Austin,Texas DHS plan worth studying

Bob - November 6, 2021

News

https://www.governing.com/community/report-identifies-issues-in-austins-disaster-preparedness

Good morning, 

Austin, Texas developed a plan that addresses the deep freeze and lose of much infrastructure.

Austin’s DHS and a consultant (Why the need for a consulting firm ?!) made some recommendations well worth studying.

Note “no crew members … knew how to operate a gear switch”. Before a prepper buys anything, do think of the required support system: basic field expedient repairs (even if used at home and not in field), spare parts (consider the spares as “merely” a cost of the main gadget, eg generator, being purchased) and tools/lubercants/related.

Under section titled “Shelters”, note “staffing shortfalls and availability of volunteers”. I’m posting this link not to single out and focus on Austin, Texas … it’s about the same here for private citizens …

Note recommendation: “identity a list of medical shelters and general shelters with durable infrastructure”. 

All wheel drive emergency vehicles are far from being economical for year-round use. This specific subject is really a “it takes a village”.

Where do the Austin, Texas taxes go to ? Please be reminded by me this this link if from “governing.org” !

Does not * Hagerty Consulting* firm serve as a huge flare indicating the problem ?!

……

Would never have guessed roads could become useless without support.

4  

You’re right. So many people get gear but don’t know how to fix it or maintain it. It is very important to know how to care for your stuff as well as have parts for repairs

 

In the UK many community groups like Ham radio groups or 4×4 offroad groups register with the local authorities to provide support during a crisis. For example in the massive Somerset floods a few years ago the only way to get food, medicines, fuel, supplies and people in and out of the hundreds of affected comunities was the 4×4 clubs and local farmers using their tractors to get through the floods. In the great freeze of 2010  in this part of the UK it froze so hard for so long that the snow compacted down into ice.  Again the 4×4 owners came to the rescue delivering foods, medicines, transporting nurses, cops, vetenarians and hospital patients because the 2 wheel drive vehicles could not moved.  My own van was stuck solid in six inches of ice for ten days when the water it was stood in froze solid over night

 

Having the comms and offroad vehicles to help others during an emergency is part of the reason I prep. I want to be that guy that can help tow out a 2 wheel drive vehicle that gets stuck in the snow. 

Maybe one day my preparation can be used to bless the life of someone else.

 

In my part of the world the most versatile and useful vehicle I can possibly think of if a 4×4 diesel powered panel van like a Sprinter, VW T5 or an Iveco daily with winches fitted.   

Where as flatbed trucks and stationwagon type SUVs rock in the US (jeeps). A few of the primary needs from a vehicle for some of us over here is the ability to sleep INSIDE the van not in tents or under tarps, and the ability to store all their kit inside and out of sight.  And NO Bling,

Its amazing some of the offroad abilities  these 4x4s have.