Common Terminology Used by Survivalists In Disaster Planning

Below are some basic terms that a person may come across when researching survival awareness and preparedness. Some of these words and others may appear from time to time in articles and other information sources commonly used by survival experts or self proclaimed 'preppers'.

Big One - see TEOTWAWKI. The "big one".

BOB - Bugout Bag. Used to store a supply of readily available supplies that you can grab at a moments notice if you need to leave your home in a hurry, as in right now!

Channelized Areas - In the case of an event where an entire city was to be evacuated, channelized areas are the most likely routes people would take; major roadways, railways, riverways, etc...

EMP - Electromagnetic Pulse. Capable of knocking out electronic equipment permanently.

Event - A catastrophe, big or small, that may require you to use some of the knowledge and supplies you have acquired through being a prepper. Green events last 1-10 days, yellow events last 10-90 days, and red events last 90 days to years in duration.

FEMA - Federal Emergency Management Agency. A Federal Government organization that responds to disasters. It usually takes FEMA a minimum of 72 hours to respond to a disaster emergency with the very basic of supplies (water and rations).

FIFO - First In First Out. A method of organizing perishable goods.

Golden Horde - The anticipated large horde of refugees and looters that will pour out of metropolitan regions when things like food, water, and civil order start to become non-existent.

G.O.O.D. - Get out of Dodge. Abbreviated slang term that describes the need to get out of town in a hurry.

GPS - Global positioning system.

Grid Down - An extended period of time when the power system is not available. (1989 Quebec power outage - small solar storm struck earth, lasted only 12 hours but knocked out power in the entire province of Quebec).

MRE - Meals Ready to Eat. U.S. military rations.

Prepper - A person who plans for the worse, but hopes for the best.

Retreat - A privately owned property where you can go in case your home becomes unsafe to reside within. A retreat in most cases is someplace away from large cities where you can find safety and survive on the basics such as hunting, foraging and farming.

TEOTWAWKI - The end of the world as we know it. Basically this is an event that spells the end of world society, including a large drop in the world's population and a massive loss of technical skills/knowledge. The entire world will never be the same as it was.

For more information on survival planning and preparedness, check out Biff Brannon's web page at http://www.survivalawareness.net.