The Zombie Responder

Zombie Responder on Hiatus

2009-12-15T06:39:00.000-05:00

Due to events in other aspects of my life, I'm forced to put Zombie Responder on hold for a while.

I hope to be back at it soon, tough...

Deepest Condolences to the Family of John Jones

2009-11-28T15:11:00.000-05:00

I wanted to express my sympathy for those close to Utah caver, John Jones, who died November 26th, 2009 after over 24 hours of intense rescue efforts failed to free him from his confined trap.

The latest information is that he will not be removed from the cave; and that it will, instead be sealed off and become is final resting spot.

Thanks and thoughts go out to all those involved in the rescue effort, as well.

Click here for the full story.

"How Can I Help?"

2009-11-14T07:42:00.002-05:00

OK. So your life and home were spared from the big tornado/earthquake/flood/hurricane that just ripped through your area. You take a moment or two to gain your composure, then begin to think about all the people who weren't so fortunate. And you want to help.

But where do you start?

Well, probably the most obvious place to start is the American Red Cross. For over a hundred and thirty years, The American Red Cross has been dedicated to helping people in an emergency. They have the experience and infrastructure to do a lot of good following a disaster. But there's never enough money or supplies, so your donations are always helpful. Remember, too, that blood is often in short supply following a disaster, and The American Red Cross works with over 3,000 hospitals around the United States, getting donated blood where it's needed.

Animal rescue groups and shelters are always affected by disasters, because many dogs, cats and other animals get lost or displaced as a result of the disaster. And since these volunteer organizations typically operate at the capacity of their budget on a daily basis, the demands put upon them during this critical time are overwhelming. Contact your local humane society to find out their involvement in the disaster and see how you can help. Another source for information is the ASPCA, who have their own disaster response team to help locate and save animals after a disaster.

Churches and civic groups may also be involved in helping people hit by a disaster. So get with a church or group in your area or near the area most affected by the disaster and see what's needed.

If you're not sure where your help can do the most good; or if you, yourself, are in need of help, the answers can often be found by calling 211. 211 is free and confidential and is available in most of the United States. It's a service of United Way that's been around for over a decade and helps millions of people every year. United Way works with thousands of organizations to do the most good for those in need. And you can be assured that if an organization is associated with United Way, it's one that's trusted and won't squander or misappropriate your donations.

Remember, there's never a bad time to donate your time, money, blood, food, clothing, etc. Whether in the wake of a disaster, or a typical sunny Tuesday afternoon, there are always countless people in need. Doing anything for these folks is doing something and it will make a difference.

If You Only Learn To Tie One Knot...

2009-11-04T09:10:00.002-05:00

...Make it the figure eight knot. This is a very versatile and relatively strong knot that's easy to learn and execute. With just a little variation, it can function as a stopper, a bend, a hitch and a loop.

The basic form of the figure eight knot (shown above) is meant to act as a stopper, to keep a rope from running out of another knot or a retaining device. It's superior to an overhand knot in that it doesn't bind under stress and can be untied when it's no longer needed. An overhand knot, on the other hand, will often be locked tight, requiring it to be cut off, rather than untied. The figure eight knot also retains more of the rope's breaking strength (roughly 75%), compared to the overhand knot, which nearly halves the strength of the rope.

By tying the figure eight knot on a bight, you create a strong, usable loop in the end of your rope. Functionally, it's identical to a bowline, but retains slightly more breaking strength than the bowline, with less chance of the knot slipping out.

To make a hitch, you start with a basic figure eight knot, but don't tighten it yet. You then feed the working end around the object to which you want to tie the hitch and retrace the knot with the working end before finally cinching the knot tight. This is known as the figure eight follow through. The end result looks like a figure eight on a bight, but the loop is around an object that you might not otherwise be able to put the loop around.

Using the same concept as the follow-through knot, you can join two ropes together, known as a bend. Again, you start out with a loose basic figure eight. Then, instead of using the working end of the same rope for the follow through, you retrace the knot with the working end of your second rope and finally cinch it tight.

Some Things to Consider

It's not enough to simply tie a knot and let it be. When tightening your knots you need to make sure they are properly dressed. This means that the knot is pulled tight before it's loaded, that it looks even and symmetrical, and that parallel lines don't cross inside the knot. It has to look pretty if it's going to function to the best of its abilities and not cause the rope to fail. You need to check knots periodically, too, to make sure they aren't deforming or slipping out. This goes for any knot; not just the figure eight.

The figure eight is a very capable and versatile knot that will allow you to do a lot of things with a rope. But it's not always the best choice. There are hundreds of different knots that you can learn, some of which are better suited than the simple figure eight for certain tasks. And there are things that other knots can do for you that the figure eight simply cannot. So to be best prepared, you're better off not to stop at learning just the figure eight knot. Learn it, use it, and marvel at its simplicity and versatility. Then learn other knots that will allow you to do even more with your rope. An excellent online source for learning different knots is Animated Knots By Grog.

A note on safety: Ropes are wonderful tools that allow you to do a lot of things. But they have their limits. They will break if overloaded or mistreated. Take care of your ropes and be mindful of what you do with them. Stay safe!

Preparing for "Zero-tolerance" Policies

2009-10-28T10:22:00.006-04:00

I hope you've been following the Matthew Whalen story out of New York. The seventeen year-old Eagle Scout and aspiring West Point student was suspended for twenty days for having a 2" pocket knife in a survival kit that was locked up in his car on school grounds.

While I want our kids and teachers to be safe, I think that mindless policies are not the way to go about it. That knife, which isn't even considered a weapon by New York State Law, was no more dangerous than a baseball bat or even a fork in the wrong hands.

Consider, also, Zachary Christie, the Delaware first-grader who was suspended for 45 days for bringing a "hobo tool" to school to eat his pudding. While the school board in Zachary's case eventually came to their senses about the matter, Mathew Whalen's family has had to hire a lawyer to try and get the incident rectified.

So where does that leave us law-abiding folks who are simply concerned about our kids being prepared for an emergency?

While it may be that these high-profile cases cause serious reconsideration of the whole zero-tolerance thing; until the laws are changed, it's going to mean taking special care on our part not to get a well-meaning teacher or student in trouble with the school board.

My suggestion is to get your hands on a written copy of what is and isn't allowed on school grounds in your own district (and keep a copy with your kit, so you can defend your actions, should it come to it). Knives may not be the only thing off limits; but also fire-starting items, like matches or lighters, and even certain medications. Try your best to maintain a well-stocked kit without violating the law. So if matches and lighters are out, maybe you can still keep a firesteel and tinder. A knife is out, but you should be able to keep a pair of scissors. Most multi-tools have blades, but some don't, so you can still keep one of those with you. It may take sitting down with the principal to clear keeping medication or other items with your kit. And if it does come down to that, be sure you get the "OK" in writing and, again, keep a copy with your kit.

Beyond simply dealing with the flawed system, try to work with your neighbors and lawmakers to have the policy changed to, at the very least, allow for common sense.

While the focus here is in regards to school polices, many may have to take the same steps when dealing with their work place. The only difference is that you don't have the option of trying to change the rules. You either abide by them or get fired and/or arrested for your efforts. So be careful.

There seems to be such a big push by FEMA and others for us citizens to become better prepared for a disaster. But then often our hands are tied by mindless blanket policies. As it is, the best we can do is be prepared for such policies and try to work within them. But until the powers that be make the much-needed changes to the law, you may sometimes have to weigh the consequenses versus the alternatives. In some cases, it may be better to ask for forgiveness than to get permission.

Wide Area Search

2009-10-21T09:39:00.001-04:00

Recently, I was fortunate enough to attend a Wide Area Search class, offered by the Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX). It was packed with information and exercises and I was thoroughly impressed with every aspect of the course. I learned an incredible amount of information and left with an increased level of confidence in my abilities, in an urban environment and beyond.

When I first heard of the Wide Area Search class, I thought that the "wide area" was more a matter of mixed geography (urban, rural and wilderness). While these different environments are considered, the "wide area" is more in terms of skill sets. And the purpose of the Wide Area Search course is to fill the skills gap between wilderness and urban SAR, so as to have a more affective team (management and searchers) following a large-scale event that could have you dealing with an urban environment that may as well be wilderness, because of the level of destruction.

To give you a better idea of where the folks were coming from when developing the course, the whole Wide Area Search concept was in reaction to lessons learned after Katrina.

However, to paraphrase one of the instructors (there were three who tag-teamed throughout each day of the three-day course), the information offered up was not meant to be applied in specific circumstances, but rather as "tools" at your disposal for any relevant search situation. The main focus was towards large-scale events, but many of the things discussed could just as easily be applied to a missing person situation.

The class spanned three eight-hour days and was challenging and well thought out. It was created by the instructors themselves, who are all veteran SAR personnel, with years of experience behind them. They conducted the class better than any I've ever attended, in this field or any other. These particular TEEX instructors have been involved in many SAR efforts over the years, from Katrina and Ike, to the Space Shuttle Columbia recovery, to smaller scale urban and wilderness searches - you name it.

While the class had it's fair share of lectures (though, far from boring), it was also full of table-top exercises, as well as on-your-feet exercises that progressively built upon what we'd learned. We assumed many different roles from exercise to exercise, acting as both search managers and "boots-on-the-ground" searchers throughout the three days.

Wide Area Search provides a lot of valuable information for any and all SAR personnel when dealing with a wide-spread disaster situation, and provides knowledge and techniques that transcend any single search and rescue environment or scenario. Considering the many different forms that a large-scale disaster can take (tornado, earthquake, hurricane, terrorist attack, etc.), this is information that everyone in search and rescue should have.

Honestly, if this is representative of other courses offered by TEEX, I highly recommend taking any of them that become available to you. I'd even encourage you to get with the higher-ups in your own organizations to look into hosting courses from TEEX, just to assure that more of them become available to the greater SAR community.

(Much of this post was originally presented over several messages on the Georgia Trackers Alliance Yahoo Message Board.)

Happy World Zombie Day!

2009-10-11T09:00:00.018-04:00

World Zombie Day: October 11, 2009

Shambling dead throughout the world collect food for the living.

For more info:

http://www.theitsaliveshow.com/

http://www.myspace.com/worldzombieday

Plan First

2009-10-08T08:40:00.007-04:00

FEMA has put together a nice website called, "Ready America," to help the ordinary citizen (and businesses) be better prepared for a disaster. This site has a lot of good information that's well thought out and easy to follow. One flaw I find with the site, though, is the fact that in the three basic steps of becoming prepared, "Make a Plan" is second, after "Get A Kit."

Don't get me wrong, having a well-stocked kit is important. And myself being a gear junkie, I'll confess to sometimes making this priority numero uno, whether it's a good idea or not. But a kit without a plan is just a bunch of stuff gathered in one place. And it's only during the planning that you realize just what you're going to need for your specific situation.

There are a lot of questions that need to be answered before you can have a truly effective kit. Will you be leaving or sheltering in place? Different event's could cause you to do either, so it's best to prepare for both. If you do leave, where will you go? How will you get there? How long will it take you to get there? What will you do once you've reached your destination?

What happens if you're not at home when disaster strikes? We're at work and the kids at school a good percentage of the time, so this is a very real possibility. If you're not at home, will you try to make it back? Again, if so, how will you travel and how long will it take?

All of these things (and a lot more) should be considered before you start assembling a kit. Or should I say "kits?" Yup. You and your family could be scattered all around town when the good ol' proverbial poop hits the fan, so you're probably a lot better off if you don't just rely on a single house-bound kit for your survival. Everyone should have a small personal kit that stays with them, if they're at school, the store, the office, where ever, when something happens.

Your plan should be thorough, accounting for all conceivable events. It should be flexible, to handle the inconceivable events. It should be simple, so all family members will understand their role. And it should be practiced.

Practice What You Plan

Now, it's not possible to stage a full-blown mock disaster just so your family can work through your disaster plan. However, you can put together drills to help drive home what everyone should be doing. These drills will help make everyone a little more comfortable with what's going on and may help identify flaws or gaps in your plan that you can then fix.

For those with young children, you can make these drills into a game to help keep their attention and not scare or worry them. (Since I have a toddler, I'll be going into detail about this in future posts).

Also practice with your kit(s). Know how to use what's in it. It's not enough to have plastic sheeting to use as an improvised shelter. Can you build one with it? Does everyone know where your gas shut off valve is? Can they turn it off with the tool(s) you have in your kit? Can you safely build a fire? Can anyone else in your family? Can you effectively use a fire extinguisher? Again, can anyone else in your family? Don't leave these things up to chance. When we're under stress, we revert to our most basic level of skill. If you don't have that skill to begin with, then what?

Mock Disasters and You

While you may not be able to put together a mock disaster yourself, you may still be able to participate in one. Many local emergency management agencies and search and rescue groups periodically stage mock disasters to train the folks that'll be on the ground after a disaster has happened. You can participate in these events as a volunteer "victim." This can be a good opportunity to gain a unique perspective into a disaster situation, as well as a new found respect for those that have lived through a real disaster. Contact your local EMA office to find out if there's a mock disaster happening in your area. If there's not, suggest that they organize one.

Everyone has unique circumstances that need to be considered when preparing for disaster. Ready-made kits and cookie cutter plans are not a good idea, for this reason. You should assemble your own to assure that you have everything you need and the items are of decent enough quality to get the job done. In future posts I'll be sharing my kits and some of my plans with you. Don't take them as anything more than a rough template (if that) for your own preps, because, again, everyone's situation is different. You should put a lot of thought into what goes into your plan and kit. After all, your life (and your family's lives) may depend on it.

Below are a few sites that may be helpful in developing your disaster plan. Please feel free to offer other sites in your comments.

FEMA - They've learned a lot since Katrina, and you can learn a lot from them.
72hours.org - A great site offered by San Fransisco's EMA.
Prepare.org - A site ran by the American Red Cross.
WeatherREADY - Planning tips from Weather.com
ASCPA's Disaster Preparedness - If you have pets or service animals, be sure to visit this site
Zombie Squad - Don't let the name put you off. These folks have a lot to offer.

What is a zombie hunter?

2009-10-04T11:05:00.011-04:00

While the definition can vary depending on whom you ask, my idea of a zombie hunter, as it applies to the real world, is as follows:

A zombie hunter is someone who's aware of what catastrophic things can happen within the world around them and tries their best to prepare for these events. Call it disaster preparedness, survivalism or just plain paranoia; I call it a good idea.

Why zombies?

I first became aware of the concept of a zombie hunter through the Zombie Squad website, which I happened to stumble upon a few of years ago.

To my knowledge, they originated the idea of using zombies as a metephor for disaster preparedness. The idea being that if you're prepared to survive a zombie apocalypse, then you're fairly well prepared for any disaster that man or nature can throw at you. That really struck a chord with me and put me on the path to being more well-prepared.

Really, I guess finding Zombie Squad re awoke something that had been inside of me for a long time. As a child and young teen, I was very interested in survival skills and being prepared for the unexpected. I had assembled, as I recall, a decent little survival kit, complete with the requisite 80's hollow-handle survival knife :-). And whenever my family would travel, I'd make sure that my kit was with me. A future zombie hunter, for sure.

Today, am I ready for anything? No. Not yet anyway. But I sleep alot better knowing that my preperations (in knowledge, supplies and gear) will get me and my family through a lot of stuff, should something hit the fan.