These will be low yield devices and will not level whole cities. If you live through the heat, blast, and initial burst of radiation, you'll probably live for a very, very long time. Radiation will not create fifty-foot tall women, or giant ants and grass hoppers the size of tanks. These will be at the most 1-kiloton bombs; that's the equivalent of 1,000 tons of TNT.
Here's the real deal, flying debris and radiation will kill a lot of exposed (not all!) people within a half mile of the blast. Under perfect conditions this is about a half-mile circle of death and destruction, but when it's done it's done. EMP stands for Electro Magnetic Pulse and it will fry every electronic device for a good distance, it's impossible to say what and how far but probably not over a couple of miles from ground zero is a good guess. Cars, cell phones, computers, ATMs, you name it, all will be out of order.
There are lots of kinds of radiation, you only need to worry about three; the others you have lived with for years. You need to worry about "ionizing radiation", these are little sub atomic particles that go whizzing along at the speed of light. They hit individual cells in your body, kill the nucleus and keep on going. That's how you get radiation poisoning; you have so many dead cells in your body that the decaying cells poison you. It's the same as people getting radiation treatments for cancer; only a bigger area gets radiated. The good news is you don't have to just sit there and take it, and there's lots you can do rather than panic. First; your skin will stop alpha particles, a page of a news paper or your clothing will stop beta particles, you just gotta try and avoid inhaling dust that's contaminated with atoms that are emitting these things and you'll be generally safe from them.
Gamma rays are particles that travel like rays (quantum physics makes my brain hurt) and they create the same damage as alpha and beta particles only they keep going and kill lots of cells as they go all the way through your body. It takes a lot to stop these things, lots of dense material on the other hand it takes a lot of this to kill you.
Your defense is as always to not panic. Basic hygiene and normal preparation are your friends. All canned or frozen food is safe to eat. The radiation poisoning will not affect plants so fruits and vegetables are OK if there's no dust on em (rinse em off if there is). If you don't have running water and you need to collect rainwater or use water from wherever, just let it sit for thirty minutes and skim off the water gently from the top. The dust with the bad stuff in it will settle and the remaining water can be used for the toilet that will still work if you have a bucket of water to pour in the tank.
Finally there's biological warfare. There's not much to cover here. Basic personal hygiene and sanitation will take you further than a million doctors. Wash your hands often; don't share drinks, food, sloppy kisses,etc., ... with strangers. Keep your garbage can with a tight lid on it, don't have standing water (like old buckets, ditches, or kiddie pools) laying around to allow mosquitoes breeding room. Vectors, that is bugs, rodents, and contaminated material, carry this stuff. If biological warfare is so easy as the TV makes it sound, why has Saddam Hussein spent twenty years, millions, and millions of dollars trying to get it right? If you're clean of person and home you eat well and are active you're gonna live.
Overall preparation for any terrorist attack is the same as you'd take for a big storm. If you want a gas mask, fine, go get one. I know this stuff and I'm not getting one and I told my Mom not to bother with one either (how's that for confidence). We have a week's worth of cash, several daysí worth of canned goods and plenty of soap and water. We don't leave stuff out to attract bugs or rodents so we don't have them. These people can't conceive a nation this big with this many resources. These weapons are made to cause panic, terror, and to demoralize. If we don't run around like sheep they won't use this stuff after they find out it's no fun. The government is going nuts over this stuff because they have to protect every inch of America. You've only gotta protect yourself, and by doing that, you help the country.
Finally, there are millions of caveats to everything I wrote here and you can think up specific scenarios where my advice isn't the best. This letter is supposed to help the greatest number of people under the greatest number of situations. If you don't like my work, don't nit pick, just sit down and explain chemical, nuclear, and biological warfare in a document around three pages long yourself. This is how we the people of the United tates can rob these people of their most desired goal, your terror.
FC Red Thomas (Ret) Armor Master Gunner Mesa, AZ Unlimited reproduction and distribution is authorized.
http://arpa.com/misc/realitycheck.html
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From: Doc Rosen http://groups.yahoo.com/group/medic-announce/message/15
This is the Basic Kit for Street Medics that we suggest.
EVERYTHING LISTED HAS BEEN FIELD TESTED BY US AND WE KNOW IT WORKS!!
Here is a key to the codes I used:
* Absolutely Needed
#_ Really Helpful But ........
@_ Needed for dealing with Teargas, and, or, Pepper Spray
& _ for back up area
Waist PACK, camera or fishing VEST, CARGO PANTS
@*4x4s non-sterile (at least 100-200 in ziplocked 10 packs)
As much gauze as possible should be in the vest and the pants for quick
access same for gloves.
* Absolutely Needed Kling 3" , 4" sterile ( 6-10 total)
#_Kerlix (one)
Eye Patch (one)
* Absolutely Needed Band-Aids 1", 3/4", Knuckle, Fingertip, 2" (Mostly 1")
* Absolutely Needed Band-Aids 1", 3/4", Knuckle, Fingertip, 2" (Mostly 1")
* Absolutely Needed Sterile 4x4s, Non-Stick (10)
# Sterile 2x2s, Non-Stick (10)
#_Vaseline Gauze (1-2) for sucking chest wounds
* Absolutely Needed Triangle Bandage (one)
* Absolutely Needed Tape 1/2",1" ( cloth, plastic, paper)
* Absolutely Needed Bandage Scissors
* Absolutely Needed Flash Lights (2)
#_Stethoscope
& _B.P. Cuff
#_Hemostats
Cont ...