We are making an error in identifying the purpose of the original list. The list, I would assert, was not created by experts in urban survival attempting to guide intelligent cityfolk in survival methods. It was actually developed by a low-ranking public relations flack who was assigned the task of filling 8 column-inches with material that will not offend any significant lobbying group. The flack (been there, done that) hurriedly googled the topic, did a cursory reading of the items with big print and lots of pictures, and cranked out the first draft. The draft was then submitted to the political correctness committee, which edited out any references to race, religion, political preference, gender, place of national origin, immigrant status, guns, knives, bodily functions, height, weight, or hair color. The revised draft was then reviewed by the department head,who edited out all the adverbs, and submitted to IT for placement on the website. It was then reviewed by IT's graphic designers and code monkeys, who revised it to fit the available space and to conform to the layout requirements.

The finished product has little to do with the original tasking, but it won't offend anyone, and if it doesn't turn out to be adequate advice for survival, the non-survivors will be in no condition to complain, or more to the point, to vote, so who cares?

Looking for quality survival guidance on a government site is as silly as looking for such guidance from Bear Grylls, or Wile E. Coyote.

An excellent point.

I'll see it and raise it with this thought:

Most municipal and state emergency plans I've had the opportunity to read over are about on par with the escape trunk on a submarine. "See Mom, if anything goes wrong..." They are written by people who get by on the power of positive thinking, not doing. Not even negative doing.

Allow me a couple of thoughts on this topic. Try to keep them short.

1. Let me posit that most of the folks who put this list together probably neither carry nor own a pocket knife or multi-tool. Or at least the folks in senior management who had the final sign off on this list. Because you can't take knives into most federal buildings with controlled access I think that such things are outside the relm of their daily experience. Therefore they fail to grasp the utility of Leatherman or SAK.

2. I agree with those who think that the operators of shelters want to increase their control (and reduce their liability) by eliminating the possibilities of tools becoming weapons. Not sure I disagree but frankly a can of soda can make a pretty good dent in someone's noggin. A shelter that's well run will be unlikely to have violent episodes. A poorly stocked and supervised one will produce situations where knives could be a big problem. So one mitigates the effects of violence that a bad shelter experience risks by eliminating potential weapons.

3. But if you desire is to get out of DC (or wherever) having a knife, even a small SAK, is to me a necessity. I take AMTRAK to DC 5-10 times a month from PA. Since my job takes me to govt. buildings I can't carry even a penknife. And that freaks me out. I carry a 24 hour bag so if I get stuck on public transport I at least will be able to take care of myself in a crisis or get out of town enough to avoid man-made problems. I do carry a knock-off of the BCB credit card tool that has a small cutting edge but it's no replacement for a Mora or a KISS folder.

Quick story. I recently worked with a govt. organization that was soliciting an outside contractor to support their emergency preparedness office. During the bidders' oral presentations to the govt. I would ask each group how many had their own personal 72-hour kits at home or in the car. Take a guess as to the percentage of positive responses. Let's just say it wasn't pretty.

I am torn between the arguement. I truly do understand not letting the unprepared, uneducated and the overly stress people crammed into a shelter carry knives or even a nerf football for that matter. However, being prepared - mentally, physically and with proper equipment - you wont see me in a shelter (or anywhere else populated). I have been a cop, a firefighter and an EMT. I have seen people at their worse and it usually happens when 2 or more people come together. Classic Darwinism will occur. The strong (or better armed/skilled) will survive. Mix in a few people that is trying to help and a few more that are panicing and just for fun and games - mentally ill and aggressive due to the situation at hand. Ya I can understand not wanting knives or guns in that situation. But like I said - I wouldnt be there in the first or last place.

In my 30 yrs of experience, I can't seem to recall anything more serious than occasional, usually domestic, verbal altercations or petty thefts at formally established and managed Red Cross shelters. Most people are remarkably well behaved and cooperative.

It is also important to understand that, in most cases, the American Red Cross is a guest at the facility, too, there to provide certain management and support functions only. They don't own the facility. Typically, there is a pre-incident agreement with the facility's owner, usually a school district or other public entity, allowing the Rd Cross to operate a shelter there under certain specified conditions, and law enforcement is almost always stationed on site, as well. The owner, along with other local authorities, enjoy the lion's share of actual control over many aspects of shelter operations. Its a cooperative arrangement, requiring much diplomacy, tact and negotiation to pull off successfully.

Moreover, the Red Cross is composed largely of unpaid local volunteers of varying experience and ability, so things do sometimes go awry. It does happen from time to time. I've seen cops and other experienced and paid "professionals" go haywire under the stress and fatigue of a major incident, too. The more experienced Red Cross volunteers and paid staff do keep an eye out for the occasional Bozo, but sometimes they are hard to spot in advance. All things considered, they usually do a darn fine job.

Jeff

Maybe DHS should try using a real expert and hire Doug Ritter to create a 72 hour kit. A nice cush government contract would fund ETS for quite a while.

Lono here are myy preferred survival knives features (swiss army champ xlt)
Can you really not think of any circumstances one of these would be useful?
The Sock

Large blade
Small blade
Nail file with Metal file
Nail cleaner
Metal saw
Pharmaceutical spatula
Scissors
Wood saw
Fishscaler with hook disgorger
ruler (cm & inches)
Pruning blade
Electrician's blade with wire scraper
Case and Wrench with
-5mm female Hex drive for D-SUB connectors
-4mm female Hex drive for the bits
-Bit Phillips 0 (Pozidrive)
-Bit Phillips 1 (Pozidrive)
-Bit Slotted 4 mm
-Bit Phillips 2
-Bit Hex 4 mm
-Bit Torx 8
-Bit Torx 10
-Bit Torx 15
Pliers with
-wire cutters
-wire crimping tool
Magnifying Glass
Phillips screwdriver
Cap lifter with
-screwdriver 6 mm
-wire bender
Can opener with small screwdriver 3mm
Corkscrew
Chisel
Universal Hook (also parcel carrier)
Fine screwdriver 2 mm
Reamer
Punch and sewing eye
Key ring
Tweezers
Toothpick
Ball point pen - also to set DIP-Switches
Pin
Mini-screwdriver

^ A four inch fixed blade wouldn't hurt, either.





And yet they missed scissors. Oh well. I guess they could just handcuff everyone.

I think we can all agree that a knife is a handy thing to have in just about any situation. The question is, are you willing to trade that knife for Red Cross assistance? I suppose it is a matter of the situation at hand. Seeing how the kit lists many tools, it appears they simply aren't allowing sharps, which in a crowded, confined, near-hysterical environment seems like a reasonable safety precaution to me. Personally, I can't see how a penknife would be a reasonable threat to anybody, but I'm sure in the interest of simplicity it is easier for them to say "no blades", rather than get into arguments over why this blade is acceptable, and this blade is not.

So, what could you carry and make both sides happy?

Knifeless Fuse
All the utility of a multi-tool, sans the dreaded blade.

Plastic or Lexan Knife
For all of your food cutting needs

Cheese Wire
For that pesky hard to slice cheese

EMT Shears
For most common cutting tasks

Mini-Hacksaw
For uncommon cutting tasks

Those are only a few ideas, but all of them should be "Legal" by the guidelines set out, though there is no guarantee that any of them could not be confiscated by an overzealous security inspector. The question still remains, are you willing to trade your tools to ensure the peace of mind of the herd for the protection the herd brings?

Re,

C. Rowe

In short? No. I might stop by a shelter to see if I can help, but it'll just be a temporary stop on the way to my parents' house in central country. As long as I have a choice, I prefer people not go through my stuff.

For the last time, shelters aren't "safe" in terms of weapons! They still have scissors! Hacksaws and screwdrivers are used to off people in prison! And you're destroying EMT shears with regular cutting chores! Aaaaargh!

P.S. That cheese wire looks like it came right out of a Godfather murder scene.