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Jason Mosher

Sheriff's Journal

Vernon County Sheriff.

Opinion

If disaster strikes, being prepared at home is essential

Saturday, August 30, 2014

George Washington said, "to be prepared for war is one of the most effective means of preserving peace."

With the trials and dangers that Washington and the rest of our founding fathers faced in their day, this was an extremely important philosophy. I think that this idea has the same importance today as it did back then, but I also think we can put that type of thinking to more than just the idea of war.

I was visiting with someone recently about the issues that have been going on in St. Louis and Ferguson when the conversation slowly turned to the idea of being prepared for any type of disaster. We were discussing how fast simple resources like food, water, and even medical attention could vanish when there is a disaster or even a mass panic.

I remembered back during the 9/11 attacks and how long you had to wait in line just to buy gas right here in Nevada! Everyone was trying to "prepare" themselves at the last minute, including me!

There are many types of disasters like weather, drought, war, terrorist attacks, and even civil unrest that could leave us without these simple resources. I have pushed and pushed the idea of training at the Sheriff's Office with the motto, "We will hope for the best as we prepare for the worst," but even I realize that I have not prepared for the worst at home. What if food and water suddenly became hard to find?

There is a government website called www.Ready.gov that suggests everyone keep a three-day "kit" including water, food, flashlights, batteries, medical kit, medications etc... The average person drinks three quarters of a gallon of water per day, and having clean drinking water is one of the most important things to make sure you keep on hand.

The person to whom I was talking had lived through a disaster before and mentioned how much your views of personal items and property change when you run out of something as simple as water. He said he had a house full of nice things and would have given almost any of it up just for a few jugs of water.

As time moves on, we become more and more dependent on technology and while it has its benefits, it can also be a double-edge sword. I can still remember the landline phone number to our house when I was 10 years old, but someone asked me for my cell phone number just the other day and I could not tell them without looking it up!

My phone keeps all kinds of information for me so I do not have to. But what happens if all that quits even for a short time? What if water does not come from the faucet when we turn it on, and what if there was no food on the shelves at the store?

It is not the government's job to take care of the people; it is the people's job to take care of themselves. I would encourage everyone to take the steps to be prepared for the worst as we hope for the best.