5 Must-Read Books About Disaster Response

If you were to survey a group of 1,000 people that live outside of known areas for earthquakes, brush fires or other disasters, many would have no plan for disaster response. The majority of cities have guidelines for emergencies, including where to go, whom to contact or what to do based on a specific situation, but the populace doesn’t know them.

No matter where you live, you should have an idea of what you would do in case of disaster. To get started, here are five must-read books about disaster response.

1. The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes – and Why

By Amanda Ripley

Whether you’re one of the many who resides in high risk disaster areas or someone who may have to make a split-second decision to save a life, you will find inspiration in these pages that trace human reaction in the midst of disaster. From explosions to the heroics of 9/11, there are not only survivor stories but science behind the behavior from scientists, psychologists and disaster experts. It’s a thorough review of disaster response.

2. Prepper’s Home Defense: Security Strategies to Protect Your Family by Any Means Necessary

By Jim Cobb

Within these pages, you will learn how to prepare and implement a plan of physical defense and operational security for house fortification, safe rooms, security systems, traps, combat techniques, forming alliances and gathering intelligence. The author looks at what to do when civilization falls and you are surrounded by looters desperate for food, water and supplies.

3. The Prepper’s Cookbook: 300 Recipes to Turn Your Emergency Food into Nutritious, Delicious, Life-Saving Meals

By Tess Pennington

There are many survivalists that have properly supplied their disaster response pantries. They know the first thing to go will be the food. But despite all the stocking, maintaining and organization, despite having weeks or years worth of food, how many of them have thought beyond being able to open the cans and heat the food? Prepper’s Cookbook is filled with page after page of tips for off-the-grid cooking. It shows how to best use freeze dried, shelf stable and dehydrated foods to create rice pilaf, fish tacos, potatoes croquette and more.

4. The Survival Medicine Handbook

By Joseph Alton

Subtitled “THE essential guide for when medical help is NOT on the way,” this is a detailed checklist for what you should be prepared to do when there’s an illness or injury and it’s unlikely a paramedic or doctor is coming to help. This latest edition provides invaluable techniques for the novice with no medical experience for managing the most likely issues they will encounter during or after a catastrophic incident. With this handbook, an individual’s disaster response could save lives.

5. Lights Out: A Cyberattack, A Nation Unprepared, Surviving the Aftermath

By Ted Koppel

While we probably don’t need to worry about time traveling robots, imagine what the world would be like if all our computers stopped working or if someone manipulated them to cause harm. Legendary newscaster Ted Koppel looks at what happens when water stops running, there are no lights, banks and ATMs go dark and desperation quickly leaves medical supplies and food sparse. Koppel argues that while governments are prepared for a broad range of disaster responses, there is no preparation for an attack on power grids. The book interviews a number of survivalists who have their plans in place in case of a cyber attack.

Ideally, we should all have disaster kits, family, school and workplace emergency plans, and sufficient warning signals and systems. Disaster response is something everyone should consider, regardless of where they live.

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