I’m going completely off-topic with this post, it’s nothing to do with bones at all. But it is information that older women need and I’m thinking of putting up a site specially for it when I have time.
Besides working like ten men (just kidding guys) on the elections, I have been taking a Community Emergency Response Training course. It is an amazing process and I have learned so much from it that I really recommend that everyone should take it if they can. More information can be found here.
The one in my town was 9 weeks long, 2 hours per session and, next weekend, we get to practice our new skills on a disaster scenario. Previous learners and family members will be the ‘victims’ and we will get them sorted out. Here in California the most likely disaster scenario is an earthquake but in other parts of the country it could be floods, typhoons, hurricanes or tornadoes. We did have a local, very bad fire last year and a mudslide the year before that.
Now I have my supplies of food, water, medical supplies and equipment and a Bug-out Bag sitting in my bedroom ready to go at any time. I feel so empowered by the preparation and the information.
I am going to teach a short version of the course in a few weeks to the residents of the mobile home community that I live in. They don’t need all the training in rescuing and helping others, they just need to be prepared to take care of themselves. Hopefully we will be able to set up a block captain in each block to take charge of those who are too old or sick to help themselves. What Katrina and Ike proved very obviously is that we will have to rely on each other in any wide-scale emergency. Our official helpers will be overwhelmed.
The Center for Disease Control in Atlanta is concerned that in any pandemic scenario America is woefully unprepared. A new flu virus may cause the quarantine of large populations for up to three months. So it would be smart to have food for that amount of time.
The fact is, that with the world wide food shortage right now and the financial problems that America faces, we may have seen the last of good quality, cheap food. So it would be wise to stockpile a bit just for that alone. There will be food riots in many countries before very long for many reasons, one being lack of fertilizer and another, the worldwide patenting of seed by Monsanto – don’t get me started on that piece of corporate wickedness and greed!
So perhaps you could start thinking of the three P’s – planning, preparation and practice, and get yourself into some emergency planning program so you will be ready for whatever life throws at you in the next few years.
Peace, Pam