Disaster Planning 101: Bells and Whistles
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita could be a Luddite's dream...millions of
dollars of high tech gadetry and no power to operate any of it! Even in
the best of times it's difficult to reach thousands of poor or tuned
out people by home entertainment centers, CD players, Ipods, Laptops,
and cell phones. In the worst of times, power to those devices is cut
or runs dry. When that happens, millions are left behind in
deadly silence.
We live in a high-tech, high energy bubble planet that can burst with a pin prick. If the 300 channel sattelite dish blows over, victim and rescuer can be within a half mile of each other and not know it. This is not only tragic, it's insanely stupid. We of the Microsoft Age are not the first humans on the planet to develop communication systems for emergency situations big and small. During World War II high frequency hand cranked radios worked quite well without electrical power. These are still available. Sirens in London and Trieste were effective in urging people to seek bomb shelters. In the US midwest sirens are used for tornado warnings. In many villages and towns the church bells still ring out announcements. You don't need electricity to power a churchbell. Smart boaters carry flares and oars. Smart hikers carry a two way radio, a tiny portable radio, or at the very least a reflective blanket and a whistle. Smart disaster planners should take a hike and get a clue.
We live in a high-tech, high energy bubble planet that can burst with a pin prick. If the 300 channel sattelite dish blows over, victim and rescuer can be within a half mile of each other and not know it. This is not only tragic, it's insanely stupid. We of the Microsoft Age are not the first humans on the planet to develop communication systems for emergency situations big and small. During World War II high frequency hand cranked radios worked quite well without electrical power. These are still available. Sirens in London and Trieste were effective in urging people to seek bomb shelters. In the US midwest sirens are used for tornado warnings. In many villages and towns the church bells still ring out announcements. You don't need electricity to power a churchbell. Smart boaters carry flares and oars. Smart hikers carry a two way radio, a tiny portable radio, or at the very least a reflective blanket and a whistle. Smart disaster planners should take a hike and get a clue.
