Continued from here.
This thread is dedicated to the creation and active dissemination of well crafted messages designed to motivate cultural influentials (other web based panflu groups, government planners / spokespersons, news groups, experts in the main media etc.) to call for steady, immediate, but gradual provisioning at the household level.
Increase the number of people who can shelter in place (SIP) or comfortably increase their social distancing in the event of pandemic influenza.
I’m asking for participation in this thread at three levels, all equally important.
Here’s a first crack. I can see sending this message to the contact person on our state and local panflu planning websites.
Dear (Insert Cultural Influentials name here)
After watching a number of speakers on the issue of pandemic influenza over the last few months (Gingrich on Fox, Nightline, NPR articles, the ABC movie) as well as reading widely over the last year about PanFlu possibilities, I’ve found myself recently becoming concerned with how people will hear what seems like a responsible message:
The federal government is doing the planning it can do, but you can’t rely on us to bail you out…you must plan at the community level.
While this message is good, and it is helping spark planning for things like --- hospital overflow, emergency services contingencies, more resilient water and power supply, Business Continuity Assurance and school closings/distance learning, --- How well a community does will be most impacted by how well family units prepare for a period of social distancing and supply chain disruptions.
The unit of action that we need to speak to in our communications is the family (or cohabitating group)
The largest cause of infection will be human to human contact and we’ll all want to reduce it wherever feasible. We will be unable to do this if families have not done some stockpiling of essentials. (food, medicines, toiletries and perhaps water)
Good, responsible citizenry now requires that anyone with the financial means to do so (most north-Americans), prepare. If we do, the need to stand in lines at a grocery store or pharmacy is lessened. The pressure on supply chains will be reduced. Limited trucking resources will be able to be easily triaged to focus on delivery of essentials like chlorine to water treatment. There will be fewer H2H transmissions, so lower pressure on health care delivery. The resources available to deal with the indigent population will not need to be shared with those whos only excuse for indigence is inaction.
Unfortunately, when we speak to the need for “communities to prepare” most people see someone other than themselves. Most people are too busy in their day to day responsibilities to take a personal look at this potential treat. When they hear that local community leaders are meeting and have a plan(which is happening widely now) they check “bird flu” off on their mental checklist of things to be concerned about. “Someone’s got us covered” is the unconscious mental construct. And while things are better as a result of planning at the level of community, we’re still a far way from where we could be if we had deep cupboards and medicine cabinets in most of our citizen’s homes.
Additionally, the greater the number of people at deep preparation, the greater the likelihood that we can share with the under prepared neighbors, rather than watch them have to engage in more risky social contacts in search of essentials. Decreasing frequency of social contact during this period will be in everyone’s best interest. We want so many of our neighbors to prepare that we can all easily take care of the few who didn’t.
The question then becomes “prepare for how long?”
We need to be honest and forthright here. While two weeks is better than none, historic analysis tells us it will be inadequate. Those who have been thinking about this for a while have quietly planned for a minimum of three months, and some are going further.
Once the initial investment is made by a family, it’s a simple matter to stock to the back of the shelf and eat from the front. All that’s happened is that some of the family’s wealth has been tied up in essentials which sit in a rotating inventory in support of future need. We tie our assets up in insurance instruments which are in most cases a sunk cost that will never be utilized and can never be recovered. Deep cupboards and medicine cabinets are like that except they are an asset that can always be used. Money in a savings account, versus money in homeowners liability insurance. The second, you’ll probably never use. The first you can use whenever you need or want to. (and your cupboard is accessible 24/7)
The unit of action is the unit of cohabitation. Room-mates, Families, and groups such as retirees in the same structure. It is action by that unit that must be spoken to in our communications. Not “planning” by that unit. Action.
“Begin building up an inventory of essentials for yourself right now, gradually. Set a goal of being able to take care of yourself for a bare minimum of two weeks, but consider longer. Many reasonable people and experts who have studied this problem have gradually grown their inventory to three months, and now use it and simply replenish to the back of the shelf, just like the grocery store and pharmacy. Do this gradually, but begin the next time you go shopping. If enough of us take responsibility to do this, we’ll make a huge difference in our ability to stay healthy as families, communities and a nation in the event of a pandemic which may not happen tomorrow, but will happen eventually.”
As a thoughtful, well educated citizen, I’m asking you to consider sharing some version of the message above and would be willing to discuss this further. I can be reached at:
Insert your contact information
Versions of the above letter have been sent to a number of cultural influentials and government planners to good effect. You can read about it in the historical sections of this string (link is at beginning of this string)
Please step up and send something like this to someone in your zone of influence. Thanks!
My pastor did his newspaper monthly article on preparedness as I had reported earlier that he said he would.He told me he got 30 or so emails mostly with questions about why people should prepare.I think he was pretty clear in the article but I guess it takes alot to reinforce the messege.Now he has asked me to lead our womans group in some food preservation seminars. We will do some bulk purchases and preserve them for long term storage.
Some useful and interesting thinking about going after a few key cultural influentials is here:
[[http://tinyurl.com/ggc5g | high level leaders]
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“Never doubt that a small group of committed individuals can change the world. Indeed, that’s all that ever has!” Margaret Mead
Thanks for the extreme bumpism HARN
Here is an interesting chunk of thoughtful feedback I got from a colleague at the Creative Problem Solving Institute (another of the facilitators we lined up to work on the fluwikie social impact project here)
I was chatting with him about the issue of credibility. That is, In what ways might a panflu activist increase their believability? We only had a quick conversation, but he shared the thinking that my handle, “Adirondack Mountain Man” may cause a sense of “mountain man survivalist” and lessen my credibility in some arenas. I agree. And will change my handle shortly.
He had another question about our general handle choices here at the wiki, and why the need for anonymity. Now for many of us who use pseudonyms, our profile shows who we are, as does mine. Melanie and Niman are the only two i see obviously using their names (perhaps others) and I wonder if we would increase the effectiveness of the wiki overall if we were a little more “out”?
Food for thought.
I will at least be changing my name from AMM (proud to be an Adirondacker though I may be) to something more professionally fitting like “Creative Problem Solver” or “Innovation Specialist”
Or, I’ll just be Bob Eckert. Boring, perhaps, but I’ve no real reason to hide behind a pseudonym. I try to comport myself with the same ethic and rigor of thought here that I try to live everywhere.
Perhaps it’s a move more of us should consider…
I welcome opinions, especially if you se a pro or con in terms of influencing influencers to call for provisioning.
I took the conversation re pseudonyms here Do Pseudonyms hurt?
Bumping back up to regenerate the original issue this string was intended to energize.
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I was notified by someone from this site that a meeting was happening in my city, Orlando, last Wednesday. I went to the meeting and found it lacking in detail. At the end of the meeting, after many had left, the County Commissioner said “We’re counting on you to spread the word.” I have a real problem with that. I am lucky, so far, and have a 70% success rate when I speak to people. Or seem to. But I believe those in charge who clearly know what’s going on should start hammering home the word.
I am travelling now but when I return I do intend to inquire with my Homeowner’s Association to see if they are part of the county’s efforts to work with large groups. It wasn’t clear at the meeting if this group was formed yet. If necessary I will step forward and volunteer. It will be hard to begin the work of informing my neighborhood of 585 houses. That’s a lot of skeptics, excuse makers, and ostriches. So many need step by step information on what to do. I may be looking for “canned” presentations.
Indeed, I am at a friends condo in D.C. and put out the call for help/ideas for her situation. Its a 2/2 condo in an urban area vice my single family house on a large lot in the suburbs. At the beginning of the plan I have more of the tools that are necessary to prepare. I was at a loss of what to do in seven days here. So I can see that others need some help in provisioning. That is a much better word than “planning”. I heard that so many times in the meeting last week that I was angry. I wanted specifics. I will use “provisioning” from now on.
Thanks Orlando!
Provisioning is the key. Really, the only bottom line impactor, when you really do good planning, ends up being provisioning. It would be best if we would stop making plans and re-doing work that has been replicated thousands of times.
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bump…just because it’s quiet, and there is a natural complacency to overcome.
Bump to help spurn dialogue with folks who are new to the wiki
Hi AMM! I’m not new to the wiki but finally read this thread….
I’ve been thinking a lot about this issue, and finally concluded that until people with MDs start talking about the need for provisioning, most people won’t listen.
I mean local doctors, in addition to people from the Public Health Department, planners, etc.
A spokesperson from the hospital saying “We’re not prepared for a pandemic” isn’t enough, I don’t think, either.
But a group of doctors from your local hospital — internists or GPs, not necessarily infectious disease specialists — who start advising people that this could be quite serious, “wash your hands” and all that of course, but also, prepare for several weeks of disruption — that is who the general public will listen to.
I’ve also concluded that until MDs start speaking up (if indeed they believe in this message) no one will listen to lil’ ol’ average me. Not by letter or email of phone.
Hi Mom
My thinking is that the more comfortable we can make people with the idea that there are a lot of folks ready to hear a more urgent and realistic message, the more likely they are to speak that message. It will happen eventually, no matter what we do, but it may happen too late to be effective. If we can, through our collective noise making, wake up even 2–3% more of the population before it’s too late to act, then that translates into potentially 100′s of thousands of lives saved.
So, will a single letter make the difference. Nope. But do letters and casual mentions/questions from you add effectively to the collective noise? You betcha.
One thing that is efficient in big cities and in rural areas, is to convinced a fruit & vegetable store to buy large bags of rice and beans in bulk.
I even made some small sign saying stock salt for two years for 12$, rice for the whole winter for 16$, sugar for the whole winter 12$, etc..
It works
Orlando Preppie-re:”end of the meeting, after many had left, the County Commissioner said “We’re counting on you to spread the word.”
What a mixed message! he’s saying you have a message that needs to be spread, but apparently doesn’t think that as TPTB, he needs to help. He’s in the position to get the message out more effectively! Denial at the top…
AMM- aka Bob Eckert-that’s a nice name- you can “Come out” without a pseudonym if you wan, although you nom de internet is great as well. I really liked your letter ,and would like permission to borrow it and “adapt” it to our area (South Jersey). Especially to reach faith based organizations and service groups.
I intend to print out a copy of the “National Strategy for Pandemic Preparedness”, issued by the White House, for my local Neighborhood Association President/Board, highlighting the areas in the booklet indicating personal/individual & community “preparedness” (like the “provisioning” word MUCH better, AMM) so they understand just what the community will be expecting them to do. Booklet can be accessed here:
National Strategy for Pandemic Preparedness
Unfortunately, the NSPI document refers the reader on to yet another document for even basic information regarding provisioning, so this doc will also need to be printed and provided to my local Neighborhood Association (click on the tabs for Individuals and also for Communities.) Although weak on specifics, I do like the Checklist provided for community organizations (“Not Started / In Progress / Completed”) to track accomplishments & areas still in need of address. Easy link to the doc:
I am sure all of you are already familiar with these documents. Hopefully, community response to these very “official” documents will allow people to have the courage & confidence they will need to promote the premises to the rest of the community (they won’t feel like they will be perceived as “quacks.”) We need to leverage these publications as much as possible, as they lend credibility to our cause, even if, at the same time, they offer very little concrete solutions for provisioning. The concrete solutions can be provided from many other sources, like Flu Wiki :D . Additionally, as a group we are more likely to receive publicity which can be leveraged to gain a foothold to promote responsible behavior thoughout neighboring communities, maybe even on a city-wide or state-wide level. IMHO, working from the political top down will probably be harder & will take much longer to do than building a consensus from the grassroots level up.
Grace RN, thanks for the Kudo’s and of course borrow the letter, keep the letter, make the letter your own. Send it and use it in any way you see fit, that’s why I put it here. Cut and paste away woman!
Very big Grin from an airport waiting lounge.
Grace RN, thanks for the Kudo’s and of course borrow the letter, keep the letter, make the letter your own. Send it and use it in any way you see fit, that’s why I put it here. Cut and paste away woman!
Very Big Grin from an airport waiting lounge in Boston.
Bump because it’s wednesday, and I like to spell wednesday
I’ve been out of the country for a while, doing some work in South Africa, so was disapointed to not be around for PanFlu awareness week. I was unable to access technology given where I was working.
I’m still pushing the above message every chance I get, So I thought I’d bump the tread back up for a while as a potential spark to some of the new thinkers and do-ers here.
It would help if I could spell my handle correctly
Orlandopreppie - I’ve read your posts several times describing your speaking engagements, and I have to say I really admire your dedication. You must be a very persuasive speaker, and I wish that you could come to my city.
Adirondack Mountain Man - I think your letter is great. I don’t know if you would consider attaching some news items to each letter. I have found that sending some of the daily news stories to different people via e-mail has met with great results. For some reason, even thouogh news stories can be inaccurate and unreliable at times, people are more likely to pay attention when it’s from the media.
I like Mountain Man.
Glad your back home safely.
I’ve been reading the output from the recent conference in Syracuse NY, and am guardedly pleased. The awareness and maturity continues to grow, and the tension points between HHS recommendations of 2 week SIP provisioning vs. 12 week for Americans abroad will generate some interesting conversation. The unfortunate reality that not everyone who heard the call for 12 weeks could afford it is not a reason to not encourage 12 weeks. The more people who CAN ‘SIP’ for that period of time, the better off we all are, rich and poor, from an epidemiological point of view.
Adirondack Mountain Man- I was just wondering the other day where you have been. Haven’t seen you here in eons. Have you visited the new wiki yet?
I agree with the SIP period. I’m hoping for a long period of prep time, due to a tight household budget.
thanks for posting and I’m glad this is re-brought up.
At least part of the people who stock up in order to SIP for longer periods can (and will, I’d guess) help their families etc. If they can’t call it advice they can call it by some other (creative) name. Or pose it as a question if they don’t want to be quoted as actually giving that advice. Something like this:
Question: Shouldn’t we stock up for a period that’s longer than 2 weeks?
Answer: This is not our general advice, even though we are aware some experts suggest longer periods. Stocking up for a longer period will allow you to help your family and neighbours, but it also introduces some difficulties … blah, blah, blah.
I’m also glad this is re-brought up. Any news in the creativity front?
Hey gang. Sorry I don’t make it over to this side of the wiki much any more, I’m spending the time I do have on the new side. Cottontop, thanks for missing me. Dem, I’m always out there pimping the issue and the wiki, I’ve been putting my energy into recruiting to the wiki rather than posting on… Lugon, news from the creativity front? I thought ‘you’ had that covered here! Seriously, you’re arguably one of the most innovativebrains on the fluwikie. But yes, I’m still out there making the world safe for innovation, one business unit at a time.
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