Emergency Preparation | The Prepper Corner
Here you will find links to videos on preparation, maps of Fox Island showing the coverage of Block Coordinators on Fox Island, instructions on signing up for PC Alert, Preppers Corner, food and water storage ideas, shelter, water purification and more.Home > Emergency Preparation > The Prepper Corner
2.4.0 The Prepper Corner - How to Prepare 30 days of Shelter, Water and Food
Emergency Preparation – Safety, Shelter, Water and Food
If it be not to come, it will be now. If it be not now, yet it will come – the readiness is all. - Hamlet
Prepper’s Corner
- Newspaper Articles
- Question of the Day
- Recipes
Many people do not know how to amass water and food to last the recommended 30 days – or really any number of days. Here we break down the ways to get you from the start of the emergency to some level of survival comfort. Remember, this is going way beyond the bridge being down for a few days.
YOU DECIDE YOUR LEVEL OF PREPAREDNESS
Some folks are content with a few extra cans of peanut butter in the back of the pantry, others can eat for months from their supplies. Due to the nature of catastrophes that could afflict us (Cascadian Fault earthquake, br... Read More
2.4.1 Get To Safety
EP – Prepper - Getting to a Safe Place
- Figure out what disasters can occur and how they can affect you.
- Determine where your safe places are and communicate that to your family.
- Keep your phone, a flashlight, and warm clothes in a bag near your bed.
- Have a meeting place for the family, both on and off-island, in case you must leave the house in a hurry.
Earthquake (see diagram)
Tsunami
There is considerable debate about how much water could actually get down Puget Sound. However, many of us travel off-island and might be in an area more sensitive to Tsunamis. Stay alert to any signs of a tsunami such as: earthquake, or the ocean suddenly recedes. If you see these signs, quickly get to the highest ground possible.
Fire
- During fire season, stay informed via Fox Island News FB page and local news.
- There are l... Read More
2.4.2 EP-Prepper - Shelter and Warmth
Why is this important? Hypothermia can disable or kill you within hours. At the least it will affect your ability to think logically and make effective decisions at a time when your survival may depend on it. What if there is an earthquake and you have to run out of the house with only your pajamas on? And it’s raining!! Here are some suggestions.
Warmth
- Pajamas – it is best that each family member has a bag of warm and sturdy clothes under their bed. Next best idea is to keep a bag of old, warm clothes in your car or in a shed. Have some for every member of your family. Include lots of layers, and don’t forget hats, rain jackets, and gloves.
- Include some matches and a dry fuel source so you can start a fire.
- To start a fire you need a heat source(matches/flint), tinder, kindling and fuel. Tinder can be flammable items such as shredded paper and dryer lint. Kindling needs to be a bi... Read More
2.4.3 - Prepper - Water Overview
Why is this important? You likely cannot last, or at best function well, more than a few days without water. There is no immediate community water on the Island, and it may be days before any emergency systems can become operational.
There are several ways to obtain water, each has its pros and cons.
- Use what’s available in your house
- Pros – easy, cheap, and a hot-water heater is well-contained
- Cons -
- Might be difficult to fill containers from the heater drain
- If your heater has not been recently drained, water could contain debris.
- If your heater is not secured, it could fall and break in an earthquake
- Obtain from a local spring or creek, roof runoff is another option
- Pros - Pretty easy in some cases
- Avoids havi... Read More
- Pros - Pretty easy in some cases
2.4.3.1 - Prepper - Water Storage
Water Storage Disclaimer and Safety:
- There are many ways to sanitize storage vessels and preserve water. The method described below should work with clean drums and potable well water which is within all EPA drinking water standards.
- Handling heavy drums and chemicals is dangerous but can be done safely.
The following safety precautions are recommended:
- get help handling drums if you do not feel comfortable moving or lifting them by yourself - water weighs about 8.34 lbs/gallon, thus a 10-gallon container will weigh 84+ pounds
- wear safety goggles (NOT glasses), gloves, and cover bare skin when handling bleach - immediately wash off any bleach making skin contact
- should any bleach splash onto your face or eyes, call 911 Water Treatment
Overview
If you are storing water from your well or from city water taps, treatment will be... Read More
2.4.3.2 - Prepper - Water Filtration
Filtration is the first step!
The important second step is to sanitize your water. Filtering first makes sanitizing more efficient and reduces the need to use excess sanitizer.
- How soon do you need to drink?
If you have time, you can collect rainfall, make a crude still or collect standing water in a container and let it sit for a few hours. This will allow anything that floats to rise to the surface, and you can skim off any debris before sanitation. However, if you are responsible for many people and need more water fast, you will need to filter. Also remember that standing water is a last resort – flowing water is likely of better quality. - Filtration – using what you have to filter out as many impurities as possible.
- Three 2-liter soda containers or plastic milk jugs will work.
- Take the first container and fill it with water.
- Then, take the sec... Read More
2.4.3.3 - Prepper - Emergency Water Sanitation
Download:
2.4.3.3 - Prepper - Emergency Water Sanitation
Emergency Water Sanitation
Why sanitize water?
- Unsafe water causes water-borne illnesses such as Escherichia coli-induced diarrhea (E. coli is found in human and animal waste), giardiasis (giardia are carried by many wild and domestic mammals), and diarrhea from other organisms such as cryptosporidium, which is a parasite carried by mammals.
- Even if filtration is perfect, no physical filter can remove viruses.
- Finally, Water that has fuel, toxic chemicals, or radioactive materials in it will not be made safe by boiling or disinfection.
That said, you may still end up in a situation that forces you to choose between dehydration and treating your own water. After filtration, there are several options for sanitizing water, with varying degrees of effectiveness. Depending on your situation, you will want to use the most effective method possible.
- Boiling water – according to ... Read More
2.4.4 - Prepper - 30 Days of Food: Preparation and Storage
Download:
2.4.4 - Prepper - 30 Days of Food: Preparation and Storage
Why is this important?
- There are NO FOOD STORES besides Zogs on the Island; there are NO EMERGENCY SUPPLIES either.
- Survival in adverse conditions takes protein and calories, and fats to keep you warm.
- Calories and protein take time and/or money to store
1. Just keep a big pantry
Advantages
-
- Easy to buy a little at a time, so does not feel like a financial burden - Will likely be food you already eat so that is comforting
- Easy to rotate out boxes, cans if you check expiration dates
Disadvantages
-
- Without your hou... Read More
2.4.5 - Prepper - Power
Download:
2.4.5 - Prepper - Power
On the Main Prepper page, we talked about the rule of threes
- three minutes to get to a safe place (or to get oxygen)
- three hours to get warm - three days to get water, and
- three weeks to get food
A source of electricity could be a valuable and life-saving asset for a variety of reasons:
- Many people have medical equipment(such as CPAP units) that require power - Many medications must be kept cold
- And a phone can keep you in contact with family and help you get reunited.
- Those working Emergency Response and needing their laptops and/or Ham radios will need power to keep batteries charged and to keep functioning.
Solar
A good option, but to be effective you will need to have a battery system for storage, and you are at the whim of the cloud cover. Efficiency can drop by 10-25% on a cloudy day.
1