Here’s What To Do
Grassroots preparedness should be part of our way of life.

By James A. Swan, “Media Watch” columnist for North American Hunter magazine
October 6-8, 2001

hat can I do?" is a question many of us have been asking ourselves in the face of the recent terrorist attacks. Many have donated money and given blood. Those are important and admirable first steps, but we must do more. Our long-term goal to counter terrorism should not be simply healing our wounds — and less simply, retaliation and justice — but most importantly, prevention.

Terrorism is like a disease. Following the inciting incident, the psychological effects can spread like a plague paralyzing lives and nations, sending out shockwaves far beyond the actual incident. We see this in the struggles of the stock market as well as dramatic declines in airline traffic and tourism. Terrorism creates a condition of crisis. We need to educate everyone about coping with crisis as a fundamental element of our overall strategy to defeat terrorism.

Studies of people in crisis situations show that when confronted with emergency, some people simply succumb to panic, give up, and die. Others begin making bad decisions that may lead to harm and death. People who know how to respond to crises are not only able to protect themselves from the crippling psychological effects of terrorism, they are better able to respond to any crisis situation should it arise. Grassroots preparedness should be part of our way of life.

The average citizen is not trained in military or law enforcement tactics, and spends precious little time learning to cope with crisis. Now might be a good time to get started.

As we search for models of preparedness, there are at least two groups trained to cope with crisis that should be spotlighted: hunters and communities with active civilian emergency response programs.

On the Hunt
In all 50 states, those seeking to purchase a hunting license for the first time must take and pass a hunter-education course. This 10- to 12-hour program, taught by 65,000 volunteer instructors, includes wildlife conservation, safe firearms handling, the basics of coping with being lost, and some first aid. If you were taking a hunter-education class, you would be expected to be able to answer the following questions (answers follow):

1) If you get lost, what do you do? (Admit you are lost, get your bearings, assess your situation, consult a compass or map, develop a plan.)

2) How do you signal if you are lost? (The universal distress code is three shots, or bursts on a whistle; a tiny pocket mirror can send a flash of light visible a mile away; and matches can build a fire.)

3) What can you carry in a backpack to help you cope with problems you encounter when there is no immediate help available? (First aid kit, space blanket, waterproof matches or lighter, mirror, whistle, flashlight and batteries, water/water purification tablets, candy bars for quick energy.)

Hunters will also have an understanding of firearms and other weapons and know how to use them. That in itself is a deterrent, for as Dr. John Lott has shown in his well-researched book, More Guns, Less Crime, criminal acts decline where more people are armed. It seems unlikely that we will see any direct attack by large groups of armed terrorists that can be countered directly by armed citizens (e.g. the movie Red Dawn), but if another terrorism incident does occur, looting and general lawlessness can follow. An armed citizenry can help counter that potential very directly.

Some people fear weapons of any kind, and even suggest we should have a world without them. If you fear weapons that fear can control you, making you less able to cope with danger or defend yourself. If you respect weapons, then you have learned how to use them safely and effectively. This is exactly what hunter-education classes teach. Respect for weapons can save lives. Recall that the school shooter in Springfield, Oregon, was stopped by a boy who knew exactly when the pistol the shooter was using had run out of live ammunition.

Written for travelers, a good book that covers personal safety in dangerous situations in the field or at home, including the use of firearms, is Trail Safe: Averting Threatening Behavior in the Outdoors, by Michael Bane (Wilderness Press).

The Essentials
In California, where earthquakes and wildfires are a daily concern, people have developed a citizen-based Community Emergency Response Training program. There are now networks of thousands of skilled volunteers in the Golden State who can come to the aid of police and fire fighters in times of emergency. The initial 10-hour class includes hands-on training with simulated crisis situations including first aid, personal safety, evacuation planning, and search and rescue. Additional classes are offered on first aid and communication with ham radios.

CERT is essential because in times of crisis emergency personnel can't be everywhere, and community citizens, especially when organized, have an enormous wealth of talent and skills to offer — including medical, first-aid, construction, counseling, and radio operations.

If you don't have a CERT program in your community and you have personal skills and interest, approach your local police and fire to help develop one. The following is a preparedness checklist from my local CERT program: first aid kit; hard hat; three days food and water; camp cooking stove; matches/fire-starter; tools (crowbar, hatchet, tool for gas and water); goggles; mask (dust is always a problem but more sophisticated masks may be effective against some toxic chemicals and biological agents); flashlights; leather palm gloves to protect from broken glass (which is the number-one source of injury in structural failure of buildings); and a bicycle for each person for evacuation (roads may not be passable).

Also, it is advisable to maintain a "defensible space" around your home, which in California (where it is a law) is 30 feet, so firefighters and rescue workers can easily get close to your home.

The Homefront
Some of the terrorists' training manuals have been found. They instruct terrorists to move into areas where people don't know each other well so they will not be so easily detected. With our busy lifestyles sometimes we forget about the importance of neighbors, friends, and communities, only to discover their importance in times of crisis. This is a time to invite your neighbors over for dinner, hold community events, and talk to each other. It is prudent to talk about sharing skills in times of crisis, and build up the tools necessary to cope with crisis situations. Preparedness is a deterrent to terrorism as well as a resource to call on in times of crisis whether in the wilderness or at home. It must be our way of life.