FIVE POINTS FOR PERSONAL SAFETY

Personal safety has a lot to do with not taking unnecessary risks. While there’s no guarantee that you will never be in an emergency situation, you can take steps to discourage attackers and make rescue more likely. This is an abbreviated list of some things you can do to stay a little safer as you move from place to place.

PREPARATION
• Leave written details of your travel plans with two trusted friends who will notify searchers if you deviate from your itinerary.
• Carry a noisemaker like an electronic device, personal alarm or a whistle. If you have one, use the car alarm button on your key chain.
• Carry a heavy duty flashlight, pepper spray, or even a walking stick. Check laws in your area. In the event of an attack, be prepared to use your choice of device or it could be used against you.

POCKETS
• Avoid carrying a purse or wallet. These are targeted by thieves.
• Use several front pockets for valuables to avoid total loss if robbed.
• Keep emergency money in unexpected places such as shoes, bra, money belt, etc.
• Carry purse or backpack on arm opposite the roadway to make it more difficult for a motorist or bike rider to grab.

PEOPLE
• Walk with confidence keeping your head up, eyes at nose level, alert and with purpose. Attackers look for easy, fearful targets.
• Don’t engage in conflicts that can escalate into physical contact. Criminals sometimes work in packs and try to manipulate someone with a quick temper into striking first. Later, they claim that their assault on your person was self-defense. When you have the option, walk away rather than fight.
• Don’t travel alone. Have at least one other person for a walking partner.
• Treat people with respect. Arrogant strutting alienates people that could help you.
• Be willing to learn. Ask questions, seek advice from locals.
• Express gratitude. Say thank you.
• Don’t wear expensive clothing and jewelry unless necessary.
• Avoid drawing attention to breasts, belly or thighs by wearing garments that expose them. Wise clothing choices keep you from being overly attractive to predators and give you freedom to access more locations that may have a dress code. Collared shirts (not sleeveless) and long pants are a good choice for men.

PLACES
• Be aware of your surroundings. Dark lonely places are best avoided. Stay in well lit, populated areas. This is a safer route, even if it takes a bit longer.
• If you see criminal activity occurring, leave the area. Some authorities arrest everyone and ask questions later.
• Public transportation and crowded areas require heightened awareness. These places allow people to jostle and bump into you – perfect opportunities for a thief.
• Don’t tune out. Wearing a headset cuts you off from your surroundings, making it easy for an attacker to sneak up on you. When walking alone, don’t listen to electronic devices.

PROTECTION
• Learn some simple, easily performed defense tactics. You don't need to know how to beat an attacker, only how to buy yourself enough time to get away.
• MAKE NOISE if assaulted. Attackers hate attention-making noise. Don't underestimate the power of one person who may come to your aid if they hear you.
• Practice yelling at top volume. Tell what is happening, give lots of details and describe your attacker while yelling “Call 911!” Repeat these as often as possible as a command. Witnesses don’t always know what to do and are more likely to respond to instructions than to pleas for help. Your assailants may be so stunned to hear you describe them that they run away.

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These short videos below feature Captain Steve Pearl
who elaborates on more safety measures that anyone can employ.

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HOW TO START A FIRE WITH A SODA CAN

I don’t think there is a lot of nutritional value in a can of soda, but the can itself could prove useful in a survival situation. It is possible to use an empty soda can to start a fire. In the event you find yourself in need of fire for cooking or heat, a discarded can could prove most beneficial.

The concave bottom of these cans is designed to give strength to the container. It is possible to polish this surface to a high sheen to create fire. The curved reflective surface is able to collect the sun’s rays and focus them to a single point, igniting flammable tinder.

Once you’ve found an empty pop can, utilize materials you have on hand to polish it to a mirrored gloss. If you have the 0000 steel wool – the finest grade – you will be able to accomplish this with just a few minutes of rubbing. You can also burnish the surface with a baking soda paste, toothpaste or a paste made with scouring powder.


Once this is accomplished, you’ll want to finish with a polish. To polish the surface you can rub it with a bar of chocolate, crayons, candles, Vaseline, or any other waxy material. Apply the material to the bottom of the can and rub with a cloth, repeating this process until you’ve gotten the desired effect. A word of caution, don’t eat the chocolate after it is used for this project as it will have absorbed the aluminum a known toxin.

When the surface has a mirror finish, point it toward the sun. To find the focal point, hold a small scrap of paper between the can and the sun, moving it closer or farther away from the can until the sun’s rays are focused into a small dot of light. Visually mark this spot and hold your tinder there until it begins to smoke and then flame.

You will need about an hour’s time to polish the can’s surface. Igniting your tinder will take less time, depending on the quality of your materials.

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This article is provided for information only. The reader assumes all risks and liability in the implementation of these methods and is urged to use common sense and sound judgment in its application.

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TIPS TO AVOID CHILD ABDUCTION

A mother was recently stunned to be reunited with her daughter. The young woman had been kidnapped as a child 20 years ago. Her case is not the only one of its kind as children are abducted and held against their will worldwide. We all want to believe that we live in a place where these things couldn’t possibly happen. However, one of the ways we best protect ourselves and our children is to prepare for the worst and live within guidelines designed to contribute to that safety.

THE LIE YOU WANT TO BELIEVE
The most dangerous lie is the one you want to believe. These are lies that you believe because the truth would be uncomfortable. “Do what I say and you won’t get hurt,” is a lie as old as the father of lies. You want to believe that you will not get hurt, so many people will obediently comply and face terrible consequences. The same thing happens when parents think that safety guidelines don’t apply to their own circumstance. To imagine that their child might be taken is nightmarish.

BUT I DON’T WANT TO LIVE IN FEAR
One way parents and children can better secure themselves is by accepting that we live in a world where predators look for easy prey. Children can be taught how to make themselves less of a target and what to do if the unthinkable occurs. Rather than traumatizing a child, these measures can give the child the confidence he or she needs to act quickly in an emergency and AVOID danger.

USE EVERYDAY EXPERIENCES
Talk to your child about who qualifies as a stranger. Running errands to the grocery store, the library, the bank, the park, or any other routine outing can be used to reinforce and teach important lessons.

• Point out strangers that can be trusted if your child is in danger or needs help.
• Play, “Who is a stranger” with your child. Remind them that strangers don’t always look frightening or creepy or old. Sometimes bigger children will victimize smaller children.
• Identify safe places a child could run to if they need help: stores, restaurants, homes of friends or family members, libraries, community centers, local police stations, etc.
• Observe people and talk about the difference between someone that is well-mannered and someone that is overly familiar. Help them identify when someone is ‘too’ nice or eerily perfect.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION YOUR CHILD SHOULD KNOW
• A stranger is someone they do not know.
• They should never go with someone they do not know (not even walking in the same direction), even if they seem nice.
• Never go into a house, building or car with a stranger, no matter if they promise a reward, toy, candy or anything else, not even if the stranger knows their name. Yell “NO!” and run away.
• It’s okay to hit and hurt an adult if you feel you are in danger. It isn’t rude or bad to run for help.
• A child should never help adults who claim to be in trouble and in need of assistance. Yell, “NO!” Get away and go for help. Adults can ask adults for help. An adult has no business asking someone else’s child for help.

Avoid suspicious scenarios such as:
* Someone with a leash looking for a lost puppy.
* Someone needing directions.
* Adults asking a child for help with a broken down car.
* Someone asking for help to find something in a car or house.

• Consider using a secret word so that a child knows you sent a trusted adult. If a stranger (or other person) knows the child’s name, but not the secret word, the child should refuse to go with him/her. Change the word often.
• Always tell the child if someone else will be picking them up or giving them a ride, and tell the child who that person will be.
• They should never accept gifts from a stranger. Candy or toys, etc. Unless you are present and give permission. Anything offered when parents are not there should be refused. These items can be used as lures. Sometimes candy is drugged, or something is placed in or on the gift that will harm the child.
• They should trust their instincts. If something feels weird about a situation, they should run away. They should run for help if they feel scared. RUN – don’t walk – to the nearest safe place and TELL SOMEONE THEY NEED HELP.
• It is more important to be safe than it is to be polite. Better safe than sorry.
• Three R’s – Recognize, Respond and Report any stranger that makes them feel unsafe – IMMEDIATLEY.

ROLE PLAY; MAKE IT A GAME
• Pretend to be a stranger asking for directions or help to find a lost pet.
• Show the children how to keep a safe distance – beyond arm’s reach.
• How to run away if the stranger gets too close or grabs another child. Go get help right away.
• How to yell and scream effectively to attract the most attention.
• How to flail and kick effectively to break an abductor’s grip.
• Teach them how to claw the stranger’s eyes, ears, nose or mouth.

TEACH CHILDREN TO BE A DIFFICULT TARGET
• Teach children to look out for each other and stay together.
• Train children to never go with those who invite them to leave the group.
• Always walk or play with a safe buddy or in a group.
• Require children to check with you first before leaving your home or some other location.
• Organize parents in your neighborhood to teach their children these tips.

If these guidelines and information are incorporated as part of daily living, your child should not be traumatized. These items can be taught just as parents teach their children to wear seatbelts, watch for traffic and wash their hands before eating to safeguard their physical well-being.

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THE VISION by Debi Pearl -- A Fictional Tale with Realistic Elements

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Debi Pearl has written a new book, The Vision (ISBN: 978-0-9819737-0-8). The main characters of The Vision find themselves embroiled in controversy over their mission while their community faces unrest, politics swirl and the environment becomes increasingly hostile.

Throughout the book, Yellowstone threatens to erupt. Readers may suppose that the writer has used her creative license overmuch. However, Yellowstone is classified as a super-volcano, and geologists predict that this super-volcano could erupt.

A massive caldera is the site of Yellowstone National Park. Calderas are bowl shaped geographical areas that cap stores of molten rock. Yellowstone's caldera is shaken by quakes centered three miles beneath its surface.

Both Yellowstone's size and dormancy gain it notice as a super volcano.

"A super-eruption is the world's biggest bang. It's a volcanic explosion big enough to dwarf all others and with a reach great enough to affect everyone on the planet," is the description given by Bill McGuire of the Benfield Greig Hazard Research Center with a professorship at London's University.




The force of such an eruption would require a thousand atomic explosions each second to equal it. The world's largest city, Tokyo, could fit inside Yellowstone's caldera because it's so massive.

Geologists estimate that every six to seven hundred thousand years there is a volcanic eruption at this location. They go on to estimate that it was 640,000 years ago when the last major eruption occurred. Give or take a few thousand years, this means that Yellowstone may be overdue to erupt.

In the event of a volcanic eruption at Yellowstone, predictions are that there would be a 90% loss of life (animal and human) within a 600 mile radius of the blast. Ash spewed into the air would become deadly when inhaled by survivors across the United States. Farm animals would also experience massive casualties, interrupting food supplies.

Travelers would be stranded as transportation stopped. Short term, airplanes would be prevented from flying while rail and other motorized conveyance would be stopped as well.

A great volume of the explosion would be projected into the air where, cooling, it would turn into bits of sharp, jagged rocks and glass. A grayish or black haze would immediately darken the sky because of the matter suspended in the air. A noticeable sulfuric odor, thunder and lightning would assail the senses.

With thunder rolling, the immediate disaster area would become blanketed in a muffled quiet. The first 12-60 hours would be characterized by a heavy ash fall. Structural damage to buildings would come about because of the weight of firmly packed ash. A foot's depth of ash would weigh enough to collapse a roof.

Rain would fall out of season as a result of the particles in the air. Water mixed with ash would coat everything with slime. Mudslides would soon follow the rain. Contaminates would be found in water supplies. Air filters on automobiles would become clogged, and roads would become too slippery to navigate. Electric companies would also encounter engine failures, resulting in uncertain availability of electricity.

Clouds of residual ash could be worked back into the air by human activity for weeks or even years after the ash had settled. To prevent breathing in ash particles, it would be necessary to don facial masks. Survivors would have to contend with limited clean air, resulting in widespread health concerns. Worldwide, there would be crop failures and loss of vegetation.

A hazy light would characterize the daytime as diffused light tried to penetrate the suspended particles in the atmosphere. Within days of the volcanic blast, the skies over Europe would be reddened. Two to three weeks later, Yellowstone's sulfuric acid cloud would blanket the earth. The upper atmosphere would be infused with sulfur creating a planetary climatic cooling effect as great as 10 degrees. Six to ten years could pass before normal temperatures started returning.

Scientists predict that because of temperature changes south of the equator, there will be failure of the monsoon season. Asia would experience monumental food shortages as a result of this reduced rainfall.

Weeks or even years prior to an eruption, Yellowstone National Park service scientists predict that there will be measurable warning signs. Hank Heasler, Yellowstone park geologist, stated that, "If the park were poised for a major eruption, the signs wouldn't be subtle."

Debi Pearl has authored a fictitious volume in The Vision. Nevertheless, there is an uncomfortable realness in regard to Yellowstone's super volcano.

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SIGNALS FOR RESCUE

Before you need to signal for help, one of the best ways to be sure you are found is by taking the time to plan to be found. When you travel, leave an itinerary of your trip with a responsible, trusted person at home. Include times that you expect to be at certain locations. Write down where you are going, your route, and when you are due. If your itinerary changes, let your contact person know right away. List any possible alterations to your route. Have pre-arranged meeting places for members of your party if you become separated. This will enable rescuers will know where to search if you are missing. Other helpful information to include in your itinerary are the health and general condition of members of your party, including any medications, a list of your gear including amount of food, water, clothing and shelter materials, and emergency contact information (family members and doctors' telephone numbers, etc.)

I have never been lost,
but I will admit to being confused for several weeks.
~ Daniel Boone ~

If you find yourself "confused" and in need of rescue there are a variety of ways to let your rescuers know your location.

You can utilize a variety of materials to signal for help including fire, smoke, flashlights, brightly colored clothing, reflective mirrors, whistles, or electronic devices. Remaining calm can enable you to use your imagination to plan a creative way to signal potential help. Knowing your options can save your life by keeping you from making a deadly mistake.

At the moment you realize you are lost, create a marker to designate your spot. Pile some rocks together, bend some branches, or create some other easily recognizable sign so that you will know the spot. This will be your base. If you decide to try and make your way out, this is where you will return for another try if your first attempts fail. This will also be the place you wait for rescuers.

If you choose to move away from your base, leave a note at the marker. Tell your plans and your direction of travel. As you travel mark the way at regular intervals with a pile of stones, a broken branch, or some other easily identifiable clue as to where you have been. This will help rescuers find you.

Electronic devices can be invaluable tools in an emergency. However, the potential for abuse is great.
Personal Locator Beacons (PLB's), avalanche beacons, satellite phones and other electronic safety devices can be used in the outdoors. Additional location devices that can be used to signal rescuers include Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELTs) used by pilots and Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRB) used by mariners.

While these are considered safety tools, they may also tempt those who carry them to feel they can engage in risky behavior. The belief that rescue from mistakes is just the press of a button away can turn your cell phone, GPS unit or other locator device into a personal body locator.

Be aware that electronic devices do not always function even in ideal conditions. Rugged mountainous areas and rural areas often have spotty reception, if any at all. Damage, battery life, and user incapacitation can all compromise the effectiveness of these devices.

It is always prudent to bring extra survival gear and depend upon survival training and good judgment should something unplanned occur. Be aware of your own personal limitations, the limitations of your equipment and other conditions. That will eliminate the need for search and rescue services, and PLBs.

Flares are highly visible but not long-lasting. Don't waste them. Lights can't be seen during the day unless the rescue party is close. These are more easily seen from great distances at night.

Survival whistles are compact, lightweight and easy to use. These whistles can get you noticed. The human ear can track the direction from which the whistling originates. In contrast, the sound of a human voice shouting can be dissipated by thick vegetation. Vocal chords will quickly give out and the effort will leave you winded. Whistles can be blown almost indefinitely, even when used by a weak or injured person.

Three blasts is the universal signal for distress. This applies to gunshots as well as whistles. Two blasts mean "All is well." Under the right conditions, a rescue whistle can be heard up to 5 miles away.

The survival whistle is also useful in urban environments. It can be used for defense by drawing attention to the situation. Children can carry a small survival whistle on a string around their neck.

Metal whistles are not recommended. Wet flesh will freeze to metal when cold. If you plan to wear a whistle or keep it in your pocket, a plastic whistle with a flat shape may be best.

The ACR WW3 (ResQ Whistle) is a flat plastic whistle with a dual chamber that can be had for less than $3. It was developed for the U.S. Navy. Plastic storm safety whistles are a favorite of life guards. These are so loud that they can even be heard underwater. Storm whistles run around $5 each.

Mirrors can make you visible to rescuers, but you must know how to use them. When aimed correctly, the brilliant flash from an emergency signal mirror cannot be ignored. It will reveal your position in the densest of vegetation or in the most rugged mountainous landscape from an average distance of 10 miles or more.

Commercially available signal mirrors are shatter resistant, lightweight, small and some have holes for hanging from a lanyard worn at the neck or belt. These mirrors also have an aiming hole in the center. Using this aiming hole, the viewer can point the mirror towards rescuers on the ground or in the air and see where the reflected beam is hitting, making adjustments to direct the beam more accurately.

If no signal mirror is available, other reflective materials can be used. A rear view mirror off of a vehicle, a magnetic compass mirror, a shiny CD, a mirror from a purse, aluminum foil, metal cans, or any other polished metal will do.

Two methods that can be used to aim the reflected light are the stick method and the hand method.

To use the hand method, extend your hand and form a "V" with two fingers. Position this "V" so that the object you wish to flash (an airplane for example) can be sighted between the two fingers. Tilt the mirror slightly to move the reflected light beam across your hand towards the center of the "V." This will allow your light beam to come in contact with your target.

Another way to direct your signal is to find a stick that is chest or head high. Position yourself so that the top of the stick and your mirror are in line with the object you wish to signal. Move the mirror so that the reflected light hits the top of the stick.

Scan the horizon regularly with your signal mirror. You may not be able to see rescuers, but they might see you. Also, once you've alerted your target, don't continue to flash them. The flash from your signal mirror is so bright as to be blinding.

The time to practice aiming your mirror is before you ever need to use it.
For a demonstration of signal mirror use, watch the video below:




There are a variety of symbols that signal a need for help. These can be placed on horizontal or vertical surfaces to be seen at a distance by rescuers. The shape of a triangle is a signal with three sides. Three is a universal signal for help. Spell the word "HELP" in large, all capital letters. The letter "V" lets rescuers know you need immediate assistance. The letters "SOS" are a call for help. The letter "X" means that you need immediate medical assistance.

You can stamp these symbols out or use tree limbs, rocks, vegetation or brush to make the signal more visible. If you are in a sandy or flat area, try scraping the symbol into the dirt. You can place signal fires (or flares) in the shape of a triangle, positioning the flames at each corner.

If you have a vehicle, make it more visible from the air and from a distance by clearing vegetation, using a cloth for a flag, or use some other creative solution. Use fuel and oil to start signal fires and feed them with material from the car that creates smoke. Place as many symbols as possible around your location to make your position most visible.

Once help has been spotted, wave. Be sure to wave with two hands and arms. This signals distress. Waving with one arm indicates all is well. It is best NOT to get these confused.

If you feel that the chance for a quick rescue is great and it takes little energy for you to signal, then signaling for rescue should be high on the list of priorities of someone who needs rescuing.

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