Winter Survival Tips From First Responders

At 4Patriots, we think we know a little bit about preparedness and survival. Helping people become more independent and self-sufficient is what we do.

But no one sees firsthand the people who desperately need assistance due to natural disasters better than first responders do.

They are the ones in the trenches. They’re the ones who pull people up from roofs to helicopters when floodwaters are rising.

They’re the ones who race to give aid to people who have been injured in a tornado or hurricane. They’re the ones who help people escape roaring wildfires.

Items to keep in your vehicle

So, who better to offer survival tips for people experiencing winter emergencies on the roads?

Winter weather can make driving dangerous. There are more accidents than normal, and some leave people stranded for hours in a car.

Among the items you should have in your vehicle during the winter, according to first responders, are jumper cables or another device to jump your battery. Plus pliers, a flashlight, water and a wool blanket.

Other options are salt to melt ice your car may be on and a shovel to help get out of a snow drift. Also, a knife to cut a seat belt and a flashing headlamp.

What to do if you’re stranded

A retired U.S. Air Force sergeant who taught cold-weather survival to Department of Defense personnel in Alaska offered these eight tips. They’re for anyone stuck in a car in cold weather.

• Immediately ensure that the exterior exhaust on the car is clear of snow so you don’t get carbon monoxide buildup in the car.
• Once you find yourself stuck in your car in a snowstorm, the best thing to do is stay put, unless you see an accessible building nearby.
• Then turn the car off. Turn it on every once in a while to heat it up, and then turn it back off to conserve gas.
• Continue to check the tailpipe each time you turn the heater on.
• Some of the ways to keep warm in the car are doing various exercises. Do a set of pushups or flutter kicks every once in a while.
• You also need to stay hydrated. If you don’t have water in the car, you will need to melt snow. The more hydrated you are, the warmer you will be.
• Keep your seat belt on and turn on your hazard lights. Even if your car is pulled over to the side of the road, vehicles can still hit you.
• If you have roadside flares, use them. They will alert rescuers that you are there.

Team Rubicon deploys veterans

Speaking of first responders, there is an organization I would like to introduce you to. It’s called Team Rubicon.

This is an international, non-profit, disaster response group, They unite the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders. So that they can rapidly deploy emergency response teams.

Since its start, Team Rubicon has conducted 785 field operations.

Team Rubicon currently maintains a roster of over 130,000 volunteers able to deploy throughout the United States and the world.

Organization gives vets purpose

Team Rubicon was founded in 2010 with a goal of quickly responding to large-scale disasters. Coming immediately to the aid of individuals and communities following a disaster is what they are all about.

They offer training to help volunteers gain valuable skills that will allow them to better serve those in need.

They know that for many veterans, the desire to serve their country and fellow man does not end when they take off their uniforms.

So, they provide opportunities for veterans to serve through disaster response. As a result, some of these vets find new purpose in life. As well as community and identity.

4Patriots donates to Team Rubicon

We’re going to tell you much more about Team Rubicon in a future communication. For now, suffice it to say that we at 4Patriots value the work being done by this organization so much that we’ve started making monthly financial donations to them.

Needless to say, we would not be in a position to do this if it weren’t for your purchases of our products.

So, what it comes down to is this. You are helping to support Team Rubicon and other military-related charity organizations to which we contribute.

We at 4Patriots thank you, and Team Rubicon thanks you.