IRL Disaster preparation and recovery

IRL Disaster preparation and recovery: when data recovery is the least of your worries

This is a proposition for a class on emergency preparedness IRL.

After Katrina having an assortment of emergency supplies thought they didnt "save my life" they did make life easier.

I will hold several classes on Emergency preparedness from an in-car flat tire and first aid kit, to a 72 hour bug out bag,

and even a Zombie hoard in home survival stash.

The first class will be:

Vehicular kludges - WWMD What would MacGyver do.

Things that will be discussed.

Fender Bender, what do i do now?

• Keep Calm.

• Yourself, passengers and check the other car for injury.

• If there are injuries call 911, tell them you location,if there is any fire or risk of fire, let them know how many people are injured, their approx age, and the extent of their injuries, how many cars are involved.

• Once you have called the police, if it is a slight accident and there are no injuries, snap some quick photos of the LOCATION of the cars in respect to each other and there location in the street.

• then move the cars to the safest location near the accident site, since most fender benders happen in the city near intersections you will likely be near a service station, side street or driveway, move the cars there to get them out of traffic.

• once you are safe and the police are called you start collecting data, first thing is to get the other drivers info, the Drivers License #, name, address, phone #'s, Insurance company and policy #. the easiest way to do this is to text it or e-mail it to yourself and the other driver. (i keep this info in my "accident info card" in my phone)

• now start taking pictures of the damage to the vehicles, take a shot from at least 3 opposing angle, and you should use a dollar bill in the photo as a size reference for your insurance later. do this on BOTH cars, this is to ensure that you aren't paying for a new windshield when theirs isn't damaged.

• Once you have all the data collected if the police still haven't arrived call you insurance company, if they have an agent free they can sent him/her out to you to help with the process. Also it is to inform them of the accident, (most policies require reporting within 12-24 hrs) if you do in withing minutes then the also have a record of the time of the accident as do you (texts, e-mails, photos)

• the last but the most important thing is you have to get the police report or at least the report #, without this you cant get the claim going (smoothly at least) with the proper insurance companies.

• If the accident happened during normal business hours and an agent didn't come to the site i personally go to the nearest office of my insurance company. i give them all the data i collected and let them take photos of my car. from there they should handle everything all you should have to do is drop your car off at a body shop in a week or so and pick up a rental.

• • i have been in 4 accidents and by following this advice i have never had any problems and mostly my insurance company likes it because they can submit the claim and have the body shop lined up in hours instead of days or weeks. what you have done is provided them all the info they would get from the accident report which is what they need in order to process you claim. most police depts. have a week turn around since the officer wont fill out the report till the end of his shift or during down time then he has to submit it to the court house who then will issue a report based on his (and they usually charge about $20 for it), but since you gave your insurance all the info they can start without it. my last accident i got my car back before the police report was even ready.

• How to FIX a flat tire in 10 minutes or less.

• Stranded, how to make the best of a boring situation

• Major accident, how to help and not hinder.

• Trapped, how to escape with your life.

More to be added later.....

Class two will be:

Why did we go in the woods? How to stay alive till you can get rescued in the wilderness

• What should you pack even if you are just going for a short hike.

• S-T-O-P: Stop, Think, Orient, Plan. how this could save your life.

• Earth, Water and Fire, what you need to make your stay more bearable.

• Attracting attention for survival.

more to be added later...

Class Three will be:

The BOB: Bug out bag, when BOB is your key to survival.

• Why a BOB is important, and when it should be used.

• No two BOB's are the same, and they shouldn't be, and why.

• Urban Vs Wilderness BOB's

• Bottom, Top and the middle, Feet: if you can move you cant survive, keeping a clear mind and body

• Self Defense when its your life on the line

More to be added later...

Class four will be:

The Home is the Castle

• Preparing you home for a natural disaster.

• What supplies are needed and how long should you be prepared for.

• What is "Fortification" and how to use it.

• when should you defend your castle and when should you run.