Disaster worker survival issues

I am in the same boat. When Exotic New Castle Disease broke out we were called out. While it was not detrimental to the health of the public, we still went door to door knocking. As long as you are professional, do not present yourself as a threat, and are clear with your intentions you will be okay in most areas. Most that is. I have no problem with someone knocking on my door, but gaining access to my home is another matter. The USDA has already started preparing for Avian Infuenza but I am sure that it will hit us like a ton of breaks anyway. Some of my preps include having my doctor give me several prescriptions for Tamiflu, and I also have a nice little bug out bag for my Govt. car with all of the essentials in it. I also have some extra anti-biotics at home. Stocking a few otc meds is advisable also. A while back I picked up 10 little safety/heath kits that contain gloves, masks, sanitizers, etc. I also picked up a bunch of the N95 masks. While I always carry a knife in my pocket, in a severe outbreak if I thought my life was in danger you can be damn sure I would at least have one of my tiny Keltec pistols with me. I love my job, but not more than my life. Whenever we have suspicion to believe that we could be in danger, we are given an armed export by either local LEOs or U.S. Marshals. I suspect that in a situation like this none would be available as they would be too busy trying to maintain law and order. In the end, you have to use your best judgment regarding how to protect yourself but still fulfilling your duties.

 

The only problem with "survivalists and gun-rights proponents" being involved in planning like you say is that they would be hamstrung by the same silly laws that you yourself must deal with. The best laid plans are nothing if you aren't allowed to go through with them.
I do wish you the best of luck if there is a large scale situation and you are called into a more severe duty than your day to day job. Best of luck to you and I hope some of the more knowledgeable members on this site can and are helping you!

 

We have a no treaspasing sign at the gate, so unless you have a warrent theres no need to come to my door. But if you do I'll be sure to send the welcoming comittee to meet you.

Here's the welcoming comittee for those that don't know.



No offense intended it's just the way I see it.

OGM

 

First off welcome to the board.

So far as aproaching people/homes in times of unrest/disaster, I would say that the best and safest way would be to attempt to announce yourself from the end of the drive, if there is no response then like you said, approach in the open with hands visible and preferably alone, if you have a an armed escort its going to come across as enforcers rather than protectors and have the group MUCH more likely to get an unwanted response. Make sure that you make REQUESTS and NOT DEMANDS once you make contact and if told/asked to leave DO SO, if samples are refused (especialy from people like blood and such as opposed to soil or water) accept it and go explaining why you need them and what you are doing can help but if they still dont want to accept their anwser. I would say if those guidlines were followed then comeing to my door you would likely get cooperation unless I felt it could be detrimental to me or mine and YOU would remain safe. If on the other hand I look out the window and see 5 armed men sneaking up my drive or trying to suround my house in a disaster time then first contact is likely to be one of the guys heads explodeing and a loud bang. Similar results if told to leave and the person insists that I WILL respect their authority to do as they please. Demanding I do whatever whne your on my land at the least will screw you as far as cooperation and turn it into a dangerous situation. If instruction from above is not to take no for an anwser or otherwise handle it differently than outlined I would have to say that if you think the job is important either ignore their direction and deal well with those willing or decide if its more important than going home because while going in with an armed escort many will comply under deress some wont and while they are not likely to 'win' in the long run the guys on site are aproaching a fortified position and will likely loose.

Now with the safety thoughts on doing the job out of the way, we come to BO options if things get to a point where theres nothing you can do or what ever. I would say you would have some distinct advantages due to the ocupation since if the situation is NBC related and you are the guy in the moon suit then you already have a huge boone there to avoid contraction/contamination along with similarly related equiptment. Next would be gear NOT provided for the job. If they pass out MREs to you then that would also be helpful but one of the big considerations would be dependent on specifics. Do you drive your own vehicle or get on the bus/company vehicle? If its a personal vehicle then you CAN have firearms in the vehicle pretty much any place other than on a military base, on school property it would have to be locked up and unloaded and if it leaves the vehicle your hosed butlocked in the trunk and unloaded your good, also a personal vehicle is considered private property so aside from restricted areas or martial law can refuse search. Like I say, I think given your situation, being armed (especialy openly) while doing your job would be counter productive anyway but haveing it available if you have to BO would be near escential. Also do you have an asigned area, like that you would only be called on if it was in a particular city and you know your station would be X highschool or at least a set AO? If you know you would be working out of a certain place then you could also look around the area and see about a 'you-store-it' type place where you could store some supplies for a BO where the doors are outside and if you need to access it you just go through the gate (or over or under the fence) at most then unlock a padlock and get your stuff. A similar option would be that you could find a place to burry a cache or store it in some other maner near where you would be.

I would say that beyond those considerations it would be basicly the same as any other bug out plan. If it was in a storage locker then would also make sure there was a set of bolt cutters in the car or at hand just in case for any reason there was a second lock put on it (like a late payment or clerical error) or for that matter the lock rusted or keys were lost. If things get broke down to a point you are in BO mode from the job then would also probably try to avoid being overly recognizable as being from the gov and just keep as low of a profile as possible since that would tend to imply that others forgot to not try to demand and pissed of the populace and/or that there was nothing that could be done and folks will be looking for someone to blame and your agency would likely be toward the top of their lists.

 

OGM - Nice dogs! I didn't take offense at all, BTW. Guess its easy to see that there's distrust on both sides of the fence, if you see what I mean.

E.L. - Thanks for your insights. Looks like you put some thought into it, so I'll probably crib some of that for myself. [Looks like I'm shopping for small pistols too] Isn't New Castle an animal disease? Are you with Animal Control or more like a Health Dept.?

RP- I understand. Well, disaster planning as a paid, professional position is still kind of new in many places at present. Maybe folks with more sense will work up the ranks...

Seawolf - If your sis is a sheeple, then she's probably at the best place she can be. She's part of a large group with resources, and even if she doesn't have the mindset, then at least the purpose is to survive and she'll follow the orders she's given.

MM - LOTS of stuff there. I'm in a city, so no cache is possible, and probably storage lockers are out of the question, but stowing in the car is probably best. Thanks for letting me know about the dos and don'ts for that [but I'll check the local laws, too].

Wish I could just wear something like a Gadsden flag pin to let you guys know I'm all right if I came to your door

 

Yes, New Castle is primarily an avian disease. Still, if left unchecked it can decimate flocks.

I am a C.S.I.-I.I.C with the U.S. Dept. Of Agriculture.

 

We like are dogs as well, thanks. They don't like strangers at all. (Side note: we really need a smilly of a dog trearing something up. ) I would bet the big yellow suit would drive them nuts. As far as distrust I believe that it is every Americans Constitutional duty to have at least some distrust in .gov.

OGM

btw welcome to the board

 

I think most of us have made the idea of caches a bit narrower than it needs to be, while it COULD be buried in some remote place, it could just as easily be stuffed in a storm drain, stashed in an abandoned shed or what ever. Its simply the mater of leaveing supplies stored someplace where they can be picked up when/if needed. If you know someone in the area you would be the cache could be that you work it out with them to let you keep a foot locker in their garage or garden shed or what ever.

I know my step son is supposed to be headed off to job corpse this summer and they have the zero tolerence on weapons and such so we are looking at the idea of renting a small storage space near the campus to store a BOB and maybe a bike or something for him.

On the guns in school zones an aditional thing that can grant you more protection is if you have a concealed carry permit. Under the fereral law it exempts you then if its loaded and in the car BUT still is questionable at best if you take it out of the car. If worst comes to worst though can always park across the street. Kind of figure though that if its not a secured area (like where subject to random search of your person and or metal detectors, like military bases, government buildings, airports and such) then I would say that a SMALL handgun well concealed would hust go on the idea of 'concealed is concealed' and what they dont know dont hurt you.

 

As far as inner city Caches go I have found an interesting way to disguise them. Where I live, the post is all distributed the night before to these storage lockers set up on the street. Then they are used by the postal workers who walk around to deliever the mail door to door. A good trick would be to get ahold of one of these and put a new lock into it, and then stash it outdoors where you could easily reach it. Place it some alleyway and send a few concrete bolts through the bottom. If it says something about the mail system then I guarantee no one will try to open it (Who wants junk mail that badly?)

As for the no weapon I would suggest getting Medival on them and using a Crossbow with a cocking assist.
Good luck if SHTF, YOu are in both a positive and negative position.

oh and welcome to the board