Australia burns
I often speak about preparation and make no apology for it either. You see, I feel that it is the responsibility of each and every one of us to have some degree of preparation in our lives, at least at the most basic of levels. Sure, make jokes about it...But dying when you could have lived isn't a joke really is it...
What's prepping? Things like having reserves of drinking water and non-perishable foods in the household, a first aid kit in the home and car plus the ability to use it. A small stash of emergency money or silver and a household fire evacuation plan, knowing how to do CPR or treat a cut of burn...These things are not difficult to have, or generally all that costly, but the cost of not having them could be beyond measure.
I don't want to make this a rant about prepping however it is about prepping. You see, prepping isn't all about having a doomsday bunker, a cache of weapons, gas masks and and an apocalypse vehicle...It's about being prepared for situations that may arise...Such as a house fire.
Australia is on fire
You may or may not know that my country is on fire...Seriously on fire. Wildfires have been raging from Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, Canberra, New South Wales and into Queensland...Tasmania down south too. Devastating fires. New South Wales lost 368 homes since New Years eve alone! Plus seven lives lost including a volunteer fire fighter...Since Monday. All fire-affected areas have lost lives, homes, buildings, livestock, native animals and infrastructure and today the ADF (Australian Defence Force) was deployed to fill man-power gaps.
It's been very catastrophic for our small 25 million-people population.
Anyway, I don't normally watch the news but today turned on the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) and was amazed to see the level of unpreparedness of many, many people...And the government too. (This is about the people though.)
No food, no fuel, no water...
People can't evacuate certain areas as the power is out and fuel is not available through the inability to pump it (lack of power) or shortage. People have no reserves of water or food. There was a line hundreds of metres long to get into a supermarket that was only letting 20 people in at a time...And then there was zero fresh food there anyway, just non-perishable stocks; No new supplies are coming through to the supermarket. There is no internet across vast areas so people are out of communication (through single-minded reliance upon that method of connection) and they're broadcasting warnings on AM and FM radio...Most don't have these ancient devices though...See the issues? It's a powder keg situation with men and resources stretched to the limit.
We'll be OK though; We're Aussies you see, and toughing it out is what we do.
So, preparedness. Not worth it? Don't need it? Government will provide for you? Catastrophes don't happen these modern times? Think again.
We have such a short memory when it comes to catastrophe, or maybe it's because people are more concerned with things they feel are more important? (Facebook likes maybe?). Remember cyclone Katrina? Remember the Tsunami of 2004 (227,898 died)...One doesn't need to google too much to find examples of extreme adversity...It happens. People's houses catch alight and they die because they lack a satisfactory evac-plan - Doesn't make sense to me.
The head-in-the-sand casual who cares attitude simply doesn't cut it...People die...Then wonder what they could have done differently...But never do it. It's difficult to find a lot of empathy for that sort of stupidity.
I feel sad for those who have lost their houses; That hasn't happened due to their lack of preparation. Some 1300 residential houses have been lost in New South Wales alone in this fire season that only really began a month ago...Tragic. It makes me mad though, when I hear about people lack of preparation, even at the most basic of levels.
The blame for a person's failure to prepare lies purely at their own feet, along with the trials and tribulations that come from their lack of responsibility. It's difficult to feel empathy for them in this case, for me anyway. My mates are out on the fire-front and deep in hot-spots battling away and yet the homeowners who live in these areas can't take the responsibility for their own well-being at even the most base level, that is to say food and water. It's senseless I don't think there's a viable excuse, although you can try and offer one in the comments if you like.
The need for preparation is magnified if a person has children. You got kids and you're a disorganised, unprepared household? OK, your choice...But it's also your fault that you and your family are in danger, and may in fact suffer for that same lack of preparation. It's all shits and giggles until your 5 year old burns to death or drowns in the back yard pool and you don't know CPR. It happens, whether one wants to admit it or not...It happens.
Anyway, people will make their own choices I guess.
I don't know how much information is getting out to other parts of the world about the fires here...I don't know how many care...What I'd like to see though, is more people care enough about themselves, family and community in general to take some ownership for their level of preparedness. It's not just for crackpots and loonies, prepping I mean...It's for all of us.
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I just shack my head at hearing so many people needing to get fuel for their vehicles just so the can leave the area. Why on earth would you not have filled up day's ago knowing the fire situation around the country, you know just in case one might have to go in a hurry🙄
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I know right? It simply makes no bloody sense at all. No water? WTF! It's mind-boggling. Wait for the disaster to strike, then think about preparing...When it's too late. Dumb(asses).
Yes same for water and food. It's okay the government will look after us they think😒
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EXACTLY. Our van is FULL at all times.
Top decision 👍
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The fires sound terrible, I've watched a bit of coverage and heard another Aussie talk about camping on the beach.
You are correct, water, some canned good, fuel, a means to protect yourself is the minimum.
Up until a year ago we lived in a town that Emergency services were about an hour away, It's always hard to explain to others why you can't just sit and wait and expect someone else to save you.
This is exactly what I mean...It's such a simple thing to do and yet so many don't...Or make snide remarks about those who do so. Sometimes people have to learn the hard way...Loads of them doing so right now in NSW.
On the west Coast of Canada, my City recommends 3 days worth of Preparation and lists items suggested like Water, food, first aid kit, flashlights, etc.
Personally, dealing with a statistically expected overdue large magnitude earthquake will require more than 3 days supply. Judging from other natural disasters a minimum of 6 weeks, I am about 8 weeks, but knowing the reality is that most people around me are simply not prepared at all or in denial.
You get it...Yay! Jeez, how hard is it? Not hard at all...
Three days is a little light-on for me and your eight weeks...Probably about right. The reality, as you point out, is that many have zero-prep. It's those who come knocking when they need something...Jumping fences, stealing and looting...Getting shot in the chest...All avoided by a little preparation ahead of time.
Parts of Aus (The tropical north) are a little better prepared as they have cyclones but in the main I'd say that the greater majority of the country, or most countries are woefully prepared, if at all.
Thanks for your comment...Glad to see a little support for #teamprep
Watch your buying... Could get things you need and want instead of crap that's never gonna help. Let alone clearing a defensive space from your house.
Northern California was hit hard as well. Need to clear the brush from around your houses! Get extra food and water set up.
I hear you...Little chance of me following the sheeple into want-buying...I'm a need-buyer. I know Cali got smashed too, a while back. Same prep-ethos needs to be applied everywhere whether it's for wildfire, flooding, avalanche, drought, house-fire, electrocution, drowning, power-outage, civil unrest...Being prepared can make the difference.
Thanks for your comment. Much appreciated.
It is really cool that everybody always thinks about prepping afterwards.
Yes I know, too little too late. In the case if the fires here it wouldn't necessarily have saved houses but it would have meant less strain on the authorities and some peace of mind. In a worse situation it could be life or death.
In any situation being able to fend for yourself and having the tools for survival is of the utmost importance...
I concur.
I've watched Doomsday Preppers on Netflix. It's time to stock up on supplies... :(
Yes, some interesting characters on that show...Not all preppers take it to those extremes however many need to do something rather than rely upon the largesse of a government also ill-prepared to cope.
It boggles my mind why anyone would travel to the South Coast for holidays given all the warnings. It's carnage from the media coverage and fuel and food is just disappearing. Not a pretty situation to be in.
Some have though, before the roads closed. @riverflows knows people that went there, her parents friends, who are now stranded in the danger zone. Idiots.
It's a bad situation for sure.
I’m often considering taking a break from steemit, it goes through my mind every day. There’s things I can’t change that need changed—they really irritate me, quite a few things actually. Something like a half year off or so, anyhow.. yeah, amongst a racing world of thoughts, :zoom: :zoom: :zoom: :zoom: I think about that.
Usually because I think my one or two posts, at the most, three, I release each week eat up too much of my time and I should’ve spent it doing something else. I think about those things.
But then I see your account and suddenly a couple of days is nothing—literally!
I’m “how does he keep his articles at the top of feed at all times, what’s he doing releasing an article every 15 minutes?” ....16—close enough. 😉
Good morning, @galenkp, see you in a minute, and this afternoon, probably a few more times this morning. What I’m trying to say is, I’ll see you at the top of my feed regardless what time it is when I check my feed. 👍🏿
Haha, well yeah I hear ya! I sometimes think about a break from steem too - It takes time and effort from my life. I love it though and if I have the time to invest without eating into the real-world-life I lead...Well, why not.
So, I post once a day, every day, and on those occasions I have additional time I might throw a second up if I have something to say...Which is often as my mind never shuts down. I usually post live however also use steempeak to schedule a post sometimes if it has to go live when I'm asleep, (yes, I sleep), as I don't like to post too closely together. Every 16 minutes? Nah, I usually leave 9-12 hours between posts.
I hope, along with my consistency, I bring something interesting to the table...I think I do, but it's the readers who really have the power to decide that. I know what I write may not always appeal to everyone but I hope the way I write and how I present myself shows a degree of intelligence, humour, passion and (possibly) wisdom.
Thanks for commenting and all the best. :)
Man, I sure am glad I didn’t have to tag #satire on that one! After I clicked the arrow I was like “he knows that’s supposed to be funny, right??” 🤔
The part about taking a break, yeah, I think about that all the time but the part about you being at the top of my feed, that wasn’t a complaint. See you soon, @galenkp.
I took it how it was intended. I'm an Aussie mate, we're irreverent at the best of times and sarcasm is our thing. OK, let's call it satire...
(Which is a nice way of saying sarcasm I think.) 😏
All good! I'll post 17 times in the next hour for you...Just so you don't get bored.
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It's weird but until yesterday,I knew about it, as it had been on a couple of news channels but the stuff that read on was v brief. Then on YouTube I saw a hell of a lie more and it was horrific. Prepping is a basic must, I saw a total lack of example of it here just with the shops closing for a day at Christmas and people panic buying!!
I think you guys don't see it too much as it's Australia, a long way from anywhere and reasonably unimportant in the grand scheme of things. Still, I think the word is getting out. I'm watching it now (hate the news services though) and it's all going pretty badly over there at the moment.
17 people still missing, Airforce evacuating thousands in Victoria, State of emergency declared in New South Wales, Arm deployed in NSW...Not going well and very hot temps on the way again tomorrow. 42 degrees here for instance.
Having a little preparation is better than none...It's common sense really, or at least I think so.
News is definitely international and many care. Van has lots of tins, rice, UHT milk, 50 Litres of water, two changes of clothes and most importantly, my board amd wetty (That's another story). If bushfires get ANYWHERE near us I will immediately fill bathtub and storm IGA. This is a totally valid post man..short memories indeed.. like ummm... NSW was burning and it was tinder dry on south coast? Not a lot of respect for my parents friends who drove to Pambula for annual holiday, and are now stuck.
Plans...You know that makes you a prepper right? Lol..Welcome to the club.
Parents friends are...Well, not my place to say, but putting themselves in harm's way is not smart huh? Let's hope their actions don't put someone else in jeapardy whilst trying to save their asses.
We think they're idiots too. Dad was ranting about it. THEY KNEW there were fires in Bateman's Bay - I mean, COME ON!
I tried really hard not to turn it into a rant but easily could have - I'm a good ranter. I'm with you though, it doesn't make a lot of sense and the fact that their being there puts other lives at risk...If I ran the show I'd have them shipped out forcefully if required. It's not like we have SES and emergency/first-responder people to spare after all. Best they get on with the job at hand, not baby-sitting idiots.
Thanks for your comment. I assume you're in Aus right?
I agree with you good sir, and I am so very sorry about your country. I'm glad that you and Faith are okay. I hope that the combination of volunteers and the ADF can resolve some of the flame and save some homes, and I hope that this can happen without the cost of more life. Sad, story, this one.
I do like how you have outlined the repetitive insanity of non-preparedness over ages of human existence. This, semi-hypocritically befuddles me, as I would prefer to be more prepared than I am. On the other hand, I do still have a community of people on the streets that would pull together and run shit in times like that, so I suppose I do have some assets, and I do possess some skills. I have lived outside for about a third of my life, which is incredible when I think about it.
Anyway, best regards to all Aussies. I hope to hear about the Aussie Squelching soon. Thought-provoking and heart-wrenching post.
Living on the street would bring a certain resourcefulness I would say so I think you'd be a natural to the prepared-lifestyle and ethos.
We'll get by as a country...Pull together and ta kle the fires and resulting chaos they bring. Then we'll heal...Together. And who knows, maybe some will learn to be more prepared in the future.
Thanks for your thoughts.
I don't think the fires over here have been worse than usual (at least not from the last time I checked). I keep wondering how the ones over east in particular got so bad :S
Don't know either...It's weird.
I am wondering if our own Adelaide hills will suffer any more fires this summer.
The smell of smoke in the morning is vet scary even if it is a controlled burn.
I wonder that too. It's possible of course as there's still much to burn...Let's hope it doesn't happen though huh?
You would have to have your head stuck in the sand not realize what is going on in Australia. Prior to reading your post, I was reading that New South Whales has just called a 7 day state of emergency. The conditions will worsen as the temps climb and the wind picks up.
Being prepared, especially if you have children, should be second nature.
All too often people rely on their government to take care of them, what a joke .
Here is a post that I did last year that spells out many ways one should be prepared for the unexpected.
https://steemit.com/survival/@thebigsweed/surviving-the-impending-meltdown
Right on @galenkp, the lord helps those that help themselves.
Hey mate, Yes, New South Wales are in a state of emergency from 9am Friday morning. It's fairly serious. Here in South Australia most fires are out however there have been some back-burning efforts over the last two days to try and prevent the opportunities for flare-ups. We will have 42 degree temperatures Friday here, so conditions that suit wildfires.
I'll have a look at that post of yours tomorrow when I get a chance, but yes, there is little evidence that a government is able, or equipped, to offer assistance on a widespread scale. To think so is simply naive!
How's that new bub of yours going?
Thanks for asking about the new bud. Hanging with you here on Steemit, I'm learning a whole new vocabulary. Jordan is doing great. She weighed in at 7 lbs 13 ounces. Mom is doing as well. My son and his family will be home within the next hour, and it should be neat to see how his first born, Peyton, reacts to her new little sister.
It can't be any fun battling fires is temps over 100 degrees.
One of the best books that I've ever read was The Mann Gulch Fire.
True story about smoke jumpers that battled a fire in Montana,USA, back in 1949.
I know that you have a couple of buddies in the fire fighting business, I'm sure their well being is on your mind.
Be safe!
Thanks mate, yes people are coming together here to get things done and of course life in general has to continue in the country. We're getting by. There's a bit of backlash on the Prime Minister and he was treated poorly by some which I disagree with but it is probably due to high emotion and the fact so many people have literally lost everything they have. We have some of the most experienced fire crews on the planet, and their leadership is very good through necessity so we're pushing on. The ADF (defence forces) are on the ground and evacuating people now so things are moving forward.
I have heard about those fire jumpers...Pretty brave I'd say.
Good to hear the fam is going well and hope that continues. Thanks for replying and taking the time to care about what's going on a world away from you.
Someone has to be the fall guy, in this case, it's the Prime Minister.
Everyone is always so quick to point a finger.
Yes, agreed. Rarely do they want to point it at themselves though, and more often than not that's where the blame lays.
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Thank you.
Thanks were posting this to increase awareness. Unfortunately, most people either think it won't happen to them, or are just too self focused and oblivious to pay attention.
My heart goes out to you and your country, but one thing I know about Aussies, you are incredibly tough and resilient! A beautiful country with most of the top ten dangerous animals in any category.
Hey there, thanks for your reply. Much appreciated.
It's been tragic here and is far from being over. I'm a prepared guy, so am gobsmacked when I see others being so monumentally clueless when it comes to preparation for emergencies. Makes no sense.
Yeah, Aussies are tough bastards and we'll bounce back...Still, we hurt too. We, collectively, will roll our sleeves up and get stuck into it though. Thanks for thinking of us.
Australia is a fantastic example that even a first world country is not exempt from disasters which you should prepare for. I agree, I do think there really is an attitude that because we're a first world modern country everything is in place to save you from disaster so you don't need to worry about it. When the time comes you'll be told what to do and kept safe, but the truth is that there is only so much others can do.
We are ill-prepared as a country and most people are less prepared from a personal perspective. Makes no sense to me, but if people choose to be victims there's not much I, or anyone else, can do. It happens all over the world and often it's only when it is too late that people think about it...Most then never make any changes moving forward.
Wowwwww
Yes.
Watching the uncontrolled spending, that Must crash everything, I have been prepping for the last decade. Glad to have you on board! One of the big reasons we are moving into the country.
Be safe and clear away the brush....
:)>Mind-boggling why more don't prepare a little though right? Jeez, it's not rocket science.
The further up the prepping ladder, the closer you get to rocket science, LOL!
Some of the stuff now is getting complex, but tasty!
BUT you are 100% right most basic prepping is simple, and common sense...just remove the cranium from the sphincter!
:)>Haha, you have such an eloquent way with words. Love it, and totally agree.
Thanks, most people seem to suffer from cranial rectal inversion; especially the sheeple! For them the condition is most likely fatal, SMH....
Did you get your Kilingon poet yet, LOL?
:)>No Klingon dog yet but I mentioned it. She would love to get one...The problem is we have two cats, and with the amount we travel...Makes it hard.
If you start with a pup, they will do well with cats.
Travel sucks! If you drive, they are good passengers (unlike my son's corgi).
This is Petunia, helping us work on his 73 Mercedes. Couldn't have done it without her help....
:)>Petunia's got skillz huh? Lol.
I went by there yesterday and she circled my head twice in greeting, before the licking began, LOL! Very talented....
But not much of a mechanic I'm afraid. That's not good, because I need to replace a clutch for a Lady from church. I was going to have her do the job....
:)>Haha...I can picture you handing the car back...
Clutch is all done thanks to Petunia. Now off you go...It's all good.
I will help push you out into the street, never fear, LOL!
:)>Poor lady...She probably thinks she'll be burning up the quarter mile with it...
Most likely, just trying to get her back on her wheels!
:)>Well, I'm sure you will. She can then proceed with her racing career.
I suspected as much, LOL!
:)>Fires like that are something so foreign to me that even though I see the pictures and videos, it’s so hard to grasp. Are you in a safe area, far from the fires?
I understand, it must seem so foreign and unreal. It's a way of life here, an annual thing usually...Just that these ones are very very much worae than normal.
There's fires here, about 20 kilometres away from my house. It's all good though. If I was to be in danger the whole place would already be fucked.
Thanks for commenting. :)
P.s. Probably booking my Finland flights this weekend. ✅
Looking at the fire maps, it seems like one fourth of the country is on fire. Book a one way ticket, it’s cold here but it’s not dangerous, I’ll make you mittens 😁
Cold is good for snuggling. Would love to go one way, for real. You make a good case...Can anyone refuse your mittens? I think not! 🙂
Congratulations @galenkp!
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I try to never let my gas gauge drop below half. When you need gasoline, it might not be available.
But the number one prep has to be water. So many people are not prepared for something as basic as the tap not flowing.
Same ethos here. I'm fortunate in that my Landcruiser has a good range from full, over 1300km so half a tank is still a decent distance, enough to get me into a location with few people, and the things I need should the need arise.
We had a power outage (storm-related) a couple years ago that turned off the power for 2 full days here and several days elsewhere. It was chaos for many people as you can imagine. And did they learn? Nope, no one stores emergency food or water, very few have torches and batteries (or know where they are), few have generators, communications-strategies, first aid kits or how to use them, appropriate medication...General disorganisation.
It's amazing how reliant a person has become on turning that tap and having water flow...Come see me when you've had zero water for 3 days sheeple...Let's see how chipper you're feeling at that point...If you're alive.
Thanks for responding. It's obviously a topic I'm passionate about, and is probably becoming more important, and yet so many stick their head in the sand...Just like the government want them to.
Sorry to hear about this disaster. I hope things are improving by now. You right that you can’t depend on the government completely in these situations and you need a plan to survive the first couple days or longer.
Thanks. I'm.sure things will sort themselves out over time. It's happened before and will happen again. Australian summers can be brutal and wildfires are part of it. Thanks for your comment.
Great post sir galenkp, prepping sure is for everyone and if you have kids...oh my gosh you gotta be responsible and prepare.
I think so, you think so...Many think so...But many do not. Mind-boggling.