Living

Workshop teaches to be prepared and not fearful

DEXTER — About two dozen area residents (including Bangor and Ellsworth) gathered this past Saturday morning. Dec. 15 at the Abbott Memorial Library to hear Brownville’s Felix Blinn discuss “Being Prepared.” how to take practical steps to anticipate likely disruptive events in a hopeful instead of fearful manner.

Because the mission of Dexter Dover Area Towns in Transition (DDATT) is to help move our local communities into higher levels of self-governance, knowledge of local resources, and independence from external energy imports, individual and group preparation for emergencies of any nature makes sense.

Blinn’s extensive military experience and subsequent civilian volunteer disaster work educated him that every disaster has a “before, during, and after.” Preparation is all about “before.” Why a disaster happens is not as important as how you respond. Identify the worst thing that can happen, then deal with it.

With humor and a playful sense of history (such as “I’m 72. I lived through the 1960s. Twice.”), Blinn encouraged the audience to consider the 10 basic physical needs (water, food, shelter, heat, light, sanitation, medical, communication, transportation, protection) in order to assess their level of preparation for each.

Merely hoarding food supplies is not good preparation, according to Blinn, “I am a sustainable homesteader: I have learned how to both produce food then successfully store it,” not just buy and stockpile. He uses organic methods for the most part because they usually require the least amount of external inputs.

In addition to individual readiness, he also stressed that every community should have emergency plans in place, in order to help individuals who are not well-prepared. Organized food and shelter will greatly decrease panic and anxiety in the critical first few days after a disruptive event. Volunteering to help your community fill out its emergency plans is a great place to put your energy and will be appreciated by the town’s government, Blinn assured the group.

Erika Bailey, a Bangor resident recently returned from years living in Massachusetts, observed that “Maine still has a tangible sense of community” that doesn’t exist much anymore elsewhere, a sentiment echoed by other workshop participants. Blinn added that an individual’s spiritual strength, from whatever source, is necessary, “Without it, you are going to fall apart anyway.” Self-reliance is important (“You want to identify who is going to come help you in the first few days? Look in the mirror…”), but self-sufficiency is impossible.

Future workshops and field trips on food storage were enthusiastically requested by the group, and are already in the early planning stages.

For more information on DDATT and future events, email info@ddatt.org to get on email news list or call 277-4221 or 924-3836.

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