(2013) - WHAT TO DO IN AN EMERGENCY : Preface
by Porterville Post Editor : A. L. "LUCKY" Lucketta
Yes everyone has an emergency plan secretly tucked in the back of their head - they say. And for all their intentions that my be a good plan if - and I only say if - their "Head Plan" involves only one person. Problem is, that "Head Plan" is only good inside that persons head and when push come to shove, they'll have to enact "Plan B" ... interacting with others for their supplies, safety, sanity and in some cases, their salvation.
So, now that you know that many plans are made, I'm here to tell you, few are actually implemented before any emergency. Most folks have conditioned themselves with a "Wait and See" approach. They've allowed themselves to be distracted with what they view is important - to themselves - and will hang on to those distractions until there's no other possible way around an emergency. Kicking and screaming, these folks won't help anyone else until they are convinced they will receive either equal compensation or better for their efforts.
These "Distractors" - in the end - will draw down all of your supplies, compromise the safety of your neighborhood(s), drive everyone insane (with their demands) and cause many to fall away for their Faith. If you do not factor in these distracting "Weak-Links" in your Emergency Plans, you and your neighborhood(s) will the fall apart quickly as chaos and crime will go it's course.
Now, let's quickly address you as the distracting weak link ... yes you. Do you have some of the above characteristics as a distractor ? Do you have the "Blaming Bug" sickness ? Do you give to get ? Do you ponder "them vs me", instead of "them vs us" ? Are you - right now - a neighbor with your neighbor ? If you are getting a bit yanked re: these questions, you're gonna get spotted real quick as a distractor. And if you're anywhere near my neighborhood ... well ... that remedy is in my head. Got It ?
In an emergency, you won't have that much time to think about these things. You'll be caught up in what ever you need to do for yourself, your family and home. That's about it for the next 24 to 72 hours. Trying to figure out someone else's plans or what's inside of their heads won't come into play until it's too late.
As a preface re: "What to do in an Emergency" I wanted my readers to THINK before things happen ... 'cause after an emergency happens, well, all you can do is hang on until the storm blows over, the earth quits shaking, or the electricity comes back on. That's about it. Sure you can walk across the street and ask your neighbor "What Happened" ? And he or she will ask you the same. But, if your neighborhood already knows what to do, who watches the entry roads, who runs for supplies, who contacts the authorities, who calls the shots - and that's a big one - you can now offer assistance to your neighboring neighborhoods and keep things calm, safe until the storms blows over.
THINK OR SINK !!!
In an emergency, you'll need a thinker as a leader. I can't emphasize this enough. Yes those who are big and strong and have a commanding voice will attract followers but yelling and screaming commands will lead to internal dog fights and the only referee that these dogs will listen too - you guessed it - is a thinker ! So, cut to the chase on this one, and select a thinker you can trust for the first 72 hours. After that, if you still need a leader, make sure he or she has that "them vs us" mentality and not the "them vs me" or you'll end up with a manipulator instead of a thinker. 72 hours ought to be enough time for most adults to estimate what emergency has happened and what to do. You, in most cases, won't need a leader after this time frame, unless your neighborhood befalls thieves, trespassers and vandals and help may not be on the way for a week or more.
TAKE STOCK RIGHT NOW !!!
If you were asked, who in your neighborhood has leadership capabilities and have thought a lot about emergency procedures, would you know who this person is ? Maybe it's a couple of people, or maybe it none and you might be that one person they will look up to. If that's the case, then now is the time to take stock of what you and your neighborhood needs to do to prepare for any emergency ... NOW !!! You'll outlast any emergency if plans are laid in advance. You'll extend an emergency if plans are laid too late. Do it NOW or suffer the consequences !!!
My goal in this preface is to get you to think, before an emergency happens. I'll try to keep each chapter small and concise while using catchy word phrases to help you to remember what to do in an emergency. But for now, it's important that you THINK & TAKE STOCK. Others will have self protecting plans and that's great until their plans over-ride your neighborhoods plans, supplies and safety - and that usually happens when there's no emergency plans in place.
WHAT'S IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD ???
In my neighborhood - one city block with two cross streets - they know what's cooking. They know who to contact. They know who'll have access in and out of our neighborhood and our local policing authorities know we have a neighborhood watch in place and are practicing emergency procedures as well. Our neighborhood has a couple of leaders who are thinkers. We have nurses, we have first responders, CPR instructors, experienced metal health professionals, school teachers, a child day care and correctional officers. We have mechanics, welders, builders, truck drivers, self employed businessmen and last but not least, we have many, many Christians who know how to pray and believe.
Also, in my neighborhood, we have 30 homes, around 55 cars and trucks. We have two school buses which drive on our street every morning. One drives straight through and the other makes two stops to pick up school children. We have one central fire hydrant, street lights, and a newly laid asphalt road. We have about 15 senior citizens, and roughly 20-24 children who'll need extra attention during an emergency - something to keep in mind.
If you haven't connected the dots in this preface yet, odds are you won't. Even worse ... you may end up as the neighborhood distractor. And no one wants that ...
WHAT TO DO IN AN EMERGENCY : Part I
On-Line Soon ...
