 |
The SurvivalRing Watchdog
By Richard A. Fleetwood - May 2001
January 8, 2000
This installment of the SurvivalRing "Survival's Watchdog" is devoted to
getting the word out about how ANYONE can be prepared. PERIOD. Ideas, concepts,
sources, reasons.
The message below appeared originally in my SurvivalRing Email List at
survivalring@topica.com. I
replied to it there, and sent the reply to my other email lists to pass on
the idea, and then felt that the full mesage would be a worthwhile addition
to my site as a webpage.
The Watchdog page is an appropriate location on this site to post it, as
we should ALL always watch out for each other, and try to keep each other
safe. Who knows, maybe someone watching your back for you may push you out
of the way of a run-a-way vehicle or similar occurance someday.
Anyway, your comments are welcome, and if you'll read farther down on the
page, you'll see that I'd like any replies to be sent to the SurvivalRing
or Blast Shelter mailing lists.
Thanks in advance for your interest.
Richard
In a message dated 1/8/00 8:56:19 PM Central Standard Time,
swaney2@voyager.net writes:
> > I think it may be time boys and girls to find a new topic or I
like all the
> others will have to drop this list... Y2K was a non-event but we can
discuss
> other things... UFO over running China.. something.. come on this used
to be
> so interesting... Solar Ovens.. We're reaching folks..
>
Jody,
This email list (as are my others, such as THE BLAST SHELTER) is USER driven.
Any topic that has to do with preparedness is ok for discussion. Yes, Y2k
held most of us in suspense, up until The Day....and since no disaster of
biblical preportions, we can now skip along on our merry little way down
the primrose path of life......or can we?
This past week, the first week of January, my lil' ol' state of Alabama has
already suffered Tornadoes, and Earthquakes. No damage from either, but both
not normal, especially the quakes. In 1997, there was a deadly twister that
struck in Tuscaloosa, due west of me, and passed just north of us on January
27. Video of this twister is online, and can be seen from a link on my personal
page. Then, in May 1998, the horrendous F-5 twister hit nearby, again,
just north of my home, causing millions in damage, taking over 30 lives,
and so much more. I wrote a full report on this storm and had it online 2
days after the event.
When there is no disaster CURRENTLY going on, or on the horizon, there will
always be future storms, unforseen natural hazards, accidents, and man made
problems. This list is where we can ALL talk about personal experiences,
such as Karen and her daughter's problems, and solutions, or personal experiences
each of us might have had in y2k week, or its aftermath ( even I have some
personal stories to share of y2k PROBLEMS I have been having to deal with,
have seen locally, or still see ahead of us ), or ANYONE'S suggestions or
sharing of experiences that may help another save a life, save someone REAL
pain, or lift up the spirits of someone who may not see the light at the
end of the tunnel after suffering when they shouldn't have (had they the
tools or skills to avoid getting into their difficulties). The ULTIMATE goal
of this list, my websites, and my webring, is to help my FELLOW MAN prepare
for THOSE THINGS THAT CAUSE US TO STUMBLE, TO HURT, TO SUFFER, TO DIE ....and
help us find ways around these boulders in our path and keep on going no
matter what the odds.
Each of us has it within us to fight the good fight, to keep on going past
all expectations, to reach our final and ultimate goals in life and liberty.
Yes, each of us. Sometimes, we don't see it very well within ourselves, and
it takes others to assist us in reaching deep down inside to cross that final
hurdle to reach our destinations. Hence, this little group we have assembled
into thru the internet, thru friendship, thru common interests. Let us share
and provide for each other those things that might make THE difference to
another human being.
One thing I would LOVE to talk about is for EACH member of this list to provide
ONE suggestion to the REST of the members of this list, of ways EACH of us
can prepare or better yet, TRAIN ourselves for future events that may hold
sway over our lives. Anything we can do as a GROUP would be all the better,
such as the FEMA courses mentioned below.
This would be a great help to many people, would generate some wonderful
communications for all of us, and offer some ideas that could be put to real,
practical, and live saving use for some of us in the future.
I will start with a little description of what *I* am personally doing to
get that needed training and what I plan to do in the next few months to
help develop skills and abilities to be able to help in any future situations,
dangerous events, or family emergencies....to help save lives.
* TRAINING: I am now a full member of my local squadron of the USAF Civil
Air Patrol, located in Bessemer, Alabama. I intend to use the training, classes,
and fellowship to become a fully trained Emergency Operations Officer, along
with training in Spotter/Scanner (flying missions) positions in Search and
Rescue (SAR) operations. This may take a few months, but it is my full intention
to complete this goal in the next year.
* COURSES: I have downloaded the LATEST versions of FEMA's Home corresondence
Emergency Management Independant Study lessons this past week, and will work
in the next few weeks on getting each of these completed, and take the tests
ONLINE before summer vacation June 1st. Upon completion of these courses,
I will receive Certificates of Completion from FEMA.. Anyone may do the same,
and I challenge each and every member of this email list to do the same,
or take at least ONE of the courses. I will also follow up with several more
courses that are available thru FEMA. Go to THIS link to check them out....
FEMA: EMI Course List
* WEBSITES: I have a FEW big projects in work at this moment, that will benefit
the Preparedness community with unique and distinctive information that anyone
can use. One project is my CIVIL DEFENSE site, long promised, and almost
ready. It will contain scanned in ORIGINAL CD docs, both historic AND current,
or as current as can be expected from our government.
Another project is an update of my HAZARDS MAPS PAGE, the page that started
it all, with many sites around the country coming online with similar info
AFTER mine was up. I have dozens of new maps, will have a new layout, and
better resolution on all that will be there. I ask that anyone that CAN help
with either material for these topics, contacts, links, or suggestions, offer
them to me asap, as site goals are firming up and html work has already
begun.
Of course, I will be spending quite a bit of time cleaning up my SurvivalRing
webring, weeding out dead links, as there are many now since y2k is past
us. New items and features will come to SurvivalRing as well, such as its
OWN section of HAZARD maps, which I will surprise all with when its done.
* PERSONAL GOALS: I will continue to help anyone who comes my way, via my
websites, emails, or personal face to face meetings, to share what I know
in how to stay prepared no matter what. I will increase my ability to be
self sufficient with a victory garden this year (Y2k_not Victory, that is),
and will spend more time learning how to can our homegrown veggies, or
field-picked foodstuffs (in this part of the state, you can pick your own
berries, peaches, and such at several farms around the Birmingham area).
I will also keep up to date on what is going on where, such as storm systems,
wierd government or bad guy activities, or political changes in the wind
that might have long term side effects of the negative kind.
I will also visit face to face my local congressmen, and Senator (Richard
Shelby of Tuscaloosa) to ask them to help the rest of the nation know that
PREPAREDNESS IS A GOOD THING.
NOW.....with all that said.....what will YOU do comparison? And I do mean
DO. Not just talking about it....not just unending discussion, argument,
or alternative ideas. What will you really DO? Do you intend to REALLY spend
time developing skills, or time THINKING about developing skills? Do you
intend to spend time OUTSIDE, or THINKING about being outside? Do you truly
want to HELP others, or say you WANT to help others? Or worse yet, say you
HELPED others, by just talking/typing?
Preparedness is not a passive exercise. It takes spending a fair amount of
waking hours DOING REAL THINGS, reading REAL information, and ACTING WITH
REAL INITIATIVE....to reach REAL GOALS. I challenge each and everyone of
you on my SurvivalRing and Blast Shelter lists to respond to this message
with YOUR suggestion, goal, or PLAN OF ACTION. Now more than ever we need
people to be available all over this nation, with skills to be able to act
in a HEARTBEAT, to step into a situation where our nation's public safety
brigades MAY NOT have arrived yet to respond. A car accident, a house fire,
an earthquake, a tornado, or a heart attack may be your call to step in and
assist when needed. Learn NOW, when there is no pressure, so that when there
IS pressure, you will know EXACTLY what to do in a specific situation.
Please respond to the EMAIL LISTS SPECIFICALLY, as this is for EVERYONE,
not just me to know. Make sure your response goes to either/both of the EMAIL
ADDRESSES BELOW:
survivalring@topica.com
or
theblastshelter@topica.com
Remember, when its YOUR turn to suffer some calamity, wouldn't you like the
first person to see you be able to HELP you....successfully? THAT is why
we are here. Take part in the world, in this project, and in your life. Don't
let it just pass by. Make it count.
Now, if you read down this far, thank you. I hope you will pass this message
on to as many people as you can. It's very important to get as many people
participating in GOOD things as possible. This good thing will only have
POSITIVE effects for all who come into contact with it. I look forward to
taking part in helping any who seek it.
Bless us all in our quest to MAKE THE DIFFERENCE.
Richard Fleetwood
Founder - The SurvivalRing Webring
http://www.survivalring.org
Updated May 2001 - © 2001 By Richard A. Fleetwood |
 |
and
![](pixel.gif"){kind=tracking}