Any Washington state preppers here?
I’m here, ricewiki! I live in the Tri-Cities (southeastern WA for non-Washingtonians). My parents and sister live here, too; I’ve gotten my sister to prep a little, but I figure I’m prepping for all four of us.
Olympia,Wa
Vancouver (Not BC) Washington (Not DC)
Whidbey Island
Just North of Seattle. I’m actually more concerned about preping for a major earthquake than a flupocalypse. Commercial electrician by trade currently on leave from work to be a stay at home parent for the next few years.
Federal Way WA here.
Kitsap pensula, my sister is a prepper also. Brother is not. My middle son (the chef) has four boxes of crackers, four boxes of pop tarts, four boxes of cereal in his cupboards. I prep for all.
What do the politicians say when asked about local pandemic plans and public awareness and preparedness ?
I talked to Duchin (Chief, Communicable Disease Control, King County Public Health Dept.)at his Swedish Hospital lecture a couple of weeks ago. He thought that the general public had been informed quite well. I strongly explained to him they had not. I told him that someone in authority should get peoples’ attention on TV (best place in my opinion), and explain to them the seriousness of this flu, and the fact that they should prep for 8 weeks or so. He told me that people could not prep for more than one - two weeks. I tried to explain to him that they needed the proper information in order to “gear up” to do prepping. He ended the conversation by telling me I could chat with the King County Health Dept. He tuned me out basically.
He is not exactly a politician, but he is the only one I have heard from on this subject around here.
There will be a forum put on by the King County Dept of Public Health at Northgate Nov 4th re bird flu, and what the public can accept or deal with. They state, “Seattle is one handful of US cities that will host a community forum about influenza strategies (e.g. closing schools and daycares, restricting puvlic gatherings, and work pattern changes) in preparation for a flu pandemic. At the forum, the CDC will gage public opinion regarding these strategies through a frank, interactive discussion with local residents. The results of this session will be considered as national guidelines for pandemic flu response are formulated later this year.”
I will be attending. I am not sure if more people can still register. I could not find the web site for this again. It might have been pulled. They did state, “For more information, contact Meredith Li-Vollmer at Public Health-Seattle & King County: meredith.li-vollmer@metrokc.gov, 206–296–4313.” This forum is Nov 4th 9 AM to 2:30 PM at Nothgate Community Center.
Down here in the southern part of the state, all of our news comes from the Oregon stations over in Portland. We haven’t heard anything about Washington plans, except, of course, the articles about Seattle that are on the internet.
Across the river, Portland, OR does not appear to have any plans at all.
I will be sure to post all that I hear at this forum. Exactly what the CDC wants to take away from this, or act on, I will not know till they decide on any different national guidelines for pandemic flu response.
Very interesting news:
I just talked with Meredith (as listed above at 10:34) re any openings left for this forum. She stated that only 23 people have so far signed up, and they have room for 100 total. Here is the web site at which you should sign up if you are able to go: http://tinyurl.com/mowf2 She stated that they would have been booked long ago, but they have turned away many professional people, and those in emergency services, because they want to talk with just the local working people to understand their concerns.
They’ve been kept so “un-panicked” by tptb that they don’t know we’re in a deadly pandemic pre-alert period, no doubt.
(Why don’t the turned-away HCW and professional people turn up anyway, and have their own conference outside or somewhere? And if passers-by ask what is being discussed, tell ‘em.)
:-)
crfullmoon -
I will be advertising this to my friends to try to get them to come along. All that is necessary is for some informed people going and asking pointed questions, and stating known facts. Unfortunately, I believe you have to live in King County to register.
Thanks JV - was just going to ask if I could go - I live in Brown’s Point (NE Tacoma)
It sure seems like everyone I talk to in my area is totally unaware of the possibility of a pandemic. They act like I’m a little ‘touched in the head’ to even discuss it.
If it’s not on TV, it’s not important, I suppose…
Hadn’t found the Seattle articles you mentioned - thanks - here are a couple I found:
Well, I have to tell you, maybe they say Seattle is prepared, and maybe the hospitals are knowledgeable, but the people are not! My intelligent friends mostly think I am “touched” too. My spouse even just tolerates my prepping because Pan Flu is not on the news.
So, what is going to happen when Pan Flu hits here, and maybe the officials are more knowledgeable, but the people have not prepped. Everyone only has 1–2 weeks of food in their house, at best. How prepped is that? Prepping from the ground up is the most important. People don’t prep because it is not on the news, and when I even tried to explain that to Duchin, he just brushed me off! He said that people can’t prep more than 1–2 weeks. They have got to get on the news, get peoples’ attention, and inform the masses.
Seattle may be “at the forefront of planning,” but their population may just die of starvation as the officials all congratulate themselves on their planning! If Pan Flu doesn’t hit for a year, and the officials slowly inform people in the near future to prep for 8 weeks, then maybe we won’t starve. Otherwise, we’re screwed!
Saw this and thought of y’all ;-) undocumented urban chickens -oh, we in the US don’t live with our chickens, no sir!
…”“In the city of Seattle, it’s legal for any resident to have up to three chickens,” noted Dr. Sharon Hopkins, chief veterinarian for Public Health — Seattle & King County. It’s a popular practice in this city, Hopkins said, but if bird flu should invade the region, it could be important for owners to register the birds so authorities know where all those chickens are located.
“I don’t see that happening,” said Angelina Shell, city chickens coordinator for Seattle Tilth, a non-profit gardener and urban farming organization.
Shell estimates there are at least 500 chickens living in Seattle backyards, as pets or egg producers, and that most people would be reluctant to consider registering the birds.”…
I will be attending the forum in Seattle on Nov 4th. You have to be a resident of King County to sign up. I have been trying to alert my friends to go. If anyone else is going, let me know.
Here is the web site to sign up: http://tinyurl.com/mowf2
I’m in Seattle (ballard) and keep the prep work to myself as my neighbors/coworkers/friends think I’m nuts.
I work for the Port Of Seattle at SeaTac. The Port has NO Contingency plans as of this writing. It is not even on there radar.
Not only would SeaTac let the flu in, but it would be spread back out and across the country from here.
I am on the Kitsap Peninsula.
I am also in City governance and have been doing my best to bring more pandemic flu information to the citizens of the City I work for. I have been a featured speaker at District meetings along with a rep from the county health district, and I have gotten permission and then aired the WA state pandemic flu discussion DVD on our local access television station. I have also been through a planning process with my staff and shared it with other City departments - hoping they would take the bait and do the same. Small steps but it allows me to sleep better at night.
DoubleD:
I also reside in WA. Please vist my “Are You Really Ready” thread posted just today. Comments?
DoubleD
Do you know Phyllis Ma------- head of Kitsap Co. Emergency preparedness??????????? If so, could you please say if the county here is actually doing any prepping and do they know how important being prepare for the pandemic flu is?????? I used to work with Phyllis, and sorry, but she doesnt strike me as being a very straight shooter. I saw the avian flu show on our local cable station with her and the head of the Health Dept., and they talked about ordering masks etc, but that was months ago and have heard nothing since. Would be reassured to know that they are actually doing something for the County. Any comments????