Get Organized For Emergencies

Survival groups come in many forms

- Christopher Nyerges

Not long ago, our class was finishing a daylong field trip of practicing outdoor survival and self-reliance skills, and our small group was now sitting around the fire, talking about the day’s events. The subject moved to emergency action plans and what contingencies any of us had in the aftermath of a major disaster.

“So how would we ever get together after a major disaster?” one woman asked me. She was somewhat new to the classes and was well aware that our small group comprised a broad spectrum of skills, from people who worked to be ethical, socially conscious and doers, not just talkers. I could tell she was wondering about how our “group” might actually come together in such a scenario. She actually believed that this diverse collection of people from all over Southern California literally constituted a “group.”

My response presupposed a serious disaster where all social services would be disrupted. “We probably would have no way to get together,” I offered. “Of course, there is no predicting the future, but if we couldn’t use a car and couldn’t get gas, and there was chaos on the streets, in the first few weeks, we’d almost certainly have to stay put wherever we’re living.”

I’ve long recommended that people get to know their immediate neighbors, because they are your “family” in the aftermath of a major disaster, like it or not. Think global, as the saying goes, but act local. Enroll in local CERT training, and be active in Neighborhood Watch.