Milt Reynolds: Thinking Out Loud

Plain-Talk versus 10-Code The Hermiston Police Department has recently changed their policy regarding emergency communications, returning to the time-honored, traditional yet inconsistent, 10-Code System . I'll bet a couple of doughnuts that the only people vitally interested in this news will be police officers, firefighters and medics . Oh, and all of us scanner-radio addicts. This earthshaking news hit the newspaper just a week ago, meriting one 24-word sentence. After briefly describing Acting Chief of Police Jason Edmiston's summary of the year's crime events, the reporter added this tantalizing tidbit : "He also reported HPD will revert back to the 10-code, a standard communication system used by police, that was changed after Sept. 11, 2001." (Source: Hermiston faces 'anemic' revenue for 2011-12 , Holly Dillemuth, Hermiston Herald, January 24, 2012) I realize that the news is tantalizing only to a narrow slice of Hermiston's popu...

During an Emergency I'm an armchair Boy Scout (although I advanced only to the level of a Cub Scout.) I'm never without a pocketknife, and I'm famous at work for hanging way too much equipment on my utility belt. I know several ways of starting a fire without matches, and I can tie a bowline knot blindfolded . However, I've neglected one of the most important aspects of being always prepared: The Emergency Kit . Here's a typical kit based on recommendations from an article posted by the Oregon Emergency Management Preparedness And Disaster Blog . It seems so practical and easy to assemble that I just may put together several...one for the house, one for the car, and a simple one for work. Emergency Kit During an emergency, you may not be able to get food or water for days or weeks, and your electricity may not be working. The following items should be part of your emergency kit and kept in a container that can be easily carried if you need to leave h...