Appointed as The Head of the Dept. Of Strategic Prepping

[Wasteland Charlie]

You have just been appointed to the President's cabinet as the Head of The Department of Strategic Prepping (kinda like FEMA, but you actually help people).

Name one program you would implement to prepare the nation to respond to major disasters.

[Wasteland Charlie]

I will start with the following idea:

Strategic Steam Locomotive Initiative. Diesel train engines have every advantage over steam engines except two. You don't need refined fuels for steam engines and steam engines are immune to an EMP attack. 

I would preserve and store functioning steam engines (they actually last for like a 150 years) in Strategic locations, running them occasionally to keep up maintenence and skill levels. Should a fuel or EMP crisis occur, the US would have at least some form of mass transport operational until the Diesel engines can be restored to working order.

[Moab]

I would set up a national supply chain for basic prep supplies. That could be purchased by citizens at cost. 

Revive the civilian marksmanship program. Standardized firearm training from elementary school thru adult. Assist in sales of surplus arms and ammo. Bring back both from other countries that we lent out. 

Develop a simple gas engine small truck. That could be emo proofed. And stick oiled for emergency use. 

[Raptor]

That is an interesting question.
I would have basic emergency first aid courses taught in all high schools.

I would also have the course teach basic sanitation and water purification.

[Moab]

That is an interesting question.
I would have basic emergency first aid courses taught in all high schools.

I would also have the course teach basic sanitation and water purification.

Brilliant! Yes!

[Raptor]

That is an interesting question.
I would have basic emergency first aid courses taught in all high schools.

I would also have the course teach basic sanitation and water purification.

Brilliant! Yes!

As part of that course I think I would add a basic course on HAZMAT identification (looking up placards,etc) and basic fire response ( turning off circuit breakers, turning off NG feeds to homes and proper fire extinguisher use).

[Moab]

That is an interesting question.
I would have basic emergency first aid courses taught in all high schools.

I would also have the course teach basic sanitation and water purification.

Brilliant! Yes!

As part of that course I think I would add a basic course on HAZMAT identification (looking up placards,etc) and basic fire response ( turning off circuit breakers, turning off NG feeds to homes and proper fire extinguisher use).

The sad part is, you know we had all of this back in the day. Probably 90% was offered when I was in school. Somewhere. 

[Raptor]

That is an interesting question.
I would have basic emergency first aid courses taught in all high schools.

I would also have the course teach basic sanitation and water purification.

Brilliant! Yes!

As part of that course I think I would add a basic course on HAZMAT identification (looking up placards,etc) and basic fire response ( turning off circuit breakers, turning off NG feeds to homes and proper fire extinguisher use).

The sad part is, you know we had all of this back in the day. Probably 90% was offered when I was in school. Somewher

That is an interesting question.
I would have basic emergency first aid courses taught in all high schools.

I would also have the course teach basic sanitation and water purification.

Brilliant! Yes!

As part of that course I think I would add a basic course on HAZMAT identification (looking up placards,etc) and basic fire response ( turning off circuit breakers, turning off NG feeds to homes and proper fire extinguisher use).

The sad part is, you know we had all of this back in the day. Probably 90% was offered when I was in school. Somewhere. 

I know I learned a lot of that in high school ( except for the HAZMAT stuff). But then we also had a rifle and pistol team as well. 

[Z.O.R.G.]

Hmmm....  Toss in map reading and it sounds a bit like scouts and/or boot camp.  

[Moab]

Hmmm....  Toss in map reading and it sounds a bit like scouts and/or boot camp. 

Your right. I was in cub and boy scouts. My father was an Explorer Scout troop leader. So I got to go along on all their trips and outings. This was in a tiny town way up in the mountains too. So the entire thing was really hands on and educational. 

But I even remember having survival classes during regular school camp outings. One was very profound. This guy gave a class on basic survival when lost in the woods. But it also dealt with dealing emotionally. And how to stay positive and not give up. It was very red neck/hippy. I love sh*t like that. It was very realistic. Meaning dealing with what really matters. Keeping your body and mind right. 

I think most Americans live in a safety bubble. We have lived so much better than the rest of world. We've taken on certain "givens" that are not applicable to the rest of the world. And not applicable to any disaster situation where any number of those "safety bubble", comfortable aspects of our lives might disappear. 

We no longer know how to start a fire. Let alone light a match. Most don't understand that not all water is safe to drink. Or how to make it drinkable. We don't know how to process wild game or foods. We don't understand the importance of manual navigation or shelter or hypothermia dangers. 

We generally have this naive approach to our survival. It's not something we think much about. I mean generally in society. 

Which makes it difficult to bring back training and awareness about survival. 

Sometimes I wish the US had a mandatory travel system. I think Germany has something like this. Where citizens are required to travel to other nations. Be ambassador's for your country. But more importantly get educated about what the rest of the world is like. And what place you hold in it. This not only opens your eyes to the need for survival skills. But can change a person's life. Knowing you have more advantages than most everyone else in the world. Can have a very motivating effect. 

[NT2C]

Nationwide Build-a-BOB centers that offer training in Prepping 101, assistance in planning and building a BOB tailored to your needs and locality, and basic prep items at .gov cost.

[DarkAxel]

Me? I'd focus on infrastructure. Stage replacement transformers near power substations, pumps for water service w/generators, Starlink terminals for internet access, and stores of coal, propane and fuel oil for power plants, and gennys for nuclear power plants. I wouldn't have to worry about the military, as they have their own emergency protocols, so my main efforts would be focused on civilian infrastructure.