Do you have gas mask with that hard hat?

Some equipment nobody wants to buy. Take the gas mask for example. I think that a radiation gas mask might top that list for me. How about you? When you look for survival equipment to buy for you disaster preparedness kits, do you look at the radiation protection products? Yeah, neither do I. A recent study was done and asked, "Do individuals know what to do in the first five minutes after specific types of disaster?" The findings from a Citizen Corps National Survey 2009 study asked that very question. The report claims 53% of individuals expressed confidence in their abilities in the first 5 minutes. Great! Over Half of America is prepared to handle the situation for five minutes after a disaster. That's great, very reassuring, right? Now get this. So how are you feeling about that? Do you have the confidence in you ability and knowledge to survive for the first five minutes? How about the next 24 hours? Think about the recommended 72 hours suggested time? A natural disaster can take human life in an instant and come with extremely short or no warning. Earthquakes and tornadoes are the most common natural disasters that were considered in this survey. Radiological disasters were also considered and also fit into the sudden and can without warning group. How will you act in the first five minutes of this type of disaster? I know how I would be spending that five minutes; kicking myself for getting prepared for everything but this! In comparison, other disasters are slower coming. Natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes, snap freezes, deep freezes and droughts can be predicted and may take several weeks and, in rare occasion, months to cycle from beginning to end. This is also true of radiation, chemical spills and pandemic. So why do we leave these types of disaster out of our planning here in our community? So the report tells us that 59% of the population is not confident in their ability to deal with a dirty bomb, radioactive material leaks or explosion. I fit in this group. There is no way I have the gear I need to survive a radioactive type disaster and that concerns me some these days. I am not worried about a surprise attack on our country, but it has happened. Our 911 attack proved that when we least expect it, we can become the victim of a serious attack and resulting disaster. Can you imagine it those planes were loaded with even a small dirty bomb? I am building a custom kit for myself. Slowly, selecting high quality and multi-purpose items that will help me to live on into the future no matter what comes my way and I am looking for the right mask to add. I am doing this during the early stage of building the kit because, hey! What good is a hard hat if you can't breathe the air?			Survive a Dirty Bomb (Radiological Dispersion Device) Terrorist use of a Radiological Dispersion Device (RDD)—often called "dirty nuke" or "dirty bomb"—is considered far more likely than use of a nuclear explosive device. A "dirty bomb" combines a conventional explosive device—such as a bomb—with radioactive material. It is designed to scatter dangerous and sub-lethal amounts of radioactive material over a general area. Take preventative measures. There is no way of knowing how much warning time there will be before an attack by terrorists using an RDD, so being prepared in advance and knowing what to do and when is important. Take the same protective measures you would for fallout resulting from a nuclear blast. Before an RDD Event Add to your disaster supplies kit plastic sheeting, duct tape, and scissors if not already present.
			How many hours do you think you could handle wearing this type of gear? Imagine if the nuclear leaks in Japan this year were more severe? Less than 20% of the world population has the equipment needed to escape the damages of radiation in a sudden attack. That is the main reason that nuclear issues are such a vital concern for the human population. It is normal for the military to have this gear and training as you would expect. But what about us? I am sure there are some of you out there that are interested in surviving even after a nuclear or radioactive attack, so where do you get the gear.