Be Prepared Channel: Rules of 3 - Survival Priorities

Welcome back to another installment of the Be Prepared Channel. Yesterday we talked about Winter Preparation, things you should be aware of and thinking about during this dangerous time of year. But how do we know what we need to do and in what order? How do we plan an prepare for such things?

Most people don't think much about emergencies. We take things for granted such as the electricity being on, the house being warm, and water coming out of the faucet when we turn it on, and there being a dial tone on the phone when you pick it up. It is easy to take for granted as for many years now our power, utilities, phone, and water systems have been pretty stable across much of the US. It only takes a good winter storm, an earthquake, tornado, hurricane, a flu pandemic, or even just an accident to get the blood pumping and asking ourselves "What if that had been me?". I hope your asking yourself these things and I hope that is why you are reading this. So if you read along with us so far then it is time to talk about the priorities of any survival situation and what you must do to be prepared for it.

So today we are going to talk about the "Rule of 3's". The rule of threes will help you understand what you need to do first in any situation. Remembering these rules can save your life and the lives of your loved ones. Think of it as your priorities list of things to do. Most survival experts, emergency responders will emphasis the "Rule of 3's".

Rule #1:
You can survive approximately 3 minutes without air.

Rule #2:
You can survive approximately 3 hours without shelter(fire or heat source falls under shelter).

Rule #3:
You can survive approximately 3 days without water.

Rule #4:
You can survive approximately 3 weeks without food.

Now if you have been watching current events you know there is a catastrophe happening in Haiti with the massive earthquake. If you watched the disaster unfold in New Orleans with Katrina you saw the devastation that comes from these events. It doesn't take a massive storm or event to bring normal everyday life to a halt. If any of these big events have taught us anything it is that YOU are responsible for YOU and YOUR FAMILY! The government won't be there to pick us up and kiss our boo boo's and make them all better. Emergency responders may not be able to get to you, and even if they can will it be in time or will they they have the assistance you need?

Back to our "Rule of 3's". Will you have the things you need to ensure that the priorities in our 3's are met? Look at Haiti right now as the government begs for tents and supplies. The governments everywhere just try to plan for the "normal" and they become flat out overwhelmed when the unthinkable happens.

There is a saying that civilization is approximately 9 meals away from anarchy. Without the rule of law that we enjoy today things get dicey very very quickly. So that is why we are touching on your basic preparation needed to be ready to deal with everything from the most basic inconvenience to all out chaos. So let's start with the first rule of 3's.

3 Minutes without Air:

- Make sure to pay attention to your environment and the things that can cause you to violate this rule first rule.

- If you have to burn a fire, or use your emergency supplies that may consume oxygen think about the ventilation requirements. Never leave a fire or anything that consumes oxygen going while you and your family is sleeping. Think about the oxygen that your heater consumes or the carbon monoxide that can be emitted which can be downright dangerous if you don't pay attention to the risks.

- If you have to seal off an area using plastic bags, tarps etc pay attention to the needed airflow in an area.

- If you find yourself taking shelter in plastic, tarps, trash bags pay attention to not cover you head to ensure that your able to get air.

- If your in a small confined space like a small room or car and are trapped due to weather or other extreme events pay attention to keep windows cracked and most especially if you have to run the car to keep warm or have to light emergency candles or anything that might consume your air.

- Try to pay attention to the places you find yourself to ensure you do not become trapped so that this 3 minute rule becomes violated.

I know it might be self explanatory, but this focus on air cannot be over emphasized. People die every year due to asphyxiation, and in an emergency it is easy to lose focus on this simple rule.

Who's day was it to watch the kids?

After Armageddon:
Many people recommend a program that aired on History Channel recently called "After Armageddon"and I highly recommend you watch it if you have not seen it. It is pretty well done and they tried to stay on message to illustrate what could very well happen if some major event like a flu pandemic were to happen. Some of it has been dumbed down or summarized for brevity to fit in the time they had available or to try not to spook the audience too much. I hope you enjoy it and it gets you to thinking about things in maybe a new or different light. I inserted the videos from YouTube below so that you can check it out.

NOTE: The content presented is somewhat graphic and may not be suitable for small children. Please take this into consideration before viewing this program. Thanks!

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