Swift | Silent | Deadly


Self Reliance


Helene: Natural Disaster Preparedness Lessons Learned

Today I hope to offer some lessons learned from the recent events I have lived through with Helene. Though the title of this article is “natural disaster preparedness lessons learned,” these lessons are applicable to just about any emergency. If you follow this advice and develop a decent, well-rounded system of preparedness, you will be ready for just about anything.

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Someone Trained in CPR Saved My Life

The title is not clickbait. On Saturday, January 6, 2024, someone who was trained in CPR saved my life. I’ve said in the past that CPR is at least as important the TCCC-style, tourniquet-based training, and I’m now even more adamant about it. Though no one performed CPR on me, someone trained in CPR saved my life.

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Randall’s Field Survival vs Basic Survival at Pathfinder School

Having attended both courses this year, I am sometimes asked to compare Randall’s Field Survival vs Basic Survival at Pathfinder School. If a handful of people that I regularly interact with are asking this, a few of you must be wondering it, too, so I thought I’d share my thoughts. Both were GREAT courses and this isn’t to find a “better” one, just to compare and contrast the differences for anyone deciding between the two.

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VIDEO: Build a Better Bug Out Bag (B.O.B.)

Two years ago I wrote an article on the Realistic Bug Out Bag. With the election just eleven short months away, I want to once again shift my focus back to preparedness. I want to encourage people to be prepared for potential “negative outcomes” during another politically charged election seasons. Today, I’m going to give you a look at a better bug out bag (B.O.B.). Hopefully this will make the topic more approachable.

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AAR: The Pathfinder School Basic Survival Course

A huge priority for my 2023 training plan was to attend some wilderness survival training. Though I felt I had a pretty solid skillset via self-study and practice, there really is no substitute for formal, high-fidelity training. With that in mind I signed up for two classes. The first, Randall’s Adventure Training’s Field Survival was back in March. The second, and the subject of this after-action review, The Pathfinder School Basic Survival Course, was this past weekend.

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Handling Patient Firearms for EMS Professionals I: Pistols

Firearms are a fact of life for EMS professionals. Patients sometimes have guns on or around them. Usually it is up to law enforcement to secure firearms, but that’s just not always feasible. This article takes a look at some of these situations. More importantly, it offers a principle-based approach to handling patient firearms for EMS professionals. This article is also great information for firemen, cops, and just about anyone else.

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