the SentrySafes I had been waiting for.

SentrySafe had asked me to review three of their safes, and because emergency preparedness is high on my list of priorities, I was happy to do so.

The Compact Safe P008E


I was intrigued with the first safe, the Compact Safe P008E.It’s designed as a grab-and-go, hand carried safe for those times when you know you’re going to be in a shelter or some other unsecured area but still need to have certain valuables with you. This lightweight safe is about the size of a purse, and is where I would stash money, small valuables, medications, important documents, and the like.

If you ever do have to stay at a shelter, you are responsible for your belongings. Surrounded by a crowd of strangers, a purse or backpack just isn’t secure enough. The Compact Safe comes with a steel tethering cable and has both a key lock and a programmable electronic lock. In a shelter, it could be tethered to a heavy piece of furniture or equipment, giving you a bit of peace of mind in the middle of a crisis.

TIP: Ahead of time, pack the Compact Safe with everything you might need in a quick-getaway emergency. If you will need to add additional items at the last minute, keep a list of those inside the safe. Examples: prescription medicines or a cell phone. The list will be a handy reminder in the rush of an evacuation when you’re in a panic mode.

If you carry a handgun in your vehicle, this small safe could be tucked under and tethered to a seat, keeping the gun handy but also inaccessible to kids. This small safe might also be a good gift to someone going away to college, since dorm theft is very common.

The Fire-Safe HD4100


If you’ve been a reader for very long, you know that I constantly remind my readers to keep their valuable documents all in one place. The Grab-n-Go Binder is a Survival Mom staple! However, what if that all-important binder becomes a casualty of a house fire, a hurricane, or a flood? Insurance policies, birth certificates, and all those documents that will help put your life back together will be ruined or scattered to the wind.

This safe, the Fire-Safe HD4100, is built like a file organizer on steroids. It weighs over 40 pounds and is designed to hold files, documents, and binders, but you might as well throw in other data storage items, such as storage CDs and DVDs, and flash drives. It could even hold a small laptop and any other valuables you want to keep safe.

TIP: This heavyweight will need to be assigned to the most muscular person in the family if you have plans to grab it in case of an evacuation!

If you’ve been printing out preparedness related articles as I have suggested, why not use this safe as your filing cabinet, complete with organizational dividers? If you include a section with copies of vital documents, you’ll have a reservoir of information to help you and your family survive following a disaster, all together in a fireproof, flood proof safe.

The Big Bolts SFW123CS

The Big Bolts SFW123CS is the safe you will depend on to be your hero in a crisis. You might shed tears as you walk away and head toward safety, but this safe will sit there stoically, knowing he’s up to the job of protecting your valuables against fire, theft, and flood damage.


Every home should have a heavy duty safe for jewelry, cash, handguns, coins, and so much more, but let’s face it. Most of us don’t have a safe of any kind and just squirrel things away in locations where we think burglars won’t think to look. Sometimes that works, but a strong safe at a decent price point is a smarter idea.

The Big Bolts SFW123CS weighs about 90 pounds, thus the unhappy UPS driver, and can be bolted to the floor adding even more security. The inside shelf will help keep your valuables organized, which is especially helpful when a crisis hits and you don’t have time to rummage through a messy pile of stuff.

TIP: As you add items to this safe, keep an inventory stored electronically on a flash drive or CD and a hard copy kept in your Grab-n-Go Binder or something similar. This is especially important if you store valuable items in more than one location.

The four heavy-duty door bolts are impressive as is the overall design and construction. Although it’s heavy, it could be transported to a vehicle and moved to another location unlike the much larger and massively heavier gun safes that are on the market.

This video provides more details about the heavy-duty construction of this Big Bolts safe.


I’m impressed with the construction and versatility of the variety of safes offered by SentrySafe. They have a safe designed for whatever type of emergency you and your family may face.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

 

Via :   thesurvivalmom

 

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November 14th, 2014
post by policysup | | 0

Bug out bags and vehicles

When plans have gone to hell, when your commandeered short bus is going up in flames…that’s when you need a bug out bag.


As popular as bug out bags are, their role in survival/preparedness plans is often misunderstood.

You’ll often hear stuff like “Man, bugging out is crazy! I’m going to bug in and stay home!” or “Why would I choose to be a refugee with nothing but a backpack on my back?”

And then on the other hand, you’ll have others who for some reason plan to start marching off into the woods with a giant pack to pitch a tent, hang out and start bush crafting.

It’s all too common, and unfortunately both are completely missing the point.

I agree – bugging out shouldn’t be your primary plan. Or even your secondary. Yep, you’ll want to bug in…at least as long as it is safe to do so.

If you’re forced to leave your bug in location and retreat to safety, you’ll want to load up your truck/SUV with every possible thing that you can for that journey. Gear, food, water, fuel…heck, hook up that bug out trailer, too.

There are of course various things that can go wrong or draw you away from your vehicle. Crash, break downs, getting stuck, running out of fuel, getting hopelessly stuck in traffic, floods, impassable roads, attacks on your vehicle…or, even just heading out on foot for a scout/patrol of an area.

That’s when you want your bug out bag.

In the Walking Dead screen grab from above, they crashed their short bus and it burst into flames. Crap – there goes their transportation as well as the majority of food and weaponry they appeared to have brought along for their journey.

In You Took Away Tomorrow, the characters first attempt to bug in at Jack Rourke’s home. Then, when their home is compromised, they try to bug out via their vehicles. When the group’s makeshift convoy falls under attack from machine gun wielding neo nazi bikers, they resort to a bug out on foot.

Soldiers and especially contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan have been well known to carry ‘go bags’ in their armored SUVs – small bags that they can grab during an attack. They pack them with spare mags, medical gear, radios, smoke grenades and other assorted cool guy stuff to help them get back to safety or hold out until rescue arrives.

An example of a ‘worst case’ for this in action. This was shared by a recent Haley Strategic class participant – think instead of just grabbing long guns, they’d be throwing on bug out bags as well.

Post by Ryan Smith.

In my opinion, a bug out bag should work in this kind of environment and scenario. You should be able to move quickly, even move and shoot while wearing it. It should also be of a size ‘works’ around a vehicle and can be retrieved and donned quickly if needed…not some giant hiking pack that you can barely lift.

If you had gunfire (or quickly rising flood waters, or fire, or whatever) coming in your direction, how long would you spend screwing around with a pack? Be able to grab and move – that’s the point.

 

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

 

Via :   teotwawki-blog

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November 13th, 2014
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The Grab-n-Go Binder – A Prepping Essential

In panic situations, which happen around my house quite often, actually, people lose their wits. The extra adrenaline produced by the human body during times of intense stress, causes confusion and can even cause some of the same symptoms as a heart attack.

Can you imagine the level of adrenaline in your body if you suddenly got news of a dangerous chemical spill in your area or that a wildfire had taken an abrupt turn toward your neighborhood?  Officials tell you to evacuate now.  Besides the kids, what do you pack up first?

A Grab-and-Go Binder is a vital part of any family preparedness plan, and is one of the first things you should put together. This binder will contain all of your most critical information in one place for any type emergency, even if it’s just a quick trip to the ER.

For this project you’ll need a 1″ three-ring binder, a set of tabbed dividers, and a copy machine. A box of plastic page protectors will keep your documents clean and unwrinkled. The binder you create will be unique to your family, but here are some suggestions to get you started.

Label a divider for each of the following sections, and then begin inserting copies of your documents.

Financial Documents
1.  copies of the fronts and backs of debit/credit cards
2.  copies of house and car titles
3.  copy of your will or living trust
4.  names, addresses and phone numbers of all banks
5.  other important documents related to employment and/or a family business
6.  copies of your insurance policies (life, health, auto, homeowners, etc.)

Personal Documents
1.  names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses of relatives and close friends
2.  copies of:
*  marriage license
*  birth certificates
*  drivers licenses
*  CCW permits
*  pet vaccine records
*  passports
*  Social Security cards
3.  a list of firearm serial numbers
4.  legal documents pertaining to child custody or adoption
5.  recent photos of each family member and each pet
6.  color photos of your house and each room in the house
7.  photos of anything of particular value
8.  military documents
9.  diplomas and transcripts
10. appraisals

Medical Documents
1.  copy of health insurance cards
2.  a list of blood types for each family member
3.  names, addresses and phone numbers of all doctors
4.  medical histories of each family member
5.  immunization records
6.  a list of current prescriptions, dosage, and pharmacy contact information

With your finished Grab-and-Go Binder, you’ll have the peace of mind knowing that your family can focus on a quick evacuation without trying to retrieve scattered family records.

What to do with the originals? It’s probably best to keep them in a fireproof safe or a safety deposit box. If that safety deposit box is a good 50 miles or more from your home, so much the better in the event of a tornado or other natural disaster. Also, be sure at least two other trusted people have access to that box in case you become incapacitated.

Unless you’re extraordinarily organized, chances are these records and documents are scattered around your house. Set aside a block of time to track them down and organize your family’s Grab-n-Go Binder. Emergencies arrive unexpectedly. A Grab-n-Go Binder is one way you can prepare for them ahead of time.

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

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

 

Via :   thesurvivalmom

 

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November 12th, 2014
post by policysup | | 0

Is Buying a Pre-Made Survival Kit a Good Idea?

Given the popularity of prepping today, it stands to reason that many companies would jump on the bandwagon and try to cater to that market.  You can now find pre-made survival kits at places like outdoor stores like REI and even at discount retailers like Walmart.  But is buying a pre-made kit a good idea?

Problems with Pre-Made Kits

Well, like anything else in life, it depends.  The first problem I’ve seen with many commercial kits is that some or all of the components are of poor quality.  If you are staking your life on an item, you want it to be up to the task.  Some kits are nothing more than cheap, dollar store quality items tossed into a sub-average knapsack.  You really aren’t saving much money with those kits.  Sure, the package says the kit contains 200+ survival items.  But, they also count each adhesive bandage as a single item.

The second problem I’ve seen is the kits are often incomplete.  They are almost always lacking gear for at least one major category.  Maybe it has food, water, and shelter covered but it has nothing for first aid.  Or, it is missing any sort of fire making equipment.  Few kits on the market today truly cover all of the major categories of survival needs:

  • Food
  • Water
  • Shelter
  • First aid
  • Signaling
  • Navigation
  • Communication
  • Tools

A third issue with many pre-made kits is the container they use, such as the backpack or duffel bag.  Typically, these are cheaply made and aren’t going to hold up in any sort of realistic survival scenario.  If you’re hoofing it to your bug out location, you don’t want to discover a hole in the backpack halfway through your journey, a hole through which much of your gear has managed to leak out from over the last several miles.

Why Bother Buying One?

In most cases, you are far better off assembling your own kit from the bottom up, taking into account your own skill sets, your needs, and your overall situation. What works for one person might not be the best idea for another. However, commercial kits can serve as a starting point.  If you purchase a kit with that in mind and take the time to become familiar with each provided item, you’ll be in a far better position to decide what else needs added to the kit.

Personally, I like the products sold by Echo Sigma as well as those made by Survival Resources.
Both companies take great care in selecting gear that actually works under real life conditions.  Of course, the kits they assemble and sell aren’t cheap, but neither is your life.

Of course you can go back through this blog to older articles and find many ideas for making your own kit.

The best thing to remember is either buy or make your own, but “HAVE ONE“.

Check out what the local Walmart had:

The black bags on top are kits for around $35.00



On bottom where emergency food storage and 72 hour kits.


Not too bad for Walmart.

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

 

 

 

Via :   thesurvivalmom


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November 11th, 2014
post by policysup | | 0

Basic Knife Throwing Videos

The one thing to remember is this:

“Why would you want to throw your weapon away?”

Reality is sticking someone with a knife looks cool and easy on TV, they bounce off ribs and other bones most of the time. Layers of clothes make throwing one ineffective as well.

Not saying it won’t injure them, now you are without a blade and the other person has it to use on you.
Possibly good for rodent size critters and reptiles.

 

So there are uses but remember this important fact – “don’t throw your last knife“.

 

Basic Knife Throwing (Russian Army Style)

 

 

How to Throw a Knife: Different Styles | COMBAT KNIFE THROWING

 

 

How to Throw Knives: Introduction to Martial Arts Knife Throwing

 

 

Spin vs. No Spin Knife Throwing

 

 

Best Beginner Throwing Knives (Part 1 of 3)

 

 

Best Mid-Range Throwing Knife (Part 2 of 3)

 

 

Best High-End (and No-Spin) Throwing Knives (Part 3 of 3)

 

 

Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.

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