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[disastertrash]

I would like for tumblr not to have automatically opt me in. That is not an ok position to force people into. I am only just now aware of any of this happening.

Hi, Tumblr. It’s Tumblr. We’re working on some things that we want to share with you. 

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Here are the important details:

We already discourage AI crawlers from gathering content from Tumblr and will continue to do so, save for those with which we partner. 

We want to represent all of you on Tumblr and ensure that protections are in place for how your content is used. We are committed to making sure our partners respect those decisions.

To opt out of sharing your public blogs’ content with third parties, visit each of your public blogs’ blog settings via the web interface and toggle on the “Prevent third-party sharing” option. 

For instructions on how to opt out using the latest version of the app, please visit this Help Center doc. 

Please note: If you’ve already chosen to discourage search crawling of your blog in your settings, we’ve automatically enabled the “Prevent third-party sharing” option.

If you have concerns, please read through the Help Center doc linked above and contact us via Support if you still have questions.

[disastertrash]

I put on another evacuation bag demo and got the best response of my life. The group is now building 20 evacuation bag starter kits for it's members. This is literally the dream behind doing disaster preparedness education events.

🎉😭❤️

I'll ask if I may post a few pictures, once they collect all of the supplies. They plan to have a masked, outdoor kit assemply party. That will probably be a few months or longer out. From what I've seen, they've already made great progress towards their supply-gathering goal!

[disastertrash]

Is duct tape a good fire starter? No.

Lighters are convenient place to carry a foot or so of duct tape. However, I dont recommend using the tape as firestarter. Unless the alternative is death.

As an item with unregulated materials, some duct tapes can cause toxic smoke if inhaled.

[disastertrash]

[disastertrash]

Fire Evacuation Safety Tips

Many people have inadequate fire safety evacuation training. Below are safety tips that save lives. I’ve linked resources for further reading at the bottom of this post.

Check with the back of your hand, any door you have to go through. (You don’t want to burn the front of your hand.)

Even if you don’t see or smell smoke. If the door is hot, use a different exit.

Fully exit the building. Don’t wait in the lobby.

When you exit the building, head away from the building until you are a safe distance away. (Imagine if the building exploded, sending flame, hot gasses, as well as wood and glass shrapnel flying outward. You don’t want to get hit with that.)

Don't re-enter the building until the fire fighters give the official all clear. (Fire alarms can malfunction and go silent while there is still danger.)

If you have good reason to suspect it is a false alarm, continue to follow all fire alarm safety protocols. While the false alarm was sounding, an actual fire may have started. So, wait for firefighters to give the all-clear before returning to the building.

If you have children or pets, practice fire evacuation drills that include them. Remember, there may be loud noises, flashing lights, and strong smells. Where are they likely to hide?

You may have as few as 30 seconds before dark, choking smoke has filled the building, too thick to see through. So 30 seconds or less is the evacuation time to practice for.

If you live in a multi-story house or apartment complex, consider installing a fire evacuation ladder.

Have an evacuation bag ready at all times. (At the very least, think legal documents like passport, birth certificate, insurance information, pet records. Medications. Some snacks and a water bottle. Water bowl for pet. Umbrella. Change of clothes. Flashlight. Spare set of batteries. First aid kit. Hand sanitizer. And some extra N95 masks.)

My cat and I have had more fire evacuation practice than most. In the last 3 years, we’ve drilled together at least 30 times at our previous place. So when the building fire alarm went off in the wee hours of the morning a week ago, I was out of bed, baggy clothes over my pajamas, and a pre-packed evacuation backpack on within seconds. I just had to wrangle the cat… This is where things went wrong. This was our first evacuation from our new, larger home. She had so many more places to hide. It took 5 precious minutes. it hadn’t been a false alarm, we would have died. The old plan wasn’t compatible with the new space.

Before we had time to make it out the door, the alarm went silent. Holding the cat carrier in one hand, I placed the back of my hand to the door. It was cool to the touch. Cautiously I opened the door to a smoke-free hallway. In this way, I tested every door between myself and the exit at the bottom of my building. Outside, it was raining hard. I stood under a tree at the far end of the property and waited for the fire crew to arrive and give us the all clear.

From this recent experience, I’ve realized that it’s time for me to prepare a fire evacuation ladder for myself and to secure a rope to the cat’s carrier so if the time comes, I can lower her down, rather than trying to carry her carrier while descending the ladder.

Resources for further reading:

https://www.ready.gov/kit https://www.ready.gov/home-fires https://www.ready.gov/home-fire-escape-plan https://www.ready.gov/evacuation

[disastertrash]

How to get a car out of the snow

[disastertrash]

Low budget, power outage preparation:

Extreme winter weather alert? Expecting the power might go out at some point? If you cant buy ice or dry ice to help keep your freezer cold, dig through your recycling bin. Before the power has a chance to go out, fill empty aluminum cans and various plastic jugs and bottles (etc) 85% full of water, and freeze them. (Ice expands. Leaving empty space at the top helps keep containers from bursting.) If the power goes out, try to keep the cold air in your fridge and freezer by not opening its doors.

Safety note: some types of glass may not be safe to put in the freezer. I don't freeze glass so I don't know which types might be ok. Please do your due dilligence in taking safety precautions. 🙏

[disastertrash]

Preparing for "Shelter in Place" and " Seal the Room" Emergency Alerts

Story time!

Last summer, I slept through a "Shelter in Place" phone alert. I saw it 2hrs late. Why the alert? A building fire. No more details. No accompanying directions to "Seal the Room". So, I badly assumed I didn't need to put up the plastic sheeting.

My house is not airtight. Even with the windows and doors closed. I ended up exposed to potentially dangerous levels of asbestos in the smoke. My eyes and lungs were a mess for weeks. I don't even want to know what it added to my cancer risks.

.:.

For both of these emergency alert situations, "Shelter in Place" and "Seal the Room", you want to already have necessary supplies before an alert ever arrives.

There are the standard emergency supplies you'll want if stuck at home. Like food and water, meds, a book, a way to keep track of situation updates (phone, noaa radio. A way to keep them charged) etc. If you have pets, they'll need supplies for indoor pooing and peeing. But you will too! You don't want to break the room seal until the all clear. So include a bag-lined bucket and toilet paper in your emergency supplies!

.:.

FEMA advises the following:

Sheltering in Place

Whether you are at home, work or anywhere else you frequent regularly, there may be situations when it's best to stay where you are and avoid any uncertainty outside.

Here are some indicators and steps to take if the situation arises:

Use common sense and available information to assess the situation and determine if there is immediate danger.

If you see large amounts of debris in the air, or if local authorities say the air is badly contaminated you may want to take this kind of action.

Here are some tips for sheltering in place:

Local authorities may not immediately be able to provide information on what is happening and what you should do.

Pay attention to local media outlets for official news and instructions as they become available.

Bring your family and pets inside.

Lock doors, close windows, air vents and fireplace dampers.

Turn off fans, air conditioning and forced air heating systems.

Take your emergency supply kit unless you have reason to believe it has been contaminated.

Go into an interior room with few windows if possible.

Seal all windows, doors and air vents with thick plastic sheeting and duct tape. Consider measuring and cutting the sheeting in advance to save time.

Cut the plastic sheeting several inches wider than the openings and label each sheet.

Duct tape plastic at corners first and then tape down all edges.

Be prepared to improvise and use what you have on hand to seal gaps so that you create a barrier between yourself and any contamination.

“Sealing a room” is considered a temporary protective measure to create a barrier between you and potentially contaminated air outside. This type of sheltering in place requires pre-planning, by purchasing plastic sheeting and duct tape that you would keep in your emergency supply kit.

DHS recommends plastic sheeting 4-6 mill thick.

FEMA source: https://www.ready.gov/shelter#place

[disastertrash]

My favorite version of the Ohms Law chart, in my notes.

With my heart acting up, realized it's time to focus on improving a non-physical-reliant skill, if I want to continue being a disaster first responder. (Though, I'm still hoping my doc and I can find the problem and fix the ticker. 🤞)

For now though, I'm hunkering down with the books to bag both the General and the Extra Class licenses in February or March.

I still need to find a handheld that is capable of actually reaching the rest of my team. My little QRZ-1 starter radio just ain't cutting it. Hopefully someone on one of our teams will have a loaner until I can save up. 🤞

[disastertrash]

"The practice of bushcraft conserves, and does not destroy, wild life."

-Richard Harry Graves

[disastertrash]

Incoming hazardouzly cold and windy weather, and lots of rain across many parts of the US.

If you havent already, right now is the time to make sure you are prepared for potential, very cold, multi-day power outage.

What does this mean? If you are close to needing a refill of medication, request an early refill. Have flashlights and extra batteries, and refill power banks for cell phones. Shelf-stable foods you can eat without needing to cook. Safe, electricity-alternative heatsources. (If planning to use any sort of gas heater, please make sure you have a carbon monoxide alarm with fresh batteries.)

It is possible that some trees and powerlines will get knocked down. Drive carefully and stay vigilent for that. Leave enough time in case you have to take a detoured route on your way to work.

And, if you keep emergency water on hand, (always recommended) don't forget to leave 15% of empty space at the top. That way if the water freezes, it won't burst the container.

And last but not least, if you don't already, consider bringing a pack with you, whenever you drive that contains 24hrs of cold-weather supplies. So, a warm blanket, jacket, warm socks, hand warmers, food or snacks, and a gallon of water per person (leave 15% space), and medication. At some point this winter, we may get a repeat of people getting snow-stuck for a day or more on the roads.

PS there are several ways to keep food in refrigerators and freezers cold longer in the event of a power outage. So dont forget to look into that as well.

[disastertrash]

Image description:

Infographic of a human body titled Hypothermia Warning Signs. Image captioned with the following signs of hypothermia and first aid treatment.

- Puffy or swollen face

- Slower speech or slurring words

- Slow, shallow breathing

- Pale skin

- Shivering

- Cold hands

- Moving slowly, trouble walking, or being clumsy

- Stiff and jerky arm or leg movements

- Cold feet

- Sleepy

- Angry or confused

- Blacking out or losing consciousness - Slow heartbeat

FIRST AID

- CALL 911

- Move to a warmer place

- Wrap in warm blankets, towels or coats

- Drink something warm

- Avoid alcohol or caffeine

- Do not rub legs or arms

- Do not put the person in a bath

- Do not use a heating pad

Image credit @MyFranciscan of Franciscan Health

Signs of hypothermia from Franciscan Health, PDF here

[disastertrash]

A Review

I bought this #10 can of Mountain House, freeze dried scrambled eggs on a 20% off sale. So, it cost me around $55. The can contains all pre-cooked, pre-combined ingredients.

Pros:

- The flavor and texture was best for me when eating it dry, straight out of the can. The dry texture of the larger chunks is a *little* like crunchy cheetos. (I love crunchy cheetos.)

- My friend with severe Celiacs can and has eaten this product multiple times and encountered no gluten contamination.

- At 12g of carbohydrates, it is lower carbs than many backpacking foods.

Cons:

- Whether you rehydrate these eggs or eat them dry, you'll need to hurry through the can. The bacon started out delicious. (Though smaller than pictured on the can.) But the bacon fat started going rancid within a week, negatively impacted the flavor of both the bacon and the eggs. By the end of week two, it smells and tastes absolutely terrible. I'm throwing away the remainder.

Adding water runs into 2 main problems:

- Water often didnt fully absorb into the middle of the chunks, leading to an unpleasant texture clash. For the next bowl, I broke the chunks into smaller pieces. It helped, but still wasnt perfect.

- After 4 attempts, I failed to achieve evenly, hydrated scrambled eggs. What I got was very soggy, very watery bits, and some very nice bits, and some very chewy bits. I ate some from, but ultimately tossed portion of each bowl in the trash.

Conclusion:

For the high price, unsatisfactory rehydrating results, and fast rate of rancidity, I dont recommend this product.

(My friend who has bought their own can, hower, loves it! They were also unable to get it to rehydrste evenly though. They just werent bothered by the standing water or soggy/chewy texture experience.)

Edit:

An important tip from @thebushcraftlab (check them out)

Only time I have rehydrating issues with ANY food is when the water wasn't hot enough, I didn't stir well enough, or it got cold too quickly. I usually wrap the bag in a jacket while its rehydrating..

Have I judged these Mountain House scrambled eggs too soon?

[disastertrash]

Solar Eclipse Communications Planning and Resource Guide (CISA)

During the Aug. 21, 2017 total solar eclipse, several small communities were overwhelmed in the transportation, communications, and emergency services sectors when unplanned and uncontrolled population movements migrated quickly into areas not designed for large crowds.

[disastertrash]

Emergency shelter, fully enclosed tent with floor in less then 2 min, fr...

I've never camped with a tarp. I like how simple this looks.

From backpacking in the Pacific Northwest, I can spot some drawbacks with this one:

- Condensation wherever anything touches the tarp

- No bathtub floor to block rain water splatter from the ground into the shelter

- Nothing holding the doors shut against shifting winds and wind-driven rain

I'm sure with bit of thinking and home engineering, these are solvable issues. It will be a fun project for me to tackle in the future.

Tell me about your experiences with tarp-sheltering in bad weather?

[disastertrash]

i have always envisioned karolínka as a nonstop singing little bird in contrast to her big scary dad who prefers to remain silent

i have only now learned that females canaries apparently do not sing

in conclusion:

[disastertrash]

Let's get cozy, friend.

[crow-time.com]