Jack of Some Trades or One Trick Pony?

All of us have something we are good at or something we do for a living. You might be a carpenter, plumber or a nuclear scientist. Something we specialize in, something not everyone else does as well as we do. This is usually how we pay the bills and if we are real lucky this job allows us to make ends met at the end of the month.

For emergency planning your daily job is a good place to start. If you crunch numbers all day odds are you are going to be organized. If you work with your hands, odds are you going to have tools to work with. From this starting point we want to broaden our knowledge base and skill set.Why? During an emergency situation there is going to be a time period you are on your own. Might be anything from a few minutes, hours or days. Although you might be able to send rockets into space, if you do not have some knowledge in other areas odds are it is going to be a very long day when you are faced with some sort of emergency.

Skills go with you everywhere. Sure you can start a fire with two sticks but can you change a tire? Once you have an idea how to do something nothing can take the knowledge away from you. Tools enhance skills and allow you to do things you might not be able to do with your bare hands. Need to build a shelter to get out of the sun? Doing this with tools is easier and saves energy. The trick is you have to know how to use the tools. You can fill your home with tools or a bag you carry with you everyday. Problem is you have to have some idea how to use the tools or they are useless.

Your emergency might be a car wreck, can you get yourself off the freeway? Can you treat yourself if you are injured? Can you help others? Do you know how to use the flares and reflective panels in your trunk? Sounds kind of silly right? Being on the freeway a lot I personally have seen people with no idea how to do any of this! Your emergency might be a simple disabled car where you have to wait twenty minutes for a tow truck. Your emergency might be a natural disaster and you have to wait several days before the authorities get any help to you. In either situation you are responsable for YOU during this time period. What skills you have will make the difference during this time period.

The broader your planning and skill set the better odds you give yourself to deal with situations. first on the list of skills to try to learn... First aid! Being able to perform even the basics of first aid could be the difference between life and death for someone.

Knowing how to use some basic tools, saws, shovels and other hand tools are a vital skill. Some of you might be giggling at this idea...... Some people have no idea how to properly use a shovel let alone a chainsaw if needed. During an emergency is not the time to figure out how to use tools. Why? Because the odds of someone getting injured rises due to the stress and lack of experience.

We all should try something new! Maybe you never cook at home? Maybe you never cook on a BBQ? This is a skill set everyone should have some knowledge in. BBQ'ing means you can properly build a fire, be safe with fire hopefully and cook under "primitive" conditions. If you can BBQ try learning how to do more with an open flame.

Cooking a whole meal using a Dutch Oven is not as easy as one might think!

Knowing how to communicate is another skill folks should learn. Maybe using a HAM radio is not something you have time to learn. Knowing S.O.S. is the international symbol for distress is something we all should know! Having an understanding of how to communicate with aircraft could come in handy.

These people were able to tell a helicopter where the bad guys were without having a radio!

Maybe you need to learn a few skills involved with counseling others? Not all the skills we could work on are physical.

Maybe you need to learn how to organize events for large groups of people? Being able to organize kids is a whole skill set in it's self!!! Something which can come in handy during a situation!

Maybe you need to learn to use a new set of tools to protect your loved ones?

Maybe you need to learn to be more aware of the news and events in your area? Gathering intelligence and being able to use the information is a vital skill to everyone.

Maybe you need to learn more about the law? Understanding what you can legally do during situations is also vitally important knowledge we all need to better understand.

All of us have a skill base, something we can start from. From this skill we should work to broaden our personal base of knowledge or skill sets. Not just for emergencies but for life in general! Sit down, grab a piece of paper and make a list of what you are good at or have knowledge in. Next, write down what you have no idea how to do. The list of things you should know how to do needs to include;

First aid
Utilizing hand tools
How to BBQ
How to change a tire
Self defense
How to build a rudimentary shelter

The list can go on and on. There is really no limit to the things we can learn or new things we can try our hand at. In the end having a little knowledge of a broad range of subjects will serve you better than being a specialist in just one subject. Knowledge gives you the ability to come up with different answers to problems and allows you to be more flexible in your response to situations. Adaptability is a great ability to have and a broad base of knowledge gives you this. Besides learning new skills is kind of fun!!!

As Always,

Stay Safe.