To address the firearm, thing. I have been through several natural disasters and the only time I saw a firearm used was when a policeman shot a dog believed to be rabid.
I for one am of the opinion that what best separates ETS from most of those "survivalist" forums is the lack of whacko "chairborne commandos" with their black guns and ammo stacked to the ceiling.
I seriously doubt you will ever find yourself in circumstances that would require serious firepower. I think discretion and situational awareness are much better tools to employ than Walter Mitty-esque fantasies of gunning down hordes of mutant zombies or whatever your paranoid delusions conjur up.
I buy more bandaids and beans than bullets. We need builders and healers, especially in the aftermath of bad times