“What else did you want to discuss at the meeting?” asked Eric.
“Well, I thought I’d start with asking if everyone has an emergency kit,” I said.
“An emergency kit?” asked John.
“Yeah… a 72-hour kit… an evacuation bag…” I used the alternate names.
“Okay… but why?” asked John.
“Well truth is,” I told them. “I don’t think an evac bag would do most of this crowd much good. Most of them don’t have anywhere to go. With all due respect Eric, if they had elsewhere to go they’d be gone. Even I only came here because I was desperate. Once I got here, I was able to see the possibilities but I don’t think that most people have the time, energy, or know how to be looking the way we now are.
“Okay this is my evac bag. You see it at the bottom of the stroller most days and because its there all the time, it has become invisible to most people. Obviously my bag is geared towards a single mother with a young child, and every bag needs to be customized to the individual needs of the users.”
I lifted my backpack onto the kitchen table. John quickly cleared the remaining plates and the pizza box onto to counter. I opened the box and removed three 2L milk cartons labeled 1, 2 and 3 and a fourth carton labeled snacks. Then I pulled out a package of diapers and one of wipes. There were four ziplock baggies with cloth rolled into them, a kit bag, a flashlight, a small battery powered radio, a map of the City, a computer key, a first aid kit, two face masks, a small tab stove packed into a saucepan with a mug, a sippy cup, a paring knife and two spoons. From the bottom of the basket I pulled a large bag with two blankets vacuum sealed into it. The men were fascinated.
“Look all of this will keep Zeb and I clothed, fed and warm if we have to leave here or get stuck away from here for a couple of days. Because I have a stroller I can carry more. If I had to and we were leaving from here, I could add a back pack and an insulated fold bag for more food, but this is what I carry with us every day. Now there are four items we need to deal with: (1) food/water, (2) clothing/warmth, (3) information, and (4) safety.
"In the sealed milk cartons I have a day’s worth of meals for two, elements of which can be heated on the tab stove if need be. I think that the diapers and wipes are self-evident given Zeb’s age. Each ziplock baggie contains clothes – t-shirts, socks and undies for me and flannel footed onesies from Zeb.”
John who had been holding the baggie with the brightly coloured cloth turned bright red as he realized he was holding her undies. His eyes glazed over as his brain began to imagine but he was brought up fast when Eric began to laugh. I ignored them because otherwise I’d also have started to imagine…
“You need to make sure you have lots of socks because if your feet get wet, it’s hard to warm up. Socks can also be used to keep your hands warm and my socks can also be stretched over Zeb’s legs and arms for added warmth. The first aid kit is obvious and it also contains things to debride wounds and flush eyes. It also has meds to help control coughing and to lightly sedate Zeb if needed – the noise of small children can endanger people… think Last M*A*S*H with Hawkeye and the chicken/baby. I have two face masks now Zeb’s covers his face but he wears it at home sometime and so is used to it, but in combination with the stroller cover, it will keep most debris from his airways. I also have 2 x 2L bottles of water.
“Information-wise, I have a radio to hear what is going on – it’s programmed to CBC, 680NEWS, Q107 and 820 out of Hamilton and the Wolf out of Peterborough – chances of all 3 cities going dark at the same time is possible but unlikely. I could have programed Rochester, Buffalo or Detroit but frankly their radio station news departments often don’t know there is another country next door so it’s kind of pointless. I have a map to be able to locate where I am if I need to walk and I have also marked on it places I can go safely to tuck Zeb and myself away safely and off the street, and where there are water and food sources. I also contacted the City and asked where all their official shelters were and marked them on the map - I want to stay away from them. On the computer key, I have copies of all the important documents pertaining to Zeb and me – passports, birth, marriage and divorce certificates, custody papers, insurance, university degrees and reports cards related, professional designations, lease agreement for here, banking statements, pay stubs and medical records. Normally I wear it around my neck, but I have a second one tucked in here.”
“Medical records?” asked Eric.
“Yeah, medical records.” I answered. “Once a year, OHIP* allows you to ask for a copy of your medical records from your doctor. Doctors are permitted to black out their thoughts and comments but if you had to be treated quickly, it might be a big help. Just like if you have a medical allergy or condition, you should wear a medic alert bracelet.
“Now Zeb’s stroller pillow contains a Kelty Big Dipper 30** children’s sleeping bag. Now it’s only rated to 30°F but frankly if its colder than that I’d want him sleeping with me. It has a zipper to make it bigger as he gets older, but in fact I shortened it from 69” in length to 40” so that it wouldn’t overwhelm him. I also sewed the top of a snow suit inside, so that if his arms come out they won’t get cold but also so that he won’t slide down to the bottom of the bag and suffocate.”
John’s mind was beginning to whirl. The completeness of thought that had gone into this was far beyond what he had expected.
“For myself, I have a Condor 30 sleeping bag***. I love it. I found it on-line from Feathered Friends in Seattle and it has been worth every single expensive penny. Its only 2-lbs 10-oz in weigh but the best part is that it can be attached to its groundsheet and stuffed with its air mattresses to make a very comfortable double sleeping bag – that gives me room for Zeb, or anyone else. I got the hoods as a birthday gift one year. I used to camp a lot before Trevor…” I stopped and looked up. Both men were looking uncomfortable. “Anyways… moving on to security. This is a lot more personal and I will not be sharing it with the building.”
I stepped back from the table and lifted my pant leg and show the blade strapped to my ankle. I put it on the table. From the back of my waistband, I pulled out my Springfield 1911”. John blanched.
“Charlie, that handgun¥ isn’t legal here,” he said.
“I know. I am not going to get into an argument with you about it. This is how I live. I’ve carried for a long time so I am comfortable with it and it never shows. I would be very uncomfortable working in the clinic I’m in, if I didn’t have protection. We’ve had five addicts in the past month try to gain access to medications. In two cases, they tried to force me back into the office building from the parking lot. I also have a knife whose sheath is sewn into the sleeve of my coat… the point is that how you chose to manage your personal security is your choice, but you should have a plan and know how to execute it.
“So that gentlemen is my 72-hr/evac bag. Most people if they are going to have to carry on their person won’t carry as much. With strollers or wagons for kids, you can pack differently. If you are driving, you pack differently. If you have a place to go to, you pack differently. But you need to have a plan. So what plans do you have in place?”
The men looked at each other and sat down.
=================
* OHIP – Ontario Health Insurance Plan available to all residences of Ontario.
**
http://www.kelty.com/p-790-big-dipper-30-boys.aspx
***
http://featheredfriends.com/condor-30-nano.html
¥ Canadian handgun laws -
http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cfp-pcaf/fs-fd/restr-eng.htm