Preparedness Basics, Part One

Prepared households build prepared communities.

This is the first of a two part series on home preparedness.  This segment focuses on short-term preparedness.  To read the PreparedTompkins.org post on long-term preparedness click here.

What does preparedness entail given the current landscape? A few years ago, articles on home preparedness began by explaining the impending environmental, economic and energy crises that loomed before us. Well, we’ve arrived. Now, all but the most entrenched elements of the status quo acknowledge these crises as ongoing realities with no easy solutions in sight. The transition to a post-fossil fuel era has begun. If we are to survive as a species and as a culture, we must again live within our means, sustainably. That’s the big picture.

But what do we do now in our daily lives? How do we prepare for the volatility in goods and services that is certain to unfold as the old paradigm wanes while also building the resilient lifestyle needed to make the shift into the new era before us? What do we let go of? What to we keep? What do we pursue?

Home preparedness is a complex subject, however a simple way to approach it is to focus on four basic elements: energy, shelter, water and food. Individual circumstances for both the long and the short term vary, of course, but these core elements will keep you centered on the most important things first. Whether you live in an apartment, co-housing, the burbs or have a spread in the countryside, a complete preparedness plan will include all four.

Do you have the means to produce and maintain these necessities (energy, shelter, water, food) for your household indefinitely? Unlikely, few people do. Our present culture is predicated on highly centralized interdependencies, like just-in-time warehousing and specialization of services, that are not easy to replicate or extricate yourself from. Since our present lifestyles are products of that system, it’s going to be the rare household – at this stage of the transition – that is able to be entirely self-sufficient.

Individual preparedness, constructed in a social vacuum, isn’t the long-term goal in any case, building community preparedness by developing vibrant and sustainable social and economic structures is. Richard Heinberg’s article on resilient communities discusses this topic in more detail. Yes, we need less complacency and more individual activism, but not a revisioning of the American rugged individualist. A collective goal, to mobilize our community, is the winning strategy. Attempting to be an island unto yourself, like the “beans, boots and bullets” survivalists, not only raises ethical issues but is impractical as well. Our very nature is to be interdependent communal creatures. Still it’s easy to be discouraged or outright frustrated with transitioning the commons (or Commons in Ithaca’s case), but that’s the task ahead of us. “We’re all in this together” is not just happy talk; it’s an accurate assessment of our circumstances.

Although changing the system for the long run is a big part of what we are working on, let’s first take a look at short-term emergencies that volatility in the oil or gas markets could engender.

Short-Term Preparedness

If there is a regional shortage in gas or if grocery store supply lines are disrupted or if the electric grid fails, is your home prepared? In the event of one or more of these scenarios, grocery stores and gas tanks will empty in a matter of a few days, if not hours. The systems that depend on fossil fuels in your home and community will be compromised in short order. How will Tompkins County fair? Will we be ready with the necessary social and infrastructure supports to weather such a disaster?

With few exceptions, all households in our area could be prepared to provide their own stored heat, water and food (FEMA recommends 3 weeks of each) or have an evacuation plan in place. Making this a priority in Tompkins County, where floods and earthquakes are rare, is the tricky part. NOTE: FEMA recommendations are based on how long it takes (on average) for relief efforts to reach victims, but you may find it prudent to prepare for a longer period.

Because our nation has never experienced an extended involuntary shortage of fossil fuels or electricity, it is most likely that we will face a future shortage without being adequately prepared – despite efforts advocating for preparedness. Although we are perched, precariously, on a complex system that requires numerous elements to function properly, we don’t spend much time on contingencies because, for the most part, we’ve been isolated from disaster. We are no more ready for an abrupt shortage in oil or gas, even though many of the warning signs for this possibility are present, then we were for the failure of the levees protecting New Orleans.

But your household can be ready to ride out such a short-term emergency. By focusing on the basics: energy, shelter, water and food, you’ll develop a solid preparedness plan.

Energy

Make an assessment of your energy situation first. Can you supply it yourself? If not, then figure out what critical systems (heat, refrigeration, water) in your home are dependent on electric and strategize how best to deliver those systems off the grid or think about how you can live without them. If you can’t live without them, then you’ll need to evacuate your home. Many utility appliances, such as heating systems, even if they are oil based and your tank is full, cannot run without electric igniters, fans or pumps.

If you can generate your own electric, great, but for how long? If you rely on a generator, how many hours of fuel do you have? If you are plugged in to alternative energy, how much of your usage will you need to curtail and how long will your batteries hold out? Can you keep critical systems (heat, refrigeration, water) going?

Test your energy plan by simulating a power outage in your home, then make corrections or enhancements to boost your off the grid longevity.

Shelter

Historically, lack of heat is the number one reason people are forced to evacuate their homes in the northeast, largely because ice storms or heavy snows bring down power lines. However, fuel shortages or electric failures aren’t seasonal and in a post peak oil world, we need to be prepared for these as well as natural disasters. Secondary crises, such as social unrest, gas leaks, and water borne illness can also be potential concerns if the power outage or shortage is prolonged, as it was in New Orleans in 2005.

Having alternative shelters identified ahead of time will increase your chances of staying safe through the crisis. Assemble a communication list with your family and neighbors, so you can offer each other assistance if needed and keep a small hand crank radio.

Water

After loss of heat, the next reason for evacuation is lack of water. Storing water is as easy as it is essential. You’ll need to store 1-2 gallons/person/day for a minimum supply of twenty-one days, so that works out to be 21-42 gallons/person. (FEMA recommends a gallon a day per person, but two gallons a day will give you some cushion for the unexpected.) More information on how to store water and where to obtain the needed supplies is available at the PreparedTompkins.org post, 2 Gallons A Day.

Sanitation quickly becomes a significant issue too. A simple 5 gallon bucket (like those used for dry wall plaster) can be converted into a toilet. Inexpensive snap-on toilet seats are available through preparedness vendors, like Red Flare, for this purpose. Small air-tight portable toilets with water reservoirs are more expensive, but are also available. Work out where you plan to safely dispose of your waste (this will undoubtedly involve a shovel and an inquiry to your township’s zoning board) as part of your short-term plan.

If you have a drilled well on your property, you may be able to install a hand pump to use in emergencies. Hand pumps can be installed on top of the well casing if the residual water level in the well doesn’t exceed approximately 100 feet. For more information on installing a hand pump on your well, see Hand Pumps on Drilled Wells.

Food

Storing food for short-term emergencies can be done in a number of ways. Some people prefer to put aside a portion of their grocery money to build a supply over time or you can do it all at once. You can even purchase rations through preparedness vendors online, which costs a bit more, but is a good choice for those pressed for time. Use a food storage calculator to estimate how many pounds of each food group to put away. Also check out the posts on the food section of this website, including how to pack a “superpail.”

Rotate your stock and do an annual inventory. Pick a quiet time of year (perhaps February?) and involve the entire household in the exercise. Not only is it good to share the knowhow and have help with the job of storing food, in the event that you may not be at home during a shortage, there will be at least one other person in your home who understands your food storage system.

Evacuation

Like any part of preparedness planning, arrange for this possibility ahead of time. Will you go to a neighbor’s? A family member’s? A public space? And how will you get there? Ideally, you’ll work out at least two different local scenarios and one outside our region (many disasters are regional and leaving the area, if possible, may be the best course of action). Wherever you end up, it needs to be accessible, safe and provide you with the basic necessities: energy, shelter, water and food.

Have an Emergency Evacuation Kit (EEK) complete with a communication list ready to go. Although your EEK can be made out of almost any storage container, more often than not people use backpacks for their EEKs (one for each member of the household), since they are designed to store gear, are highly portable and leave your hands free while you carry them. Putting these together in advance is important, you’ll be more clear-headed about what to put in your EEK and who you need to add to your call list, if you’re not embroiled in an ongoing emergency.

Make the go/no go decision before the decision is made for you. If you think you may need to evacuate your home, be sure not to wait too long. You’ll need time to secure your home systems (drain water pipes, turn off gas valves, gather current banking records, notify family members) and the longer you delay the more likely that your options may become limited: roads may close or darkness may make leaving harder or you may face a worsening security situation.

New Interdependencies

Preparedness, whether for the long or short term, is an interconnected process that begins with individual awareness, but it must be followed by concrete practical steps. We cannot think our way out of the triple crises of energy, environment and economy. Whatever anxieties preparedness can evoke, it also bestows piece of mind once your plan is in place and will lead you in new and unexpected directions along the way. Your short-term plan may inspire you in ways you hadn’t thought about prior to doing this work and introduce you to people you wouldn’t have otherwise met.

Grassroots (bottom-up) change has the capacity to rework not only our lives, but our larger community as well. As we put our individual plans into action, our community begins to shift too: grocery stores become accustomed to bulk buyers, green jobs in alternative energy and building grow, humanure provisions work their way into zoning laws, local farms and urban gardens flourish, plumbers gain expertise at installing hand pumps, schools teach preparedness planning in class, sewing and food preservation groups form, etc.

Myriad networks of people pool their knowledge and resources to create an interdependent lifestyle, not based on long distance just-in-time warehousing (in box stores or at home) and centralized specialization, but on local needs for goods and services. Although we are very fortunate here in Tompkins County, since this long-term process is already underway, we must not turn a blind eye to the possibility of short-term emergencies during these volatile times lest we find ourselves wanting.

Editor’s Note: Part Two of this post will discuss the topic of Long-term Preparedness.