Thursday 05/05/16
Let’s face it; most people have little-to-no interest in disaster and emergency preparations. Realistically, disaster preparations are just another form of insurance. Would you drive your car on the road if you didn’t have insurance? Of course not! Would you feel comfortable not to have home & contents insurance? Again; of course you wouldn’t. Then why would you feel at ease if you didn’t have a simple plan keep you and your loved ones safe during a disaster?
I have found the way to get someone interested in making disaster preparations is to change the threat from a bushfire/flood/cyclone/etc into a horde of zombies. People aren’t interested in planning for mundane (but life threatening) dangers. If I ask someone what they would do when facing the Zombie Apocalypse; suddenly they start getting creative.
They start listing off the food, water, and medical supplies they will pack into their vehicle. Then the other gear they will need; clothes, camping gear, fishing gear, torch, radio, etc. And the weapons! Don’t forget the weapons (which always includes a Samurai sword, for some unknown reason).
I sit there and smile, giving gentle prods in the right direction for things they may have overlooked, or encourage them to leave out things they really don’t need (and won’t use). In ten to fifteen minutes they have usually come up with a comprehensive list of equipment, food, and which route to take to escape the urban jungle and its horde of marauding ghouls.
If you take away the Samurai sword, the guns (that people seem to believe will simply materialise from thin air), and the zombies, the average person is more than capable of concocting a reasonable disaster preparedness plan. From here, it is up to you to act on these plans. Have you packed your Bug Out Bag yet? Do you have your car regularly serviced? Are you familiar with the routes into and out of your town or city? Do you have non-perishable food that is packed into boxes and ready to take at a moment’s notice?
If you are still having trouble motivating yourself to start planning for emergency situations, why not invite a few zombies to the planning stage? Zombies might just provide you with the incentive to actually get started. The sooner you start, the easier your life will be during a disaster.
Perhaps you are ready, but are having trouble motivating your loved ones. This information might be the inspiration they need to take that first step toward being prepared. Please share this post with your friends and family on social media.