Critical Food Item During Crisis : Coffee

One may wonder why coffee is such important food item to be stored for disaster preparedness. Before we delve further on the importance of coffee, lets get some basic knowledge on coffee ( from the wiki )

Coffee is a drink that is mixed with hot water prepared from roasted seeds, commonly called coffee beans, of the coffee plant. Due kafeinnya content, coffee has a stimulating effect in humans. Today, coffee is one of the most preferred beverages all over the world. [1]
Coffee was first consumed in the ninth century, when it was discovered in the highlands of Ethiopia. [2] From there, it spread to Egypt and Yemen, and in the 15th century, had reached Armenia, Persia, Turkey, and northern Africa. From the Muslim world, coffee spread to Italy, and throughout Europe, and the Americas. [3]

                                     Coffer has caiffeine stimulant  with calming factor

ONE of the sweetness of life, now more 'sweet'. After many years researchers conducted a study on the effects of coffee on health, that world's favorite beverage worried increase the risk of heart disease, but large-scale study shows the results otherwise

Even in this latest study, initially found coffee drinkers are more likely to die at any time. This is because many coffee drinkers also smoke, drink more alcohol, eat lots of red meat and less exercise than non-coffee drinkers.

However, once the researchers took into account all of these things, a clear pattern emerged:One cup of coffee a day increases the chances of living longer

In short,coffee drinkers were found to have a longer life expectancy regardless of whether or decaffeinated or not. 

In the time of crisis, coffee is one of the great food item to have around. It can be shared among the survivors and it's basic yet simple preparation method makes it a luxury among the disastrous items. Yes, the caffeine content helps

Though caffeine is best known as a stimulating drug that helps you stay awake and focuses your brain if you need to concentrate on a task. This chemical also has calming effects because of the way it affects your brain. Such effects are not as noticeable as the stimulation and energy boost, but they do play a role in caffeine's addictiveness.

In the event of failure to government system, the money that you have will be worthless.  In addition to gold and other precious, coffee can become the currency of choice due to its characteristic : widely accepted, lightweight and easily partitioned. In this situation , coffee can be used for trade with other food items , medicine and gas.

With all the benefits mentioned above, it is vital to have coffee as part of your critical food item in your disaster preparedness checklist. Since coffee can only be grown in certain part of the world, it is wise to stock it early and your coffee beans would not get spoiled easily ( if you store it properly) 

Effective Disaster Preparedness Tips

You can also take advantage of the tips and knowledge available at Family survival course. It is one of the most comprehensive guide available to date. Trust me, you will not regret it.

Disaster Preparedness : 5 Good Practice Dealing with Active Shooter

Have you ever imagine yourself getting into a situation where an active shooter is present. Do you know what to do? Do you know the risk involved for any action taken by you? Should you hide or should you attempt to disable the shooter? These are the questions that would come to your mind once you get into the situation.

  Before we proceed further with the 5 good practice when dealing with active shooter , lets take a look at the profile of active shooter. From the Department of Homeland Security website (www.dhs.gov)

PROFILE OF AN ACTIVE SHOOTER 

An Active Shooter is an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area; in most cases, active shooters use firearms(s) and there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims.

 Active shooter situations are unpredictable and evolve quickly. Typically, the immediate deployment of law enforcement is required to stop the shooting and mitigate harm to victims.

Because active shooter situations are often over within 10 to 15 minutes, before law enforcement arrives on the scene, individuals must be prepared both mentally and physically to deal with an active shooter situation.


The following are  5 Good practices for coping with an active shooter situation

1 Be aware of your environment and any possible dangers

2 Take note of the two nearest exits in any facility you visit

3 If you are in an office, stay there and secure the door

4 If you are in a hallway, get into a room and secure the door

5 As a last resort, attempt to take the active shooter down. When the shooter is at close range and you cannot flee, your chance of survival is much greater if you try to incapacitate him/her.

Lets take a look on HOW TO RESPOND WHEN AN ACTIVE SHOOTER IS IN YOUR VICINITY

Quickly determine the most reasonable way to protect your own life. Remember that customers and clients are likely to follow the lead of employees and managers during an active shooter situation.

1. Evacuate If there is an accessible escape path, attempt to evacuate the premises.
 Be sure to:
• Have an escape route and plan in mind
• Evacuate regardless of whether others agree to follow
• Leave your belongings behind
• Help others escape, if possible

2. Hide out If evacuation is not possible, find a place to hide where the active shooter is less likely to find you. Your hiding place should:
• Be out of the active shooter’s view
• Provide protection if shots are fired in your direction (i.e., an office with a closed and locked door)
• Not trap you or restrict your options for movement

To prevent an active shooter from entering your hiding place
:• Lock the door
• Blockade the door with heavy furniture

3. Take action against the active shooter 
As a last resort, and only when your life is in imminent danger, attempt to disrupt and/or incapacitate the active shooter by:
• Acting as aggressively as possible against him/her
• Throwing items and improvising weapons

FINALLY HOW TO RESPOND WHEN LAW ENFORCEMENT ARRIVES

Law enforcement’s purpose is to stop the active shooter as soon as possible. Officers will proceed directly to the area in which the last shots were heard. 

• Officers usually arrive in teams of four (4)
• Officers may wear regular patrol uniforms or external bulletproof vests, Kevlar helmets, and other tactical equipment• Officers may be armed with rifles, shotguns, handguns
• Officers may use pepper spray or tear gas to control the situation
• Officers may shout commands, and may push individuals to the ground for their safety 

How to react when law enforcement arrives:

• Keep hands visible at all times

• Avoid making quick movements toward officers

 • Immediately raise hands and spread fingers

• Remain calm, and follow officers’ instructions

• Put down any items in your hands (i.e., bags, jackets)

Effective Disaster Preparedness Tips
You can also take advantage of the tips and knowledge available at Family survival course. It is one of the most comprehensive guide available to date. Trust me, you will not regret it.

Also you can Click on the link for FREE Active shooter  preparedness resource