Lots of thoughtful advice in this thread so far! Another useful thing is real-time information sources, especially police scanners. I use a software defined radio (SDR) system to listen in on EMS, air traffic, and other useful frequencies. Warning, it starts cheap and then as you go in deeper you end up wanting to upgrade your equipment.

Overview: cheap USB dongle receivers are available that convert a wide spread of radio signals into something your computer can convert into audio and also in some cases satellite photos. A basic setup can run as little as $30
YouTube Video on SDR: https://youtu.be/xQVm-YTKR9s

-Blast, who thinks knowledge is power