Individual Preparedness – Part 2

Bob Kenyon – K8LJ

February 14, 2007

Following Part 1 from last week, this training tip deals with another three specific areas of individual preparedness required to be able to effectively respond in a time of emergency. Again, much of this material has been covered in previous training tips, but it is a good idea to provide periodic reviews and gather information together in a cohesive manner. Today’s training tip will focus on three topics: Personal Safety, Personal Comfort, and Developing a Checklist for your “Go-Kit”.

Personal Safety

Personal safety is Job 1 - if you become a casualty, you’re part of the problem, not the solution

Gloves, ear plugs, eye protection and other safety items can be important for some emergency situations

If you require any medications, make sure you have them readily on hand - your life might depend on it

Situational awareness and looking out for potential hazards is always important - again, you don’t want to become part of the problem

Personal Comfort

Personal comfort assists greatly in your being a good operator and communicator

Items such as extra clothing and sanitation supplies are important

Food, water and eating supplies are obvious necessities

A storm suit or any foul weather gear you have can enhance your comfort in some situations

Sleeping bags and related items can also be quite beneficial

Don’t overlook relaxation items. No one can be expected to be on duty for 72 hours or so without some rest and relaxation. Like your HT battery, you need to be recharged periodically also. Books, music, or whatever your preferred relaxation aid is can be helpful in this regard

Checklist

Each person’s list will be unique because we all have different needs and varying items available for emergency use - the good news is we can complement each other

Develop your own checklist and keep a copy in your “Go-Kit” and review it periodically

Small things are critical. As the saying goes “the devil is in the details”. Just one bad or missing connector, adapter, cable, tool or whatever, can incapacitate your operation. Let us not forget that relatively minor issues brought down the multi-billion dollar space shuttle twice.

This concludes this week’s training tip. Any comments, suggestions or corrections are most welcome. Next week we will explore the concept of a “multi-tiered” “Go-Kit”. Perhaps it will stimulate some discussion and we can determine if the concept is worth pursuing.