by Jim Saemann, AB3RA

THE SURVIVAL NET must be making an impact, because we ran into several instances of intentional interference both on frequency and near frequency Sunday night. Band conditions were difficult even without the interference, but we managed to have a great discussion anyway.

Tonight on 3983 kHz we talked about the social aspects of survival.  Specifically, we talked about forming groups of like-minded individuals among your friends and neighbors — the premise being that none of us should be a “lone wolf” in a crisis. We can share mutual assistance and support with our friends and neighbors.

We also talked about the psychological aspects of survival: what to expect from ourselves and others in a crisis. Humans are creatures of habit and routine.  When the routine gets disrupted by an “event,” many emotions follow: confusion, depression, desperation,  anger, etc. Being well prepared for a crisis makes us better able to handle these emotions in ourselves and others.

This coming week (February 24) will be the eighth session of the Survival Net. I’m very happy with our progress to date with this very new net. As such, I think it’s a good time to just have an open discussion about survival. We’ll discuss anything you want, but I want to  spend some time taking suggestions from net participants for what you’d like to cover in the future and for how to run the net in general. I am a very new amateur radio operator (less than four months!) and appreciate the input from more experienced hams. I look forward to another lively discussion this Sunday at 9 PM on 3983!

Here are some highlights from our discussion:

*SOCIAL ASPECTS OF SURVIVAL*

*NEIGHBORHOOD SURVIVAL GROUPS* Get to know your acquaintances, church members, and neighbors.

* Be ORGANIZED and communicate well — be a leader.

* For meetings, have a clear, simple agenda that’s easy to understand.

* Show neighbors “what’s in it for them” with a document or slide show about disasters like Katrina, Sandy, etc. and how even just a few days without power or communications can be devastating.

* Have potluck dinners and block parties.

* Make a Survival Group flyer and put it in neighbors’ doors or mailboxes.

* Talk to them about survival in everyday conversations.

* Start a garden club to help start victory gardens.

* Start a community watch program for your neighborhood.

* Find inexpensive, short books and DVDs that talk about the problems and neighborhood survival tactics.

* Learn about their skills, backgrounds, needs and interests — you may be surprised to find people in your neighborhood like ex-military, law enforcement, machinists, carpenters, farmers, landscapers, doctors, nurses, etc. You should also compile a list of special needs persons such as elderly, diabetics, epileptics, special needs children, etc.

* Buy tools that would be useful and that could be shared, like tillers.

* Buy extra seed such as a seven-year supply of Survival Seeds and be prepared to provide seeds for neighbors. Use only NON-HYBRID seeds, as these are the only seeds that can be harvested and used year after year from the grown plants.

* Build a survival library of books that you can use to train your group in needed survival skills.

* Invite them to go to a shooting range with you.

* Establish a neighborhood communications network using HTs, CBs, ham radio, etc. FRS walkie talkies are inexpensive, easy to use, and require no license. These radios would be ideal for families in your neighborhood to use in a crisis. Volunteer to be  communications coordinator of your neighborhood in a crisis.

* Establish regular meetings to discuss neighborhood survival plans and procedures.

* Don’t worry about ‘persuading’ others. Concentrate on like-minded individuals who share your concerns and goals.

* Develop a written disaster preparedness plan among like-minded friends and neighbors. Write it, read it, SHARE it, improve it, and don’t forget about it!

WEB SITES:

http://www.talewins.com/protectyourself/neighborhood.htm

http://virginiapreppersnetwork.blogspot.com/2009/02/survival-retreat-vs-neighborhood.html

MOVIE:

The Lifeboat (1944)