The Urban get home issue

[rick benjamin]

I worked for a major long distance telephone company. The crew serviced remote huts as well as repaired fiber optics cable in Oregon Washington. Earthquake was the chief worry for those who worried. In one cubic foot cardboard box, I stuffed six MRE meals, one gallon distilled water. Labeled with station name and issue date. Enough to get by for 4 to 6 days. Should all-chaos hit the fan, to get to a station and hunker down.

Then of course, joe wanted a compass in each kit. jake wanted flashlight and batteries, jon wanted a portapottie.

I told jon to poop in the box, jake to sleep when it got dark, and joe not to wander, would make it simple to collect his dessicated carcass in the station.

All the boxes disappeared within a year.

 

[Ura-Ki]

When Japan got hit with the 9.0, they lost power in the effected areas for almost a year in some locations, and what was left over after the quake, got destroyed completely by the Flood. Most road networks were severed in numerous locations, and were not passable for weeks if not months in many cases. short of air ops, much was done on foot relays and with boats that could be used to bring things in and remove others!

 

[Camelfilter]

The three most important things given what you're planning for:
* Toilets
* Hot water
* Bodybags

Hygiene will probably kill people faster than not having food will.

Good tips rite there. I might also chime in & recommend not using the term "body bag" in your documentation, yet "human remains pouch". And further, to only use it once, followed by HRP thereafter.

If you have a concern over having too many "sheeple" in your company needing to sign off on your project, eliminate body bag/HRP entirely from the presentation.

You could include 4 contractor grade 3mil 42gal trash bags, for each HRP you might have been thinking on purchasing, along with an appropriate amount of duct tape for each. On the line items for each of those supplies, keep them separated as "kit, individual hygiene" or some such. Makes reasonably effective, however non transportable HRP's.

-2 bags taped with an end cut makes an excellent individual bivy shelter. Cut both ends and you have a great mini tube tent, a further cut along the length makes for a decent individual tarp...

 

[etrain16]

Good tips rite there. I might also chime in & recommend not using the term "body bag" in your documentation, yet "human remains pouch". And further, to only use it once, followed by HRP thereafter.

If you have a concern over having too many "sheeple" in your company needing to sign off on your project, eliminate body bag/HRP entirely from the presentation.

You could include 4 contractor grade 3mil 42gal trash bags, for each HRP you might have been thinking on purchasing, along with an appropriate amount of duct tape for each. On the line items for each of those supplies, keep them separated as "kit, individual hygiene" or some such. Makes reasonably effective, however non transportable HRP's.

-2 bags taped with an end cut makes an excellent individual bivy shelter. Cut both ends and you have a great mini tube tent, a further cut along the length makes for a decent individual tarp...

Yeah, I'm working out in my mind how to best bring up the subject of bodies as a real and likely concern that will have to be dealt with. Hopefully the team I'm on is adult enough to speak of such things.

 

[Camelfilter]

Yeah, I'm working out in my mind how to best bring up the subject of bodies as a real and likely concern that will have to be dealt with. Hopefully the team I'm on is adult enough to speak of such things.

Gotcha, but all it would take is someone living in a fantasy land to focus on one line on your project to put the kybosh on the entire thing. Could be someone over at corporate as well, if they need a look see at it first.

You know, someone who figures everything will be just fine -n- dandy, that the insurance people will take care of it, or the government will...yadda yadda yadda...

 

[AMProducts]

Good tips rite there. I might also chime in & recommend not using the term "body bag" in your documentation, yet "human remains pouch". And further, to only use it once, followed by HRP thereafter.

If you have a concern over having too many "sheeple" in your company needing to sign off on your project, eliminate body bag/HRP entirely from the presentation.

You could include 4 contractor grade 3mil 42gal trash bags, for each HRP you might have been thinking on purchasing, along with an appropriate amount of duct tape for each. On the line items for each of those supplies, keep them separated as "kit, individual hygiene" or some such. Makes reasonably effective, however non transportable HRP's.

-2 bags taped with an end cut makes an excellent individual bivy shelter. Cut both ends and you have a great mini tube tent, a further cut along the length makes for a decent individual tarp...

Body bags are actually pretty useful, I used to have one I would keep my gear in when I stashed it somewhere, they're waterproof, and very tough. They're really just a bit too large for a lot of uses, but in their niche they're quite perfect. You can also use them as a table cover. I've also used them to cover food to keep the bugs out at halloween parties.

 

[The Heretic]

One of those rolls of plastic wrap.



Not as tough as a body bag, not as good at the purpose, but a lot more politically correct if your corp has objections to body bags, and it can be used to wrap up a lot of things to move them around. Cheap to get, easy to store, no questions asked.

Also, tarps and plastic sheeting of various kinds. Thicker mill can be used with the plastic wrap; wrap the body in the plastic wrap, then in black sheeting, then in the plastic wrap again. A lot more handling than with a body bag, but it would probably work, you won't have people asking questions about what you would use it for, and it will be useful for covering stuff up.

 

[Camelfilter]

The plastic wrap can be handy for injuries as well.

 

[Kid@Heart]

I am one of about 10 folks asked recently to join a group at work to develop a disaster preparedness plan for our company. That plan will include getting business communications and operations back up and running. But it will also include providing for the short term needs of employees if they happen to be at work, say, should the Cascadia quake hit. My initial job is to come up with some planning for the immediate needs of employees at each building - first aid, safety/security, basic needs like food/shelter. Then we'll work on also helping to inform employees of how to equip themselves for getting back home should they make that choice. It will be an interesting learning experience since this planning is not for me and my family, but we have to look at a plan for upwards of 100 people. Definitely have a lot of research to do.

Plan for a source of clean water. City water supply will probably be compromised in an earthquake.

 

[etrain16]

Plan for a source of clean water. City water supply will probably be compromised in an earthquake.

Undoubtedly. We are close to the Willamette and with proper filtration devices/treatment, we could have a good source of water, even after a disaster dumps a bunch of crap into the river. But again, I think most folks would head for home as soon as they could, so water needs should lessen somewhat. The bigger issue are folks that due to age or physical inability will be unable to get themselves home. Not sure yet how we plan for them.

 

[Camelfilter]

...The bigger issue are folks that due to age or physical inability will be unable to get themselves home. Not sure yet how we plan for them.

Soilent green! Done.

/joking!

...challenging thought experiment, one hopes never has to be tried. 72hrs of food/water per person, plus shelter. For folks who can't go on there own. Hopefully you'd have enough folks who live close enough, that a few could come back to help others get home once they themselves would be sorted. The more severe the event, the less likely that would be/could be.

 

[etrain16]

Soilent green! Done.

/joking!

...challenging thought experiment, one hopes never has to be tried. 72hrs of food/water per person, plus shelter. For folks who can't go on there own. Hopefully you'd have enough folks who live close enough, that a few could come back to help others get home once they themselves would be sorted. The more severe the event, the less likely that would be/could be.

Seems most of our employees chose to live outside Portland, some way outside Portland, like me. But it's a good thought to ask who may be in a position to provide temporary housing for co-workers that can't travel home.

A 9.0 Cascadia quake will cripple the region for months. 72-hours of anything is simply not enough.

 

[Camelfilter]

...A 9.0 Cascadia quake will cripple the region for months. 72-hours of anything is simply not enough.

Agreed.

Just thinking on a hypothetical of planning for a staff of say 100.

If the event happened while a median % were out on jobs, add in on site fatalities & severe imobile injured, of remaining surviving staff, how many would likely stay to help? Probably less than 10%. So, the original 72 hour supply allocated to the 100 would be for under 40 people (unable/unwilling to leave included) with that 40 dropping to under 30 within a day...half that by day 3.

 

[Kid@Heart]

Undoubtedly. We are close to the Willamette and with proper filtration devices/treatment, we could have a good source of water, even after a disaster dumps a bunch of crap into the river. But again, I think most folks would head for home as soon as they could, so water needs should lessen somewhat. The bigger issue are folks that due to age or physical inability will be unable to get themselves home. Not sure yet how we plan for them.

I'm pretty sure the cities along the river will be depositing raw sewage in the Willamette. They do every time it rains. Your plan needs to address how to get the water where you need it and how to clean it for use.

 

[Camelfilter]

I'm pretty sure the cities along the river will be depositing raw sewage in the Willamette. They do every time it rains. Your plan needs to address how to get the water where you need it and how to clean it for use.

Sewage would be less of a concern than toxins IMO. Sewage you could boil/filter, toxins not so much. I'd wait a goodly long while (if at all) after an event, before using any water near an industrialized area.

If you can swing space for one of those containers in the parking lot, store a pallet of bottled water in it. Might be a more difficult "sell" than the rest of the program, as you should rotate it out- maybe make it an annual/bi-annual perk. Free bottled water every June/every other June or some such.

 

[Doc In UPlace]

It doesn't sound like the grey man will work for me.

I'm just too tall, handsome and overly muscular to forget.

Actually laughed out loud at that one. Not like it isn't true, no doubt there.

 

[fyrediver]

So back to the original post. I break my kit into three major packages: Outer Layer: non-descript rucksack; Inner layer covered by rain jacket: waist pack (RIBZ), chest pack (Hill People Gear Runner's Kit bag), and what's in my pockets. Essentially the military approach (paraphrased) "to live out of your pack, fight out of your web gear, survive out of your uniform." The layers are redundant and get progressively more compact and minimal.

Outer layer (pack) contains poncho liner, poncho, headlamp, gloves, hat, rain pants, FAK, water bottles, small snacks, cordage, tools as needed taken from car (hatchet, small saw, shovel etc)

Inner contains: pistol, spare mags, knife, small survival kit, snacks, space blanket, empty playtpus bottles, water treatment tablets, flashlight, paracord, Israeli dressing, . . . Duplicates what is in outer layer but smaller and more compact; redundant.

Pockets: knife, mini-survival kit, pen light, lighter, tarred twine, . . . again smallest layer of kit, most compact.

If I have to dump a layer to move more quickly or to get away then the ruck is the layer to drop. Still have everything I need in two more redundant layers. Plan on moving quickly and lightly. If I've got the rain jacket over the RIBZ and HPG runner kit bag it just looks like I'm fatter than I am. Of course if it's too hot to wear the rain jacket then it's a bit more conspicuous, but this is Seattle and I figure my odds of rain and cool are greater than being too warm to wear a light jacket.

 

[Doc In UPlace]

Shop at Goodwill and put your real stuff inside or beneath it.

 

[PaulB47]

The best advice I see in this thread is having a (cheap) bike at work. This option is WAY better than walking and can handle downed utility poles, dead cars and all the other impediments. The only problem is convincing your boss to dedicate a place to store a bike permanently (sigh). Maybe a folding bike?

The other, where rivers and lakes need crossing, is an inflatable raft. I was at Sportman's warehouse and was amazed at how small a package a single man raft is.

 

[etrain16]

The best advice I see in this thread is having a (cheap) bike at work. This option is WAY better than walking and can handle downed utility poles, dead cars and all the other impediments. The only problem is convincing your boss to dedicate a place to store a bike permanently (sigh). Maybe a folding bike?

The other, where rivers and lakes need crossing, is an inflatable raft. I was at Sportman's warehouse and was amazed at how small a package a single man raft is.

Being that our office is close to downtown PDX, we happen to be equipped with some bicycle storage racks - so that would not be a problem. I think I would prefer to find a good way to paddle up-river to get most of the way home though - other than 3 bridges that could be problems in the river - they could be bypassed on land. The bonus to me by taking the water is avoiding roaming crowds of people that may be looking to take your stuff.