Plastic and duct tape our homes????

[MerryPoppins]

They said last night on our local news that we should have a "grab and go" bag. It should contain medicine and 1st aid kit, flashlight, radio, batteries, those lightweight silver space blankets, matches, cash (smaller bills and coins because you might not be able to get change), candles, etc. This could be grabbed at a moment's notice if you are evacuated. I think this would be even more important if you live near something that would be considered a target. Anything you would HAVE to have if you left your home.

They also suggested the plastic sheeting and duct tape, enough water for 3 days and water purification supplies if you have them for camping, a 3 day supply of non-perishable food (the kind that wouldn't have to be cooked), and non-electric can-opener should be gathered in your home. They didn't say anything about stocking your car.

I don't know how I feel about all of this. I am not an alarmist. I didn't stockpile during the Y2K scare. Still, I wonder if some of this isn't smart. I think I may commit a shelf in the pantry to cans and dry foods, just in case. I may gather some water and some of the things they are suggesting. With some of the things that have happened in the last few years, I think there is a chance that they might tell us sometime not to leave our homes or that they need us to evacuate for one reason or another. I'd like to be prepared.

The plastic and duct tape thing . . . I don't know how I feel about that one. Not sure what I'll do about that. I need to sit down with my DH.

Anyone else wonder how we are supposed to sit down with our families and discuss all of this without scaring our kids to death? Some of the things we are supposed to be ready for are pretty adult issues. Anyone talking to their kids? I haven't.

 

[Pin Wizard]

Originally posted by Dan Murphy
Here is a video clip of what we used to watch in the 50's. We had 'Duck and Cover' drills every week. I got to the point at one time as a young teen where I feared every plane that flew over, and we lived near O'Hare.

I was little and home with mom, but my sisters hid under their desks at school. And now DS tells me that they have drills where they leave their classrooms and go into the hallway and duck down with hands over their heads. The hallway is a BREEZWAY! Seems they would be safer in the classrooms under the desks.

 

[Pin Wizard]

Originally posted by MerryPoppins
They said last night on our local news that we should have a "grab and go" bag.

They didn't say anything about stocking your car.

Anyone else wonder how we are supposed to sit down with our families and discuss all of this without scaring our kids to death? Some of the things we are supposed to be ready for are pretty adult issues. Anyone talking to their kids? I haven't.

I better visit that website. I read somewhere that it would be a good idea to put everything you need into something like a new garbage can. Then if necessary, you put that in your car and you're all set. Talk with kids? Yea...how? Orlando Sentinel had an article about FL hospitals starting with smallpox vaccinations for employees. Terrorists don't have to bring it over...we're ridiculous enough to do it ourselves! Now, is the hospital employee going to spread it to their kids who are then going to go to school? Or are they going to have their kids get the vaccine and still take it to school? Frightening! The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends NOT giving the shot to anyone at the present time. Under a threat, yes.

 

[Pin Wizard]

When I first saw this thread, I thought it was going to be about using plastic and duct tape to help keep the cold air out of your house! Here's the 2 articles...

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news...021003,0,917606.story?coll=orl-home-headlines

http://www.aap.org/advocacy/washing/smallpox_vaccine.htm

 

[Pin Wizard]

Merry Poppins...this may help you (all of us) with talking to kids about these things...

http://www.aap.org/terrorism/images/aaphdr.gif

This link doesn't work for me. If you go to the American Academy of Pediadtrics website, you can get it. http://www.aap.org

 

[grinningghost]

I've had Fox News on all morning. Watched CIA Director Tenet's speech about the real threat of attacks this time around. Says the chatter wasn't "idle" but more specific. Scary stuff.

Word has it there is a new Bin Laden tape that has him saying he is in partnership with Iraq. It is supposed to be shown to the public at some point today.

I won't go nuts preparing for disaster, but I will make sure I stock up on things that can be used anyway, such as batteries and extra canned food. It doesn't hurt to do that in the Northeast, where sudden snowstorms can make travel difficult at times.

 

[bumcat]

The govt has ordered 70,000 body bags. Heard that on KPRC AM radio this morning.
No one at my job wants to talk about this. They all say uh I don't want to think about it. OK

 

[addicted_to_WDW]

We've been talking about this a lot today at work. I work for a federal agency just outside of DC.

Should anything happen it will likely occur during the work day. We talked about bringing extra water and food in, just in case, but the reality is if something happened we'd risk exposing ourselves to whatever in order to reach our kids.

 

[TiggerPiglet]

I can remember back in the early 1980's when we were all afraid that Russia would drop bombs on us. In fact, I remember watching that movie "The Day After" which scared the life out of me. But I realize now, I wasted so much time worrying about Russia and nothing ever happened. I'm not saying nothing will happen now, but to sit around worrying about it will not change anything. If it's going to happen, it will happen. We really have to live our lives. As far as stockpiling food, well you should always have some stockpile of food in case of a big snowstorm or hurricane, earthquake, etc.

 

[BethR]

I shouldn't have read this thread.

 

[Margie J]

Just curious since science was never my strong suit but wouldnt having houseplants in this room help convert the carbon dioxide into oxygen?

Yes but you may need a lot of plants to keep the air converted.

Geez, the only room in my condo without windows is my bathroom. I can't imagine spending days sealed up in there.

I probably have more risk going to work each day. It's in a major City, at a Jewish affiliated hospital. A few of us have discussed the issue lately. Some of us have the attitude that we can't live in fear. What might happen is out of our control.

 

[Pin Wizard]

We've also got one bathroom without windows. The small bathroom, of course. Sliders in all the rooms and a skylight in the other bathroom.

 

[MerryPoppins]

The only room in our house that doesn't have a window is one of the bathrooms, and it has a skylight. We don't even have a basement. Guess if we decide we need to tape up a room we'd have to do the masterbed and bath and just cover up the two windows and the door. No way could 4 people, 3 dogs and a cat survive in that little inside bathroom.

 

[Rock'n Robin]

We're in the same boat. We have no rooms without windows, and all of our downstairs rooms are "open" to the other ones. We'd have to use a bedroom--probably ours since it has a bathroom.
The scariest thing for me is if it is during the day. I work 1/2 hour away from where the DDs have school. Luckily DS is watched by my parents so at least he'd be with them if anything happened. I'd have to trust that the teachers would take care of the girls--I'd be leaving my own school like a bat out of hell to get to my own kids.
I have canned food but only an electric can opener--add THAT to my list of things to get!
I'm more worried than I have ever been, but on the other hand you have to go on living.
Robin M.

 

[C.Ann]

I think if I had no one else in the world that I cared about - and no one that cared about me, I would just "wing it"..

BUT - I have a husband here with me - DD, her DH and my DGD 25 miles away.. I have 2 other children in Florida.. I have an elderly mom.. Two brothers and a sister.. Five stepchildren.. And the list goes on and on.. Obviously we can't all be together in the same place.. I feel as though we all owe it to each other to do whatever we can to remain safe and spare each other the heartbreak of losing a loved one.. If that means preparing for an emergency according to government guidlelines, then so be it.. Doesn't take much money - doesn't take much effort..

If I learned anything at all from 9/11, I learned that anything is possible in this new world that we're living in.. I won't hide in the house - I won't stop going to work - I won't stop living my life.. I will be prepared to the best of my ability though..

 

[caitycaity]

the point of sealing a room for up to 5 hours is for chemical attacks, not for any other kind of attacks.

from the dhs website: "While potentially lethal, chemical agents are difficult to deliver in lethal concentrations. Outdoors, the agents often dissipate rapidly. Chemical agents are also difficult to produce."

in a chemical attack, if you are inside with little or no airflow, you will be safe until the cloud dissapates.

i understand people are stressed out, but i really think alot of americans (not just here) are really overreacting. certainly, be prepared (i have had an emergency kit at home, work and in the car since 9/11), but the reality is, even if something happens it most likely will only effect a small number of people when compared to the entire us population. stay safe, be prepared, but don't dwell on all the what ifs.

and here's a tip from me: get your news from newspapers, not tv.

 

[Kim in TN]

Interesting thread,
For our family we will be prepared just in case and hope we won't ever need it, but continue living, working etc.
What worries me is we are in the process of an international adoption We are here and he is there, and chances are if things get bad we may not be able to get him when we get the call.

 

[Deb & Bill]

As preparation for the big happening, everyone must read Stephen King's The Stand and stay away from Las Vegas.

If you really want to be safe, just be where Tom Ridge is hiding out.

 

[CajunDixie]

Anyone else wonder how we are supposed to sit down with our families and discuss all of this without scaring our kids to death? Some of the things we are supposed to be ready for are pretty adult issues. Anyone talking to their kids? I haven't

This part was easy for us....we used it as part of DS getting his Emergency Prep. merit badge last fall. We left out all the scary stuff and just made it into another "Be Prepared" type thing.

 

[Luckymommyx2]

Kim in TN...are you on the FRUA boards? It just dawned on me that it could be the same user name. We completed our int'l adoption almost 3 years ago when we traveled into Siberia. PM me if you want to talk or to vent!