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On an individual level, fire preparedness is perhaps one of the simpler facets of survival awareness. The do-and-do-not list is fairly binary, and most homes have at least some form of protection – by code if not by intention.

In fact, Dr. Bradley’s Handbook to Practical Disaster Preparedness for the Family does not even devote a dedicated chapter to fire events.

Public spaces, however, are another matter. Procedures are again rather black and white. Exits are marked, extinguishers are usually available, sprinklers abound, and there are even maps in some buildings highlighting the quickest egress. Yours truly produced the various fire maps you’ll find tucked into the corners of hallways across the University of Kentucky’s campus.

Now add drills, classes, seminars, and signage. The question becomes: are we overexposed? Picture the following:

A smoke alarm blares. It’s three in the morning. You’re exhausted. Tomorrow is a big day. It’s cold and probably raining. Your professor couldn’t care less if you were up all night, and the last three alarms were false. Odds are this one is, too. Or maybe a small trash can fire smolders next door – harmless now, but in less than two minutes, the hallway could be impassable. Do you wait, gather up comfortable clothes and your phone before shuffling outside? Or do you just go back to bed? (Caskey, 2017)

Statistics suggest going back to bed is the best choice – until the one time it isn’t. Can anything be done to “pierce the fog,” as it were? Emergency authorities believe so. They’ve borrowed a technique from good storytelling: show, don’t tell.

In September 2010, the UK Fire Marshal’s Office launched the Don’t Be an Ash program and began staging live dorm room burn demonstrations at public events to raise awareness among students and staff. “Flashover” may be a dry term – a specific ignition temperature at which all combustibles in a space ignite at once – but watching it happen changes everything.

So – has it made a difference?

According to the University of Kentucky Campus Fire Log (2018), between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2014, there were 1,913 reported fire incidents on campus. Of those, four resulted in injuries. By comparison, from January 1, 2005, through December 31, 2009, there were 2,116 reported incidents – five with injuries. Running some basic analysis produces the following results:

• Raw incident count dropped by 203 incidents, roughly 9.6%.
• Injuries dropped from 5 to 4 – a small absolute difference, but still a 20% decrease in reported injuries.
• Injury rate per incident dropped from 0.236% to 0.209%. That may seem tiny, but in relative terms, it’s a roughly 11.4% improvement in safety per incident.

While there are of course many unexplored factors affecting incident and injury rates, these results suggest that showing, not just telling, may improve engagement. Still, balance is key. After awareness comes action – and it’s crucial that people know what the right actions are when the alarm goes off.

References

Caskey, D. V. (2017, January 14). Project 2 – Scene Depiction. Retrieved March 29, 2018, from https://www.caskeys.com/dc/project-2-scene-depiction-project/

University of Kentucky. (2018, March 28). Campus Fire Log. Retrieved March 28, 2018, from http://ehs.uky.edu/apps/flashpoint/incident_log.php

That’s not a groundbreaking question – but when the faucet fails, it’s one you’ll be glad you asked yourself.

“Water, water, everywhere and not a drop to drink.” Most of us hear that and picture floating helplessly on a lost ocean raft, or imagine the perils faced by early explorers as they sailed into parts unknown.

Fortunately, the likelihood that any of us will encounter such a situation is comparable to lottery odds. Unfortunately, the so-called freshwater around us often isn’t much more potable than seawater – albeit for different reasons – and can be every bit as dangerous. So, what will you do when the tap stops flowing?

Consider this simple challenge from Dr. Arthur T. Bradley’s Handbook to Practical Disaster Preparedness for the Family:

“Heavy rains have flooded the nearby water treatment facility, introducing two dangerous pathogens (Giardia and Shigella) into the water supply. Local authorities have issued an order to use bottled water and boil tap water. The rains are expected to continue for the next five days. How will you provide clean drinking water for your family? Do you understand the risks these pathogens pose?” (Bradley, 2012, pp. 3–22)

Right away, you’ll notice this scenario is actually a best-case version of disaster. The water is contaminated – but it’s still flowing. We can assume utilities are functioning. So, you boil what you need and move on.

Now let’s add a twist: What if the local river floods? Your home isn’t in the flooded zone, but your power is out and bottled water is no longer an option. Would you still know what to do?

The truth is, there’s no single perfect answer. But there are many workable solutions with varying levels of convenience, cost, and reliability. It may be a worn mantra, but again – it all starts with education. Take time to study different purification methods and available products. Then choose the combination that best suits your needs.

Storage

Stockpiling water has the clear advantage of instant availability. Unless your stockpile floats away with the storm, you’re covered. The downside is storing enough for long-term use is logistically difficult, and water does indeed have a shelf life.

“Unless treated with a water preserver, it must be poured out and refilled about every six months” (Bradley, 2012, p. 3–23).

Bradley dedicates an entire chapter to water storage, making it clear that tossing a few jugs in the garage is not a sufficient plan (Bradley, 2012). Still, this shouldn’t stop you from storing what you can if trouble is forecast.

“Regardless of your approach, one thing holds true. If disaster is imminent, store as much water as possible. If you don’t have enough water containers, fill bathtubs, buckets, pots, barrels, and anything else you have available. Remember water is not only used for drinking and cooking, but also hygiene and sanitation” (Bradley, 2012).

Even if you do have enough containers, I would argue you should still fill everything else you have. More is more.

Again, no single solution fits every family or every situation. What matters is that you take time to make basic preparations – and keep an agile mindset to adapt when needed.

References

Bradley, A. T. (2012). Handbook to practical disaster preparedness for the family (3rd ed.). Lexington, KY: Arthur T. Bradley.

It’s a simple question on the surface: is it better to spend more effort stockpiling basic needs, or preparing to acquire them on site?

Some refer to this dilemma as “Butter vs. Bullets.” I prefer “Apples vs. Ammo.” Unfortunately, the mercurial nature of disasters quickly complicates things. Just for the sake of argument, let’s focus on water. Nutritional needs might be met through hunting (a debate all its own), or even ignored for a short while – but water is neither easily procured nor safely ignored.

Think about the role water plays in your daily life. Drinking is only the start. Sanitation, cooking, hygiene – every aspect of survival leans on a reliable source. Filtering water may work in a wilderness survival context, but disasters introduce a whole different set of variables.

Take this challenge posed by Dr. Bradley in Handbook to Practical Disaster Preparedness for the Family:

Heavy rains have flooded the nearby water treatment facility, introducing two dangerous pathogens (Giardia and Shigella) into the water supply. Local authorities have issued an order to use bottled water or to boil all tap water. The rains are expected to continue for the next five days. How will you provide clean drinking water for your family? Do you understand the risks that these pathogens pose? (Bradley, 2012)

At first glance, the solution seems straightforward – just keep boiling water. Yet any storm powerful enough to flood a treatment plant could easily knock out power as well, and with it your electric stove or easy access to fuel. What then? Could you come up with an alternative? Even if the answer is yes, having a small cache of water to bridge that gap would prove invaluable.

This is another example of why a well-rounded preparedness mindset is far more practical than focusing entirely on one strategy. A garage full of water and food isn’t feasible for most people to maintain. At the same time, developing the skills to provide for every need on site is equally unrealistic. The smartest course? A balanced approach – learn basic survival skills, and keep some fundamental supplies on hand. That combination might turn out to be the most resilient choice of all. Survival skills and keeping some basic supplies on hand, might prove to be the most beneficial.

References

Bradley, A. T. (2012). Handbook to practical disaster preparedness for the family. Lexington, KY: Arthur T. Bradley page 50.