Cincinnati Survival Preparedness Group

GCARA- Preparedness 101

About myself & CSP

• Microbiologist by trade. Worked at a variety of sterile pharmaceuticals and P&G.

• Always had a preparedness mentality through boyscouts, camping, backpacking, etc.

• Started to “wake up” to the world events on 9/11/2001.

• Started actively investigating and preparing after 2008 financial crisis.

• Organizer of the Cincinnati Survival / Preparedness group founded June 2011.

About CSP

• Diverse group by age and profession:– 1/3 <30 years old, 1/3 30-50 years old, 1/3 50+ years old– Active and former military, law enforcement, nurses, NRA instructors,

welders, carpenters, farmers and various other professions.• At least two meetings are scheduled per month.

– One will always be a networking / social gathering– One will always be skill set building

• Forums available for on-going discussion of preparedness.• Networked with other preparedness groups from Columbus,

Southern Indiana, and Miami Valley / Dayton.• Acquiring sponsors. Currently recognized in national

preparedness magazine PREPARE MAGAZINE.

Agenda• Introduction

–What is preparedness?–Why preparedness is especially necessary

today–Preparedness lifestyle vs. insurance

• Case studies and current events for thought

Agenda• Focal Areas of Prepping

– Air– Water– Shelter– Food– Hygiene/Medical– Security– Communications– Travel– Community/Mental/Emotional

• Bugging in vs. Bugging Out– EDC Kits– Get Home Bags– Bug Out Bags (BOBs)– I’m Never Coming Home (INCH) Bags)

What is Preparedness?

What it is not…

What is Preparedness?What it is…

In essence, preparedness is having the materials, knowledge and skills to provide for one self’s (and others’) basic needs (Self Sufficiency). It can be short term insurance, or long term lifestyle.

Why Preparedness is Especially Necessary TodayThe overall necessity of preparedness is simple:You never want to be in a situation where you cannot provide for yourself, family or friends whether it be through lack of skills/knowledge or resources.There is a big difference between being aware of preparedness and not doing anything about it vs. not being awake to preparedness mentality at all.Especially if you are in a situation where you are in charge or others look up to you.

Why Preparedness is Especially Necessary TodayWe have been conditioned to be a nation of dependence:“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury…These nations have progressed in this sequence: From bondage to spiritual faith,From spiritual faith to great courage,From courage to liberty,From liberty to abundance,From abundance to selfishness,From selfishness to complacency,From complacency to apathy,From apathy to dependency,From dependency back again to bondage”- Alexander Fraser Tytler

Why Preparedness is Especially Necessary TodayIn what ways have we become dependent?• Public Utilities – Electricity, gas, water, waste• Food – Grocery Stores• Travel – Distance from work >Gasoline, cars, GPS etc.• Communications – Internet, cell phones, etc.• Medicine dependency vs.

holistic health• Economic woes –debt,

bank bailouts, etc.• Government “Assistance”

(all the above)

Lifestyle vs. InsurancePreparedness viewed as insurance is the best place to start for beginners. Viewing it in this fashion helps overcome the mental hurdle of engaging in preparedness, and requires considerably less dedication than that of a preparedness lifestyle.

Example: Storing a one month food supply vs. learning how to grow food yourself.

It can be an insurance policy where you will always get your money back!

Lifestyle vs. Event PreparednessHaving an overall preparedness lifestyle, or integrating certain aspects of preparedness into your every day life takes considerably more mental and physical energy.Certain groups achieve these lifestyle habits more easily: elder generations, certain professions, geographical regions, lower income brackets, religions (Mormons) etc.Example:Canning food: requires pre-planning and effort. Buying in bulk, physical canning of food, storage first in first out.

Case Study - Get home bagAtlanta 2013

1-3” of ice/snow crippled commuters for > 24 hours. Commuters had to abandon cars and seek shelter in local businesses and residences.

Chicago & Midwest Jan. 1978

16.5” of snow fell in one day. Air, rail, and road travel was at a standstill for several days. Over 70 died while stranded in vehicles or even homes without power to heat.

Case Study - Water StorageWest Virginia Chemical Spill 2013

Toxic chemicals accidently spilled into Elk River.

Bay area > Sonoma CA 2014

17 Communities will run out of water within 100 days. Severe drought also in Brazil

Food StorageAtlanta 2013A second ice storm causes panic in the populous. Grocery stores are stripped bare of almost all essentials.

• Video

Global Financial Crisis

The goldsmith tale and rise of the modern day central banker

Bail - Ins

Bail - Outs

Quantitative

easing

Cyprus

Effects of Monetary Policy

• “Give a man a gun, and he can rob a bank. Give a man a central bank, and he can rob the world.” - unknown

• "Let me issue and control a Nation's money and I care not who makes its laws". Amsel (Amschel) Bauer Mayer Rothschild, 1838:

Effects of monetary policy

Effects of monetary policy

Ukraine – 2013-2014

Effects of monetary policy

Ukraine – 2013-2014

Effects of monetary policy

Egypt 2013

Effects of monetary policy

Syria Civil War

7 Factors for fall of great societies

1. Decay of the family unit2. Loss of holistic education3. Movement away from religion / morals4. Increase in seeking pleasure5. Faltering economy (currency issues, taxes,

unemployment,)6. Overly large and corrupt government7. Overstretched military

How to start preparing?

3/3/3/3 rule + additionalYou will only survive:• 3 min without air• 3 hours without shelter• 3 days without water• 3 weeks without food• (+1) Security• (+1) Medical /Hygiene• (+1) Communications• (+1) Travel planning• (+1) Community/Mental/Emotion

How to start preparing?1st Identify your ambition:• Or are you the person that wants to purchase a

little extra “insurance” (e.g. – event preparedness).

• Are you the person who wants a self-sufficient lifestyle?

2nd start generally preparing for your essentials

3rd start preparing for specific circumstances

Air Quality

NIOSH (N95) Masks filter 95% ofparticulates >0.3 micron. For reference, 0.2 micron is the standard pore size for sterile filtration. However, as these masks do not seal around you face, itis best only for quick protection, general particulates, care for the sick, etc.

Water• 55 gallon barrels are available on craigslist. Make sure

you buy blue food grade barrels which have had known contents. Alternatively, 5 gallon bottles for water dispensers are a good storage option.– Boiling

• As soon as clear water comes to full boilit is safe to drink in terms of microbes.

– Filtration• Must have at least 0.2 micron filtration. Pre-filter if the water is very

dirty– Chemical treatment

• Chlorine, iodine, potassium permanganate. Works best in “warm” water.

– Distillation• Boiling and condensing fluid.

(Next slides)

Water – Disease Prevention• Chlorine – (safest) let sit for 60 minutes

Treating water with household bleach containing 5.25-8.25 percent chlorine

Volume of Water to be Treated Bleach Solution to Add1 quart/1 liter 5 drops

1/2 gallon/2 quarts/2 liters 10 drops1 gallon 1/4 teaspoon

5 gallons 1 teaspoon10 gallons 2 teaspoons

• Iodine – let sit for 20-30 minutes– Using a 2% iodine solution, you can add about

5-10 drops to 1L of water. Let sit for 20-30 minutes. If water is not clear, use the upper range of these measurements.

• Potassium Permanganate – let sit for 1-2hr– 1:10,000 dilution (3-4 crystals per liter of water).

“If it’s pink, it’s safe to drink

Distillation techniquesWater

ShelterShelter is a very large topic that can encompass a variety of areas. It’s not so simple to think of shelter as having a roof above your head.• Shelter in your home vs. displacement shelter (bushcraft)• Shelter from physical elements (sun, rain, wind, etc.)• Shelter location (e.g. – remote vs. urban)• How to heat your home if power goes out?• Shelter alarm/fortification for security purposes.• Clothing as a shelter

– Warmth & Cooling– Poisonous plant protection– Protection from insects– Protection from physical injury

Food Storage• Ideally, you want to store food that you regularly eat. Do not

buy bulk amounts of food that you have not tried.• Best way to get started with a bare minimum food supply is

to stash away grains. Jungle Jims has 50lb bags of rice for $20 or $50lb wheat germ for $45.

• Use oxygen absorbers, Mylar bags, and 5 gallon buckets to protect your grains for up to 30 year storage time. Also can add moisture absorbers for extra protection.

• Long term food supply? Make sure you add variety through spices and food diversity.

• Know what you need to prepare your food.• For travel, mountain house 2 serving meals are ideal in terms

of weight, ease of preparation, and taste.• Http://www.beprepared.com has some of the most

competitive prices you’ll find.

Security• The best general security tip I can give you –

Develop situational awareness

• Video insert - CNN

Security• Weapon practicality – shotguns, pistols, rifles, etc.

–General rules:• Shotgun – Close Quarters / Home Defense• Pistols – Backup only or CCW• Rifles – 50 yrd and further situations

• Concealed Carry permit• OPSEC• Gray man • TRAIN, TRAIN, TRAIN!

– Try to find ranges that are not staticshooting behind a bench. Find dynamic training environments such as Blazin Bullets (www.blazinbullets.com)

http://www.otconcealedcarry.com/

Hygiene / Medical• Disease, exposure, and famine are

more likely causes of death than trauma alone.– Civil War, ~2/3 of soldiers– WWI, ~1/3 of soldiers– 1990-2008, <15%

Contributing Factors towards disease• Ill-prepared population

– Hygiene / trash / public utilities– Lack of supplies / Med Facilities– Displacement/Inadequate shelter– Crowding & Riots– Deceased Persons

• Disturbed environment– Water contaminates– Food contaminates– Air contaminates

Medical is an incredibly large topic. Generally, a good way to start is thinking about medical preparedness is prevention:

• Start eating healthier• Start exercising• Reduce dependency on medications

American Red Cross has CPR/AED certifications for around $50. With additional first aid class, they run around $75.

http://www.redcross.org/take-a-class

Medical

Hygiene – Body/HandsThe following example is bacteria found onthe hands after handling commercial chicken breasts vs. hand washing after handling the chicken.

Before Hand Washing

After Hand Washing

Hygiene - Wastes• Toilets can still be manually flushed with buckets

of water.• If there is not enough water, use grocery bags or

garage bags over a bucket or toilet to collect waste until a suitable place can be found to dispose of it. Wood ash, kitty litter, etc. can be used to overlay and use the bag more than once.

• If on toilets, ensure waste is buried in designated areas at least 200 feet from living areas, water sources/rain run off, food storage, etc. Hole must be 6-8” deep.

• Stock toothbrushes, toothpaste, rinse, & floss.• Eat less processed, non-sticky, less sugar foods. • Purchase tooth scalers and mirror.• Get all major dental work done now!

• Non-commercial alternatives• Homemade toothpaste recipes or

baking soda may be used.• Charcoal dust can be used as a

temporary survival toothpaste.• Green twigs with ground ends can

be used as a tooth brush and pick.• Salt water can be used as a daily rinse.• Coconut oil (oil pulling) 1 tbls for

10-20 minutes

Hygiene – Dental

Communications• You all are the experts!• Communication plan and contacts• Short range vs. long range bands• Confidential communication (e.g. – steganography) • Mobile vs. base stations• Alternative power and power generations sources• Emergency signaling – whistles, signal mirrors, glow stick

+ paracord, smoke.

Travel PlanningSome principles of a travel plan:

• Have a retreat location(s). Don’t expect to just flee out of the location you are in.

• Have multiple routes to get to your retreat. Be creative by using off-road avenues such as bicycle paths, rail roads, electric utility lines, etc.

• Have backup means of travel. Bicycle, bicycle child carrier, scooter, roller-blades, back packs, etc.

• Anticipate road blockages and how to deal with them.• Have backup means of navigation (e.g. – GPS, paper

maps, compass, etc.)• Use caches if you’re comfortable with the idea.

Community / Mental / Emotional• Don’t be a • Physical stress (exercise)

–Winter camping–Hiking in unideal conditions

• Stock comfort items–Essential oils–Gum–Chocolate–Paper photos of family (BOB)–Etc.

Preparedness BagsEvery Day Carry (EDC) KitThis should always be on your person. It is not meant to be all encompassing kit. The EDC simply improves your preparedness and survival in an unlikely event.• CCW weapon when legal + extra mag• Analog Watch• Cash + Quarters• Flash light• Lighter• Multi-tool• Cordage (paracord bracelet)• Durable Pen

Preparedness BagsGet Home BagThis bag(s) will typically stay in your vehicle. It can vary in size and content depend on your individual situation. Some people keep their BOB or INCH bag in their car at all times. http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2C6C5E2278703C4D

Bug Out Bags (BOBs) & INCH (I’m Never Coming Home)• BOBs are typically 3 days worth of supplies.• INCH is your “extended stay” bag• Additional INCH items might be – snares, portable solar panels,

gun cleaning kit, etc.Principles of either bag:• Should not be more than 25-33% of your overall body weight• If you encroach on the 25-33% body weight value,

you should consider an external/internal frame.• Should have a rainproof shell to protect your items.• Should not have your “fancy” gear on the outside.• Learn how to pack you bag for stability.

Handout – My Personal INCH Bag

Thank you!Discussion