Keoni Buenavista
Date: 05/16/2022
Prompt: What is prepping? Why should communities be involved in it/ why is it important?
The act of preparation has been a large part of what humans have invested their time into, and this has been shown historically. During World War II, countries involved such as the United States, the British Empire, France, Germany, China, and Russia all had some forms of preparation. Now, these preparations were mainly war-related such as emergency medical supplies, food rations, firearms, and ammunition; but the act of “prepping” can be applied to civilians too, even if it isn’t preparing for a large disaster. Prepping, also given the term “survivalism” is essentially a social movement that involved groups or individuals who take a proactive approach to possible emergencies or disasters whether they be natural, intentional, or related to political, social, or economic issues.
Looking at the core foundation of prepping, is to be prepared for events that situations that may be or may not be initially expected for the long and short term. Some categories of issues that preppers are proactive about relate to things such as having a personal emergency, a global or international issue, or a disruption to the goods and services available to them. The basic idea is to have the skills and tools you need when something unexpected happens. Those that engage in the movement generally believe that not having the things you need during an emergency, no matter the magnitude, will have a negative outcome. For example, if there were to be a catastrophic earthquake in the bay area of San Diego, multiple things would be affected. For some, their life may have been put in jeopardy, or there is a loss of utilities (gas, electricity, water) in some regions, or destroyed infrastructure and buildings. To prepare for a situation like this, individuals and communities need to stock up on supplies and learn safety and medical knowledge/skills, to survive, be sustained, or have a better quality of life during a disaster.
About the knowledge or skills that individuals who take action in prepping; essentially learn principles and techniques that they believe are needed for surviving life-threatening situations that can occur at any time and location. They prepare for such catastrophes that could result in physical harm or require immediate attention or defense from threats. Survivalists combat disasters by attempting to prevent and mitigate damage caused by these factors. Additionally, they invest in materials for re-inforcing structures and tools for rebuilding and constructing temporary shelters. While assuming the long-term continuity of society, some may have invested in a custom-built shelter, food, water, medicine, and enough supplies to get by until contact with the rest of the world resumes following a natural emergency.
Personal emergencies are also a major category that preppers keep in mind. This may range from the loss of a job within a family, a medical emergency, or the loss of a family member. Having the necessary tools and supplies needed (relating to funds) is important, if not vital to someone’s well-being. An additional function that families and individuals do to prepare in this category is properly assessing funds that would be needed during an emergency.
In conclusion, prepping is a function that allows people to have a better quality of life when a disaster occurs, whether that disaster is big or small. In addition, prepping allows future generations to be benefited as well if the disaster has long-term effects.