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On a Yahoo group I belong to, a email brought up "What do you keep beside you at night".
I tend to be a weather freak :) Beside my bed I have the display for my weather (WX) station that monitors wind speed, direction, rainfall amount/rate, temp, humidity, barometric pressure,etc. I have it setup to sound off when certain parameters are exceeded :eek: Part of this is because I am a Skywarn (www.skywarn.org) spotter for the NWS and I like having access to the 'what the heck is going on in my backyard' forecast. I also have remote sensors to monitor the temp of the freezers so I can be alerted if they get TOO warm!So WX station is one item.
I also have a NOAA WX radio with S.A.M.E alerts (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specifi...ssage_Encoding). S.A.M.E is a Godsend in that it only sounds off for alerts in my county! I really like knowing when the WX gets bad. I have been through 2 tornados and I don't wanna go down that way:p
Moving on in a similar vein, I also keep a small hand held ham radio (2M)walkie talkie that I can either listen to the WX radio frequency (if away from the room), more likely tune into the local skywarn net to see if we need to go to active mode, or I can call 911 from a repeater with autopatch ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autopatch ) in case my phone line is down. Granted there may be a little confusion if the repeater is located in another county as 911 is dispatched based on the location of the phone serving address, but it is an option. Whether it is bad guys cutting your lines or a storm wiped out landline/cellphone commo for your county, you have options.
Also in the wireless category I have a 'smart phone'. With this phone I can place calls, surf the web and get updated WX radar images on my cellphone to see how bad a storm is! Notice I said, I was a WX freak!!!
I also keep my night response bag (http://www.countycomm.com/BAILOUTBAGGEN5.htm). In this I have self defense items but also flashlights and spare batteries. No need for details but don't come calling uninvited :eek:
For responses outside I keep a old flightsuit and a pair of slip on moccassins. One poster suggested dark 'sweats' as a quieter clothing option and I agree although my nomex is pretty quiet. Use what you got but make it quick!
If Night Vision is in your arsenal, then by all means keep it with you and ready to use as IMHO it is the ULTIMATE force multiplier:cool:
In the room I also keep a prybar, gloves and other items in case I somehow get suprised by a storm and hafta conduct recovery operations on trapped family by myself.
Also it is a good idea to keep a fire extinguisher in your home and it makes sense to keep one in your bedroom as when you are waking up to smoke ain't a good idea to hafta go to the other side of the home to get it:mad: So be proactive and it don't hurt to have 2!
Also on fires, if you are high enough up be sure to have an escape ladder in case you gotta bug out 'window style'.
I think the NRA suggested you keep a spare house key on a light stick and in case the boys in blue gotta bail you out when bad guys are in your home they have a way to open your door while you are holed up in your 'safe room'. Just toss it out the window and let the 911 dispatcher know what you are doing! Thought that was a great idea... those boys in blue can kick in a door, but better for you and them they have an easy way in!
Someone also suggested a pair of FRS or GMRS radios in the safe room (I am assuming you sleep in your safe room or it is close) so you could have commo with the 911 dispatcher, as well as the loved ones in the safe room... if you had to clear the house yourself. House clearing is not something you instantly learn, it takes a little practice... ok a lot of practice... but let the LEO's do it for you if you can... they are better trained... and when a LEO comes to the scene... you probably just look like another bad guy to him so he may deal with you that way :(
These are just some thoughts I was thinking. I left out the OBVIOUS guns because probably everyone has one that is 'in the mindest' as well as some other items because I got tired of typing :rolleyes:
So what do you keep beside you at night to keep you safe???
I tend to be a weather freak :) Beside my bed I have the display for my weather (WX) station that monitors wind speed, direction, rainfall amount/rate, temp, humidity, barometric pressure,etc. I have it setup to sound off when certain parameters are exceeded :eek: Part of this is because I am a Skywarn (www.skywarn.org) spotter for the NWS and I like having access to the 'what the heck is going on in my backyard' forecast. I also have remote sensors to monitor the temp of the freezers so I can be alerted if they get TOO warm!So WX station is one item.
I also have a NOAA WX radio with S.A.M.E alerts (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specifi...ssage_Encoding). S.A.M.E is a Godsend in that it only sounds off for alerts in my county! I really like knowing when the WX gets bad. I have been through 2 tornados and I don't wanna go down that way:p
Moving on in a similar vein, I also keep a small hand held ham radio (2M)walkie talkie that I can either listen to the WX radio frequency (if away from the room), more likely tune into the local skywarn net to see if we need to go to active mode, or I can call 911 from a repeater with autopatch ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autopatch ) in case my phone line is down. Granted there may be a little confusion if the repeater is located in another county as 911 is dispatched based on the location of the phone serving address, but it is an option. Whether it is bad guys cutting your lines or a storm wiped out landline/cellphone commo for your county, you have options.
Also in the wireless category I have a 'smart phone'. With this phone I can place calls, surf the web and get updated WX radar images on my cellphone to see how bad a storm is! Notice I said, I was a WX freak!!!
I also keep my night response bag (http://www.countycomm.com/BAILOUTBAGGEN5.htm). In this I have self defense items but also flashlights and spare batteries. No need for details but don't come calling uninvited :eek:
For responses outside I keep a old flightsuit and a pair of slip on moccassins. One poster suggested dark 'sweats' as a quieter clothing option and I agree although my nomex is pretty quiet. Use what you got but make it quick!
If Night Vision is in your arsenal, then by all means keep it with you and ready to use as IMHO it is the ULTIMATE force multiplier:cool:
In the room I also keep a prybar, gloves and other items in case I somehow get suprised by a storm and hafta conduct recovery operations on trapped family by myself.
Also it is a good idea to keep a fire extinguisher in your home and it makes sense to keep one in your bedroom as when you are waking up to smoke ain't a good idea to hafta go to the other side of the home to get it:mad: So be proactive and it don't hurt to have 2!
Also on fires, if you are high enough up be sure to have an escape ladder in case you gotta bug out 'window style'.
I think the NRA suggested you keep a spare house key on a light stick and in case the boys in blue gotta bail you out when bad guys are in your home they have a way to open your door while you are holed up in your 'safe room'. Just toss it out the window and let the 911 dispatcher know what you are doing! Thought that was a great idea... those boys in blue can kick in a door, but better for you and them they have an easy way in!
Someone also suggested a pair of FRS or GMRS radios in the safe room (I am assuming you sleep in your safe room or it is close) so you could have commo with the 911 dispatcher, as well as the loved ones in the safe room... if you had to clear the house yourself. House clearing is not something you instantly learn, it takes a little practice... ok a lot of practice... but let the LEO's do it for you if you can... they are better trained... and when a LEO comes to the scene... you probably just look like another bad guy to him so he may deal with you that way :(
These are just some thoughts I was thinking. I left out the OBVIOUS guns because probably everyone has one that is 'in the mindest' as well as some other items because I got tired of typing :rolleyes:
So what do you keep beside you at night to keep you safe???
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