How prepared are we?

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   jerrylposted 13 years ago

   About 15 years ago, my neighbor and approximately 100 of her church friends staged an emergency in a local hospital.
   
   The had 60 or 70 people wrapped up in bandages with various
   supposed injuries and illnesses.  Their intention was to test
   the readiness of the hospital and medical profession in our neighborhood.
   
   When they ran into the hospital, a lot of the medical people complained that they didn't have time for such nonsense.  To the credit of the chief of hospital staff, he told his staff that they had better make time to handle this situation like it was a real emergency.  He even went so far as to call in extra medical people, doctors included.
   
   This got me to thinking about what would happen if we had a devastating earthquake or some other huge disaster?
   
   If there was wide devastation, do you know where to go to get needed medicines? Insulin, blood thinners, dialysis etc..
   
   Are there any designated locations for people to report to in your area that you are aware of?  What about food and water?
   
   Has your city, county or state government made known to the public any plans for such emergencies?
   
   Does FEMA have designated emergency supply depot areas in all
   heavy populated areas? 
   
   Do we have any plans at all?
   
   How prepared are we?  I seriously doubt that most people have a clue.
   
   I tried submitting these questions to a local television so-called investigative team, and got no results.
   
   Your thoughts?

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      John Holdenposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      You'd have an awful lot of casualties whilst the hospital checked peoples eligibility for health care.

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      dutchman1951posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      The hospitals have trauma staff  in place, manned given for a certain level of Care. (amount of people) They have means to bring in staff and beef up for any emergency, but it really has to be a true emergency, They will not show you that just because. If there is an issue you see, not fear, but an issue. That goes before your Council to be heard, and before the Public Health Commission.
      
      They protect that because if some group or person  intended to do harm, they possibly could interrupt that. Or deliberately destroy the supplies, then cause a disaster, and thus no supplies to respond with.
      
      Doing what you are doing, intruding into Government preparedness‘, may get you investigated, so be careful.
      
      FEMA responds only on a nationally declared disaster or a State or Local City Government declared disaster, or event. Just doing what your neighbors did would not activate that preparedness’ tree response.
      
      If you want to see it, and what they have. Then present a concerned citizen petition and it has to be a verified one, not just 50 signatures, but a real majority. Then ask your councilmen and women for a valid test, with citizens participating. Or a print out of the plan for you to see.
      
      If they approve it and The State and FEMA approve it,  and the local office reports its ok in their budgets...then you will see it.
      
      Otherwise ask FEMA when they will be doing their scheduled “required” emergency drills. If they say they have nothing scheduled, call your State Senator for the complaint. Be prepared for questions however.
      
      Your Federal Senator and Congressmen and Women will not help, unless it is for the good of their re-election, so your success would be a state level thing, but still very un-likely.
      
      They will probly invite you in to the Office of Prepairdness and go over the plan at a low security level to answer your fears, thats what they usually do.

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2. 61

   Evan G Rogersposted 13 years ago

   I don't like this "we" nonsense.
   
   How prepared is the hospital next-door. That's fine.
   
   How prepared are you as a group? That's fine.
   
   We? Stop it. I don't own a hospital, neither do you.

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      jerrylposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Evan, Why don't you grow up?  Anyone with half a brain would understand that I was referring to the public as a whole, and not you, or myself  individually!  Do you deliberately trying to undermine  others threads with your childish nonsense?  If you do not want to be counted as part of the public, that's fine with me. 
      
      I brought up a serious topic, and you felt the need to use misdirection.  Have a great day.

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         Evan G Rogersposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         "Anyone with half a brain would understand that I was referring to the public as a whole, and not you, or myself  individually!"
         
         No S&%! Sherlock. That's what I was arguing against.
         
         "the public as a whole" is a dangerous concept, and I'm pointing that out right now. Collectivism is slavery.
         
         Quit being so directly mean in your responses. It's not my fault you can't understand arguments that YOU didn't think up.

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   Aficionadaposted 13 years ago

   When my son had to attend a City Council meeting as part of a government class assignment, I went along out of curiosity.
   
   One item on the agenda was the presentation of exactly such a plan that covered several different governmental groups (a couple of cities, the surrounding county, etc.).  All kinds of details were included, such as sewage management, and more.  It was a plan that had taken several years to put together, and a part of the process was brainstorming ideas about what types of emergencies might occur, whether natural or manmade events.
   
   That's where the "we" part comes in, I think.  There are certain levels where the outcome of our government and taxpaying choices do unite us, either voluntarily or involuntarily.  And I certainly want them to have the foresight to consider the appropriate response to crises at that level (destroyed roads and bridges, tainted water supplies, etc.).
   
   But I also emphatically agree that we need more preparedness at the individual, family, and local community level as well.

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   awareposted 13 years ago

   Plain to see who will fall  into conflict and   dog eat dog ways.we will    be  armed.

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   AnnCeeposted 13 years ago

   http://www.fema.gov/areyouready/
   
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RHj15wVXec
   
   Duck and cover. 

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   brimancandyposted 13 years ago

   All you have to do is look at what happened during hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, and you immediately see where the Government cares, and that is to protect the assets of the rich.
   While they stacked the poor like cordwood, and are still doing nothing for them. Just look at how fast they were playing football in the arena there, and how a good majority of the walmart stores were rebuilt, while people's homes are still left un-repaired and the home owners are still living in Fema trailors.
   
   Then they complain that the hundreds and thousands of people who were re-located didn't want to go back. So, the tax renue that they could have received from those people was lost. BOO! HOO! If FEMA would have stomped on the insurance companies to fix the damaged homes that they refused to repair due to using slick wording in the contracts to deny them being forfilled, they never would have been in the mess they are in now.
   
   I was amazed to learn that the Six Flags park in New Orleans is still sitting in ruin, because they decided not to rebuild, yet the city still wants 1.9 million a year from them for the property taxes. It's all a sad joke.
   
   Another thing that pissed me off, is them wasting our tax dollars having miltary untis drive through the wealthy neighborhoods to make sure that there wasn't any looting. Not even allowing the owners of those homes into their own houses, and taking away the weapons of people who were trying to defend their own property, and carting them off to shelters. But, the shelters they went to were better funded, and they got better care than where everyone else ended up.
   
   So, no, they are not ready to help. Unless you're rich.

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   Greek Oneposted 13 years ago

   i am ready to resort to cannibalism at a moments notice!

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