Greetings and welcome to the Patriot Express Newsletter Edition #239. Thanks for stopping by for this week's PENL. November arrived with a big change in our nightly temperature. Three straight nights of mid to high 20s. Leaves had started falling but now they are dropping quickly. I believe we are headed for several months of dreary trees and colder days. Hope you are ready for the seasonal change in your area.
With the seasons change we must ensure we prepare our homes for colder temperatures as well as our automobiles and if you carry a Get Home Bag it must be adjusted for seasonal gear and clothing. Make sure the clothing you rotate fits your body also. Do you keep a quality pair of walking shoes or boots with your gear in your auto? If not, it may be something good to add. Would hate to think you are walking in freezing temperatures in a pair of sneakers or work shoes (ladies).
We have lots of craziness around the world and at home in America. Something that has stood out to me is the question, why is it the Jan 6 Patriots got arrested for entering the Capitol Building illegally yet the Palestinian protesters barged into the Capitol and took over the Rotunda area with no arrest for illegal trespassing and entering without a permit? Just wondering. Another thing, if the attack on Israel was a surprise, why did the US change its entrance policy to the United States for the Israel region and allow automatic entry? This would include Israeli Arabs and Palestinians as well. Hmmm You can bet from day one, Palestinians are being relocated from their homeland to the United States. Another hmmm. Interesting FBI director Wray briefed the Senate Homeland Security Committee that the threat inside the United States was at its highest level ever. Coincidence?
Let us move along....
Communications: You can now follow HFS social media on the following outlets:
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MeWe: - //mewe.com/p/hopeforsurvival2
Odysee - Hope for Survival (odysee.com)
HFS Thursday Zoom - Zoom #119 was conducted this week with great discussions, planned communication working groups, and future training offered to interested personnel on building Family Communication Plans, P.A.C.E. Plans, and operating communication equipment. Thanks to everyone who attended and participated in discussions through the evening. Good stuff.
Check out HFS YouTube. - Two HFS videos for your viewing.
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Guest and Newcomers
If you are a guest or newcomer to the HFS journey, please check out this link for additional.
information offered through HFS. https://www.hopeforsurvival.com/post/guest-and-newcomers-information-page
Hope for Survival books and HFS Thumb Drive for Emergency Documents -: You can obtain information on the two HFS books at this link: Survival, Preparedness, Disaster Management for individuals or family (hopeforsurvival.com)
Hope for Survival - How Food, Water, Shelter, and Security Could Save Your Life (Book 1)
Hope for Survival - The Mindset (Book 2)
HFS Thumb Drive for Emergency Documents - We just restocked the HFS Thumb drive and have them available now. Follow this link and you will see the add at the top of the page. Blog | Survival (hopeforsurvival.com)
We must make this brief public announcement to protect the innocent.
Ding, Ding, Ding....Attention HFS readers..... Opinions shared in this newsletter are just that, opinions, and nothing more. Read at your own risk. The owner and author of this site is not responsible for hurt feelings or thin-skinned readers. I do my best to show restraint and respect to the best extent possible. I take as many precautions as possible and try to remain as nonpolitical as possible, however, there are times when I just can't help but point certain things out. Occasionally I use words only Patriots recognize and understand. It's not personal against any non-Patriot. It's just the truth. Sometimes we must pull up our spenders and suck it up. Just saying. Stay the course, read what you want, and avoid the rest. Avoid fear porn as much as possible and the day will be okay. When all else fails… Keep the faith and always have Hope.
Let’s move along and get to some thoughts...
Thoughts for the week -
Years ago in 2011, we lived through a series of level 5 tornadoes passing through north Alabama causing massive destruction, power outages, and water shut offs. This lasted five to seven days. Most of our neighborhood failed to prepare in advance and did not have sufficient food, water, or supplies to get through the outage period. This mean, dependence on neighbors to eat, drink, and survive. Fortunately, our home was prepared and provided meals for several families on our street. Because all communication systems went down, the only means of getting news and updates was via AM radio in the city broadcasting relief points and progress made from the city to restore utilities.
The topic below of removing access to AM radio is a big deal, especially for rural communities. City planners continually move forward with updated technology and capabilities; however, this does not mean rural families are updated with the same capabilities. This is not a new topic and efforts continue being made to remove AM radio from key components used by our citizens. Continued access to current information provides instructions to a town or city whose leaders or emergency management leaders may be providing guidance to the citizens impacted in the disaster area. (Thanks to a Patriot sister who provided this information.)
Preparedness -
I shared the below Home Risk Assessment checklist about a year ago and believe it is pertinent again now considering the current situation in America today. WARNING - This is not an easy task but is critical. This is a fairly low-level assessment so if you find yourself short in some areas, you should take steps quickly to harden your target.
Family
1. Please identify the number of full time and or part time personnel to live at this location: Day to day? ____ During increased conditions requiring implementation of your emergency plans? ______
2. Identify ages of full-time family members at this residence?
3. Estimated ages of those who may rally at your location during emergency conditions?
4. If any, how many of your family members identify as having physical limitations? Mobility? Visual? Hearing?
5. Have you identified any/all potential health issues that will become a problem at your location? If untreated?
6. Would you rate your family as being: Completely prepared? Partially prepared? Minimally prepared?
Emergency Plans
7. What completed or draft emergency plans do you currently have? Identify. Family Communications Plan? Food Plan? Emergency Plan? Bug In/Bug Out Plan? Security Plan? Water Plan? Sanitation Plan?
8. Does your current plan include others rallying at your property under your plan?
9. If so, do you have trigger commands or signals arranged to launch your plan in to action?
10. Do you currently have a Preparedness Team that will be a part of your Compound team during emergency conditions?
11. Are your plans documented with multiple copies in a safe place? In the event you are eliminated do you have a trusted agent who also can use your plans and under it fully?
Location
12.Please identify the three nearest towns to your home address and estimated mileage:
13. Nearest hospital and trauma center to your expected Bug in Location:
14. Distance from your home to two nearest responding fire departments? Mileage and towns?
15. Distance from your home to the nearest State, County, and local police departments providing services to your address?
16.Do you know the current Sheriff and his/her political leaning?
Food
17. Estimated food stock on hand now? 30 Days? 90 Days? 180 Days? 270 Days? One year? Beyond one year?
18. What are your sources for food? Store bought? Garden? Home canned? Freeze dried? Dehydrated? Hunted? Animals on your property?
19. Have you stocked seeds to cover a two-year growing cycle?
20. How and where are you storing your stocked food? Single storage source? Multiple storage locations? Cellar?
21. Have you identified health conditions in family members requiring a specific diet and included the requirements in your food planning?
22. Have you used a food planner to help establish quantities required for the number of days you are planning for and number of family members?
23. Do you plan and/or have you included any type of fruit orchard? Does this include berry bushes?
24. Are you currently able to use any fruits or berries from your trees/bushes?
25. Currently, are you using any of the following? Home canning? Dehydrating? Freeze Drying? Freezer storage?
26. As much as possible, do you maintain at least a one-year supply of canning jars and lids for future vegetables, meats, and fruits from your property?
Water
27.Water – What is your primary source for water day to day? If any, what is your back up water plan to your primary? Do you have a third option for day-to-day water supply?
28.Water Treatment – Have you tested your sources of water, to include your primary if supplied by the town/city?
29. What are your in-place plans to treat or filter any/all water sources if required?
30. If you use other than city supplied water, such as a well or spring fed supply, how far is it from your home and do you have a security plan in place if you are required to go to the source and carry or transport the water back to your residence?
31. Are you currently storing any water in your preparedness plans?
HOME - Bugging-In
32. Do you live in a rural, suburban, or urban neighborhood?
33. How close is your nearest neighbor?
34. How would you rate your relationships with those living near you?
35. How many floors does your home have?
36. Do you have a storm shelter in place or a interior panic room?
37.Does this include a basement?
38. If you have a basement, does it have an entrance from the outside? Windows?
39. During inclement weather, is it possible for the basement to flood? If so, do you have a SUMP pump in place?
40. If you store preparedness resources in the basement, do you have them packed to relocate quickly during flooding?
41. How many sliding glass doors and on what floor?
42. What is your home constructed of? Wood? Siding? Brick? Block? Stone?
43. If you have a basement, how many sides of your home is earthen bound or secured by the earth?
44. Do you have an emergency plan allowing your family to escape out a secondary location to a previously identified rally point on your property or close by?
45. How far does your home set back off the main road?
46. Is your property fenced with a gate to enclose your home?
47. Do you currently have any above ground fuel tanks or cells?
48. Do you currently have any equipment, HVAC units or other resources near your home that would afford a threat to use as a stepping left to get them in to a main floor window?
49. Is your roof currently shingled or metal?
50. What type roofing is used on other facilities on your property not including the home?
51. How many windows or possible entry points to your home are reachable from ground level?
52. How many windows or possible entry points to your home are reachable using resources you have visibly located around your property that a reasonable person(s) could carry and use to enter your home?
Bugging-Out
53. If you are required to flee your primary residence because of a hazardous condition or threat, do you have a plan to extract your primary residence? Where?
54. Have you supplied it with resources to hold you over? Have you tested extraction with your family?
55. Do you have drafted maps of your extraction route out to your secure location and where to find the hidden resources?
56. Do you have communication equipment to use during this type of extraction and does it have headset type whisper microphones to allow silent communication and hands free movement?
57. If your bug-out-location is more than a few miles from your residence do you have multiple Cache’s set up with resources?
Security
58. Security – Do you currently have a security plan in place?
59. Do you have any security devices in place at this time?
60. Do you have any security cameras in place at this time?
61. Do you understand the difference between utilizing lethal and non-lethal security concepts, devices, and planning?
62. Do you understand the difference in how to utilize your security resources in offensive and defensive measures and plans?
63. When you leave your home and transit your property are you typically protected with your choice of protection?
64. As you built or plan security for your property have you divided your resources in priority from high to low? This is done through a risk assessment process identifying your prioritized needs, risk, vulnerabilities and how to mitigate threats against the different types of threats? This would be threats to family, animals, food sources, water and pets. You should also factor in your community and five-mile radius to the best you can.
65. Right now, how would you rate your ability to defend your family and property?
66. Right now, how would you rate your ability to protect your family and property?
67. Right now, how would you rate your ability to detect possible threats or direct threats to your property? This could be people, animals, or hazardous events or conditions.
68. Are you capable of arming each primary family member with a primary side arm and long gun as well as a shot gun?
69. How often do you practice fire your weapons?
70. When not in use do you store your firearms in a certified fire resistant safe?
71. Does more than one trusted agent in your family have the combination?
72. Have you established a Threat Matrix and/or Alerting Notification System on your property that everyone knows and understands? EX – The air horn is sounded 1 blast means emergency in the house. Air horn is sounded 2 blast means emergency at driveway entry. Or, a loud bell, or other device that can be heard across your property by everyone but is only understood by family members to include children.
73. When standing on the upper floor of your home can you view around your property or adjacent property and see a higher elevation with unassisted viewing? Meaning, if I stood on this higher elevation and waved at you, would you see me waving at you without binocs, scope or monocular?
74. Is it possible, and if so, how difficult would it be, for a person(s) to drive on the back side of your property, then park and conduct surveillance undetected for a day or more, then become a realistic threat to you, your family, animals and/or resources? This could be through an auto or 4-wheeler.
75. How often, if at all, do you walk your property line to identify and/or detect past or ongoing surveillance of your property?
76. Have you established any Mutual Aid Agreements, Memorandums of Understanding or Memorandums of Agreement with property line neighbors or others near you to assist in monitoring, detection, security, and support as needed?
77. Do you currently use or have plans to use any form of Drone in your security plans? Such as surveillance of your property lines? Monitoring outside your property lines? Scanning approach routes and paths to your property that surface during your property line checks?
78. Have you accomplished a route survey from your home to most common locations you use? Did you document it?
79. Does your route plan identify multiple routes?
Communication-
80. Do you currently have a Family Communication Plan (FCP)?
81. Does your plan include all primary family members living at your location and/or those who will rally at your location but not currently living with you?
82. Have you tested your FCP?
83. If you have family members, such as young children or aging family members who are cared for by another family member at your location, does this person account for your minor/aging family member during initiation of your family communication plan and until it is completed?
84. If your Plan A, B, or C calls for bugging out and one of your family members requires physical assistance, such as a wheelchair, lift or crutches, have you built this in to your plan and tested it? If this method fails, have you identified a backup plan to replace a chair, alternative lift, or crutches?
85. While on your property, do you currently use a communication system within your family? EX – Walkie-Talkies? Air Horns? Church type bell?
86. What are your three contingency methods of communicating while on your property? EX – Walkie Talkie? Voice? Runner? Air Horn? …….
87. If children are involved do you currently have a communication method and plan in place for children to alert to “Stranger Danger” or “attempted kidnapping in progress” to alert you in another area?
88. If any, how many of your family members possess a current Ham radio license?
89. Do you currently own Ham radio equipment?
90. If any, how many of your family members actively practice and use the ham radio equipment, comfortably?
Power (Utilities)
91. What is your current primary, alternate, and back up source for providing heat and lights to your home? EX – Public utility? Portable generator? Installed home generator? Solar? Gas? Diesel? Wood?
92. Do you currently or have you considered a “black-out” plan for your property during increased tensions or periods of unrest?
93. Reviewing all your plans or actions planned, how many processes currently requires a form of electricity?
94. How dependent on electricity in some form, are you to keep your animals healthy and alive? EX – Lights, heat, water pump, …..
First Aid
95. How many members of your family or personnel residing on your property completed some level of First Aid, CPR, Critical Wound Care…..
96. Do you currently have multiple first-aid kits/bags at home and on your property that you or members can effectively use to save a life?
97. Does each family member maintain a torniquet for their personal life saving steps?
98. If applicable, do you include children in first-aid training or training at your property?
Personal
99. What would you rate as your greatest strengths when grading your current preparedness posture?
100. Where would you rate yourself as a leader and ability to lead others to achieve your objectives identified?
101. What would you identify as your biggest fear regarding your current preparedness posture and plans?
102. If you could snap your finger and fix any part of your preparedness plans, what would be your No 1 item?
That's all-fellow Patriots, let us move along....
Preparedness News -
1. From Tim Makay - Homesteading Hippy - Easy Way to Dehydrate Onions * The Homesteading Hippy - Interesting concept.
2. From Lyza Hayn - The Organic Prepper - Urban Eats: 5 Edible Plants to Forage in the City - The Organic Prepper - City liver or dweller? You may want to pay attention. Statistically your chances of survival in a SHTF situation are very low. Why? Food and water.
3. From Sylvia Gunther - Common Sense Home - Ginger Root Uses & Health Benefits (commonsensehome.com) - Another great source to include in our medicinal tool box.
4. From Linda Loosli - Food Storage Moms - 30 Uses for Dryer Lint in Emergency Preparedness - Food Storage Moms - Simple and great resource to add to your preparedness kit. And.....it's free. We have bags of it, along with bags of toilet paper tubes. Great for building fire starters.
5. From Bernie Carr - Apartment Prepper - Emergency Preparedness: The Minimum Amount of Food You Need - Apartment Prepper - This offers a good target total. Dependent on body weight, physical exertion daily, and age, the total amount of daily need could change.
Other News -
1. From Eric Lendrum - American Greatness - Mayorkas Cannot Say How Many Foreign Terrorists Have Illegally Entered the U.S. › American Greatness (amgreatness.com) - Doesn't this scare the socks off your pet goat? The man in charge of the border can't tell us how many unauthorized criminals entered our country. And HE STILL HAS A JOB!!!
2. From Zero Hedge posted by Summit News - FBI Director Warns Threat Of Attacks By Hamas On American Soil Raised “To A Whole Other Level” – Summit News - How convenient to include the domestic threats as a contributor to this new announcement.
3. From Bradlee Dean - News with Views - How Is That Working Out For You, Americans? – News With Views - Living in a system where we trust our authorities to care for us through founding documents, a just judicial process, and three houses of government for balance, our trust and lack of focus has betrayed us.
4. From Ethan Huff - News Target - Intelligence analysts Jeffrey Prather, Gen. Michael Flynn both agree: Israel STOOD DOWN to allow Hamas to unleash terror (newstarget.com) - Glad they agree with me. LOL It was fairly evident from the initial announcement of the event something didn't add up. Historically, no one would penetrate any portion of the perimeter, yet, a flood of threats rolled across the border and slaughtered civilians.
5. From Angeline Tan - New American - Israel Planned to Ethnically Cleanse Gaza: Leaked Docs - The New American - Amazing how past documents often bites the current scenario in the behind. Ouch.
That's all my Patriot brothers and sisters.
Prayers - Please keep our great nation, our elected leaders, military and first responders in your thoughts and prayers. We pray for good health and wisdom. Please pray for our leadership to find answers and guidance to the problems facing our great nation. May your faith remain strong and answers to the unknown provided. God is good and may our prayers blanket and protect you and your circumstances. I pray for each, and every one of our Patriots.
May we pray for all the blessings and things in life to be thankful about and continued hope for revival around the world. We must continually pray for the unsaved, our family and friends who live each day without the protection for eternal life and salvation.
As Patriots we must stay strong and never give up. Our home, community, and nation need us now more than ever. Stay focused on your local community and things that will impact you around the nation. Don't allow the events around you to create fear in your life. Build your own self-reliance and focus on faith and hope. Remember we are a blessed nation, and we must continue to be great people today and make a better tomorrow. Keep charging.
Blessings,
Bravo Echo Out,
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