Resources
Being at home with all of your goodies may not always be feasible.
Let's take a look at your level of preparedness.
You are at work, the supermarket, out-of-town, or on the road, and suddenly there is an incident - a fire, explosion, power outage, or other event and chaos ensues. Do you need to seek shelter? Get to your car? Get home? Are you prepared for any of it?
Perhaps you are in the comfort of your home and there is either an expected (or unexpected storm), or perhaps a wildfire encroaching...what do you do? Your home is your castle, your place of safety and preparedness, but now you have to leave! Think of these scenarios:
- You have about an hour to grab what you can and get out. Or...
- You have maybe 15-30 minutes to get out. Or...
- You must leave immediately.
- Do you have access to an operating vehicle?
- Where are other family members?
- Do they know what to do, where to go?
- The phone system and cell service is down...where will you all meet?
You spent a lifetime and small fortune on your belongings, but now you have no choice but to make quick, rash decisions to save what you can. Not a good time for rushed thinking! Most of us do have a plan to get to the comfort of our own home but have not spent much time thinking of having to leave it. You not only need a plan to get home in an emergency, but also a plan to leave your home. While it is hard enough considering what to leave behind, it is also inconceivable to know that what you do leave behind is subject to being destroyed, or even looted! If that isn't enough to worry about, you'll need to know where to go! To make matters worse, you may end up needing an alternate location, as well as alternate routes!
Planning NOW will help you later. It's a bitter saying, but true nonetheless...those that fail to prepare beforehand will get exactly what they deserve. Regardless of being ill-prepared, or simply being caught off-guard, the AHN mission is to help the people in our community when they are stuck in such a situation.
As an AHN member, you are the epitome of preparedness!
AHN members have an expectation of achieving a high-level of personal preparedness, exceptional training, and a level of clear, concise, and calm response during an emergency situation. If we, as AHN members, are not able to be an asset to others in our group, as well as those in our community, then we will be a liability!
AHN places personal preparedness as the most important criteria upon its members. Each member plays a critical role in AHN's mission, and in order for AHN to function at its peak, all its parts must be at-the-ready.
Below, you will find some resources that can help guide you to your personal readiness. Detailed instructions and other recommendations are given at AHN meetings and events, but the basics and general information below can help you get started!
While you work on your own "bags," please consider some of the questions asked above, such as: is your home ready? Are your important papers consolidated and portable? Can you grab the critical items and leave within minutes?
Many of the items contained in the lists below are optional and also not exclusive. Tailor your bags as you see fit but consider different scenarios and problems you could face.
Many groups are obsessed with BUGGING OUT. AHN teaches how to BUG IN! While there may be certain situations that you may have to leave your home, such as: nuclear plant meltdown, wildfires, etc. Many people aren't keen on abandoning their home and belongings. Your home is your castle, and unless you are living in a highly populated area, it may be the best bug out location.
Please feel free to download and print out these lists, then customize them to fit your needs!
EDC stands for Every Day Carry. It contains items that could be a lifesaver! The EDC is temporary and gets you to your GHB.
GHB is your Get Home Bag. It is typically left in the vehicle and contains items that will help you get home!
BOB, or Bug Out Bag, contains the bare essentials that allow you to survive at least 3 days away from home. It should also contain items that allows you to extend that time, such as hunting, trapping, or fishing gear.
This Thieves' Blend Recipe is the one which we've had classes on previously. From: How to make your own thieves-like protective essential oil blend - Personal Liberty®
A fantastic article on prepping for emergencies. This has been shared in the group for a few years. Finally making it available to all. Topics covered include: Power, Cooking, Sanitation, Food, Medication, and water.
The Ultimate Prepping List by The Ultimate Prepping List - Food Storage Moms
During our discussions on extreme-level preparedness, this article was one of our resources. From the website: The Survival Mom - Helping moms worry less & enjoy life!
There are so many additional resources available, you'll be quite busy checking them all out!
Perhaps one of the most forgotten or ignored prepping topics is DENTAL CARE. Prevention is critical, especially in a long-term emergency; however, cracked teeth, cavities, and a dreaded infection WILL impact any plans to successfully manage survival. Here are two PDF's I found that you can begin preparing for Dental Care in Emergencies.
Emergency Food Supplies.
An introduction on different types of pre-packaged emergency food on the market.
Upcoming classes will cover: Bulk purchasing, preservation methods, cooking methods, and storage tips.
Ever hear of freezer pickles? One of our members brought to a meeting a jar of pickles she prepared and kept in her freezer. The show and tell turned into a taste and rave! They were awesome! There are a few other recipes in the PDF as well.
We're not moonshiners, but knowing HOW TO distill could be lifesaving during a prolonged emergency. The process takes practice and stocking of specific ingredients. The PDF covers the basics.
When your chickens lay more eggs than your family can willingly eat, and you've given dozens away to friends, and you're STILL sitting on a mountain of eggs, here's how to store them safely!
These two PDFs are OLD, but not as old as the Water Glassing method, as its been a practice for centuries. If you have concerns about the potential risks, here is a link for another storage method:
How to Safety Preserve Eggs (uada.edu)
We had a demonstration of Lime Eggs at a recent meeting. In the picture you can see two jars, both over a year old. The yellowish one, on the right, is unsuitable for use, as an egg cracked during storage. The jar on the left is still good.
COMMUNICATIONS
Having communications with your family and friends is important, and even more in an emergency situation. Can you communicate with your family if the cell towers are down? Our members learn alternative ways to communicate with each other and our families. In this area of northern Georgia, we have access to the LARGEST GMRS NETWORK in the country. North Georgia GMRS has a repeater network that covers a vast portion of Georgia. Many of the sites have backup power capabilities, so even with a power outage, we can stay in touch!
- A Family Communications Network
- Largest GMRS Network in the United States
- 20 Area Linked Repeaters
- Free Zello Network Access
Please visit North Georgia GMRS (nggmrs.org) to learn more.
Staying alert to the situations taking place globally, regionally, and locally is critical to being prepared. While news apps generally have alert settings, your phone can blow up rather quickly with ridiculous reports. While many of the apps can allow you to filter what types of reports you want to get, there are better sources that only send alerts that have relevance to what you really want to know.
Here are a few Alert-style resources that are used by some of our members:
Code Red. An app you can download on your phone. Decent with regional and localized major alerts, although it is usually weather related.
Available in iOS and Android
FEMA App. A phone app that generally provides weather alerts. Can be customized for a variety of different settings. Offers other information to assist with planning for emergencies.
FEMA Mobile Products | FEMA.gov
Alerts USA. A subscription-based alert system that texts your phone, with a follow-up email with more detail.
Very reliable and does not blow your phone up with ridiculous notifications.
Major incidents often relayed well before news apps begin to send alerts.
AlertsUSA - Homeland Security Threat and Incident Notification
Forward Observer. A daily Intelligence briefing, covering national and global situations.
Delivered Podcast apps. Two versions available. Free and subscription. Coverage includes:
politics and government, agriculture, food supply, and the energy sector, logistics and supply chains, economic and financial stability, situation reports on Russia-NATO and U.S.-China
and other geostrategic developments affecting Americans and the United States.
Forward Observer – Threat Intelligence
Grayman Brief. A subscription alert and analysis delivered via Telegram or Signal apps. Weekly briefs via email.
Free version as well, but the subscription plan is very good.
www.superessestraps.com/pages/graymanbrief
AHN Members receive a discount on the monthly Grayman Brief subscription price. Email us for details.
GroupMe. A private group messaging app for smartphones and computers. AHN members can join to share relevant articles and links. Admin posts announcements, upcoming events, and critical alerts to the group, such as: Weather and AMBER alerts, BOLOs posted by LEO's, and other time-critical warnings.
You can join the conversation at: https://groupme.com/join_group/68090210/DIb6lfqD