This Is The Stuff Nightmares Are Made Of

An article came out today in the Idaho Statesman that enumerates various incidents where the US government has LOST weapons grade nuclear materials. According to the article, "since the cold war ... 6 TONS of bomb materials have gone MUF", meaning "material unaccounted for". The article goes on to say that some of this "may be stuck in pipes at processing facilities, etc." so just because it is unaccounted for does NOT necessarily mean that 6 tons were stolen.

That said, the article starts off mentioning some samples of material that WERE recently stolen from a rented SUV that was being used by "two security experts from the Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory." While these samples were NOT sufficient quantity to make a nuclear weapon, it bespeaks of a lack of security in the handling of such materials.

Idaho Statesman Article

But knowing that there are 6 TONS of nuclear material - much of it weapons grade - that are MISSING or unaccounted for, does NOT leave one feeling "warm and fuzzy". This is theoretically enough to "make hundreds of nuclear explosives', according to the article. Also, according to the article, an amount of plutonium the size of a grapefruit is sufficient to produce a bomb.

Think terrorist bomb, 'dirty bomb', possible EMP weapon, etc. SCARY!!!

Help In Preparing For Emergency/Austere Medical Situations - A Shout Out To A Fellow YouTuber

Folks who read my last post know I got my EMT-Basic certification about a year ago. But I didn't stop there.

In my constant effort to be more prepared for whatever comes, and to be of help to my family, friends, neighbors and colleagues, I took some additional seminars dealing with emergency medicine in an "austere" setting. What do I mean by "austere"? My EMT training was primarily geared toward helping the patient stay alive, and preventing further injury, until they could get to the hospital. This is all well and good, and works in most situations. But what about a massive grid down situation? Or another hurricane Katrina, where massive flooding prevents rescue workers from getting to you in a timely manner? Those situations can be termed "austere", because doctors, nurses and hospital care may NOT be readily available - for some time, if at all. A fellow YouTuber comes to the rescue for these scenarios.

There is a Registered Nurse (RN) who maintains a YouTube channel called "The Patriot Nurse". If you go back and search through her videos, you will find she has posted lots of valuable medical information - as well as some at times brutally frank, politically oriented ones. I'm NOT here to debate politics or to comment one way or the other on the merit of the political stances expressed in some of her YouTube and Patreon videos - THAT is for another blog. I will NOT address or render comments on politics or take sides here in this forum. BUT the FREE MEDICAL information she provides in some of her videos is outstanding and is of concern and potentially helpful to all of us - regardless of one's religious or political persuasion. Additionally, she offers a series of paid seminars called "Medical Prep 101, Medical Prep 201, and Medical Prep 301.

My adult step daughter and I took all three of the medical prep classes several months after I got my EMT-Basic patch. So I had some background with which to evaluate the course content. In short, I think the classes are EXCELLENT - especially for laypersons, or even people with a "nurse's aide" level of training. There was another EMT there besides myself; we both thought it was a good review as well as offering certain valuable info that we DON'T normally get through EMT training and continuing education. To follow is a very brief synopsis of what you get during the classes:

Medical Prep 101 and 201 - covers all major aspects of first aid, diseases one is likely to encounter now or during a disaster, and also offers frank discussion of how quickly medical care deteriorates when infrastructure is damaged or destroyed. She comes from a background of having been a nurse in 3rd world countries where the facilities and technology we take for granted are at times severely lacking. Video presentations and a course notebook she provides augment the lecture and hands-on exercises. A question and answer period after each "chapter" or section gives ample opportunity for students to get their questions answered, as well as for class discussion that can be quite informative.

Medical Prep 301 - briefly recaps some material covered in Medical Prep 101 and 201, then offers excellent coverage dealing with new and re-emerging old diseases which bear watching now, and which can quickly become problematic during a disaster. She presented good information about the rise of antibiotic resistant bacteria, ebola, plague, tic-borne diseases and other potential threats - diseases that can in themselves trigger a major disaster. Exctensive coverage is given to nutritional and holistic approaches to maintaining health as well as helping the body's own defenses and systems fight back and heal from a disease or injury. Issues such as maintaining adequate sanitation when water and sewer utilities are damaged/destroyed are discussed at length and are a topic EVERYONE should know and be equipped to deal with.

Other topics include feminine hygiene, childbirth, preventing (and recognizing) STDs.

Much of the information she presented dovetailed nicely with my prior EMT training. After all, emergency medicine is emergency medicine. However, FOR ME, the true value I found in it was the viewpoint or "angle" the material was presented from. As stated earlier, all of my prior training was STRICTLY geared toward pre-hospital care during "normal" times in "normal" circumstances. Her presentation is more akin to what is given in Hesperian.org's book titled "Where There Is No Doctor". But UNLIKE reading Hesperian's book - which I DO recommend - The Patriot Nurse offers the hands-on experiences, the classroom interaction and question-answer opportunities one does NOT get from reading a book.

And As I mentioned earlier, these classes are a superb primer for those with little medical knowledge, yet contain enough solid information to arm even those folks to contribute meaningfully to helping during a disaster or grid down scenario. The information that my step daughter has gotten from Patriot Nurse's Medical Prep seminars has also helped empower her in terms of knowing what to do in a medical emergency.

And what is wonderful about knowledge is it is one thing that cannot be taken away from you. FWIW.

EMT-Basic Course; Good, Basic Preparation For Medical Emergencies

Readers of this blog know that as an emergency volunteer, I take basic, common sense preparedness quite seriously. I have published articles on this blog about emergency communications using amateur (HAM) radio as well as by other means when power, Internet and phones (cellular included) inevitably fail during disasters such as tornadoes, hurricanes, etc. MANY "prepper" oriented folks forget the "band-aids" part of the "beans, bullets and band-aids" equation. As a nurse's aide as well as in my emergency volunteer training, I have had plenty of "first aid" training. But a situation at work a year or so back where an office girl passed out, as well as my step daughter falling and injuring her ankle, raised some serious questions in my mind about the real value of the training I had. I decided to do something about it. A buddy of mine, who is an RN at a major hospital, suggested I go for EMT-Basic training. He proposed it because it would be the less expensive option - both in terms of money and time, and that it "would still put me way ahead of the typical layperson" in an emergency. I did considerable research, and indeed ended up getting my EMT-Basic patch as of Summer 2017, and also have taken some additional training in "austere" medicine. I'll discuss the austere medicine training in another post.

There are several levels of EMT: EMT-Basic, EMT-Intermediate (in some jurisdictions), and EMT-Paramedic. EMTs are registered with the National Registry of EMTs (NREMT - as shown on the patch in the above photo) as well as at the state level. EMTs generally work for fire departments, but some also work for private ambulance services and in hospital emergency rooms and ICUs (Intensive Care Units).

I think of EMT-Basic as "first aid on steroids". EMT-Basic focuses on the "ABCs" - airway, breathing, circulation - as well as delves into performing assessments on a patient to determine how much of an emergency it truly is. In other words, "is the patient going to die or otherwise suffer grievous injury within 10 minutes unless immediate intervention is given, or can they wait an hour or so while one gets them to the hospital?" Or is a hospital visit even needed? In addressing the "ABCs", the EMT verifies the patient has an open (or patent) airway, controls/stops any serious bleeding, and makes sure the heart is pumping adequately. If breathing and heart function is not sufficient or gone entirely, then high quality CPR is started. EMT-Basics can insert certain devices such as a "King" airway, an oropharyngeal (OP) or nasopharyngeal (NP) airway to help a patient whose own airway is collapsed. The EMT will administer spinal stabilization to protect the spinal cord from (further) damage, place a "C-collar" (short for cervical collar) on the patient in the event of possible neck injuries, as needed. Splinting of bones, safe moving and transport of patients, safe extrication of patients - such as from a wrecked vehicle or a structure collapse, are also covered. Medical assessment skills for determining if a patient is in shock, is having a possible stroke or heart attack, is having a diabetic or hypoglycemic issue, etc. are emphasized. We also covered mass casualty incidents, terrorist situations, biological/chemical hazards, plant poisons, insect stings and snake bites, water emergencies such as from boating accidents, burns, electric shock, etc.

EMT-Basic training generally takes 4-5 months; exact number of class hours vary as per jurisdiction. We had a certain quota of clinical hours we spent on ambulance ride-alongs and in hospital ER situations. Part of the ER time dealt with adults in a regular hospital and part of the time was in a pediatric ER. This was very important, as children are NOT merely miniatures of adults; there ARE some different considerations in treating a child. My training took 4 months and cost about $1500 for everything - tuition, books, mandatory drug testing, the NREMT exam, ...

EMT-Intermediate is somewhat of a gray area. Not every state has this classification. But generally it is EMT-Basic with some Paramedic skills thrown in. EMT-Intermediates are sometimes allowed to give injections, do EKGs (electrocardiograms), and certain other things associated with Paramedics.

EMT-Paramedics do ALL the above PLUS can give injections of certain medications, run EKGs, intubate patients - meaning insert endo tracheal airways, and generally need a year or sometimes more of classroom training. The requirements on clinical hours are far more stringent as well. Cost may be anywhere between $5000 - $10,000 for the training.


Reading this, you may be saying to yourself "That's great, Karl. What does this have to do with me?" Quite possibly, PLENTY. If you are an outdoors person, canoe/kayak paddler, backpacker, shoot archery or firearms, camp, etc.; ALL these sorts of activities can place you in situations where YOU or whoever you are with ARE the "first responder(s)" available. Ambulances and paramedics may be HOURS away. If you are caught up in a natural disaster such as a hurricane, tornado, flooding, severe snowstorm, etc. you may also find yourself dealing with injuries or other medical situations on your own for some period of time UNTIL someone else can get to you. And if it is a man-made disaster, depending on the nature of that, all bets for finding another EMT,a doctor, nurse or hospital may be off.

On a more mundane level, what if a family member or friend suddenly gets hurt, or goes into cardiac arrest? In the latter situation, SECONDS COUNT! The SOONER high quality CPR is started, statistically the BETTER THE OUTCOME. Those several minutes while waiting for the ambulance can be spent performing CPR, stopping blood loss - or otherwise improving your loved one's chances of survival. And back to my step daughter's ankle for a minute - knowing how to perform an assessment of a traumatic injury can help determine "do we simply put ice on it, have her take an ibuprofen and stay OFF the foot, and reevaluate in the morning, OR is it truly ER time?"

THINK about this: Avoiding the cost of ONE unneeded ER visit could PAY FOR THE TRAINING.

FWIW

Book Review - "EMP Attacks and Solar Storms" An Excellent Resource on the Topic

Many of us have heard about "EMP", or Electromagnetic Pulse, and what it could theoretically do to our power grid, our appliances, personal electronics and possibly even our cars. An EMP event could shut down the power grid and thus interrupt communications, food and fuel distribution, transportation systems, hospitals, emergency response, etc. for MONTHS or even YEARS. To complicate matters, the transformers that are the backbone of our nation's power grid are huge monstrosities that are no longer made in the United States. These are a special order item that could take anywhere from a year to two years to order, have produced and shipped here. And of course, without a functioning power grid, getting all this done would be problematic. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, during her fare well speech, said "it is not a matter of IF, it is a matter of WHEN we have a collapse of the power grid". Her warning was specifically in reference to a cyber attack, NOT an EMP, but NASA has also issued warnings about the danger posed by large solar flares causing an EMP. Some sources estimate that a major EMP incident could potentially kill off up to 90% of the US population within one year! It is believed by some folks in government that regimes such as Iran, North Korea, and even Russia have done research and development into the sorts of weapons needed to produce large, destructive EMP events. Clearly, this is a subject that should concern us all, but even in this era of instant access to information, getting the straight facts is not as easy as one might think. There is much written on the Internet about this subject, but much of it is vague or just plain inaccurate.

Fortunately, there is a go-to guide for those wanting good, accurate information so they may learn the truth and/or take intelligent steps to protect their equipment - and potentially the lives of their families and themselves.

The book is "Disaster Preparedness For EMP Attacks and Solar Storms", by Arthur T. Bradley, Ph.D. The copy I own is dated 2012, and is the 'expanded edition'. ISBN 13 number 978-1278376651; Library of Congress control number 2012914769

In his book, Bradley covers both man made EMP events caused by rogue governments or terrorists, as well as details how a solar EMP could happen. He explains that there are considerable differences in the type of EMP produced from each of these sources. For example, a naturally occurring EMP due to a solar event consists primarily of lower frequency radio waves that would not couple efficiently into small electronics - such as your iPad, a digital watch, or the amateur (HAM) radio I have sitting on the table, UNPLUGGED from any power or antenna when I'm not actively using it. So such devices - and even your car - likely would come through a naturally produced EMP event in usable condition. Things like the electrical grid, items PLUGGED IN when the EMP hit, telephone lines, etc. WOULD LIKELY be damaged or destroyed.

A man made nuclear generated EMP, or one generated by a HEMP (High Energy Magnetic Pulse) weapon, on the other hand, COULD damage/destroy small electronics because of the higher radio frequencies and power levels produced by such weapons. While equipment and even vehicles CAN be protected in event of a man made EMP, such protections would necessarily have to be more carefully constructed and more thorough because of the nature of the type of EMP involved. Emergency volunteers such as myself, as well as anyone trying to prepare for ANY reason, need to give due consideration to this and prepare accordingly.

Bradley gives detailed scientific and engineering data, along with clearly written explanations, that greatly help demystify EMP. He then details what to expect during and after the event, and most importantly, what an individual can do to deal with it.

"Disaster Preparedness For EMP Attacks and Solar Storms" is a must-have reference guide for engineers, emergency responders, military personnel, planners, preppers, and anyone else interested in getting real information (NOT someone's fantasy or personal opinions) about this issue.

Hopefully this information will help some folks to gain real, useful knowledge and make intelligent, informed choices.

Off Grid Power - Lessons Learned During a Recent Power Failure

Readers of my blog will remember the Battery Cart posts dealing with an off-grid power supply of my own design and construction. A few weeks ago, we had a windstorm which knocked out the mains power in my area for several hours. During that time, I was able to test the capabilities of my power supply. To follow are findings and lessons learned:

1) The Battery Cart worked as intended - maintaining some lights, operating radio and computer gear, and keeping my Internet modem energized.

2) My Internet Service Provider does NOT provide emergency power for its network. While my battery system performed admirably in keeping the equipment on MY END operating, I had no Internet service through my ISP. I had to rely on a "wireless hotspot" cellular modem to use the Internet. It was through the cell modem I was able to get online to learn of how widespread the outage actually was.

3) I have ANOTHER pair of batteries in the basement to power the sump pump during an outage. And while the inverter I had SUPPOSEDLY could in theory run the sump pump, it was NOT able to start the sump pump in reality. I had NOT actually tested this before the power failure because I hadn't had the inverter that long. Note to self: GET an inverter that WILL run the sump pump - or risk having a flooded basement during a REAL emergency. I purchased a new, heavier duty inverter which came in the mail a few days ago. It needs to be tested ASAP.

4) "Op-Sec", or operations security. My next door neighbor came over and asked me if I knew what happened with the power - AND how it was I still had power. From outside, as it was getting toward dusk, he saw my ONE work light shining through the living room blinds. Silently, I pointed to the green battery cart sitting next to my work table. He replied "Oh my God, I forgot you had that big battery!" The point of this is that others WILL notice if you are running lights, or your TV, and WILL investigate to see how you are lit up when the other houses are dark. This could be a serious security breach during a prolonged crisis. Note to self: Have some tarps, thick sheets, blankets, whatever as "black-out drapes" if you are going to use lighting inside during early morning/evening or nighttime hours. Likewise, keeping the ham/shortwave radio or any music turned down would be a wise suggestion - don't attract unwanted attention to yourself by running your stereo loud enough for passersby or neighbors to hear.

5) "IP Phones". I already knew this, but if you have an "internet phone" such as provided through "AT&T U-verse" or Time Warner's Cable voice service, you will very likely lose your phone service during a power failure for the same reason I lost my regular Internet service - see point #2 above. These new "IP Phone systems" are NOT like the old POTS [Plain Ol' Telephone Service] lines of old that DID stay up for a time during power outages. Having a cell phone as a backup, even if you normally use a wired "house phone", is important. My elderly mom learned this the hard way when SHE lost her power and the UPS that ran the "AT&T U-Verse box" failed after 30 minutes. I don't know whether or not this has changed from a year ago, but when my mom got her IP Phone system, AT&T did NOT even offer a backup battery in their units!!

6) TEST your equipment REGULARLY! I can't stress this enough. Exercising your equipment regularly will familiarize you with its use, its strengths and weaknesses, and also will quite likely reveal maintenance issues BEFORE they become a show-stopper during "the real deal".

Anyway, I hope these pointers help someone.