Battles

It has been a while since we posted on the blog and for that we are sorry. We have been on a "whirlwind" tour with very little time off and more opportunities presenting themselves every day! The tours are taking us to the East Coast, the Southeast and all across the Midwest right now with no signs of stopping!
Amidst the tour dates, of course, our trackers have been extremely busy with a record number of tornadoes and flooding across the U.S. which simply tells us that we need to stay out on the road and we need to keep bringing these educational programs to communities.
While Chasing4Life is experiencing more demand than ever before and the response has been better than we ever imagined to the new programs, the team is struggling right now as well...while we are enjoying the daily excitement of meeting new friends every day, we cannot forget our old friends...the ones that have been struck by this year's severe weather; the ones that are suffering through the rebuilding process, and the ones that have experienced staggering personal losses.
Loss is something we have thought a lot about these last few months. Many of you have had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know long-time Chasing4Life member Dan Bocklund. For many, many years, Dan has been a part of not only our personal lives, but a part of the team. His expertise in mechanics and science brought Chasing4Life to new levels many times. Today, Dan is fighting for his life against a cancer that is threatening to take him away from all of us.
We want to ask you all to pray for Dan, his family and our team as we are being crushed right now under the weight of this threat. Pray that Dan soon gets encouragement from the doctors; some kind of affirmation that the treatments have started to work.
For years Dan has fought hardship in his personal life as illnesses and even heart problems have tried to stop him, and now, Dan is fighting the toughest battle of his life.
Over the years we have seen team members come and go, but none have remained like Dan, none brought as much dedication and perseverance to the table.
We appreciate those of you that have asked about Dan over the last several months and have tried to stay informed as to his progress.
Corrie Ten Boom once said that If God sends us on difficult paths that he also gives us strong shoes for it...
We pray for strong shoes right now.

Are YOU ready to SHAKEOUT?

With more the 40 million people living and working in the central U.S., a major earthquake could cause unprecedented devastation. What we do now, before a big earthquake, will determine what our lives will be like afterwards. With earthquakes an inevitable part of this region’s future, we must act quickly to ensure that disasters do not become catastrophes.
The Great Central U.S. ShakeOut in April 2011 will involve more than one million people through a broad-based outreach program, partnership with media, and public advocacy by hundreds of partners. This event is being organized by the Central United States Earthquake Consortium (http://www.cusec.org) and the states of: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Tennessee. The 2011 Great Central U.S. ShakeOut earthquake drill will be held at 10:15 AM local time on April 28, 2011 (April 19 in Indiana)
A key aspect of the ShakeOut is the integration of comprehensive science-based earthquake research and the lessons learned from decades of social science research about why people get prepared. The result is a “teachable moment” on par with having an actual earthquake (often followed by increased interest in getting ready for earthquakes). ShakeOut creates the sense of urgency that is needed for people, organizations, and communities to get prepared, to practice what to do to be safe, and to learn what plans need to be improved.
Not just any drill will accomplish this; it needs to be big. It must inspire communities to come together. It must involve children at school and parents at work, prompting conversations at home. It must allow every organization, city, etc., to make it their own event.
The 2011 ShakeOut drill will be the largest preparedness event in central U.S. history. To participate, go to www.ShakeOut.org/centralus and pledge your family, school, business, or organization’s participation in the drill. Registered participants will receive information on how to plan their drill and how to create a dialogue with others about earthquake preparedness. All organizers ask is that participants register (so they can be counted and receive communications), and at the minimum practice "drop, cover, and hold on" at the specified time. It is only a five minute commitment for something that can save your life. It all begins with registering, which is free and open to everyone.
For more information, visit www.ShakeOut.org/centralus.

End of winter...

The tour has taken its toll on our available time to write and keep you all updated. Hopefully you have been watching us on Twitter and FaceBook as that has been our main media for tour updates. The last month took us from the blizzard in Chicago to the earthquake swarm in Arkansas and then through the warmth of an early spring thaw in Missouri to the thunderstorms and back to wintry Nebraska where we enjoyed a few inches of snow before leaving again.

With all this travel, we have also been busy getting ready to release the new Chasing4Life i-app. Please take some time to visit the website and download the app. This is a very small support you can give to Chasing4Life, but it is a HUGE step you can take toward protecting your family!

We'll keep you informed and updated as we travel. Hope to see you all soon!

Happy New Year

And so, as it is with every January... we have reached the beginning of a new year and new tours. The team is set to tour more than ever before and we have big plans for 2011.
Efficiency. The office staff will be handling much more this year, allowing the instructors the time needed to create programming and concentrate on touring itself. Starting in 2011 we will be adding more resource pages to the website so that contracts, itinerary templates and marketing materials will all be downloadable.
Technology. With the addition of STORMPULSE to our featured product list, you will see that we are attempting to venture into more technologies that will allow families and communities to become more prepared. In mid-winter we will release our Chasing4Life Application as well; another exciting addition! ThreatNet will become a HUGE focus this year as we have arranged to feature it at over a dozen large conferences this year.
Marketing. If you are sponsoring any events this year and have sponsored events in the past, you will notice that we have changed our paperwork and have added new guidelines that coincide with the new marketing strategy we created in mid-2010. All of you will notice new marketing materials, new pictures and even new staff this year on the website. We have added a "Girl Scouts Only" page to the site, but a newer addition is our "Boy Scouts Only" page as we will be providing a program series for Boy Scouts this year due to the incredible demand we received.
You'll see that we are investing in larger shows. Watch our FaceBook and website for the conventions, conferences and showcases coming up.
Social Media. More than ever before we are using social media to stay connected to you. If you have not checked us out on FaceBook, simply go to our home page and head there today!
Sponsors. You will see new sponsors this year. Chasing4Life is already signing with companies and organizations that have made a commitment to stay with us all year, maintaining involvement throughout the touring seasons so that we can see greater things happen like scholarships for small groups and schools.
Instructors. In anticipation of the New Year, we added new instructors. While we are not finished, we feel we have an experienced team that can meet the needs of more and more communities and organizations as the year progresses. Go meet them on the site!
Focus. We feel like we have more focus than ever before. You are going to see larger programs, more subjects, more involvement and a fresh new focus on simple disaster preparedness for the family.
It is going to be a good year. Let's create a more resilient America together!

If Gophers Were Terrorists

by Eric Holdeman

I’ve recently read several stories about burrowing animals weakening levee systems to the point of failure both in the United States and abroad. I thought about this new hazard I hadn’t previously considered. As with any new “threat,” it must be addressed, so envision what would happen if we discovered that these animals were, in fact, trained terrorist operatives attacking one element of our critical infrastructure.

First, there would be the predictable congressional hearings by multiple committees in both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. Since there isn’t a designated Gopher Committee, these legislative bodies would have many committees that viewed this issue as part of their legislative domain. Testimony would come from newly minted gopher experts.

We’d learn that gopher issues exist in Europe and the U.S. This then makes it a classic, international terrorist threat. As an international and domestic issue, the FBI and CIA would each claim jurisdictional authority. Self-appointed experts would point out that there’s not one central figure directing all gopher activity, but “bands of rodent terrorists” classified as moles, beavers and the like that have a history of attacking critical infrastructure.

Congress would do what it does best: appropriate large quantities of money to address this emerging threat. The amount of appropriated funds would have a direct correlation to the media coverage of the precipitating critical infrastructure failure — since we’re not motivated to do anything before an event actually occurs.

There’d be lots of lobbying during the process; rural and urban states would compete for funding. Cities and counties would proclaim that, “All gophers are local.” Fire, law enforcement, public health, hospitals and other disciplines would lobby for funding for their field. They’d argue that animal control should not be getting all of the funds. For years, each would make the case that they should have dedicated funds for equipment.

Gopher Centers of Excellence would be established at numerous universities to study the social dynamics of gophers and their cousins. We’d learn that gophers live in colonies, and indoctrination in the technique of burrowing is passed down from parents to their pups. The culture of burrowing would be recognized as one that will take decades to eliminate. The nation’s borders would become areas of concern. There would be calls for underground fences along the Canadian and Mexican borders that need to be patrolled 24/7. The National Guard would receive another mission: augmenting civilian anti-gopher efforts.

Eventually someone would want to flush the burrowing creatures out of their dens. This water method would be compared to waterboarding and called inhumane. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals would rise up in arms pointing out that not all gophers are terrorists. There would be accusation of gopher profiling. If you burrow, then you are a terrorist. Media coverage would be intense and a Southwest state would pass a law allowing Gopher Enforcement Officers to stop and detain unsuspecting gophers.

After years of intense spending, highlighted by federal civilian contractors raking in millions of dollars in consulting fees, the funding gravy train would trail off. Without another catastrophic infrastructure failure, the nation would tire of the energy and time it takes to maintain a high level of anti-gopher activity.

A new threat might capture our attention. Take pigeons for instance: Have you ever noticed how they seem to be everywhere, listening to our conversations and monitoring our movements?

This article was posted here courtesy of Emergency Management Magazine.
To read more articles by Eric Holdeman CLICK HERE.

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS FRIGHTFUL...

It is a pretty safe bet that a majority of the United States has weather that could warrant lighting up the fireplace and creating a warmer (if not romantic) atmosphere over the holidays. With all the crazy weather, it is quite possible that we end up NEEDING it when the power goes out!

Like with every good thing comes a risk if you are not prepared and careful. Sparking up that fireplace is no different.

According to the United States Fire Administration, more than one-third of Americans use fireplaces, wood stoves and other fuel-fired appliances as primary heat sources in their homes.

Heating fires account for 36% of residential home fires in rural areas every year. Often these fires are due to creosote buildup in chimneys and stovepipes.

Before you light up the hearth or that wood stove, make sure you have done the proper maintenance on that chimney!

Here’s some Safety Tips for you…

Keep Fireplaces and Wood Stoves Clean

* Have your chimney or wood stove inspected and cleaned annually by a certified chimney specialist.
* Clear the area around the hearth of debris, decorations and flammable materials.
* Leave glass doors open while burning a fire. Leaving the doors open ensures that the fire receives enough air to ensure complete combustion and keeps creosote from building up in the chimney.
* Close glass doors when the fire is out to keep air from the chimney opening from getting into the room. Most glass fireplace doors have a metal mesh screen which should be closed when the glass doors are open. This mesh screen helps keep embers from getting out of the fireplace area.
* Always use a metal mesh screen with fireplaces that do not have a glass fireplace door.
* Install stovepipe thermometers to help monitor flue temperatures.
* Keep air inlets on wood stoves open, and never restrict air supply to fireplaces. Otherwise you may cause creosote buildup that could lead to a chimney fire.
* Use fire-resistant materials on walls around wood stoves.


Protect the Outside of Your Home

* Stack firewood outdoors at least 30 feet away from your home.
* Keep the roof clear of leaves, pine needles and other debris.
* Cover the chimney with a mesh screen spark arrester.
* Remove branches hanging above the chimney, flues or vents.

This is not all you need to know. For more information, CLICK HERE

Pats and Thanksgiving

“Don’t be giving that to the dog!”

I hear that a lot at Thanksgiving. After all, the kitchen is a frenzied mess and food is flying so it only makes sense to toss a few things to Mac who is lying on the floor right in the middle of it all. For the bigger chunks, we of course, have a St. Bernard just outside the door. The argument is always that “it is okay” because dogs can eat anything.

Turns out, that is not true; in fact, in an article I recently read put out by the ASPCA, I found out that there is A LOT of Thanksgiving food we probably should not be feeding our pets.

The article made a pretty good point: pets won’t be so thankful if they munch on undercooked turkey or a pet-unfriendly floral arrangement, or if they stumble upon an unattended alcoholic drink.

Here are some of the tips they had in the article…

Turkey
If you decide to feed your pet a little nibble of turkey, make sure it’s boneless and well-cooked. Don't offer her raw or undercooked turkey, which may contain salmonella bacteria.

Sage
Who would have guessed this one? Sage is used in a lot of dishes at Thanksgiving but it and many other herbs contain essential oils and resins that can cause gastrointestinal upset and central nervous system depression to pets if eaten in large quantities. Cats are especially sensitive to the effects of certain essential oils.

Bread Dough
Don’t feed your pets raw bread dough and if you drop some, pick it up right away. According to ASPCA experts, when raw bread dough is ingested, an animal's body heat causes the dough to rise in his stomach. As it expands, the pet may experience vomiting, severe abdominal pain and bloating, which could become a life-threatening emergency, requiring surgery.

Cake
If you’re baking up Thanksgiving cakes, be sure your pets keep their noses out of the batter, especially if it includes raw eggs—they could contain salmonella bacteria that may lead to food poisoning.

Too Much
A few small boneless pieces of cooked turkey, a taste of mashed potato or even a lick of pumpkin pie shouldn’t pose a problem. However, don't allow your pets to overindulge, as they could wind up with a case of stomach upset, diarrhea or even worse—an inflammatory condition of the pancreas known as pancreatitis. In fact, it’s best keep pets on their regular diets during the holidays.

After the new Year, we’ll be running a series on pet safety, pets in disasters and how to make an emergency plan that includes your pets but for now, let’s just get through the holiday without killing Fluffy and Spot with Thanksgiving food.

Stay safe while you travel, make sure you have that safety/preparedness kit in your car and enjoy your holiday!

Reality Check

Sometimes reality can be elusive. We live in a world of so much gaming technology, blue ray discs and 3d movies flying around that when we see a glimpse of disaster aftermath on television, it's hard to tell if it's real. Well, this morning North Carolina residents woke up in the aftermath of an EF2 tornado in late October following historic storms that ripped across the country doing massive amounts of damage in several states.
It is real.
Our present tour has been an exciting one, filled with adventure and frustration but always holding the potential of meeting more people and educating more children about the importance of disaster preparedness.
Today, as the news teams surge throughout the country following up on the disasters of this week. take a look at your family's plan, check that home disaster kit, and take a moment for a reality check. It could happen to you tomorrow.

STOP. THINK. CONNECT.

October is Cyber Security Awareness Month.

I have to admit, cyber-security was never a big deal to me until the day I went to the Chasing4Life website and it was all in Russian. A few hours later, I went to check my Chasing4Life email and a skull appeared on the screen and it was all gone...4 years gone.

I started paying attention to cyber security after that, but have to admit I have a long way to go. I try to watch my kids, I try to monitor their activities, I try to back up files...

Cyber Security is a tough subject!

This week, we wanted to bring you some simple education regarding cyber-security. The following comes from StaySafeOnline.org, a website we recommend you go and spend some time on with your family. The site is amazing, very educational and easy to navigate.

When you cross the street, you look both ways so make sure it’s safe. Staying safe on the Internet is similar. It takes some common sense steps -- Stop. Think. Connect.

Stop: Before you use the Internet, take time to understand the risks and learn how to spot potential problems.

Think: Take a moment to be certain the path is clear ahead. Watch for warning signs and consider how your actions online could impact your safety, or your family’s.

Connect: Enjoy the Internet with greater confidence, knowing you’ve taken the right steps to safeguard yourself and your computer.

STOP. THINK. CONNECT. Protect yourself and help keep the web a safer place for everyone.

TIPS AND ADVICE

Tip: Keep a Clean Machine.

Advice:

• Keep security software current: Having the latest security software, web browser, and operating system are the best defenses against viruses, malware, and other online threats.
• Automate software updates: Many software programs will automatically connect and update to defend against known risks. Turn on automatic updates if that’s an available option..
• Protect all devices that connect to the Internet: Along with computers, smart phones, gaming systems, and other web-enabled devices also need protection from viruses and malware.
• Plug & scan: “USBs” and other external devices can be infected by viruses and malware. Use your security software to scan them.

Tip: Protect Your Personal Information.

Advice:

• Secure your accounts: Ask for protection beyond passwords. Many account providers now offer additional ways for you verify who you are before you conduct business on that site.
• Make passwords long and strong: Combine capital and lowercase letters with numbers and symbols to create a more secure password.
• Unique account, unique password: Separate passwords for every account helps to thwart cybercriminals.
• Write it down and keep it safe: Everyone can forget a password. Keep a list that’s stored in a safe, secure place away from your computer.
• Own your online presence: When available, set the privacy and security settings on websites to your comfort level for information sharing. It’s ok to limit who you share information with.

Tip: Connect with Care.

Advice:

• When in doubt, throw it out: Links in email, tweets, posts, and online advertising are often the way cybercriminals compromise your computer. If it looks suspicious, even if you know the source, it’s best to delete or if appropriate, mark as junk email.
• Get savvy about Wi-Fi hotspots: Limit the type of business you conduct and adjust the security settings on your device to limit who can access your machine.
• Protect your $$: When banking and shopping, check to be sure the sites is security enabled. Look for web addresses with “https://” or “shttp://”, which means the site takes extra measures to help secure your information. “Http://” is not secure.

Tip: Be Web Wise.

Advice:

• Stay current. Keep pace with new ways to stay safe online. Check trusted websites for the latest information, and share with friends, family, and colleagues and encourage them to be web wise.
• Think before you act: Be wary of communications that implores you to act immediately, offers something that sounds too good to be true, or asks for personal information.
• Back it up: Protect your valuable work, music, photos, and other digital information by making an electronic copy and storing it safely.

Tip: Be a Good Online Citizen.

Advice:

• Safer for me more secure for all: What you do online has the potential to affect everyone – at home, at work and around the world. Practicing good online habits benefits the global digital community.
• Post only about others as you have them post about you.
• Help the authorities fight cyber crime: Report stolen finances or identities and other cybercrime to www.ic3.gov (Internet Crime Complaint Center), the Federal Trade Commission at http://www.onguardonline.gov/file-complaint.aspx (if it's fraud), and to your local law enforcement or state attorney general as appropriate.

Practice Stop. Think. Connect. and encourage others to do it as well.

Don't fix what IS NOT broken!

One nice thing about having a blog of your own is that it is YOURS and you can pretty much write what you want. We rarely use this blog as a political platform as Chasing4Life has stayed neutral and practical in most situations that involved politics, but we have some opinions every now and then that we want to share.

Over the course of the last six months, we have had the honor of working with many of the Illinois Township Road Commissioners. These men and women are the people that maintain the roads our team travels everyday as we traverse backroads and small highways from event to event educating tens of thousands each year. We appreciate the work they do. Often times, they are the ones that, despite hours and regulations, schedules and lack of personnel, are out there when we have seen few others.

Now, looming in the news almost every week is an effort to do away with Townships altogether if not, at least, the road work.

The goal of quite a few is to take townships out of the road business in Illinois and have counties take over township roads.

That's one of several new recommendations being offered by business-backed Chicago Metropolis 2020 after the nonprofit group looked at ways to boost the state's economy through transportation. Chicago Metropolis 2020 was created in 1999 by The Commercial Club of Chicago, an organization of business and civic leaders promoting regional growth.

According to its executive director, Frank Beal, $12 billion is spent on public transportation by 2,859 units of government in Illinois. Nearly half of those units - 1,403 - are townships that collect nearly $90 million in gasoline tax revenue each year. The $90 million is 16 percent of local governments' share of gasoline taxes. Each township has its own equipment, staff and buildings.

"It would be more efficient and effective if this was taken over by the county," Beal said in a recent interview.

The recommendation in the organization's report was that counties be given the revenue that townships now receive for roadwork, beginning with township roads in urban areas.

Townships maintain 71,187 miles of roads in Illinois.

71,187 miles. And it is done well.

I am not sure why we feel the need to destroy infrastructure that DOES work while we sit idly by and ignore gross oversights elsewhere. On our recent trip just this past weekend, we traveled over a total of 1600 miles for one event in Illinois. As we traveled, we could not wait to get onto the Township roads for a break from the construction zones with no workers, the poorly maintained roads, and of course, just the roads that ran through highly populated areas of traffic. It was nice to get out onto a Township Road and roll down the windows, enjoying the scenic beauty of the Illinois I remembered as a child; to enjoy the well-maintained roadway, to notice the lack of litter and debris along the roadside.

I do not claim to know all of the ins and outs of the finances of Illinois, but I do know that I speak at dozens of libraries still awaiting their checks from the State from before last year. I know that the State has little if not any money, but why would you do away with one of the ONLY things that IS working?

Many years ago, I attended a church that I was happy attending. The pastor and his wife were always there for you, volunteers filled the lot every Saturday to maintain the church. There was not a moment when SOMEONE was not available. Two years ago, I called the church because of a family emergency hoping to reach the pastor and was greeted by an answering system…

“If you are calling for directions to the church…press one…if you are a youth and wishing to know the times of the next youth meeting…press three…if you are in need of counseling and in need of an English-speaking counselor…press four….if you are calling about our upcoming revival services…press five…”

Seriously? We need to take a look at what we are doing to our country before we make decisions that are strictly based on the financial. Yes, we are growing. Yes we are busier. Yes we have made bad decisions in the past, but now more than ever we need to remember what kept this country together for the longest time and maybe try to preserve some of it. The Township structure is that last connection the local people have to their local government; these Township officials are available, they understand the area and the people, and they care about it.

Would we save money? I bet we would, but before we swallow this hook, someone had better call the Dell Service Center and try to get help rebooting their computer so they are reminded of what happens when we make decisions purely based on finances. Sure it saves a lot of money having customer service outsourced to another country, but I still have that stupid laptop sitting in my office under the desk and it still doesn’t work.

Illinois is still a beautiful state and a great place to travel. The Township roads attract people from all over the world because of what they are and who has taken such great care of them all these decades. The strength of this country is still found on the smallest of highways and now more than ever, we need to stop trying to fix what already works and take a look elsewhere.

If you can't stand the heat...HAVE A DRILL

It really is not that cold yet, but some of the recent nights have been a great excuse to throw a small log in that wood burner and sit in front of the television enujoying that wonderful smell of a fire. Chimneys will soon all be in use throughout the homes across our country shortly, fire wood piles we have worked on all summer will soon be utilized, and fire in general will become a part of everyday life for the next few months. Personally I cannot wait.

I love the sound of crackling logs and the smell of a wood fire, but with all of this comes risk and danger.

October is Fire Prevention Month, and now is the time to begin thinking through evacuation plans, fire safety, smoke alarm maintenance and maybe the process of having a fire drill in your home.

Don't let your family become a statistic this year. A fire drill in your home with your children can save lives. Take a few minutes this month to fire-proof your home and get your family prepared.

Here's some facts from the NFPA:

Smoke alarms

• Smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a reported fire in half.
• Most homes (96%) have at least one smoke alarm (according to a 2008 telephone survey.)
• Overall, three-quarters of all U.S. homes have at least one working smoke alarm.
• Each year, nearly 3,000 people die in U.S. home fires.
• In 2003-2006, roughly two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from home fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
  - No smoke alarms were present in 40% of the home fire deaths.
  - In 23% of the home fire deaths, smoke alarms were present but did not sound.
• In more than half of the reported home fires in which the smoke alarms were present but did not operate even though the fire was large enough, batteries were missing or disconnected. Nuisance alarms were the leading reason for disconnected alarms.
• More than half of the smoke alarms found in reported fires and two-thirds of the alarms found in homes with fire deaths were powered by battery only.
• Most homes still have smoke alarms powered by battery only. In a 2007 American Housing Survey (AHS), 67% of the respondents who reported having smoke alarms said they were powered by battery only.
• In a 2008 telephone survey, only 12% knew that smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years.
• In fires considered large enough to activate a smoke alarm, hard-wired alarms operated 91% of the time; battery-powered smoke alarms operated 75% of the time.
• Interconnected smoke alarms on all floors increase safety.
  - In a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) survey of households with any fires, interconnected smoke alarms were more likely to operate and alert occupants to a fire. (This includes fires in which the fire department was not called.)

Fire

• Cooking is the #1 cause of home fires and injuries.
• Smoking is the leading cause of fire deaths.
• Heating is the second leading cause of home fires, fire deaths and fire injuries.
• Electrical failures or malfunctions are factors in roughly 50,000 reported fires each year.
• Roughly 30, 000 intentionally set home structure fires are reported each year.

In 2008

• U.S. fire departments responded to 386,500 home fires.
• Home fires killed 2,755 people and injured 13,160.
• Someone was injured in a reported home fire every 40 minutes.
• Roughly eight people died in home fires every day.
• A fire department responded to a home fire every 82 seconds.
• 83% of all fire deaths and 79% of fire injuries resulted from home fires.