Prepper's Armory: Gun Safety

I hope all our readers are familiar with the four basic rules of safe gun handling. There are, of course, other guidelines and rules for safely handling firearms, but these four are the ones that every new shooter should start with.

In my classes, after stating the basic rule I expand on them to clarify, and I will do so here as well. 

1) Treat every gun as if it's loaded.

Until you personally confirm a gun is unloaded yourself, always act as if it is loaded. Any time you’re not in control of that firearm, assume it became loaded and check again. Remember, ammo gremlins are everywhere.

2) Keep your finger off the trigger.

Until your sights are on target, your finger should be above the trigger on the frame or slide. Not alongside the trigger, as it's too easy for it to slip onto the trigger unintentionally.

I learned to shoot in summer camp when I was around eight years old. Our instructor was a crusty old ex-military guy. (Well, I say "old" because I was a child; he was probably in his thirties, which is a good twenty years younger than I am now.) One of his favorite phrases was “Keep your booger hook off the bang switch.” If it had been a particularly trying day, he'd add the favorite word of Red Foreman from That '70s Show.

3) Be aware of your target and what’s beyond that target.

If you’re shooting at an indoor range, beyond your target should be a properly constructed backstop. While the same should be true at an outdoor range, it's often easier to shoot over the backstop in that environment.

If you’re shooting at an informal range or sport shooting on someone’s property, this rule is even more important than usual. Remember: even the lowly .22 Rimfire can travel over a mile.

4) Always keep your muzzle pointed in a safe direction.

Sometimes stated as "Never point a gun at something you don't intend to destroy", this is the most challenging of the four rules, and I rephrase it as "Keep the muzzle pointed in the least unsafe direction." For example, in my classroom one wall faces the store, another faces the bathrooms, the third wall another classroom, and the fourth the parking lot. Up is the ceiling and some expensive HVAC equipment.  Plus, whatever goes up comes down, and we’re below "up". In that room, down is a concrete slab with stick-on carpeting tiles. A bullet hitting that would ricochet at best, fragment and ricochet at worst.

So what’s the least unsafe direction there? Generally speaking, down and angled away from people. In that classroom, there is no truly safe direction. That’s why I call this one the most challenging rule.

One of the great things about these rules is that you generally have to break more than one of them for something to go horribly wrong. Unfortunately, many people either don’t seem to know these rules, or they know them but don’t follow them consistently. Between time spent at shooting ranges and working in gun shops, I’ve seen some of the poorest gun handling from people who should know better.

The two most common causes of negligent discharges and unintentional injuries with firearms are ignorance and carelessness. A negligent discharge is one that was caused by the negligence of a person, whereas an accidental discharge is one that’s caused by a malfunction of the firearm.

Ignorance, or lack of knowledge, is correctable by training. As long as the person is interested in and capable of learning, they can be educated in the rules of proper and safe gun handling, but carelessness, also called complacency or negligence, is harder to fix. These people do know better, but they don’t bother following the rules for various reasons.

If I had a dollar for every time I’d been flagged by a muzzle on the range or at the gun counter, by customers and coworkers alike, I could probably afford at least one more reasonably priced gun. The statement "Don't worry, it’s not loaded" has never comforted me since in all too many cases it simply isn’t true. 

As gun owners, it's our responsibility to set a good example, and this is especially true when it comes to gun safety. One of the best ways to pass this on is by teaching these rules to new shooters and rigorously practicing them ourselves. Whenever we pick up a firearm at a gun show, at a store, in our homes, or at the range, we need to follow these four rules as best we can. Don’t be ostentatious about it, just do it naturally and consistently.

In conjunction with this, don’t hesitate to kindly — and I emphasize kindly —correct others who are not behaving in a safe manner. A calm and gentle correction can go a long way; "Please watch your muzzle direction, it was pointed at me" goes down much better than "If you sweep me with that gun one more time, I’m going to make you eat it." If you’re at a range, and the situation persists, get the attention of the range safety officer, and let them handle it.

Be aware, be safe, and have fun on the range.

Fireworks Safety

With Canadian Independence Day just past and the Fourth of July today, I'd like to talk about fireworks and fireworks safety.

The concept of fireworks dates back over two thousand years, and they've come a long way from their origin of paper or bamboo tubes thrown into a fire. Since then, we've added new colors, the ability to launch them, and considerably better reliability. However, at the end of the day we're still dealing with a variety of small (or not-so-small) explosive devices, so a certain amount of care is required around them.

If you are attending a professional display, just stand back and enjoy the show. People who do this kind of thing for a living are very careful, and a considerable amount of planning goes into even a small professionally-run fireworks show.

When setting off fireworks as a private individual, there are some basic guidelines that should be followed for the welfare of all involved:

• Only fireworks about to be launched should be out of their packaging.
• One responsible person should be in charge of setup and lighting.
• Communication between that person and any assistants is essential.
• Lighting should be done using some sort of standoff device, such as a grill lighter, fireplace matches, or a road flare.
• Buckets of water, buckets of sand, and/or fire extinguishers should be kept handy.
• As with firearms, absolutely no alcohol should be imbibed by anyone involved in setting up or launching the fireworks!
• After the show is done, a walkthrough should be performed to look for any live embers.
• While generally not needed, some people will benefit from hearing protection during a fireworks show, either public or private.
• And finally, be considerate of others. Any detonations should be limited to the few days centered on an appropriate holiday and no later than around eleven o'clock at night. Also, keep any pets inside with a comfortable place to hide.

Two quick stories to reinforce the importance of safety when dealing with fireworks:

1. My grandfather was missing two fingers on one hand because when he was young, he'd been setting off fireworks with friends, and he held onto one for just a bit too long. This is why fireworks should always be placed on a stand before being lit.
   
   
2. Back when I lived in New York, one of my friends on the fire department would have a big party on July 4 every year, including several hundred dollars worth of fireworks. Me, being me, I was voluntold to be in charge of setting up the fireworks. This included unwrapping them, splicing and taping fuses, and setting up ground launchers and mortars... basically, everything except actually lighting them, though I did get to do some of that as well. Franky, I found the setup aspect more interesting and intellectually stimulating than the lighting of fuses part.
   
   At one point, I turned around to find the host trying to unwrap a package of fireworks. There were several problems with this: it had been agreed that I was the only one who was supposed to be doing that; he was drunk; and he was using a butane grill lighter (with his finger on the trigger!) to try and get the package open. I politely relieved him of both the fireworks and the launcher and sent him on his way. I'm happy to report that there were no other incidents, and no fireworks related injuries occurred that night.

Be aware and be careful, so we can end the holiday with the same number of digits and holes we started with.

Mora Knife Hack

Not actually Erin.

Picture by KJ Photography

& is used with permission.

 As I've stated multiple times, I am a fan of the Mora Clipper knife, as are many other preppers. However, I think we can all agree that the sheath it comes with is only adequate at best. My biggest complaint with it is that it doesn't securely hold the Mora in place and any significant jostle can dislodge the knife from the sheath. 

Try it yourself: holding the sheath at arm's length (to protect your feet) with the knife pointing down, give it a few firm vertical shakes. Odds are, the knife will fall out; mine certainly do. Fortunately, there is an easy fix for this. All you need do is purchase something known as a finger lanyard. 

https://amzn.to/3sSqskd

A button slide is preferable to a friction slide due to its ability to lock in place. A wrist lanyard will also work, but those are much longer and will flop around. As in all things, use your best judgement and find the solution which serves you best (or irritates you least, as the case may be). 

Step 1: Cut off the thin cord at the end. You don't need it and it will just get in the way. This is how mine looks:

Step 2: Slide the finger strap under the belt hooks on the Mora sheath. I believe newer sheaths have one flange instead of the two on mine but this still ought to work. 

Step 3: Loop the lanyard around the knife handle and tighten it with the adjustable slide. 

You now have a Mora Clipper that is secured to its sheath and will not fall out no matter how hard it is shaken. 

Range PPE

I’m sure the majority of our regular readers are aware of the importance of range safety. Most people know this means following range instructions from the range safety officer and/or match director, keeping your muzzle down range, and other basic safe gun handling, but there’s more to it than that. Range safety also includes personal protective equipment (or PPE) which includes dressing properly for the range.

I’d like to think everyone knows about the importance of eye and ear protection, but experience as an instructor and Range Safety Officer has taught me better.

Eye Protection
While many modern plastic prescription lenses have similar attributes to safety glasses, they are not the same thing. For one, regular eyeglasses do not generally have side shields. There are too many stories of people getting eye damage from a piece of bullet jacket, an empty casing, or a ricochet hitting them from the side.

Prescription safety glasses are available as well as regular safety glasses that will fit over your everyday glasses. Yes, they might not be as comfortable, but I’m willing to lay odds that they’re more comfortable than an eye patch.

Ear Protection

The unit of measurement for sound is the decibel. The decibel scale is logarithmic, which means that a change from 10 to 20 decibels is not double, but ten times the volume. Any sound in excess of 140 decibels, without hearing protection, can cause instant hearing damage. A .22 rimfire pistol generally exceeds 150 decibels at the muzzle, and volume goes up from there.

Another aspect of hearing damage from sounds is duration. Exposure to a lower volume sound for a longer period of time can be just as damaging to our hearing as exposure to a loud sound for a shorter time.

Both the National Institute of Health and Safety (NIOSH) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have more information on both hearing loss and hearing protection.

Decibel chart with specific emphasis on firearms

More generalized chart of common noise levels

Hearing protection is listed with a Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) value. For hearing protection to be good while shooting, it should have a NRR in the 20s at least.

Keep in mind, the actual decibel reduction is not what‘s listed on the package. To determine this value, take the NRR number (as decibels), subtract seven, and then divide by two. As shown in this 3M Hearing Protection Guide (PDF warning). So a product with an NRR rating of 27 would reduce volume by 10 decibels.

Some people like to double up their hearing protection, wearing plugs and muffs, for example. However, the two ratings aren’t added together; five decibels of protection are added to whichever element has the higher NRR value.

Proper Clothing
The general recommendation is to wear a long sleeved, high collar shirt, long pants, closed toed shoes, and a hat, and avoid low cut tops. All of this it to keep ejected brass cartridges off our skin. Brass gets hot when fired; in fact, one of the main benefits of the metallic cartridge case is that it takes a significant amount of heat with it when it leaves the gun. I don’t think any of us want that heat transferred to our skin, and anyone who’s ever gotten a piece of brass down their shirt knows just how uncomfortable this can be. As I was told during firefighter training more than once “people cook just like chicken.” I’d say more like pork, but whatever.

There are many good reasons to wear proper protective equipment while shooting. It won’t protect us completely, but it can go a long way to making our experience safer and more enjoyable.

Guns and Safety

We've been writing this blog for a little over six years, so we've covered a lot of information that that you may not know about. There is a handy search box at the top of the page, but some things need to be emphasized so I'm going to re-hash an article from 4 years ago.

Americans are buying firearms and ammunition at panic levels. In the last report I saw, from March of 2020, there were more FBI background checks performed than at any time since the Brady Bill went through Congress. We're buying firearms at a rate that even the worst gun control scares didn't match; Black Friday and the lead up to Christmas have always been high sales times, but we blew through the record of 3.3 million checks done in December 2015 by 10% in March 2020. These numbers don't even account for the 23 states (as of this writing) that conduct a background check prior to issuing a purchase or carry permit that exempts holders from further background checks. I happen to live in one of those states, so my carry permit serves as proof that I can be allowed to purchase a firearm and no NICS check is required. Private sales are also not yet included in these numbers.

From anecdotal evidence, a lot of these gun purchases are by people new to guns. First-time buyers, many of whom have little or no experience with firearms, need instruction and help to be able to properly use and maintain their new tools. The first thing every gun owner or user (I've trained several youngsters that are not old enough to legally own a firearm) needs to learn are the 4 rules of gun safety:

1. All Firearms are always loaded.
2. Never let the muzzle of a firearm point at something you don't want to destroy.
3. Keep your finger off of the trigger until you're ready to shoot.
4. Know your target and what is behind it.

Lokidude covered these in the post I linked in the first paragraph, so go read that if there's some part that doesn't make sense.

If you are new to firearms and want an experienced shooter to explain the 4 Rules in person, or perhaps take you to a range and give you some hands-on assistance with getting to know your new tool, there are resources available:

• Our own Erin has founded a non-profit organization to match new gun owners with willing teachers, regardless of sexual preference. Operation Blazing Sword was started to bridge the gap between the LGBTQ community and the gun community after the Pulse nightclub attack, and has grown to include everyone that requests help. We want you to be safe, regardless of your skin color, religion, sexual preference, or income level. Many of the volunteer instructors will help with more than just teaching the basics, but it varies by the instructor and their budget.
• I'm not a huge fan of the NRA for political reasons, but they do have the longest track record of teaching people how to use firearms safely. They offer several levels of training through their certified instructors all over the USA, for a reasonable price. 
• With the fairly recent expansion of concealed carry rights in many states, classes on basic firearms safety have popped up as a cottage industry all over the country. Check your local gun shops and gun shows, and you'll find fliers and business cards for small companies offering the training required for specific carry permits. Even is you don't want a permit to carry I strongly suggest that you get some form of training if you choose to own a gun.

We've covered several other gun-related topics (type “gun” in the search box) over the years, but the safety of new owners has become more relevant recently. If you're one of the new owners, welcome to the club and please feel free to ask questions. All of the writers here are gun owners; many of us have decades of experience and we're here to help.

Ladder Safety

I'm a short guy. I also work in the construction industry, which means I pretty much live my life on a ladder. While ladders are wonderful for accessing high places, they also can be rather dangerous. Like most things, that danger can be mitigated with some basic safety precautions.

I'll start by telling a cautionary tale: Some time back, I had to get into an attic with an entrance door at an odd height. It was just tall enough that getting in via a 6' ladder wasn't an appealing idea, but just low enough that an 8' ladder was too tall. Being inventive and fearless, with a get-it-done attitude, I leaned the 8' A-frame ladder against the wall at a too-shallow angle and scampered up toward the door. Just as my upper body got into the space, my weight shifted enough that the ladder chose to no longer stay in place. The ladder hit the floor, and I landed on my ribs, halfway into the door. I then slipped and hit my arm, and slipped further until I was hanging by my hands and able to drop to the floor. Other than a couple bruised ribs and my pride, I was relatively unhurt, but it could have been far, far worse.

According to a 2014 report by the CDC (the most recent data I could find), ladder falls cause over 100 deaths per year, and almost 50,000 injuries in 2011. That figure only counts injuries treated by hospital emergency departments, so the actual number is probably much higher. In addition, over 15,000 of those injuries caused employees to lose at least one day of work.

Examining what went wrong after an incident is a huge part of job site safety programs, and is a great way to learn and prevent future accidents in your personal life as well. Looking at my own incident, I made multiple mistakes that led to my fall.

1. I leaned a stepladder against a wall. Most A-frame stepladders aren't designed for this and can slip and fall just like mine did. 
2. I also leaned it against the wall at a terrible angle, which encouraged it to fall.
3. I should have had my co-worker brace the ladder while I was climbing it. This is a good practice when you're transferring your weight from a ladder to an elevated work area. Even set up properly, ladders are not incredibly stable, and can move or tip when their load is off-center.

After looking at my mistakes, some changes were made in how we accessed that area. By turning the ladder 90 degrees to the left, we could set it up normally. It was a bit more awkward going through the access door, but the ladder was more stable. I also got my co-worker to support the ladder any time I have to move on or off it to an elevated area. Generally, this isn't a problem, but professional paranoia keeps me a professional.

OSHA, the arbiters of working safely in the USA, publishes a comprehensive list of ladder safety rules. They also publish rules for almost any job site safety concern you can think of. Study them, think ahead, and you can prevent serious injuries or even death.

Be aware, be safe, and be smarter than me.

Lokidude

Firearm Safety Friday!!

Our regularly scheduled post has been preempted by something very important, and that's firearm safety!

First, a little video:



So let me tell you the story...

A friend recently moved back to the area, and as enthusiasts often do, we were going through his gun collection. He had a neat little double action only .380 semiauto.

Right before my eyes, the little handgun was removed from its place in the safe. Then the magazine was removed and the slide was worked vigorously, twice. Took aim at the pillow, just see how the trigger stacked, and BOOM! Dead Pillow.

Okay, it really wasn't much of a boom, but it was attention grabbing for sure.

So what happened? The best we can figure is that extractor did not pick out the cartridge in the chamber. It was an old round that had been in there for a while.

Negligent discharges happen. Guns fail in ways that can make them more dangerous than they inherently are. But regardless of the handgun's malfunction, or of the failure to tactilely inspect the chamber, further disaster was averted by following the simple rule Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.

Now before you ballistic rangers and keyboard commandos start talking about how negligent discharges "never happen" or "you've never had one", my response is this: either you don't use firearms very often (like never) or you're a liar. Now I am no Clint Smith or Rob Pincus, but I have been an instructor for almost 2 decades and instructed thousands of people. I have seen more NDs than I can count, and I have had a few over the years myself.

Simply following that most important safety rule of gun handling, always point the gun in a safe direction, has helped avert disaster in each of those negligent discharges.

Be safe. Be smart. Don't be stupid.

4th of July Preparedness

Not actually Erin.
Picture by KJ Photography
& is used with permission. 

This is a repost of an article from 2014.

Ah, Independence Day: that quintessentially American holiday where, on a hot and humid summer night, we drink too much alcohol and then play with explosives. So let's take a few moments to think about we can prepare ourselves against accident, injury and disaster so that everyone can have a safe holiday.

The Rules of Gun Safety Applied to Fireworks:

1. Treat all fireworks as if they are incendiary and explosive. 
2. Never point the firework at anything you aren't prepared to destroy.
3. Keep all ignition sources deactivated until it is time to light the fireworks.
4. Be sure of your ballistic trajectory and what lies beyond it (such as: other people's houses, backyards filled with partiers, dry fields or woods that may catch fire, etc).

Just as important, If you're going to partake of alcohol, do not operate fireworks. You wouldn't drive drunk, nor would you operate a gun drunk, so please for the love of all that's holy don't operate an explosive, incendiary device while drunk. 

Things to Bring Along
If you choose to stay sober, it would be a good idea to have a first-aid kit handy. The Adventure Medical Kits Trauma Pack is small enough to fit in a purse or cargo pocket, light enough (11 ounces) that it won't weigh you down, and cheap enough ($21.00) that it won't break the bank. Its inclusion of QuikClot should be a good first-aid package for most commonly-encountered traumatic injuries.

Sadly, that kit doesn't have a provision for burns. The best treatment for burns is immersion in cold running water (EMT friends tell me that gel packs and moisture-infused dressings are snake oil), and if you aren't in a place with a tap or a hose, be sure to being along some bottled water or maybe a canteen. 

While you're at it,  bring along a cell phone so you can call 911 if necessary. Make sure your phone is charged (plug it in now!) and check to see if you have enough bars at your party location. If not, find out where the nearest land line is, and know the address (or directions) well enough to guide EMTs and fire fighters to your location. 

Things to Know

Since we're preparing for firework-related injuries, it makes sense to refresh ourselves on first aid techniques, right? And since folks will be eating, there's a good chance that someone might start choking and require the Heimlich maneuver, or perhaps someone will play too hard in the sun and come down with heat exhaustion.  Go read the Red Cross PDF on first aid/CPR/AED.  If you're East Coast like I am, you have between three and five hours before the festivities begin -- plenty of time to read up!

And since you're already planning on bringing along a fully-charged cell phone, why not load it up with a first aid app? Get it free for Apple, Android, and Kindle. 

Lots of people beat the heat by swimming in a pool or the ocean. Do you know what drowning looks like? Contrary to what Hollywood would have you believe, it is deceptively quiet (video link):

1. A drowning person can’t call for help -- she has to be able to breathe before she can speak. When a person is drowning, her mouth sinks below and reappears above the surface of the water. There isn’t time for her to exhale, inhale, and call out.

2. She can’t wave for help either. A drowning person instinctively extends her arms to the sides and presses down to lift her mouth out of the water; a child may extend her arms forward. She can’t use her arms to move toward a rescuer or reach for rescue equipment.

3. A drowning person remains upright in the water, with no evidence of kicking. She can struggle for only 20 to 60 seconds before going under.

4. Eyes are glassy, unable to focus, or closed.

5. Hair may be over forehead or eyes.

6. Head is low in the water, with mouth at water level; head may be tilted back with mouth open. A child’s head may fall forward.

7. Sometimes the most important indicator that someone is drowning is that she doesn’t look like she’s drowning. She may just seem to be looking up at the sky, shore, pool deck, or dock. Ask her, “Are you all right?” If she can answer at all, she probably is. If she returns a blank stare, you may have less than 30 seconds to get to her.

8. Children playing in the water make noise. When they get quiet, you need to get to them and find out why.

Have Fun
Be safe, but also have fun! This is a holiday meant to be spent among friends and family. Go and celebrate our nation's birthday!

Gun Safety: The 4 Rules Plus a Little More

With the explosively growing interest in learning to handle firearms, the topic of safety naturally comes up. In addition, it is handy to have a resource to point at so people have a head start when they do start learning. This is my attempt at that resource.

There are four basic rules of firearms safety. They interlock wonderfully, in that you have to violate multiple rules for someone to be injured. They are as follows, and in order.

#1 All firearms are always loaded.
It doesn't matter if you're sure that the gun is empty. It really doesn't matter if someone else told you that it's empty. Until you physically verify that the gun is empty, you have to consider it loaded and ready to fire.

#2 Do not point a firearm at anything you do not want to destroy.
In the event that the gun in your hand fires, whatever it is aimed at is going to be broken, injured, or killed. Be mindful of this and of where your muzzle is pointed. It is a habit that should become ingrained, and with safe practice will become second nature. In addition, be aware of where other muzzles around you are pointed, so that you're not what's being aimed at.

#3 Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to fire.
A modern gun that is not broken or malfunctioning will not fire unless and until the trigger is pulled completely to the rear. If your finger is not on the trigger, bullets will not leave the gun.

#4 Be sure of your target and what is beyond it.
You are responsible for every round that you fire. If you cannot clearly identify your target, do not fire. If you have any question about where your round will go if you miss or the round passes through the target, do not fire. Wait until you can fire safely, move to a safer position, or simply pass up the shot.

Addenda
In addition to the Four Rules, there are two other important safety bits to consider.

Let It Go
The first is never attempt to catch a falling gun. There's a saying that "a falling gun is all trigger." Attempting to catch a dropped gun seems to almost always result in the trigger getting pulled and a round going off. Modern guns are tough, and built with safeties to handle moderate drops, so let it fall. The gun may be damaged, but the damage is likely to be minimal, and with a far lower bill than a gunshot wound.

Dress for Safety
The second additional consideration involves range attire. Keep in mind that hot pieces of metal are ejected from the rear of the gun each time you fire, and that they can bounce unpredictably before they hit the ground.

• Wear solid shoes with a closed toe and a minimal heel to prevent foot injuries or trips and slips.
• Eye and ear protection are mandatory, so don't wear anything that will prevent their use. 
• Hats are an excellent way to protect your head and face from bouncing brass. 
• And finally, wear a shirt with at least short sleeves and a crew-neck collar. Ladies, I know you want to look cute, and I do appreciate it, but a piece of hot brass to the cleavage will make your shooting experience sub-optimal. The same goes for the guys; I get the appeal of the tank top, but hot brass stings our chests as badly as it does the gals. Pass on the fashion in favor of safety.

Shoot often, shoot well, and be safe.

Lokidude

Warning Signs

No, not the "When the sun rises with three red circles around it" type of signs, but the "Warning: the contents of this box can melt your face" type.

Since lawyers and bureaucrats like to stay in business, we have warning signs on just about everything (except lawyers and bureaucrats). Anyone old enough to read the warning label should know that you don't stick your hands under the deck of a running lawnmower or use a hair drier while in a bathtub full of water. Common sense and a little life experience will save you from being a candidate for next year's Darwin Awards.

Any sign that uses the term "Authorized Personnel" is just someone telling you that they don't want you to see what they have behind that door. It's usually just a cleaner bathroom than they present to the public.

There are some things that do need warning labels, though. A train derailing in your neighborhood or a fire at a nearby warehouse can be cause for immediate evacuation, and the clean-up could take weeks. Knowing what to look for is usually the first step in being aware of your surroundings.

Radiation

All radioactive sources must (by law) be labeled, since radiation is colorless, odorless, and can do damage from a distance. Because it is illegal to ship radioactive materials by airplane, they all travel on the same roads you use. Without good monitoring equipment, this is the premier "Keep Out!" sign.

Signs similar to this, but designating X-ray or radio frequency radiation, are there to keep you from wandering into an area that could have harmful radiations that are not produced by radioactive decay. Once the power is shut off these forms of radiation are no longer present, unlike the Alpha, Beta, and Gamma radiations produced by radioactive decay. If I ever get around to writing the "Physics & Chemistry for Preppers" series of posts, I'll describe radiation and radioactive decay is more detail.

In recent years, there have been a few thefts of old medical equipment that still contained lethal amounts of radioactive materials (old cancer treatment machines). Once the thieves figured out that they had messed up, they abandoned the machines in remote/rural areas. How'd you like to find that on your weekend hike?

Poisons and Dangerous Chemicals

There are commercial grade poisons out there, and I don't really care to be near them unless I'm in charge of them. Driving down the road next to a semi full of material that could kill everyone that comes in contact with it is more common than most people think. Rail cars full of chemicals roll through towns large and small every day; trucks break down and rail cars come off the rails sometimes; and warehouses catch fire and the smoke and fume can travel a long way.

Luckily for us, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the same folks who give us safer electricity through the National Electrical Code (NFPA 70), has set standards for labeling dangerous chemicals in containers. If you see the familiar diamond with four differently colored segments, that's an NFPA 704 sign. The numbers represent the level of danger (0=minimal hazard, 4=extreme hazard) and the four colors are to identify the hazard in different classes

• Red = Flammability. How likely is it to catch fire?
• Blue = Health risk. How likely is it to cause injury?
• Yellow = Stability. How likely is it to have violent chemical changes or explode?
• White = Special hazard. Does it need to be kept away from water? Is it an Oxidizer? Is it corrosive?

http://www.compliancesigns.com/NFPA-Chart_1.shtml

Other Physical or Chemical Hazards

There are a lot of things out there that can cause damage by exploding, burning, freezing, asphyxiating, etc. The Department of Transportation (DOT) has rules in place for placing "placards" on vehicles carrying these kind of hazards. Like the NFPA 704, DOT placards are diamond-shaped, but the color of placard designates the hazard and other information will be on the placard. Basically, red is for flammables (diesel fuel, gasoline), green is for non-flammable compressed gasses (anhydrous ammonia or nitrogen), orange is for explosives (with the numbers indicating class of explosive), and so on. Learning the proper use of placards is about a four-hour class, since they cover such a large variety of hazards. If you're really interested, ask at your local community college or truck driver training company. 

https://classes.hazmatschool.com/images/5-Traincrd10back.jpg

A handy guide to hazardous material shipping is the Emergency Response Guide. It has lists of the most common hazardous materials and the placard information for each of them. There are also Android, Apple, and Windows apps available with the same information. It's a quick way to tell what's on that truck that just went by you at 90mph so you can decide how far away from him you need to stay.


Paying attention to what is around you (AKA situational awareness) is only of use if you can identify the hazards. Not knowing the difference between a container of water and a container of poison will cause either a lot of needless panic or a lot of needless injury.

Prudent Prepping: Fire!

The dust has settled and the First 72 Hours have passed. Now we concentrate on what to do in, and how to plan for, the long term via Prudent Prepping.

Fire Is Not Always
Your Friend

I was going to save this for later in the year, but the Southern California fire this week and our ongoing drought made me do an article now.

What do these things have in common?

• A Southern California report on a fast-moving brush fire. 
• This YouTube video discussing the 1991 Oakland CA fire. 
• Another article from the local Public Television station (that is remarkably balanced in its reporting on an invasive plant!) 
• Naked protesters opposing tree removal (possibly NSFW) 
• Oakland funding tree removal. 
• Lokidude's fire starter post.

How do all these things relate? 
Be safe with your fire. When camping, or in Bug Out conditions, fire safety when cooking or heating is my first priority. Boy Scouts drilled into me the need to have solid ground as the base for campfires; backpacking reinforced fire safety when using portable stoves; and watching over 3,000 homes and businesses burn over 2 days (see above) gave me added respect for wildfires.

If you own a house or live on property that might be involved in a brushfire, even if in a city: protect yourself by clearing your brush, leaves and overhanging trees! If you need a time sink, look up eucalyptus trees, their introduction into CA and their major contribution to the 1991 fire, with the highlights in the previously mentioned Public TV article.

Doing fire prevention prep at my house
This is a normal suburban neighborhood built in the 1950's, with mature trees in all the yards.

This is a picture of my street.

There's not much I can do about the neighbors' trees, but I can make certain no leaves are on the roof or in the gutters, and all the really dry junk is as far away from the house as I can get it.

California is in the third year of drought conditions, with people mandated to reduce their water use 25-30% . This means landscaping is watered less and is a greater potential for dry brush (which used to be decorative plants) near our houses.

The hot, dry weather has also motivated me to better organize my Bug Out gear for a quick exit from home, and to carry a bit more stuff in my truck than normal for summer. Examples:

• Extra water. I'm carrying 4L of water instead of 2 in my truck.
• 2 Lifestraws. One for me and one to share. 
• SPF 30 sunscreen in my first aid kit.
• Fresh tubes of lip balm. Spares and extras to share.

The Takeaway

• Fire is scary. Use it carefully. 
• Protect yourself as well as you can by actively clearing brush and other fire hazards from around your house. 
• Make sure your preps account for the summer heat.

Recap
Only one item was purchased this week: a water jug from Walmart to replace the one I gave as a gift last week.

• One 7 gallon water jug: $17.99, last one in stock! 

As always, if you have comments, suggestions or corrections, please post them so we all can learn. And remember, Some Is Always Better Than None!

NOTE: All items tested were purchased by me. No products have been loaned in exchange for a favorable review. Any items sent to me for T&E will be listed as such. Suck it, Feds.

Water and Boating Safety

As summer arrives upon us, folks naturally start heading for the water. Be it beaches, boats, or the local river, water recreation is one of the most popular ways to beat the heat. Unfortunately, tragedy always seems to follow this exodus. In an effort to stem some of that loss, here are some ways to remain safe on and around the water.

On this week's Gunblog Varietycast, Erin went over some good water safety tips. Some of her links are so important that they bear repeating:

• 8 Signs of Someone Drowning
• Recognize the Signs of Drowning (video)
• Break the Grip of the Rip (PDF)

In addition, there are several other ways to prevent or mitigate accidents while recreating on the water.

Don't drink and boat
Many folks who would never drink and drive don't draw the parallel to drinking and driving their boats. Not only is it usually illegal, it is invariably dangerous. Behind the wheel is behind the wheel, and the risks are exactly the same. Just don't risk it.

Life preservers save lives
The US Coast Guard estimates that 80% of lives lost in boating accidents could have been saved by proper use of a life jacket. They provide an excellent guide for life jacket use and selection here.

Install barriers or covers around pools
Keep unsupervised children away from danger by limiting access.

If your boat has an accident, stay with it if possible
Shore is often deceptively far away, too far to safely swim. Also, your boat is larger than you are, and easier for searchers to locate. If you must swim for shore, try and get some kind of flotation device from your boat before you leave it. Life jackets or throwable floatation aids can make all the difference in getting to shore.

Keep noisemakers handy
Air horns and emergency whistles carry much further than the human voice, with far less effort. Emergency whistles can even be attached to life jackets, so that they're always at hand. Blow three short blasts to signal distress.

Reach or throw, don't go
Use a pole or flotation device and rope whenever you can to aid someone in distress. Getting into the water greatly increases your odds of becoming another victim.

Keep the group together
If multiple people need help on the water, stick together. Groups are far easier to find than individuals, and can help each other keep going until rescue arrives.

Keep your head above water.
Lokidude

4th of July Preparedness

Not actually Erin.
Picture by KJ Photography
& is used with permission. 

Ah, Independence Day: that quintessentially American holiday where, on a hot and humid summer night, we drink too much alcohol and then play with explosives. So let's take a few moments to think about we can prepare ourselves against accident, injury and disaster so that everyone can have a safe holiday.

The Rules of Gun Safety Applied to Fireworks:

1. Treat all fireworks as if they are incendiary and explosive. 
2. Never point the firework at anything you aren't prepared to destroy.
3. Keep all ignition sources deactivated until it is time to light the fireworks.
4. Be sure of your ballistic trajectory and what lies beyond it (such as: other people's houses, backyards filled with partiers, dry fields or woods that may catch fire, etc).

Just as important, If you're going to partake of alcohol, do not operate fireworks. You wouldn't drive drunk, nor would you operate a gun drunk, so please for the love of all that's holy don't operate an explosive, incendiary device while drunk. 

Things to Bring Along
If you choose to stay sober, it would be a good idea to have a first-aid kit handy. The Adventure Medical Kits Trauma Pack is small enough to fit in a purse or cargo pocket, light enough (11 ounces) that it won't weigh you down, and cheap enough ($21.00) that it won't break the bank. Its inclusion of QuikClot should be a good first-aid package for most commonly-encountered traumatic injuries.

Sadly, that kit doesn't have a provision for burns. The best treatment for burns is immersion in cold running water (EMT friends tell me that gel packs and moisture-infused dressings are snake oil), and if you aren't in a place with a tap or a hose, be sure to being along some bottled water or maybe a canteen. 

While you're at it,  bring along a cell phone so you can call 911 if necessary. Make sure your phone is charged (plug it in now!) and check to see if you have enough bars at your party location. If not, find out where the nearest land line is, and know the address (or directions) well enough to guide EMTs and fire fighters to your location. 

Things to Know

Since we're preparing for firework-related injuries, it makes sense to refresh ourselves on first aid techniques, right? And since folks will be eating, there's a good chance that someone might start choking and require the Heimlich maneuver, or perhaps someone will play too hard in the sun and come down with heat exhaustion.  Go read the Red Cross PDF on first aid/CPR/AED.  If you're East Coast like I am, you have between three and five hours before the festivities begin -- plenty of time to read up!

And since you're already planning on bringing along a fully-charged cell phone, why not load it up with a first aid app? Get it free for Apple, Android, and Kindle. 

Lots of people beat the heat by swimming in a pool or the ocean. Do you know what drowning looks like? Contrary to what Hollywood would have you believe, it is deceptively quiet (video link):

1. A drowning person can’t call for help -- she has to be able to breathe before she can speak. When a person is drowning, her mouth sinks below and reappears above the surface of the water. There isn’t time for her to exhale, inhale, and call out.

2. She can’t wave for help either. A drowning person instinctively extends her arms to the sides and presses down to lift her mouth out of the water; a child may extend her arms forward. She can’t use her arms to move toward a rescuer or reach for rescue equipment.

3. A drowning person remains upright in the water, with no evidence of kicking. She can struggle for only 20 to 60 seconds before going under.

4. Eyes are glassy, unable to focus, or closed.

5. Hair may be over forehead or eyes.

6. Head is low in the water, with mouth at water level; head may be tilted back with mouth open. A child’s head may fall forward.

7. Sometimes the most important indicator that someone is drowning is that she doesn’t look like she’s drowning. She may just seem to be looking up at the sky, shore, pool deck, or dock. Ask her, “Are you all right?” If she can answer at all, she probably is. If she returns a blank stare, you may have less than 30 seconds to get to her.

8. Children playing in the water make noise. When they get quiet, you need to get to them and find out why.

Have Fun
Be safe, but also have fun! This is a holiday meant to be spent among friends and family. Go and celebrate our nation's birthday!