Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.

I saw on the news that the Red Cross is still getting blowback from their operations (or lack thereof) in La. following the hurricane there. The main complaint seems to be that on a small/local level they do okay, but those small on-the-ground units are hampered by lumbering out-of-touch corporate bureaucracy. Remember the scene in ‘Blackhawk Down’ where generals in Washington are trying to manage a battle over satellite? Theyre in Washington giving orders to troops in Somalia who are engaged in firefights. Same thing.

Solution? Everyone has a solution. Mine is to do what most militaries do. Give broad guidelines and tremendous lattitude to the on-scene crews to do what they think is necessary within the pre-established framework. Of course, I also think a military-like approach to disaster relief would make a huge difference. Not military as in gun-toting gung-ho types (although theres certainly a place for that in any disaster relief org.) but rather in terms of TOE, rapid deployment ability, logistics, etc, etc.

The girlfriend and I were going through our snail mail the other night and there was a ’send us money’ letter from the Red Cross. The girlfriend said that in the past she had donated but that she wouldnt this time. I asked if it was because of the mismanagement of the agency that has come to light in the wake of Katrina. She said that wasnt the reason, her reasoning was that it made more sense to spend that money on our own preparations. By our being prepared, we are not a burden that the Red Cross needs to put resources into. In short, since we’ll be ready the RC can go elsewhere. (And, of course, theres the added bonus that we dont have to stand on food lines.) A very practical response. One less needy couple means the RC can focus their efforts on someone who isnt prepared.

Does this mean I dont think the RC is worth donating to? Not sure. They do good work in terms of first aid/CPR training and the smaller stuff. However, I think that money would be better invested in community/state level disaster relief. After all, the RC will take a couple days to get to you whereas the boys at VFD #1 will already be there the second the hurricane is over. Municipalities have no shortage of properties that would be suitable for secure and structurally resiliant supply storage facility.

I’ve said it before, but its true – Katrina/New Orleans will be the paradigm for most disaster planning for the forseeable future. It was hust too ‘perfect’ an example to not use…there was lawlessness, out of control cops, local and federal impotence, dramatic tales and footage of survival, huge body counts, etc, etc. Its every ’survivalist fantasy’ made manifest. All the elements are there. The scenarios that previously just existed in badly-written ‘mens action’ novels (*Ahern*cough*Johnstone*)actually existed and, by implication, could exists again elsewhere. Definitely a wakeup call to the less-than-prepared.
=====
Im experiencing some disappointment with the plastic Blitz fuel cans. This requires some mental imagery so bear with me. The spout that comes with the can is, when not in use, inverted so that it is inside the can. Follow me? Problem is, the spout hangs down far enough into the can that its mouth comes in contact with the fuel. When the temperature changes the expansion/contraction of the container and the vapors within creat pressure and fuel is forced up the spout and then seeps out the cap. Very bad. The solutions are all unappealing:
Fill the cans to the point where the fuel doesnt come in contact with the spout – so my 5-gal. containers is a 4.5 gal.?
Remove the spout and simply use a cap on the mouth of the can – Easiest but removes convenience of having a pourable spout available with the fuel.
Leave lids screwed on cans loose enough to allow vapor/pressure bleeding – Im sure you can see the unappeal of that

Sadly, if I continue to go with the plastic cans, option #2 looks like it may have to be the way to go. About now someone will ask why not use the MFC (mil. fuel cans) that are available. Well, for my needs theyre probably a good choice but damn they are spendy. Let me quickly recap my needs vis-a-vis plastic vs. metal fuel cans: metal cans are for long (>1 year) storage of fuel and are preferred for their lack of permeability and their durability. The plastic cans are for short term (FAQ on fuel storage cans that compare the most popular ‘jerry cans’. I’ll try to find it and post the link.
=====
I just finished cleaning the girlfriends AK and as I marvel at its simplicity all I can think is “The AR is never clean enough and the AK is never dirty enough”.