Ridge urges Americans to be ready, not afraid
February 20, 2003|By Michael Kilian, Washington Bureau.
WASHINGTON — Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge on Wednesday launched a national Ready Campaign to prepare Americans for terrorist attacks, urging them to take such measures as storing 3 or more gallons of water for each family member and watching for dead birds as a sign of chemical attack. A week after Ridge and his department came under fire for suggesting that duct tape and plastic sheeting would be a defense against possible attacks, the homeland security secretary traveled to Cincinnati to tout the new campaign he said was designed primarily to prevent fear and panic.February 20, 2003|By Michael Kilian, Washington Bureau.
"Fear is the terrorists' most effective weapon," Ridge said. "The threat of terrorism forces us to make a choice. We can be afraid or we can be ready. And today America's families declare we will not be afraid and we will be ready."
The campaign's list of recommendations elaborated on some of the precautionary steps Ridge urged last week after the Bush administration raised the terrorist threat level from yellow, for "elevated risk," to orange, for "high risk." Ridge did not say when he expected the threat level to be reduced to yellow, though he had indicated over the weekend that it might be soon.
Speaking Wednesday, Ridge said, "Stash away the duct tape," prompting laughter from the audience. "Don't use it, stash it away, and that premeasured plastic sheeting for future--and I emphasize future--use."
Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) criticized Ridge's suggestions last week, charging that the homeland security effort was seriously underfunded and that duct tape was no substitute for federal money.
A spokesman for Daschle said he had no immediate response to Wednesday's presentation. A spokeswoman for Pelosi said that she had no additional comment but that the sentiments she expressed about underfunding last week still stood.
Rob Perks, spokesman for the environmentalist Natural Resources Defense Council, said that although the readiness campaign was welcome, the administration had failed to take steps to protect Americans from an attack on highly vulnerable chemical plants.
"While we applaud any effort to better inform the public about these dangers and about ways to cope in an attack," Perks said, "we cannot help but observe that the Bush administration has failed to take meaningful steps to reduce the likelihood that Americans will need to run or shield themselves from a toxic release caused by an attack on a chemical plant."
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2003-02-20/news/0302200356_1_duct-tape-homeland-security-ridge
PERSONAL NOTE: Okay, lets get real here. I used to be a PUBLIC HEALTH EDUCATOR AND ACTING DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH. THE PRIMARY GOAL OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT WAS NOT TO PANIC PEOPLE EVEN WHEN WE KNEW OF SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC HEALTH DANGERS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT THE PUBLIC WAS UNAWARE OF. In my personal opinion people are being warned under the guise of a possible terrorist threat (WHICH ALMOST NO ONE BELIEVES ANYMORE, ANYWAY) TO PREPARE. THE REAL ISSUE HERE IS PREPARE FOR WHAT? HOW ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF BOTH YELLOWSTONE AND THE MIDRID FAULT CREATING MAJOR NATURAL DISASTERS...
PLEASE PAY ATTENTION. THESE ARE THE CONCERNS I HAVE. WHAT MAKES YELLOWSTONE SO DANGEROUS IS THE MICROSCOPIC GLASS PARTICLES THAT WOULD BE EJECTED INTO THE ATMOSPHERE THAT HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON AIRPLANES, MACHINES, AND ALL OF LIFE WHO INHALE THIS STUFF AS IT DOES NOT DECOMPOSE AND WILL CREATE SMALL CUTS IN THE LUNGS WHICH CAN EVENTUALLY LEAD TO PNEUMONIA AND SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF LIFE. ONE NEEDS A FACE MASK THAT FILTERS OUT 95% OF STUFF AND IT'S UNLIKELY ANYTHING WILL FILTER OUT THE GAS UNLESS ONE HAS A GAS MASK. A VOLCANOLOGIST WOULD HAVE A BETTER IDEA AS TO WHAT THEY USE WHEN COLLECTING DATA FROM ACTIVE VOLCANOES.
One would hope that FEMA and other Public Health Departments in the possible affected areas would have a store of the appropriate face masks on hand so if they are aware of ongoing harmonic tremors that the public will be notified in time to obtain these masks. I would hope they approach the schools first and prepare the children as to earthquake preparedness which would include masks, list of items to have stored (water, rice, oatmeal, dehydrated food, dried milk, comfort foods for the kids - backup gas camper single burner to heat water).
When Yellowstone erupts it may start off small but due to all of the build up of pressure and it being a caldera... this may go on for several weeks. Hopefully, as it gets closer to the day an eruption actually occurs (the time period I was given is somewhere around the second half of March) the public will be notified in time to evacuate the immediate area. It would be wise to have camping gear stored in the trunk on the car (tent, sleeping bags, water, energy bars, etc., maps of the area in the glove compartment, face masks, energy bars, candles, matches/lighter) when reports of earthquake activity finally makes main stream media (MSM). Keep the gas tank full and extra 5 gallon container of gas on hand.
For more information on Yellowstone see this thread: http://www.themistsofavalon.net/t1920-yellowstone-getting-ready-to-erupt?highlight=yellowstone
