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.

[echo83]

7th Grade: First Aid Course-If you apply for a job in your town or city it adds $2.00 to your hourly wage. I know lifeguards have to be First Aid/CPR certified, (course was $150 when I took it) but I'm thinking summer camp counselors, seasonal DPW employees, etc.

7th Grade: Firearms Safety. Learn how to load, unload, fire and maintain the most common types of firearms. Doesn't matter if you're never planning to own a firearm; you're well-served knowing how to safely use one. Not sure I'd make this mandatory, as I can only imagine the uproar, but my personal belief is that anyone who has to register for the draft should know his or her way around his or her country's service rifle.

High School: Community Service Course. Academic credit for hours worked in the community. I don't care if it's snow shoveling your elderly neighbor, cleaning up at the park, maintaining bike/hike paths, serving meals at an assisted living facility or beach cleanup. 

High School: Basic vehicle maintenance during Driver's Ed. I have no idea why this has gone away. As part of getting your driver's license, you need to jump start a car, change a tire, assemble an emergency bag for your vehicle, and know how to check/top off essential fluids. 

The last course is especially near and dear to me. One of my nephews, aged 18, had some problems with the Jeep my brother had handed down to him. After jumpstarting the Jeep for him, my brother and I bought him a new battery. We then filled up washer fluid (empty) brake fluid (near empty) and oil (If I remember correctly he was down close to 2 quarts.) He had never checked/added fluids to the Jeep and had been driving it for a year.

[Anianna]

I would like to see community food preservation facilities dotted all over the country with canning, freeze drying, and other preservation equipment; well-trained people to help where needed; and regular classes based on safe evidence-based preservation methods.  Even better, include animal processing facilities, and perhaps shared lots for raising small livestock and community gardens. 

Could be a community center that also includes a lot of training that has already been mentioned as well as shops for a wide variety of prepping goods at accessible prices. 

[Moab]

7th Grade: First Aid Course-If you apply for a job in your town or city it adds $2.00 to your hourly wage. I know lifeguards have to be First Aid/CPR certified, (course was $150 when I took it) but I'm thinking summer camp counselors, seasonal DPW employees, etc.

7th Grade: Firearms Safety. Learn how to load, unload, fire and maintain the most common types of firearms. Doesn't matter if you're never planning to own a firearm; you're well-served knowing how to safely use one. Not sure I'd make this mandatory, as I can only imagine the uproar, but my personal belief is that anyone who has to register for the draft should know his or her way around his or her country's service rifle.

High School: Community Service Course. Academic credit for hours worked in the community. I don't care if it's snow shoveling your elderly neighbor, cleaning up at the park, maintaining bike/hike paths, serving meals at an assisted living facility or beach cleanup.

High School: Basic vehicle maintenance during Driver's Ed. I have no idea why this has gone away. As part of getting your driver's license, you need to jump start a car, change a tire, assemble an emergency bag for your vehicle, and know how to check/top off essential fluids.

The last course is especially near and dear to me. One of my nephews, aged 18, had some problems with the Jeep my brother had handed down to him. After jumpstarting the Jeep for him, my brother and I bought him a new battery. We then filled up washer fluid (empty) brake fluid (near empty) and oil (If I remember correctly he was down close to 2 quarts.) He had never checked/added fluids to the Jeep and had been driving it for a year.

I SOOOO endorse this!

[NT2C]

The last course is especially near and dear to me. One of my nephews, aged 18, had some problems with the Jeep my brother had handed down to him. After jumpstarting the Jeep for him, my brother and I bought him a new battery. We then filled up washer fluid (empty) brake fluid (near empty) and oil (If I remember correctly he was down close to 2 quarts.) He had never checked/added fluids to the Jeep and had been driving it for a year.

The brake fluid level should have set off big clanging alarm bells in your head.  It's a closed system, or should be.  There's only ever two ways brake fluid can be "near empty" and that's if the brake pads are down to near nothing (bad), or there's a leak (much worse).  If you just added brake fluid you did him no favors and may actually have put him in danger.

Jeeps leak fluids, this is true, but it's typically oil, tranny fluid, and sometimes coolant (the 4.0L straight six used to be known for leaking gaskets).  None of those are as safety-critical as brakes.

[DarkAxel]

I believe I'd also ask Congress to fund a program to pay for CPR/First Aid, EMT-B, ERT, and Firefighter training for those interested or needing them for a job or volunteer service. Money shouldn't be a roadblock for those who want to get the training and help others. In that vein I'd also ask for tax credits for purchases of prepping supplies and volunteer time.

Gun safety courses should be taught all throughout primary and secondary school, with a focus on the dangers of unsecured firearms for the young ones. I'd also request that the CMP work with high schools to establish marksmanship programs that can be run like other HS athletics programs.

[echo83]

The last course is especially near and dear to me. One of my nephews, aged 18, had some problems with the Jeep my brother had handed down to him. After jumpstarting the Jeep for him, my brother and I bought him a new battery. We then filled up washer fluid (empty) brake fluid (near empty) and oil (If I remember correctly he was down close to 2 quarts.) He had never checked/added fluids to the Jeep and had been driving it for a year.

The brake fluid level should have set off big clanging alarm bells in your head.  It's a closed system, or should be.  There's only ever two ways brake fluid can be "near empty" and that's if the brake pads are down to near nothing (bad), or there's a leak (much worse).  If you just added brake fluid you did him no favors and may actually have put him in danger.

Jeeps leak fluids, this is true, but it's typically oil, tranny fluid, and sometimes coolant (the 4.0L straight six used to be known for leaking gaskets).  None of those are as safety-critical as brakes.

Thank you, you're absolutely right. My brother took the Jeep in for a new brake job prior to state inspection. I was so focused on recounting what we remedied ourselves that I left out what the mechanic fixed. It's still running; my nephew is the third of my brother's kids to drive that thing, and it still runs well.