mmmK

They aren't going to allow you to carry a pocket knife but you think they are going to provide you box knives, EMT shears, scissors, etc as needed. I guess a brief mental evaluation will be performed in the event that staff considers getting a box cutter out of the weapons locker. All of those items that get loaned out would have to be inventoried, checked in/out or there would be no point in stopping folks at the door with them.

You assume the wires that Blast is splicing are for some official purpose and not just rigging his radio to run off different batteries, fixing headphones or the power cord on his cell phone.

You're already an refugee & you're sure they are going to have someone available to poke a hole in Blast's DD's water bottle. This means the staff is allowed sharps and they have a LOT of time on their hands.

Finally Blast's curtains are shot down because they're a safety concern. They're a safety concern around a temporary infirmary or toilet area? You seem to be able to think up scenarios where the curtains are a problem but no scenarios where they are beneficial.

You seem to be working very hard to debunk each of Blast's points while doing no work to figure out the other point of view.

This thread seems to be going down the road where someone asks "So why do you [b]need a car?". Twenty people then spend the next week trying to explain why we need cars only to have each point systematically shot down because we have feet, bicycles, buses, trains, plains, etc.[/b]

Blast did as good a job as I can imagine of trying to break it down.

Sorry, this post was a bit sarcastic. I couldn't help it.

Now Chris, don't go getting all rational on us.

As I've said before, I've never seen anyone searched at or as a condition of admission to a Red Cross shelter, or any other shelter, unless their own individual behavior brought them to the attention of the local police standing by at the shelter.

The rules, like knives themselves, are merely tools available when needed for shelter managers in dealing with hordes of highly stressed-out people of various socio-economic and cultural backgrounds suddenly crowded together. Be reasonable, be discreet, avoid getting into altercations or other disruptive behavior, and no one is going to bother you.

As far as the Red Cross is concerned, sheltering is a voluntary activity. If you have a problem with the rules, you are free to leave. (The local authorities may have different ideas, however. But that's their,and not the Red Cross's, doing.)

If anyone has a different actual experience, I'd certainly like to hear about it.

Jeff

On the original topic I am conflicted. While you would hope that people giving other people advice (such as afore mentioned recommendation go kit) would do a good job, I'd also suggest that people who totally outsource their thinking get what they deserve.

"Hey dude! What's this squishy thing between my ears?!"

Actually, I'm willing to give the creators of the list the benefit of the doubt. They probably really have to aim for the lowest possible denominator, and in that context, if you get people to bring a smaller set of items instead of blowing it off all together, you might still be ahead of the game.

The area I fault them with is not having links to additional resources on the topic or perhaps calling this the "minimal preparations" page and having a supplemental "additional preparations" page.

On the latter topic, I think you want to avoid any type of shelter if you have the means to. We can quibble about details, but the bottom line is once you commit yourself to the mercy of someone else, you are... um... at their mercy.

My main concern is that the ongoing predilection towards forced evacuations. While I think it is perfectly fine for them to suggest "It would be a REAL bad idea to stay and here is why." and "If you change your mind it's too late, nobody is going to come for you.", I feel it should still be my decision*, esp. since once displaced, you are more likely to end up in some sort of shelter.

* After all, last I heard there was some squishy thing between my ears that needs some exercise.

-john

Nope - the shelter workers are not supposed to have knives. Heck, technically, there is no exemption for those working in the kitchen

I know at shelters around here - they do have plans (location depending) on metal detectors, with the PD manning them

Hmmm....

You've never had a block of cheese, two hard boiled eggs, piece of sausage, two apples, and a loaf of bread to feed six people.

You've never had to add oil, break fluid, coolant or wiper fluid, and not had a funnel, but you've been able to find an empty soda bottle.

You've never been confronted with one of those cursed plastic clamshells.

You've never faced a container that is reinforced with nylon strapping. How about tape with fiberglass threads.

You've never watched a coworker actually put his tie in the paper shredder.

Yes, some of these things can be dealt with with a pair of scissors. But let's face it, scissors lack versatility. And the first scenario doesn't do didly for scissors.

On top of everything Blast mentioned, all of which are actually pretty real world. Shelters still have a hard time remembering to bring cots and blankets- forgetting to bring privacy curtains if you have to go to honey buckets is something really easy to see.

The government helps out plenty.

Gustav went much better than Katrina. Why? Because all the people that sat around before Katrina waiting for someone to tell them what they should do finally had someone tell them what to do. If only these lists had come out 3 years ago, alot of people would have been saved.

Well said. I dare say we're all in agreement here.

Can I just come back to the topic of making shelters safe for mankind?

EMT shears get dulled quickly (rendering them useless for actual medical emergencies), but scissors make for nasty wounds.

It is not possible to "disarm" everyone in a shelter or otherwise. Nor is it desirable. Taking weapons away means putting the biggest males in charge. Is that wise?

Amen to that. They can't even keep weapons out of prisons, and that's about the tightest security there is.