Emergency preparedness

Zombies have become engrained in pop culture. Movies like Zombieland, television shows like the Walking Dead, and books such as World War Z have all become relevant creating a need for some young people to develop a zombie survival plan.

The first one of these that I heard was from my friend's boyfriend. His plan included a boat and sailing to an isolated island where he could stay for the rest of his days because zombies can't swim. He lived in British Columbia, so was relatively near the coast making his plan more viable than someone completely landlocked in the middle of the country. He always kept at least a half a tank of gas in his vehicle. He even had an emergency bag in his car along with a baseball bat in case he had to fend off zombie aggressors.

According to forums on the internet there are three different types of zombies. The first is the version which used to be popular, those that crawl out of their graves and are essentially the living dead. The second version is the group that is created into zombies through supernatural means such as Voodoo where a person is forced to act on someone else's behalf. Essentially they are under the influence of another which renders them mindless. Finally there is the more popular version today which is the zombie created through viruses.

The latter group is the most aggressive and may mutate due to the infection. Ultimately there will be a patient zero who bites someone and begins the spread of disease. In some cases this can differ greatly. Usually a bite is the worst, while in some cases scratches or even touching their blood can cause infection.

I personally do not have a zombie preparedness plan, but after reading through the British Columbian government's website, which has released a zombie preparedness guide under emergency information because of its popularity. They in fact released it a couple of years ago around Hallowe'en as a bit of entertainment around the holiday and have left it up since.

Suggestions for being prepared came because in the event of another disaster, a more realistic disaster, the preparedness guide is still useful. For example they liken a zombie attack to a wildfire as you'll have to act fast. Tips include keeping your gas tank at least half full, having an emergency kit in your home, office, and car, as well as having a contact outside the province.

In any case it is important to be ready for emergencies. Recently there was a harsh snowstorm out east. My sister, a flight attendant, was stranded in Halifax due to the storm. Luckily the power wasn't out and she said it wasn't as bad as they had predicted, though she was storm stayed for two days before being able to finish her pairing.

Being in Canada I think this is possibly one of the most serious weather disasters that can happen across the country. There are other regionalized weather phenomena's, but earthquakes and tsunamis in Saskatchewan are not; therefore, across the country snowstorms can wreak havoc from coast to coast.

It brings with it the chance of power outages and being stuck at home with no chance of being able to get out of the yard when on a farm. Even when in a town or city it is a good idea to have stored food, bottled water, and a flashlight. If one has canned food then it is important to remember a manual can opener as getting into the can is sometimes overlooked. Overall it is suggested that you have enough in your emergency pack to last for 72 hours.

Most likely on a farm or ranch people have generators. I remember that we had one, though my sister and I were most happy when the power went out and Dad started a fire downstairs in the wood burning stove. Not only was it toasty, but it is one of my favourite smells and the crackling fire is very peaceful.

Now without a fireplace I caught myself wondering what to do. First it is suggested that people dress warmly. Wear a number of warm layers and conserve energy if storm stayed and unable to travel elsewhere. Heating should be confined to a single room with adequate ventilation if burning anything larger than a candle. When attempting to keep warm it is more likely that deaths due to fire or Carbon Monoxide poisoning will occur over freezing to death, which is why ventilation is so important. This includes opening windows slightly to create airflow as a way to circumvent these problems despite letting a little cold air in.

A catalytic camp heater is something that I carry in my vehicle during the winter as my parents are safety conscious. They got me that and a CAA emergency car kit when I got my licence and first vehicle because we lived half an hour from where I went to school. I also travelled an hour for club volleyball practices during the winter. Both directions were rather desolate driving to and from, so these were things that could help me if I were ever to hit the ditch and be stranded. Turns out these camp heaters are also good if the power is out for an extended period of time in the home as long as there is ventilation.

So, although a zombie apocalypse is highly unlikely there are a number of survival tips that correlate to realistic situations. An emergency plan and an emergency kit are important to think about as you never know what the weather will really bring.