The Philly Urban Prepper: Shelter-in-place

Shelter in Place, Hold & Secure, Lockdown

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUIDUBFN0WM

In the 1940s and 50s the United States government encouraged its residents who had moved into new housing developments in the suburbs to construct fallout shelters in order to protect themselves from the fallout of the Cold War such as a nuclear attack.

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Officials provided people with instructions and information which resulted in many of these shelters being built in the basement of a house or in the ground out in the backyard.

It was believed that, if constructed properly, this would protect people from radiation poisoning.

Most cities constructed fallout shelters in different areas and even had horns or sirens built that would let its residents know of impending danger that was on its way.

These shelters were meant to offer city dwellers or employees a safe haven if “the big one”, which meant during a nuclear bomb during that time, would hit.

Like the shelters in private homes, the ones that were constructed by the city were stocked with survival supplies such as food and water.

This was a new time for this nation. It gave people a sense of both fear and liberating control.
Having your home equipped with its own fallout shelter was the ultimate in renovation upgrades for that period of time.
The 1960s gave birth to a new rhythm of beliefs with Americans.
The pro-war way of life began to wane as the anti-war movement grew and along with it a distrust towards the government.
As the civil unrest of the time raged on, many transformed their shelters in wine cellars, storage facilities or recreation room.
Times being as they were, some even used these rooms to grow mushrooms or marijuana.

By the time the 1970s rolled around most new home owners didn’t bother building bomb shelters and the only way most Americans who were born after the 1960s knew about the reality of them was through television shows like the sitcom Happy Days (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y3M2x1SCZk).

Over the years the Cold War ended, Communism ended, the United States and Russia decided to make nice (kinda sorta) and the Berlin Wall came tumbling down.
Fallout shelters also became a thing of the past throughout cities as officials sealed off the rooms that were once constructed but never used.
The supplies inside these rooms were also cleared out although no one seems to know what the bureaucrats did with them.
Beginning in the 1980s, and until terrorist attacks started happening on American soil, nobody prepared for any emergency except members of the survivalist movement.
This was also the time that the prepper movement grew in popularity as life, political greed and personal safety became more precarious.
In 1988, the American government developed the shelter-in-place system in response to growing civil unrest and catastrophic events such as mass shootings because the last thing they wanted was for people to run out into the streets as law enforcement were trying to quell the situation.
So what does shelter-in-place actually mean?
To put it simply, that in the case of an emergency your home or place of business is your shelter; that you are to stay put until law enforcement or public officials either tell you that you can leave or until groups like the National Guard, first responders or FEMA escort you to a safe place.
According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the official definition of shelter in place is: “Shelter-in-place means to take immediate shelter where you are—at home, work, school, or in between.”
So for people who have prepared a bug-out bag and plan to hit the road when an emergency hits, you need to put the bag down because with this system in place many municipalities will arrest you for being outside.

This is especially true if martial law has been declared or if you happen to live in a city where law enforcement officers are already acting martial law-ish (brutality, large weapons, riot gear, etc.).

Just staying inside isn’t enough. There are things you have to do to prep your structure (home or business) to serve as your shelter:
1. Pick a room that’s large enough to accommodate, comfortably, all the people in your business or home and don’t forget your pets.
Although many government agencies suggest that you should choose a room that has little to no windows, but that’s almost impossible in an urban city because most houses will have windows and even doors in their basements.
If you do choose your basement it’s important to remember that if you need to leave or if emergency personnel are looking to move you to a safer location, you may not hear them at your front door.
They are also prone to flooding and invisible gases, etc. can come in through sewer lines that run through the basement as well as water or sewage pumps.
In essence a basement can end up being a death trap.
If you have adequately prepped your home for an emergency you can realistically use the entire house instead of just one room.
2. Make sure all doors, sliding glass doors, heating and air vents, windows and skylights are closed and locked.
Place heavy plastic sheeting over the entire width as well as length of the windows and doors. Use a high-quality duct tape to seal them.
For additional security you may want to staple the duct tape to the wall using a staple gun.
The plastic sheeting is more durable than foil or cardboard and will also allow you to see outside.
If you have curtains or blinds, place the sheeting on first and then replace the window treatments.
Use this method on all heating/cooling ducts as well. If you have fire place close the flue.
Make sure that all doors and windows are locked.
3. Make sure you have adequate food, water and medical/first-aid supplies in the room if you haven’t prepped for an emergency.
If you have pets, don’t forget their food, toys and water.
For more information on food, water and other supplies, please go to: http://www.examiner.com/article/the-urban-prepper-personal-prepping.
4. Seal all cracks and leaks with foam installation.
The point is to stop anything that’s outside from coming in.
The most ideal time to check for drafts is when it’s cold or windy.
Hold a string, lit candle or feather across windows, doors or anywhere that feels cool or drafty to you. If the string or feather moves or if the candle flame flickers, seal the area that caused the movement.
If you have any cracks in your walls or near a door or window frame, you’ll need to fix that as well by using a crack sealant such as Patch-a-Wall or crack repair tape.
The bottom of doors can be a major source of drafts especially if the door isn’t the proper size.
You can either replace the door or install/replace a door sweep which is pretty easy.
Some people will just place a towel in front of the door, but that won’t stop drafts or gases from getting in completely.
5. Communicating devices for the outside world.
In a modern world most people have ditched their landline phones for cell phones.
When prepping either a room or an entire house for an emergency, you should not rely on your cell phones working during any type of emergency.
Install a landline in the room where you’ll be hunkered down in because even if your cell phone isn’t functioning, a landline will usually be one of the last communication devices to be rendered useless.
You will also need something that will help you know what’s going on because a television may not work.
Invest in a battery operated, a solar operated or an emergency radio.
There are emergency radios that are equipped with SAME (Specific Alert Message Encoding) technology; it will permit you to choose certain areas for disaster notifications such as city, county, or state.
Pick a radio that has alternate power sources such as battery operated or crank operated.
Many emergency radios let you select whatever optional features you want, but the more features you have, the more power that radio will use so choose them carefully.
Many preppers also invest in Amateur Radios or, as they are more commonly known as Ham Radios.
This requires special equipment and a license, but it will enable you to communicate with the outside world without the use of the internet or cell phones.
The preppers who swear by them use these devices in place of landlines.
In order to operate one of these radios (legally), you must take an exam before you get your license.
To take the exam costs about $15 and the exam book will run you about $40, but once you get your license it’s good for about 10 years.
You will have to join the ARRL (American Radio Relay League) and a yearly membership costs about $40 a year.
The actual radio can run you anywhere from $150 to $500.
Although this may seem like a lot of money to put out for something you may or may not use, it will provide you with comfort knowing that once an emergency hits, you won’t be completely in the dark.
6. Unplug all electrical devices.
To prevent gases from coming into the house or building unplug everything.
It’s also important to do this in case an electrical surge hits as it could destroy your devices.
Seal all electrical outlets with plastic sheeting that is secured with duct tape.
7. Prep for the lack of heat and cold food storage.
Make sure your room or house contains extra blankets and warm clothing such as thermal underwear as well as propane or kerosene heaters.
You can keep your food from spoiling by freezing at least 12 individual sized water bottles and keeping them in the freezer or moving your food into coolers, but by using the frozen water bottles it will keep any food from spoiling for at least 12 hours.
8. Toilet facilities.
You will need to have a place to go regardless whether you stay in a room or an entire house especially if the water is no longer working.
Stock up on several large plastic paint buckets with lids to hold the waste and store them away from any food or water.
You will also need certain buckets for any waste that your pet may deposit.

The shelter-in-place system is there for your protection and security. Never think that if something bad happens you can just leave because the reality is that won’t be an option for, at the minimum, a couple of hours. It can also be for days, weeks or months.

Educate yourself on how to stay alive and to stay safe because sometimes you just have to ride out the storm.

Credit:

Fallout shelters: http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h3706.html

CDC definition: http://emergency.cdc.gov/preparedness/shelter/

Amateur/Ham Radios: http://www.arrl.org/what-is-ham-radio