For ATN Workbook Actions
and
Becoming Resilient Actions
1. Products and Resources
(listed according to relevant workbook action)
If you are a program participant and would like to provide other resources you have found helpful while taking actions, please e-mail them by clicking HERE. Please provide your name, team name and location.
1. Products and Resources
(listed according to relevant workbook action)
(Special thanks for these resources to Alan Leidner, Building Leader and the ATN teams at 299 Riverside Drive. Also submissions by Glen Wolin, Beverly Square West Homeowners' Assoc., Brooklyn)
Recommendations below heavily rely upon Campmor, an outdoor supply store with an extensive on line purchasing inventory: www.campmor.com,
1-800-CAMPMOR. Other similar stores are available in the City including Tents and Trails on Park Place and Broadway in lower Manhattan, and EMS at 20 West 61st Street off Broadway. But we found the most items and the most choices at Campmor. The prices were good as well. Delivery is free with orders above $100. All other items recommended for purchase could be bought locally at hardware stores, electronic stores or supermarkets.
Action 1: Food For A Long Weekend (Becoming Resilient Action 1)
Suggested foods include cans of tuna fish, peanut butter and jelly, powdered milk and juice, vitamins, nutrition/granola bars
Action 2: Drink It Up (Becoming Resilient Action 2)
Buy a recommended 4 gallons of bottled water per household member and store. Or, fill sturdy plastic containers with tap water. Some participants store less water per household member. It is recommended to store at least one quart of water in your “Go Bag”: see Action 14.
Action 3: Bundle Up (Becoming Resilient Action 3)
Everyone felt they had sufficient blankets and warm clothing to deal with a heat outage in winter. Some bought “heatsheet survival blankets” to put in their “Go Bag”. Survival blankets fold up small, are extra light, and help retain 75% of body heat.
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What to buy
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Where to buy
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Price
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Item #
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Heatsheet Survival Blanket
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Campmor.com
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$4.95
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89035
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Action 4: Playing Telephone (Becoming Resilient Action 7)
Buy a non-electric telephone. These can be bought for as little as $10 at most electronic equipment stores.
Action 5: House Warming (Becoming Resilient Action 3)
This action is geared to owners of private homes with fire places or electric generators. While not applicable to apartment living you could consider the acquisition of survival blankets as extra insurance.
Action 6: Get Cooking (Becoming Resilient Action 4)
In an extended electric outage could we survive without a morning cup of coffee or tea? Our Teams agreed that buying a small portable stove and some sterno fuel along with waterproof matches dealt with this issue. Or buy a fondue pot! We also recommend having some ground coffee on hand or a hand grinder for your beans.
Action 7: Let There Be Light (Becoming Resilient Action 5)
After considerable research the Teams agreed that LED (light emitting diode) flashlights were best because of very long battery light (dozens to hundreds of hours between battery changes, and almost infinite LED life) even thought they cost more. Three types of LED’s were recommended. A headlamp for working with both hands in the dark, a traditional hand held flashlight, and a lantern for room illumination. Team Eleven also acquired stick lights which are an additional option. While the ATN handbook speaks about candles and oil lamps, we sought to get away from the use of flame for reasons of safety. Campmor has many LED options including less expensive ones. Nothing is wrong with a traditional (cheap) bulb flashlight except that under constant use the batteries will give up after a couple of hours and the bulbs have much shorter lives than LEDs.
Action 8: Tune In (Becoming Resilient Action 6)
A battery powered radio available almost anywhere is a cheap option. The more expensive hand crank radio eliminates the need and worry over batteries and can be used recreationally as well.
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What to buy
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Where to buy
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Price
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Item #
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Grundig FR 200 SOS Radio
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Campmor.com
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$39.95
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69206
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Freeplay Energy
Wind-up Radio
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momastore.org
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$65.00
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56402
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Action 9: Go With The Flow
Team members felt making sure they had a large plastic bucket on hand was sufficient. Available at any hardware store.
Action 10: Safety First
Follow instructions in ATN Workbook
Action 11: Kids Stuff
Follow instructions in ATN Workbook
Action 12: Unplugged
Follow instructions in ATN Workbook
Action 13: To Your Health (Becoming Resilient Action 10)
After extensive discussion we all agreed to buy the Ultralight .9 1st Aid Kit because it included most of the items on the ATN list without being too expensive. The Campmor web site has many more first aid kits offered and you can browse the different alternatives.
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What to buy
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Where to buy
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Price
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Item #
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Ultralight .9 First Aid Kit
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Campmor.com
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$24.99
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89050
|
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Safety Tube First Aid Kits
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Redcross.org
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$4.95
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321173
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Various First Aid Kits
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Redcross.org
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$10-20
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Action 14: Ready Set Go Bag (Becoming Resilient Action 9)
There were many alternatives to choose from. We are recommending a standard backpack that has a large 2000 cu in capacity, but there are many alternatives including backpacks that can be wheeled like luggage. Campmor has an extensive selection to choose from. There is also an all-in-one emergency bag pre-filled with supplies called the Ready Freddy Emergency Preparedness Kit.
Action 15: Ounce of Prevention (Becoming Resilient Action 11)
Keep an extra supply of medicines you need in case it is impossible for you to obtain medicines because of an emergency situation. We are looking into difficulties reported in obtaining prescriptions for extra drugs.
Action 16: On The Road – Evacuation Plan
(Becoming Resilient Action 12)
This could be as simple as having a list of key contacts, addresses, rendezvous points and phone numbers on a sheet of paper that all members of your household carry around. This could be enhanced by a map printed from the web if thought useful.
Action 17: Extra Care
If pertinent follow instructions in ATN Manual
Action 18: People Powered Transportation
(Becoming Resilient Action 12)
Some, with young kids, thought it would be helpful to keep a tricycle or stroller around just in case. A number of residents keep bikes in the bike room.
Action 19: It’s Alarming – Preparing For A Fire
Discussion centered on having a modestly sized Class ABC fire extinguisher available in the kitchen area. Such extinguishers are available at local hardware stores. Several ATN participants bought Kidde units.
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What to buy
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Where to buy
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Price
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ABC Class fire extinguisher
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Local hardware store
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$25.00
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Action 20: Too Hot (Becoming Resilient Action 13)
Imagine a power outage during a summer heat wave: no AC, no fan. Several ATN participants recommended having a number of ice packs in the freezer to help cool things down. Ice packs are locally available at hardware stores and supermarkets. We didn’t explore this one too deeply and perhaps more needs to be done here since other the past years high heat in Chicago and Europe have led to many deaths.
Action 21: Prepped Pets
Resources still being determined
Action 22: Just in Case (Becoming Resilient Action 14)
Follow instructions for selecting and preparing a sheltering in place room. One set of options is to buy a 9’ x 12’ sturdy plastic drop cloth and duct tape for securing windows. The Action recommends the use of wet towels along the bottom of doors and along window sills. We are still researching whether it is appropriate to purchase respirators or escape masks. If you are curious, just Google respirators/escape masks and read for yourself. At the present time it would appear that a respirator rated N95 or higher with a exhalation valve couldn’t do any harm and might help. Check out the selection of 3M brand respirators on the internet if you wish. We hope to have a firmer recommendation shortly.
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What to buy
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Where to buy
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Price
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9’ x 12’ sturdy plastic drop cloth
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Local hardware store
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$4.00
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Duct tape
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Local hardware store
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$3.00
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N95 Rated Respirator
with Exhalation Valve
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Local hardware store
or via 3M website
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$5.00
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Action 23: Ready or Not
Follow instructions in ATN Manual
POTASSIUM IODIDE
The FDA recommends that KI be taken as soon as the radioactive cloud containing iodine from the explosion is close by. KI may still have some protective effect even if it is taken 3 to 4 hours after exposure to radioactive iodine. Because the radioactive iodine will be present in the initial blast and decays quickly, a single dose of KI may be all that is required. KI works only to prevent the thyroid from uptaking radioactive iodine. It is not a general radioprotective agent.
The thyroid gland takes iodine from the bloodstream and uses it to make thyroid hormones. Without the required amount of iodine, the thyroid will not be able to make these hormones. Most of the iodine in peoples's bodies comes from the food they eat.
KI is a salt of iodine. It is one of several ingredients that can be added to table salt to make it iodized. KI hs also been approved by the FDA as a nonprescription drug for use as a "blocking agent" to prevent the human thyroid gland from absorbing radioactive iodine. Iodized table salt will not provide enough iodine to protect the thyroid and should not be used as a substitute.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has revised a section of its emergency preparedness regulations. The revised rule requires that States with a population within the 10-mile emergency planning zone(EPZ) of commercial nuclear power and plants consider including KI as a protective measure for the general public to supplement sheltering and evacuation in the event of a severe nuclear power plant accident.
New York is one of twenty states that have requested or received KI tablets.
Section 127 of the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002, requires State and local governments through the national KI stockpile to distribute KI tablets to populations within 20 miles of a nuclear power plant. This study was published in January 2004.
As of January 2005, the FDA has approved 4 KI products (Thyro-Block, Iosat, ThyroSafe, and ThyroShield). You can find out more about KI products at Drugs@FDA. Only KI products approved by the FDA may be legally marketed in the United States.
The Website to obtain Potassium Iodide tablets is:
www. Areyouprepared.com
Sources for information about Potassium Iodide:
The Centers for Disease Control website, CDC.gov
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission website, nrc.gov
U.S Food and Drug Administration website, fda.gov
Action 24: Be Calm (Becoming Resilient Action 15)
Follow instructions in ATN Manual. A number of ATN participants thought practice at visualizing emergency situations or practicing Action 12 would be useful, like athletes visualizing a course they were about to traverse.
