Safety First, Be Prepared ~ Proactive Not Reactive!

Yes, “Be Prepared” – the Scouting mantra. Well, I never made it very far in the Boy Scouts – something about having nuns as “den mothers” and priests/businessmen as outdoors leaders did not cut it for me – plus, after passing through Tenderfoot and getting heavily fixated on knots, I decided that girls were far more interesting. However, as I cruised through life (literally traveling around and a lot of archaeology in remote settings) I quickly realized the importance of being prepared and of safety and planning.

I have been a WEMT (Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician) for quite some time, achieved status to teach a variety of Red Cross First Aid courses, was the health and safety officer for a company I worked at for 20+ years and also on many archaeology projects in Alaska, and gave heaps of safety talks, etc., etc. Plus, I work for FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), whose motto is: “to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.”

In any event, I do, in fact, feel safe and sound residing in my Colorado aluminum womb – Bertha, a 30-foot Airstream International (of very recent vintage). But, the vagaries of natural and man-influenced disasters/emergencies keep me on my toes. Colorado is susceptible to tornadoes, wild fires, earthquakes (with the presence of the Rio Grande Rift and other active faults), floods, high winds, and severe rain/lightning/hail.

I sited Ms. Bertha off the floodplain and away from any areas of potential suburban flooding for starters. I am also pretty secure from wild fires and am more or less buffered from high winds. I cannot control the path of a tornado or hail/lightning or whether some chemical plant relatively close by will blow – but I am prepared to deal with any of these issues if the occasion arises – to protect myself, my wife, Ms. Bertha, neighbors, and anyone else who may need assistance.

To begin, the RV lifestyle attunes one to the weather – you sense and feel it in all ways – a lot more than in a regular stick-built home. Crazy weather can impact you a lot more in an RV – so, I pay attention to what’s happening and what is forecast or looks like may come my way. I had the opportunity to visit the RV park where I now live a bunch of times before selecting a spot. I wanted to be near trees but not underneath them (for fear of branches coming down and hurting Ms. Bertha). I got a spot with two big juniper trees that provide nice late afternoon shade and buffer the winds coming off the Front Range. I positioned my rig so the morning sun warms the port (i.e., window side) and the afternoon sun can be shaded on the opposing side by the main awning (& also the side with fewer windows to transmit solar radiation in the heat of the Colorado summer).

I make routine safety inspections of the following: propane tanks and the appliances working off of propane (I have two 7-gal. on-board tanks and a big tank (120-gal.) just outside the aft section – the hot water heater, refrigerator, and furnace run off of this gas – I look for loose connections, check the lines, and sniff for fumes / listen for hissing; the shore power plug gets inspected for overheating, burn marks, and loose connection; the electrical distribution panel is checked for tripped circuit breakers, etc.; the plumbing get a close look for leaks – both interior and exterior.

I look under Bertha’s belly for signs of rodent/small mammal (including coyotes) and insect activity – don’t want them burrowing, sleeping, dropping scat, having babies, etc. below deck. All alarms/detectors (smoke/propane/carbon monoxide) get inspected and tested often and I have a plan for battery changing. I examine the cooking vent for signs of grease build-up and the same for the motor compartments and exhausts of the refrigerator, hot water heater and furnace.

Since I pay attention to the weather and the news and receive Blackberry / phone alerts for anything else jeopardizing health and safety, the next responsible thing to do is to be prepared to take action. There are many simple things once can do to act efficiently to help yourself, your family, neighbors and those officially charged with protecting and aiding the public in times when the shit hits the fan.

Even though my Airstream is relatively small – I thought it a good idea to formulate an evacuation plan. The aft (bedroom) window is an intentionally designed emergency exit and it is nice to know that it is there and that I understand how it works. But I nevertheless also know how many steps it takes from the foot of my bed to the front door. I also make sure that this path is clear of obstacles (fan, heater, clothing). I am familiar with the layout of my RV park at night and know how to get around to the manager’s office, brick shelter building, and neighbors in case the power goes out in an emergency. I think about the concept of “defensible space” around my rig and act accordingly to tie-down/secure tables and chairs, etc., clear the site of flammables (leaves, etc.), and to have water and a long hose ready.

The EMT world dictates that one be able to quickly and precisely state your location when requesting help. My pad site has a # (mostly for the mailman and maintenance staff), but it ain’t a good marker for police, fire, or ambulance. I have memorized distances and directions to my site from major x-roads in my community – replete with recognizable landmarks as way points. I can also supply global positioning system points (lat/long) if requested. My neighbors and the RV park managers know me and have a complete set of contact information – they also know where the keys to Bertha and my truck are stashed. Our park is patrolled by police and I have made it a point to introduce myself and to let the coppers know I am available to assist if called upon.

Is this missive verging on craziness or revealing obsessive traits of my personality? Not really – I am conditioned to be prepared and I am just recording my world view.  In the interest of wrapping this particular blog up (no doubt I will touch on this topic again) I want to offer a few more observations (in no real priority): get a good first aid kit and understand a bit about emergency medicine; get a battery or crank-powered (NOAA) weather radio and flashlights; be ready to evacuate your rig and take refuge in a public shelter in case of an emergency – to this end, assemble a disaster supplies kit (lots of advice on the internet on what to include); know how to shut off the utilities; be aware of any special needs of your neighbors; and have a plan and be aware of your safety – a su salud (y la seguridad).