FLYER: MUTUAL AID FOR FIRST RESPONDERS TO EXTREME CIVIL EMERGENCY

Better Times Emergency Notes

The day will come when fuel prices are sky high, supermarkets will be rapidly emptying, banks will have long lines and may even be closed. Government at all levels appears in disarray and nothing they are doing seems to help. The only predictable thing about this moment of “punctuated equilibrium” is that it is unpredictable in its timing and its details. This flyer suggests mutual aid ideas to facilitate rapid and authoritative response at the grassroots to such an unprecedented situation. If the good guys and gals don't get there the firstest with the mostest, someone else will.

Gather a small group of helpers. Ideally, this is a group forms pre-crisis, and you already know and trust those involved. If you haven't done that, proceed as best you can. There is a lot that needs to be done, and many hands will make for lighter work.

Give your group identity and authority. Or operate under the identity/authority of an existing organization. In a serious crisis, identity and authority are often one and the same. Authority also derives from authentic leadership that offers practical suggestions for adapting to rapid changes and mitigation of dangers. Think and act “servant leadership.”

Develop a communication infrastructure. You must be able to communicate with your group, the people in your area, and with your allies elsewhere. If electricity and a copy machine are available, that's great. But if not, build a hectographic duplicator. Put up bulletin boards at major intersections/gathering places in your area (e.g. police and/or fire stations, grocery stores). If radio is working, use Citizens band, Family Radio Service, or Ham radio to facilitate communications. Set regular contact times, frequencies, and develop/use codes for sensitive/dangerous issues.

Get your plan ready. Use the Simple Critical Infrastructure Map method to identify primary threats and design your response. Here is a summary in case you haven't downloaded it, the crisis is upon you, and the internet is down: (1) Six primary ways to die — too hot, too cold, hunger, thirst, injury, illness. (2) 3 sets of essential services protect us — Shelter (too hot, too cold), Supply (hunger, thirst), Safety (illness, injury). (3) 7 layers of infrastructure: person/individual, household, village/neighborhood, town, region, country, world. (4) 4 tiers of cooperation — individual, group, organization, government. (5) 4 factors necessary for group formation — communications, space (to meet/plan), transportation, resources. (6) 3 necessary items of social infrastructure for organizations: shared map (knowledge of the area/situation), shared plan (ideas for response), shared succession plan (what happens if leaders don't lead or make too many mistakes) (7) 6 major problems in maintaining infrastructure — neglect, time and wear, operators/skilled personnel, necessary system externalities (such as fuel for a power plant), economics, violence/disaster. (8) 3 effects of infrastructure failure — services become unavailable, service prices rise steeply, service standards drop (e.g.. dirty water, random blackouts). The results of infrastructure failure range from minor inconvenience to mass death. (9) 4 primary infrastructure delivery paths — produce on site, grid services, delivery, fetch/carry.

Get the word out. Use the Extreme Civil Emergency flyer and/or develop your own printed communication that identifies/explains the major threats and how to mitigate/adapt to them. Tell the story! Develop talking points for your unique circumstances and get people out talking. Bring back the town crier if necessary. Get there the firstest with the mostest!

Call a neighborhood meeting. The Shared Critical Infrastructure Map system provides an excellent method for working through a meeting process so that you develop shared maps, shared plans, and resolve leadership questions. As you identify issues, use the common experience/knowledge of the group and the printable flyers to develop responses.

Start a neighborhood safety/security patrol. If the telephones aren't working, tell people to put something red on their front door, window, or fence if they need help, green if they are OK, and yellow if they have knowledge/resources to offer. Organize resistance if anyone attempts to take advantage of the situation. Stop any effort to interfere with necessary survival projects. Beware of the tendency of people to resort to bad behavior/habits when under stress. Disasters/crises always bring out both the best and the worst in people, so plan for this from the beginning.

Secure/protect critical infrastructure/resources. Offer assistance to police, firemen, EMTs, medical facilities, stores, warehouses, pumping stations, electrical infrastructure, and other essential locations in the the area to protect them from looting/damage.

Be helpful and provide instructions. People will need to adapt rapidly to seriously degraded circumstances and many will not have the skills and knowledge necessary to do so successfully. Help people by freely offering advice, instructions. Organize classes to teach, provide a reading room for research. Think servant leadership!

Assist with vulnerable groups. Hospitals, schools, child care centers, and nursing homes may need to be evacuated and alternative facilities developed.

Send a delegation to city hall, and/or other local government location(s) and to neighborhoods close by. Tell them what you are doing, ask about outside resources available (be prepared for “nothing” as an answer), offer them resources (information, knowledge, flyers, your plan, etc.)