I did not know that.

SO, reading this article -- MRE Shelf Life and Stockpiling MREs - AllOutdoor.com, I wound up at this page: USDA -- Food Product Dating.

Where I learned that the "pull dates" on food items have nothing to do with food safety or health. (With one exception, see emphasis added below):

Does Federal Law Require Dating?
Except for infant formula, product dating is not required by Federal regulations.

For meat, poultry, and egg products under the jurisdiction of the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), dates may be voluntarily applied provided they are labeled in a manner that is truthful and not misleading and in compliance with FSIS regulations. To comply, a calendar date must express both the month and day of the month. In the case of shelf-stable and frozen products, the year must also be displayed. Additionally, immediately adjacent to the date must be a phrase explaining the meaning of that date such as "Best if Used By."

Are Dates for Food Safety or Quality?
Manufacturers provide dating to help consumers and retailers decide when food is of best quality. Except for infant formula, dates are not an indicator of the product’s safety and are not required by Federal law.

What Date-Labeling Phrases are Used? There are no uniform or universally accepted descriptions used on food labels for open dating in the United States. As a result, there are a wide variety of phrases used on labels to describe quality dates.

Examples of commonly used phrases:

• A "Best if Used By/Before" indicates when a product will be of best flavor or quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.
• A "Sell-By" date tells the store how long to display the product for sale for inventory management. It is not a safety date.
• A "Use-By" date is the last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality. It is not a safety date except for when used on infant formula as described below.

Although experience says that the bread mix you found in the back of the pantry from 5 years ago may no longer have fully (or any) active leavening...

So the other evening at the emergency communication team meeting we were talking about "Go Bags" and Bug Out Bags. I took my Go Kit -- which is to say, my bag for CERT or ARES/RACES work, not my "Get Out Of Town" bag.

I also took my car kit in, to show a couple of thing in it. Now, my car kit is mostly a cheap packable rain suit, such as you find at a big box store, hat and gloves, reflective vest... It also has a package of Datrex Lifeboat rations. (Might have been another brand.)

And it was pointed out to me that "These are almost expired."

The packaging is intact, these are safe to eat.

"But they're almost expired!"

s*i*g*h

Not helping...

Anent my last post but one...

Amateur Repeaters Fall Victim to Washington Wildfires

Two Central Washington repeaters, owned and operated by the Lake Chelan Amateur Radio Club, have been destroyed by one of the wildfires raging in that state. The co-located machines, one on 2 meters and one on 6 meters, were sited on Slide Ridge near Manson, Washington, in Chelan County. On August 27, the First Creek Fire completely leveled the building housing the repeaters. Scorched antennas and support structures are still standing but are likely beyond repair. The club’s Roger Odorizzi, W7CH, said the repeaters had been offline for several days.
“We knew the fire had wiped out the power going to our site, but we hoped for the best, that our mountaintop building was possibly spared,” he said. “Now we have confirmation this was not the outcome.” Odorizzi said the area remains closed, and the club likely will not have access to it “for a long time.”
The club’s Ken Rau, K7YR, said the loss, in addition to the building, included the two repeaters, duplexers and antennas. The repeaters provided coverage in North Central Washington. Rau told ARRL that it’s unlikely that the building housing the repeaters would be replaced. It once housed radio and TV broadcast translators, most no longer in use. Topography is also a factor. “This is a mountain site — 4900 feet above mean sea level — with power lines that were installed on a very steep slope.”

Remember that old riddle, what runs faster uphill than down...?

Anyway. Not gonna be cheap. Also likely to have a major impact on plans  to have today's drill exercise the ability to have Western Washington EOCs communicate via Eastern Washington sites...

(If they hurry, the Lake Chelan Amateur radio club may be able to get in on Yaesu's deal on their new digital repeater, but they'll need someplace to put it/them...)

Speaking of the weather...

ARES/RACES Volunteers Face Fire Threat While Supporting Emergency Communication

UPDATED 2015-08-27 1620 UTC] The North-Central Washington town of Republic touts “air you can’t see” on its website. That’s not the case today. Wildfires in the US Northwest have not only hampered the air quality and visibility, but led to a Level 2 evacuation order in the Ferry County community of about 1000 residents. That could rise to Level 3. Amateur Radio volunteers in Ferry County have been on the front lines of the wildfire emergency there. In Republic, a combination of Ferry County Search and Rescue (SAR), Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), and ARES/RACES volunteers have been supporting communication for a shelter housing some 4 dozen evacuees — with more to come, according to Ferry County ARES Emergency Coordinator and RACES Radio Officer Sam Jenkins, WA7EC.

Every fifth Saturday -- that is, every time a month has a fifth Saturday, which is about quarterly -- there is an emergency communications drill. ARES and RACES groups across Washington State will staff Emergency Operations Centers, Fire Stations, etc, and and the like, and follow some scenario or exercise design.

Tomorrow's drill (in which I will not be participating, thanks to some overtime) looks to be complicated by the fact that many of the Emergency Operations Centers and Fire Stations and Et Cetera are going to be busy dealing with forest fires.

With any luck, it will rain enough to end these fires.

In the meantime, 73, OM...

Speaking of Disasters and Emergencies...

Tamara explains why I don't watch TV in "Still more proof that speciation is well underway."

I mean, what I remember from TV back when I watched it -- and these mental images are from when color TV was still fairly new, and so were UHF stations, ask your grandparents -- were TV cooking shows where they left in footage of the chef throwing a lid on a pan that had flared up, and of "This is why you DON'T use flour to put out a fire!", because apparently someone somewhere had reasoned that she (yes, they said "housewife" back then, ask your grandparents) couldn't get to the baking powder to extinguish her pan fire, so she used flour.

When you're done asking your grandparents about the obscure references above go look up Fuel Air Explosion, AKA Grain Elevator Explosion.

Mind you, as I would comment at Tam's post if she allowed comments, there is a technique to using a fire extinguisher to fight large fires, which one practices in CERT Training, but for a kitchen fire, it's pretty much "Pull the pin, point, and squeeze the handle or push the button", depending on the type of extinguisher.*

Still, the idea of being afraid to use a fire extinguisher is just...

Y'know, I don't know what it is.  But it isn't good.


*Of course there are web pages devoted to "How to use a fire extinguisher". The idea of a "quick reference guide" leaves me... ambivalent. "Oh, look, a fire. I'd better Google "How To Use A Fire Extinguisher..."
And of course there is an acronym.
Which, BTW, we learned in CERT.

Dodged a Bullet, and training for interesting times

Amateur Radio club meeting today; this was the annual elections. Managed to not get elected to anything. (Nominations had to be solidified in March, and I successfully argued that I had no guarantee that I'd be able to attend meetings due to impending changes in work schedules...)

Also, the presentation was an informational briefing on the impending Cascadia Rising exercise, scheduled for next summer. The scenario is that a Magnitude 9 earthquake occurs along the Cascadia Subduction Zone off the Pacific Coast, epicenter off Oregon.

Part of the scenario is that pretty much the only means of communication will be radio.

Hope there are enough amateurs...

Document (.pdf) of the scenario is here: Cascadia Subduction Zone Catastrophic Earthquake and Tsunami Functional Exercise 2016 (Document will download!)

Washington RACES page on Cascadia Rising 2016 - WAEmcomm. Has a link to the above document, as well as the presentation we saw this evening.

The exercise will include governmental agencies at all levels, local, county, state and federal, as well as non-governmental agencies; Oregon and British Columbia are also participating.

"Ooooh, The Weather Outside Is..."

Warnings for Seattle and Vicinity, Washington | Weather Underground

We have had both an Areal Flood Advisory, Areal Flood Watch (which is one message from NOAA, not two) all week, and a Flood Warning for the Snoqualmie River for the last day or two.

We also have a Record Report for yesterday, because the 58 degrees F that SEA hit yesterday was the highest on record for that date. Which is really going to help tonight and tomorrow, what with this Winter Weather Advisory:

Statement as of 2:47 PM PST on November 28, 2014

...Winter Weather Advisory in effect from 9 PM this evening to 11 am PST Saturday...

The National Weather Service in Seattle has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for snow...which is in effect from 9 PM this evening to 11 am PST Saturday.

* Some affected locations...the north Puget Sound region from a north Seattle to Poulsbo line up through about a Port Townsend to Arlington line. This includes south Whidbey Island and from Everett east to the Cascades.
* Timing...rain will continue in a Puget Sound convergence zone this evening. Rain will change to snow from about late evening Onward.
* Accumulations...1 to 3 inches.
* Main impact...roads will become slippery

Precautionary/preparedness actions...
A Winter Weather Advisory for snow means that 1 to 3 inches of snow is possible.

Now, Schloss Drang is on the southern frontiers of Martin Luther King County, so there's a good chance that we will get no accumulation of snow at all, but the weather usually moves from south to north here, and  it's been a few years since we actually got much snow here, so it's possible that all that global warming will make tomorrow's "Fifth Saturday"amateur radio emergency response drill into a live event.

The Great Washington ShakeOut - 10/17/2013

The Great Washington ShakeOut - Get Ready!

Lots of resources at the link, even if you're not in the Evergreen State, let alone if your school or employer is not participating.

A tip:  The old advice to seek safety in a doorway has gone by the wayside; while the door frame MAY be strong enough to resist collapsing, the door itself is going to swing back and forth...

Instinct may be to get the hell outside!!!  Resist the urge: Running for the door -- which is likely to be unmanageable, see above -- will waste time that could be better used seeking cover inside.  Plus, your footing will be unsteady, to say the least.

Better and better!

As if this weren't bad enough: Weather Service sees ‘Pineapple Express’* winter for area | Local News | The Seattle Times we in the Puget Sound region also have this to look forward to: The next giant quake: It’s coming and here’s how | Pacific NW | The Seattle Times!

 *Pineapple Express. Not too cold -- little snow, not too warm.  Unpredictable, often times lots and lots of rain...

We're number one! We're number one! Wait! What?

Most dangerous volcano in North America: Popocatépetl, Shasta, Hood, or Rainier? - Slate Magazine

Okay, so the post title is a bit of a spoiler...

h/t Insty.

Move, Shoot, Communicate

Whilst perusing the Archives at Instapundit, I came across this post: Instapundit » Blog Archive » BOB OWENS: For ‘A Well-Regulated Militia,’ What Firearms, Gear, and Skills Should You Own?…

So, herewith some thoughts...

My assumption here is that the "unorganized militia" will basically be a well-armed, equipped, and trained neighborhood watch.  Anything larger (city- or county-wide) would pretty much cease to be "unorganized."

So, what do I mean by "unorganized"?  I don't think it means "disorganized" so much as "informally organized"; like a neighborhood watch, there will be people who take responsibility for things like putting together meetings, for example, but there is no official organization or hierarchy.  To take a local example, the Seattle suburb Renton may have the "Renton Rangers", but they will not have battalions, companies and platoons commanded by colonels, captains, and lieutenants.

Probably, if someone tries to establish any such thing there will soon be a rival Renton militia...

I do think a neighborhood watch model works best for this, since the primary role will be emergency/disaster response, internal security, and homeland defense.  There will probably be at least a semi-official relationship with the local city and/or county Emergency Management Office.  (I would suggest that part of the requirement would be completion of CERT training.)  There would be a roster, and the members might agree on a uniform--cap and vest?--but any given event will have members missing because they had to work, or the honey-do list was too long, or the kid wanted to go fishing...

In fact, I think it highly likely that militia members will see more use in natural or man-made disasters or emergencies than in responding to an enemy attack or civil unrest. (Ignoring that a terrorist attack is now defined "man-made disaster.")

Another point is that there is no statutory  coverage for the Unorganized Militia until Titles 10 or 32 of the United States Code.

Anyway.  The title of this post breaks down the three basic necessities of any military unit; while an unorganized (or even an organized one) is not usually considered to be exactly "military", and an unorganized militia will be operating close to home, these needs still apply.

*

Move:  While, for individual members, this would seem to require physical fitness, frankly, I see no reason why a citizen volunteer who needs braces or a power chair to get around couldn't serve as well.

• There is certainly no PT test required for membership in a neighborhood watch, nor to participate in CERT training, or for membership in an amateur radio ARES/RACES group.
• The individual member may not move so well, but that does not mean that he or she has nothing to contribute, nor that the group as a whole can't get around.
• Not to say that the use of vehicles, either motor or people-powered, should be ignored, of course!  Specific needs will depend on where the militia is: In an urban area most action (patrols, etc.) will probably be on foot, and vehicles will be used for logistical support, or maybe rapid-response.
• Another--perhaps primary--consideration here is thorough knowledge of your area: routes in, routes out, obstacles, resources. 

Militia members should be able to read a map and to navigate, on foot or in a vehicle, on roads and across country, with compass and GPS.  They may never operate outside of their militia's immediate area or responsibility, but can one really be sure?  

*

Shoot:  Mr. Owens suggests that each militia member should be armed with an AR15, magazines and means of carrying same, and 1000 rounds of ammunition.  Since what we're talking about is an unorganized militia, I don't really think it's altogether reasonable to call for a specific weapon.  Rather, members should be expected to arm themselves, to include ammunition and maintenance equipment, with a rifle.

• A specific militia may decide to standardize on a specific model of rifle, and/or caliber, but they need to be wary of running people off by expecting them to spend extra money.
• There may be a role for a shotgun as a primary long arm.
• Some potential members may not be able to shoot a long arm at all.  (See my comments on fitness/physical ability above.)
• Some militias are going to have to face the question as to whether people with scruples against bearing arms have a place in their group.
• If a standard long arm is agreed upon, sidearms should be left to the tastes of the individual members.

I am not criticizing Mr. Owens' choice of the AR15 as the standard arm of the militia, I'm just saying that, what with the unorganized militia being unorganized, this may be a bridge too far...

Mr. Owens recommends the Army Qualification Test for militia members marksmanship training/qualification; I am sure he will be glad to hear that I concur.  Among other things, a 25-meter range can easily be put together in a gravel pit or open field with suitable backstop, using easily portable supplies.  Hopefully, the militia will have qualified Range Safety Officers, as well as instructors.  (In this context, I highly recommend the NRAs Instructor Programs.)

*

Communicate: Obviously, as an amateur radio operator, I see a role for ham radio in the militia...

...or do I?   I think this depends on what role the militia is filling, and where it serves.  For most purposes, a simple FRS or GMRS radio should fill the bill.  These have the virtue of being readily, cheaply, available in blister packs (although GMRS requires an $85 license fee, good for five years.)

• They're not secure, but unless and until a militia is formally taken into government service, anything resembling strong encryption in radio communications is not allowed by the Federal Communications Commission anyway.
• FRS requires no license; GMRS licensing requires no training or testing.
• As noted, these units are widely, and cheaply, available.  There are table-top units, and GMRS radios built into GPS.

Of course, a handheld amateur radio transceiver operating in the 144, 225, or 440 MHz range, is far more versatile.  You can also get a multi-band transceiver which operates in the six meter band, which offers the ability to communicate with military VHF equipment.

Some militias may want to experiment with codes and ciphers; they are warned (again) that the FCC frowns on their usage on radio bands set aside for public use, so if they want to practice their use, they should do so using, say, cell phones to simulate radios.

Speaking of which, for most purposes in which I visualize the militia being active, the cell phone may well be the most practical form of communication, both text and voice.

"Administrative" communications will, of course, mostly be by email, probably a form of listserv or email list.  Depending on the technical abilities of the members of the militia, we would expect to see blogs, boards, chat sites, and pages or sites in the various social media.

*

In addition to having a rifle and ammunition, and knowing how to use them, Mr. Owens also recommends the following:

• appropriate seasonal clothing
• a first aid kit (preferably an individual first aid kid, or IFAK)
• food, water, and temporary shelter for three days

The first aid kit is important; obviously, we want all members of the militia to have first aid training, preferably Red Cross  or (perhaps better) NOLS Wilderness certification. EMT training is probably too much to realistically expect.

I would add many of FEMA's Incident Command System courses, many of which are available on-line.  The classes on Hazardous Materials and Radiological Hazards obviously recommend themselves, as do courses on specific hazards which may effect your area.  (Depending on where you live, you may be able to get these classes in a classroom environment through your local emergency management department.)

***

NOTES:
Mr. Owens' original post: PJ Media » For ‘A Well-Regulated Militia,’ What Firearms, Gear, and Skills Should You Own?
 It Takes a Militia, an article Professor Reynolds co-authored advocating a "communitarian" basis for a militia, which seems to be what Mr. Owens is writing about.  Referenced in the original Instapundit post that started this.
Also seen at Instapundit: Kenyans take up weapons to save wildlife, tourism | StarTribune.com.  Former poachers form a "conservation militia" to fight poaching.
Daddy Bear recently posted a five-part series of vignettes, comprising a short-short story about WWIII, in which the unorganized militia, as well as "Home Guards", played a role:

• The War: I. The Christmastime Attacks
• The War: II – The Mid-East
• The War III – Korea
• The War: IV – Demanding Answers
• The War: V – Aftermath
• The War VI – Musings

Hands on Workshops for Amateur Radio

Hands on Workshop for Repeaters and Radio Programing
Nov 19, 2011     9:00AM to  ~ 4PM Saturday.
Doors Open at 8:45AM to 9AM
9AM to 9:45:  Operation and insight to using Ham Radio Repeaters for both FM Analog and Digital Systems.
10AM to 10:30: The local function of the WWARA repeater body.
10:45AM to 11:25: The ARRL Repeater Directory.
Lunch 11:30AM to 12:45PM at local eateries.
1PM to 1:45PM: Radio Programming for all types of radios Kenwood, ICOM and Yaesu using the manufacturer's computer software. Bring your Radio, Computer, Software, and Programming Cables.
2:PM  to 2:45PM:  The EXCEL spreadsheet as a programming tool for your radio and .csv files. (CHIRP)
3:PM 3:45PM: Additional ways to configure your handheld radio for your operating convenience and operating site troubleshooting.
4PM to ~  Additional personal instruction.

To Register, send your Name, Call Sign, Telephone Number, and Email address to:  Email.HamShare@Yahoo.com

Classes open to all Washington Hams and Cert members.

Location: Auburn Anex Building in Downtown Auburn WA.
Last Updated on Sunday, 13 November 2011 08:02


Ham Radio and Drats Digital for EOC Use

Dec 10, 2011 9:00AM to ~3PM Saturday

Doors open 8:45AM to 9AM
9:00AM to Noon: Ham Radio and DRATS Digital for EOC Use.
How to configure the Free DRATS Software for Internet and radio connections.
This is a hands on WorkShop for all to bring their laptop, (radio, and cables) and get this program configured up and running.
12Noon to 1:15PM Lunch at local Auburn eateries.
1:30PM to ~3PM Personal help and configuring assistance.

Classes open to all Washington Hams and Cert members.

To Register, send your Name, Call Sign, Phone Number, and Email Address to:
Email.HamShare@Yahoo.com

Location: Auburn Anex building in Downtown Auburn WA.
More info at Hamshare.com.

"Listening to Katrina"

The Voice of Experience.

That's the start, but if you're having trouble getting someone to take Making A Plan seriously, you might want them to start here.  (Although there are lots of potential starting points, chose your own adventure.)

The Great US Central Shakeout of 2011

No, not election day, it's an earthquake drill for the New Madrid Seismic Zone.  (That's the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Missouri, South Carolina, and Tennessee.)

Here's the website for info and resources.  It's scheduled for April 28th at 10:15 AM, unless you're a Hoosier, in which case it's on April 19th.  Always gotta be different...

This is sort of a lead-in to a National Level Exercise in May.

CERT training for King Count, WA, residents

From the King County, WA, Emergency Management website:

Get Involved with Community Emergency Response Teams in your area

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training for King County residents
Coming in 2011 to Auburn, Kent, Issaquah, Maple Valley and Mercer Island

CERT training is comprised of about 20 hours of classroom education and hands-on practice in topics including disaster preparedness, emergency management, fire safety/suppression, disaster medical operations, light search and rescue, disaster communication, disaster psychology, and all-hazards identification and awareness.

Graduates may have the opportunity to become registered emergency workers with their cities and the State of Washington, allowing them to aid in local and regional disasters. Graduates may also participate in local and regional continuing education activities, including training and field exercises. Courses are taught by fire department staff, emergency management personnel, and other subject matter experts from throughout the area. Clock hours are available for licensed teachers, as well as Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for other professionals.

Class members are asked to provide some basic equipment, such as sturdy shoes or boots and work gloves. Other supplies and equipment will be provided.

Auburn Emergency Management (choose one)
April 5th – 7th Daily for 3 days 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
August (dates tba) Daily for 3 days 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
October 6th – November 12th Thursdays for 6 weeks 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.
PLUS drills, Oct. 22 and Nov. 12 (Saturdays) 8 a.m. - noon
Classes are free and open to anyone, priority to those living or working in Algona, Auburn, Pacific pre-registration required. For more information or to register, call 253-876-1925 or e-mail emergencyprep@auburnwa.gov. An application form may be downloaded at: http://www.auburnwa.gov/disaster/.

Kent Emergency Management (choose one)
March 17th – May 5th Thursdays for 8 weeks 1 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
March 17th – May 5th Thursdays for 8 weeks 6 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Classes are free, open to residents of the cities of Kent, Covington, and unincorporated King County Fire District 37. For more information, and to register, call 253-856-4440 or email kbehymer@ci.kent.wa.us

City of Issaquah
March 23rd - May 7th Wednesdays for 7 weeks 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
May 7th – Final Exam Saturday 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Classes are $35 and held at the Issaquah Public Works building. Priority will be given to those living or working in Issaquah. For more information call 425-837-3464 or email cert@issaquahcitizencorps.com. To register, visit: http://www.issaquahcitizencorps.com/cert/cert-class/registration.

Maple Valley Fire & Life Safety
September 8 – October 27 Thursdays for 8 weeks 6:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Course fee is $35.00 and classes are open to residents of the cities of Auburn, Black Diamond and Covington. For more information, or to register, call 425-433-2166 or email janinej@maplevalleyfire.org.

City of Mercer Island
March 19 – December 17 (weekly, year-long), one Saturday per month 9 a.m. - noon
Classes are free and open to everyone. For more information, or to register, call 206-275-7905 or email jennifer.franklin@mercergov.org. Class information is also available online at www.mercergov.org/emergencyprep

Once again, Federal Way started their class before I posted.

I've posted about CERT before, of course.

Be Prepared! (Updated)

Bill "Daily Pundit" Quick has started a new board for discussion of preparedness and survival:  Survival Preps.

***
The City of Auburn, WA, is holding Community Emergency Response Team training starting October 5.

I am embarrassed to realize that Kent, Renton and Federal Way already started their fall classes, yesterday or last week, and I missed them.  Sorry.

One of the nice things about Kent's CERT training is that they run two sessions, one in the afternoon for local businesses, and one in the evening for residents.  (Although residents aren't barred from the afternoon sessions, or vice versa.)

Federal Way has "Neighborhood Emergency Teams", which are sort of CERT Lite, and advanced training for CERTs as well.

***

Added:  Meant to include this all along.  Anyone who suffered through this blog last year heard all too much about the Howard Hanson Dam and it's imminent collapse. (Which wasn't true, the dam was fine, it was one embankment, but never mind...)
 A member of the amateur radio club forwarded this email to us:

This update on the Howard Hanson Dam is being sent from Vice President and Boeing Chief Security Officer Dave Komendat to all Boeing employees in Washington and Oregon.

Howard Hanson Dam efforts ramping up

In recent weeks, area news media have reported on the condition of the Howard Hanson Dam and the significant progress made to repair damage caused by severe rains during the winter storms of 2008 and 2009.

As a result of these repairs, the Army Corps of Engineers has reduced the potential flood risk from 1 in 33 to 1 in 60. Additionally, the Corps received $44 million in federal funds to complete the work needed to repair the damage and bring the dam to a 140-year protection level.

While this is all good news, the progress made to date has not eliminated the risk of flooding. Put simply: we’re not out of the woods yet. The Corps remains confident that the dam is not at risk of failure, but the remaining work is expected to continue for another two to three years and restrictions on the dam’s water level and flood storage remain in place. This reduced storage capacity could result in larger and more frequent releases of water during heavy rains, which would increase the potential of flooding in the Green River valley.

Additionally, the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center, has predicted that a more severe winter season lies ahead as La Nina moves in and replaces the El Nino system we experienced last year. Many areas are already experiencing severe flooding particularly those states in the Midwest regions like Minnesota and Wisconsin. This is a reminder that we need to be prepared for higher-than-average rainfall and possibly a heavier snow pack than we experienced last year.
I've left off a lot of Boeing-specific information. 

So, the oh-so-lovely barriers in the Green River Vally through Kent are still there, and will continue to be for the foreseeable future.  Things actually look pretty good, vis-a-vis the dam.  But flooding is a reality here, especially since they took some of the best agricultural land in North America and turned it into highways, parking lots, and warehouses...

"Communications Academy Lite"

I've written before about the Communications Academy, held locally every April to help prepare Amateur Radio operators to prepare for emergency/disaster response/recovery.  It always has several simultaneous programming tracks, of various sorts, but one--and one of the most popular--is always "Ham Radio For Beginners."

Now it has been decided to run "Comm Academy Lite" in the fall (October 2), which will consist solely of the "Beginners" track.

We are offering a limited edition Fall Academy , focused on newly licensed hams, as well as those CERT, SAR, and other disciplines, who use radios, but are new to it. It is an expanded version of the Beginner's Track offered at the Spring Communications Academy. This will provide information on how to select a radio, how to talk on the radio, operating on nets, and other topics of interest to new communicators. This will take you to the next level, now that you have your license.

Registration for it should open tomorrow. www.CommAcademy.org. I hope to see a lot of you newly licensed hams there. Please share with others who might be interested.

SAVE THE DATE: Spring Communications Academy will be April 16-17 at S. Seattle Community College.

If you would like more information click the link above, or you can contact me at the blog, or my blog email address, and I will forward you the contact info that came with the email.

Upcoming (local) Preparedness Events

The City of Kent, WA, will be holding Community Emergency Response Training (CERT) starting March 11.  Afternoon classes meet 1 PM to 4 PM, evening classes 6:3- PM to 9 PM.  A fall session is planned to begin September 23rd.

The city of Federal Way, WA's, CERT training has already begun.  (Oops.)  They also do Advanced CERT training and Neighborhood Emergency Training, which is sort of a CERT "survey" course.

City f Renton has a bunch of preparedness classes on their schedule, including CERT and amateur radio licensing training, here.

And Auburn, WA, does not show any CERT classes scheduled, but their info and contact information is here.

Seattle's training calendar is here; they do not seem to do CERT.

The Communications Academy is coming up in April.  Registration will be on line, when they open it...

"Emergency training, flooding talks planned"

From the Tacoma News Tribune:

Want to know what to do in an emergency or disaster?

Pierce County has answers and will present them Saturday {October 17th. DWD}  in the first Pierce County Emergency Preparedness Day.

The free training will be offered from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Bates Technical College’s South Campus, 2201 S. 78th St., Tacoma.

Training will be offered in a variety of skills, including using a fire extinguisher, basic search and rescue techniques, electrical and gas safety, personal preparedness, pet preparedness, and earthquake awareness. A 2009-2010 winter weather outlook will be presented.

Specialized equipment used during an emergency or disaster will be on display, including Pierce County’s bomb robots, the county’s Mobile Operations Command Center and various kinds of search and rescue equipment.

Vendors will be on hand with their wares to help individuals be better prepared.

Meanwhile in Auburn, two public information meetings on the risk of flooding in the Green River Valley area this winter will be held. The first is Saturday {again, October 17th}; the second on Oct. 24.  {Which is the following Saturday; I'll be at the Fun Show.}

The meetings will be held from 10 a.m. to noon at the Auburn Performing Arts Center, 700 E. Main St. American Sign Language Interpreters will be available at the Oct. 24 meeting.

Representatives from the Army Corps of Engineers, King County Flood Control District and the City of Auburn will provide information and answer questions.

The TNT makes it sound as though Pierce County is going to conduct CERT Training in one day, which is unlikely...

Anyway, like I said before, I heartily endorse efforts on the part of public servants to encourage and assist citizens in their own efforts at preparation and self-reliance, since it erodes government power.

And Furthermore...

I was going to add to my previous post (Subversive...?) but I have enough to add that perhaps an additional post would be warranted.

Am currently looking at the US Geological Survey web site for maps. (That's what lead me to the Map of Oz, after all.) They have a lot of useful items, including Google Earth-compatible digital maps for download, and streaming realtime hazard data, both RSS feeds and more in Google-Earth format. (Their web site can be cranky, seems to work fine on this computer, wasn't so hot on my netbook, and was hit-or-miss on the computer at The Salt Mines.)(I use Chrome on the netbook, Firefox here on the desktop, and IE6 at work...)

Order your dead-tree edition State Index here. ($5.00 shipping & handling.)

Hazard maps.

By the way, their list of USGS Dealers In Your Neighborhood is woefully out of date, at least as far as Washington State is concerned....

***

FEMA has a lot of online training. Granted that computer-based training in general is not as useful as hands-on instruction, they offer a lot, including IS317, Introduction to CERT. Other courses I recommend for anyone who in interested in preparing for disaster include:

• IS 3: Radiological Emergency Management
• IS 5: An Introduction to Hazardous Materials
• IS22: Are You Ready? An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness
• IS55: Household Hazardous Materials - A Guide for Citizens
• IS111: Livestock in Disasters
• IS 362: Multi-Hazard Emergency Planning for Schools(If you have kids in school, and the school tells not to worry about it, I'd find a different school...)
• IS 394: Protecting Your Home or Small Business From Disaster

Most of the courses are pretty specialized, i.e, for emergency responders or emergency management or medical professionals, or government officials.

The courses are all part of the Incident Command System, or ICS. ICS was developed in California by CalFire, to ensure that all agencies responding to a wild fire were on the same sheet of music. The intent is for everyone to use the same terminology and the same procedures. Uncle Sam saw the value of this and adopted it in 2003. (Good summary and history on Wikipedia here.)

***

On Saturday, I participated with my Amateur Radio Club in a Simulated Emergency Training exercise. Personnel were stationed at two Emergency Operations Centers, or organized into teams; the teams were sent out to conduct "windshield surveys" in the Green River Valley, our scenario being that the valley was flooded. One thing we learned was that a too heavy reliance on GPS' can be detrimental, since, not only can an electronic device break (or at lest refuse to work), but each one formats information differently, including how data is input: Some teams could use Latitude/Longitude, some needed the Lat/Long reformatted for the GPS, and some were searching for street addresses.

(And, if you're wondering, this is what led me to look at the USGS website in the first place.)

Since the club is working heavily with the D-STAR digital mode, and the related D-RATS software, it may be possible to send and receive locational data that way--if everyone is using D-STAR/D-RATS. Still, a dead tree map needs no power...

(During the de-brief, the suggestion was made that we acquire topo maps. "We'll need map reading classes." "Gee, I wonder if there's anyone here who has taught land navigation...?)

Subversive...?

So, here I am about halfway through CERT, and it occurs to me that it has a pretty subversive message for Big Government, especially considering the whole FEMA-Concentration-Camps-For-Americans trope, and the fact that FEMA is the sponsoring Federal Agency. (I wrote about CERT previously in 'Tis The Season...)

What do I mean by "subversive"? Well, from the POV of one on "the Right", it's not--it's all about taking care of yourself, family, and neighbors without having to rely on the government.

Which means, of course, that from the viewpoint of one--or One--who wants to turn the USA into a great, big, worker's-peasant socialist paradise, that it's subversive as Hell.

The common theme throughout CERT Training is the need for self-reliance: You need to be able to take care of yourself, your family, and your neighbors. When "sizing up" a situation, say a collapsed building, the most important factor is not "How many people might be trapped in there?" but "Can I rescue anyone who might be trapped in there safely?"

No one is going to be there for you. In fact, it was stated on Day One that "The Fire Department is going to be occupied with bigger problems than yours, the Police are going to be directing traffic¹, and FEMA doesn't even have any assets to save you--You Are On Your Own."

We in the gun rights community have been telling people this for years, of course: When seconds count, the police are minutes away. Less dramatically, but more importantly², the Supreme Court has denied any obligation on the part of the police³ (or, presumably, other government agencies) to provide any individual citizen with emergency services.

Is CERT necessary? Not if you already know all this stuff. And, to be honest, I haven't learned much that I didn't already know--yet. But what I have learned, is specifics about how my community plans or expects to operate, plus the ever-valuable⁴ "networking" with neighbors.

***

1. Actually, what firefighters say about police officers is less complimentary, but I don't buy into their labor union crap.
2. Granted that dramatic sound bites are useful when arguing with liberals, as that seems to be the way they think...
3. Google "Supreme Court police protection" and you'll find several cites.
4. A difficult admission for an avowed anti-social curmudgeon to make, I assure you...