What to Do After an Earthquake

• Expect aftershocks. These secondary shockwaves are usually less violent than the main quake but can be strong enough to do additional damage to weakened structures and can occur in the first hours, days, weeks, or even months after the quake.
• Listen for the latest emergency information. on your battery or crank powered radio or television.
• Seek safe shelter. If your home or other structure has been badly damaged you must vacate the premises and find other shelter.
• Be aware of possible tsunamis if you live on or near water. Tsunamis are a real potential danger after earthquakes. Listen to your emergency broadcast stations for any possible tsunami warnings.
• Phones may not work after an earthquake. If they are working, use it for emergency purposes only.
• Help injured or trapped persons. Remember to help your neighbors who may require special assistance such as infants, the elderly, and people with disabilities. Give first aid where appropriate. Do not move seriously injured people unless they are in immediate danger of further injury. Call for help.
• Be aware of hazardous chemicals or liquid spills. Clean up all flammable and toxic substances immediately. If you smell fumes, leave the area.
• Inspect utilities
• Check for gas leaks. If you smell gas or hear blowing or hissing noise, open a window and quickly leave the home or building. Turn off the gas at the outside main valve if you can and call the gas company once you are a safe distance from the structure. If you turn off the gas for any reason, do not turn it back on. Let a trained inspector come and do it.
• Look for electrical damage. If your main fuse box looks burnt from the outside, call immediately for assistance. If you see sparks or broken or frayed wires, or if you smell hot insulation, turn off the electricity at the main fuse box or circuit breaker. If you have to step in water to get to the fuse box or circuit breaker, call a licensed electrician first.
• Sewage and water lines damage. If you suspect sewage lines are damaged, avoid using the toilets and call a plumber. If water pipes are damaged, contact the water company and avoid using water from the tap. Use your emergency drinking water. Local stores will likely open and you may be able to buy bottled water. If you had ice cubes in your freezer prior to the quake, you can let them melt for potable drinking water.
• Inspect chimneys for damage. Unchecked damage could be a fire hazard.

ATACTV.com/survival

Would you let your kid touch a machine gun?

SOURCE: FOX NEWS -

Photos of officers from the Santa Rosa Police Department letting kids handle the department’s SWAT team weaponry at a community event has sparked a debate over how much exposure to guns is healthy for kids.

Community organizer Attila Nagy, who took the photos, told FoxNews.com that he was concerned it might encourage kids to use guns in the future.

“My main concern is for kids who handle these things. They’re fascinated by them, and it makes them familiar with guns,” he said.

One city councilwoman, Marsha Vas Dupre, told her local paper that she was “alarmed and devastated” by the photos.

But the police department is pushing back, saying they see nothing wrong with how they handled the event.

“The weapons are rendered safe and are unloaded. We ensure the safety of those weapons,” Santa Rosa Police Capt. Gary Negri told FoxNews.com, adding that the police attend the event to build ties between the police and the community.

“Our goal is saying to people, ‘hey, don’t be intimidated by the police.’ We want to break down that barrier… Once these events are over, people will be more comfortable having conversations with officers.”

Another goal, Negri said, was to educate kids about guns.

“Education and gun safety is a component of what we do… We teach kids the difference between a real gun and a Toys R’ Us gun.”

But the department’s response hasn’t convinced everyone. One woman, Elaine Holtz, was so concerned by the SWAT team’s weapons that she approached the police officer at the community event and asked what was going on.

“I would not want my child to be involved with something like that… Those guns, they should have been behind glass — to teach the kids that you don’t want to deal with this gun, because it kills.” Holtz told FoxNews.com.

“I am coming from the heart of a woman, a mother, a grandmother,” she added.

Despite the complaints, some gun safety experts say the police are right — and that data shows kids who grow up with legal guns are actually less likely to get into trouble.

“A U.S. Department of Justice study showed that children introduced to firearms by their fathers had a lower rate of delinquency than children who learned about guns on the street, or even children who had no experience with guns at all,” Dr. Tim Wheeling, of the group Doctors for Responsible Gun Ownership, told FoxNews.com.

The 1994 Justice Department report concluded: “Boys who own legal firearms… are even slightly less delinquent than nonowners of guns.” Specifically, 14 percent of kids with legal firearms committed street crimes, compared to 24 percent of kids with no guns at home.

Given that, Wheeling said, the response to the police actions seemed overblown.

“If this controlled lesson in firearms helped the kids understand that guns are not toys, some good could come from it. The knee-jerk rejection to the police outreach by locals was clearly excessive.”

The pro-gun control Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence declined to comment.

Whether the police event actually helped the kids understand that guns are not toys is a matter of debate.

“It wasn’t a safety thing,” Nagy said, contesting the police version of the story. “That’s misinformation. I was there. The gun was displayed, and kids just picked it up and played with it.”

Nagy cited his photos as evidence.

“In one of the photos I took, as Elaine Holtz was talking with the officer, you can see a little boy is reaching up to the table and grabbing a gun… the youngest kid there was maybe 5 years old.”

Holtz said that when she asked the officer what was going on, he replied that they were doing “training,” but that she did not find his answer convincing.

“I did not see any education going on; it looked like it was just fun,” she said. “And I think we generally have a good police department. But what happened here was poorly thought out.”

Police Capt. Negri said that the department is looking at “whether we want to change our tack in the future.” But for now, the police are sticking to their guns.

“Gun safety is a part of the discussions we have with the kids,” Negri said. “These kids, what do they learn about guns from video games, movies and TV? A lot of the questions we get from kids are way off base… So it’s helpful to have some realistic dialogue.”

Founded in 1816, Remington Arms is the oldest company in the United States that still makes its original product, firearms. ATAC TV Firearms programs feature many of Remington’s products in the instructional video programs. Remington also has claim to being the oldest continuously operating manufacturer in North America. Talk about stability, almost as old as the USA itself. This company is the largest United States producer of shotguns and rifles; in addition, Remington is the only company that produces both ammunition and firearms domestically. The products produced by Remington seem endless, and they are known for quality, reliable firearms and ammunition for the sporting, hunting and Law Enforcement industries. Remington products are distributed in over 60 countries giving it a wider base than any of its competitors. Handguns are not what Remington is noted for, as they have produced only a few different pistol models through the years. Remington has focused on long guns by producing many different rifle and shotgun types for hunters, sportsmen, LE and the Military.

Kahr Arms produce compact and mid-sized semi-automatic pistols of ingenious design and forethought as a American small arms manufacturer with office headquarters in Blauvelt, New York. Founded in 1995 by Kook Jin “Justin” Moon, Kahr Arms offers small, well-made pistols built around some very powerful and popular cartridges such as 9mm Luger Parabellum, .40 S&W and .45 ACP for the self-protection buying public. ATAC TV Firearms Channel has tested and reviewed some of these “pocket cannons” due to their popularity and use as a concealed carry firearms platform.

The company, Kahr Arms was in a perfect position to produce viable carry guns for the American public immediately after the U.S Government ban “high-capacity” magazines of more than 10 rounds in 1994. Kahr would build a series of pistols for the gun owners that consist of small, slender and powerful handguns that proved to be very popular, especially to Americans that carry a concealed firearm.

These Kahr actions are designed using a Browning locked-breech design, which include a striker-operated firing pin and passive firing pin safety block. When the trigger is pressed, a double-lobed cocking cam rotates, pulling the striker back and the firing pin safety block is depressed and deactivated, eventually releasing the firing pin to strike the primer of the cartridge. The cocking cam is a single piece takes the place of more fragile and complicated designs of other pistol firing systems, in addition to the firing pin safety plunger located further to the rear of the slide to eliminate fouling from combustion gasses. Justin Moon has five patents owned and incorporated in the Kahr pistol design.

Similar to a double-action trigger system in a revolver, the Kahr has a short 3/8” trigger travel distance that aids in control of the firing process and is easy to learn. The initial Kahr K9, offered consumers a full-power 9mm Parabellum handgun that competed in physical size with the common small-sized pistols usually chambered in calibers such as the “pocket pistols” in .380 ACP, .32 ACP and even the little caliber guns in .22 LR.

Since the first K9 pistol, Kahr Arms produces other pistol configurations, in different calibers, such as polymer frames to lighten the weight. They also offer an economy line of pistols identical to the P series but without some of the high-end features to reduce cost to the consumer. None of these eliminated features affect the basic structure or reliability of the base pistol. Simple things to cut cost are used such as pinning the front sight, instead of cutting dovetails, engraving rather than more expensive “rolled-on” lettering, traditional rifled barrel rather than the original polygonal style, and including one magazine instead of two in the package. Short cuts that benefited the buying public, saving initial costs and allowing ownership of the basic model of Kahr pistols without affecting the performance and reliability of the pistol. Great idea Kahr!

Overall, these pistols are high-quality, rugged and reliable firearms. The perfect fit for concealed carry or deep-carry applications of the general public or Law Enforcement Officers back-up guns. The Kahr pistol lines incorporate small size, good caliber choices, and excellent design features make these pistols very desirable. ATAC TV Firearms Channel will be producing instructional videos on the use and deployment of these great handguns for concealed carry and back-up applications for LEO. Expect to see more innovation from Kahr Arms!

In any survival situation there are several things that need to be in place to insure a successful survival. Finding water, shelter, food and creating fire are all on the top of that list. Although all of these are very important, in this post I would like to address the basic of fire starting.

There are many techniques for wilderness fire starting which range from the very primitive to the technically advanced. All of which work very well with a little practice under the best conditions. At ATACTV.com we show you how. Waiting until you are out in the wilderness and fighting unknown conditions is not the place to try a new method for starting a fire. Finding a technique that works well for you and prior preparation before going out into the wilderness is always best to ensure your success. In order to start a fire with routine success you need a dry spot for the fire, a spark, plenty of oxygen and dry tender, kindling, and fuel.

Keep in mind that a fire always starts with a spark. How you obtain that spark is not of importance, weather you use a hand drill or bow drill techniques that were perfected by the Aborigine or flint rocks and or even more modern devices such as flint steal, 9volt battery against steal wool and spark igniters, all of which produce a spark that is needed to start fire. What is important is how you treat that spark. Keeping in mind that the spark is the infancy stage of the fire, treating it with gentle care lots of oxygen and fuel it will produce a fire. Moisture is not your friend!

Like most things in life start small. Fire starting is the same, introducing the spark to your fuel start small with tender. Tender is fine ignitable fuel that burns very quickly such as dry moss, grasses, shredded wood bark, tissue paper and cotton balls. Adding alcohol or petroleum jell to your tender will enhance it catching fire and may prolong its burn time. While introducing the spark to the tender, lots of oxygen is also needed to create flame. Once you have flame you have only a short time to start the kindling on fire. Kindling is small pieces wood twigs, paper and other fuel that has a longer burning time and will produce a small amount of heat. Once the kindling has starting on fire you are on your way and all that is needed it to introduce larger forms of fuel like wood logs and rolled up paper. For the most part as your fuel burns you will create a good bed of hot coals and all you need at that point to keep your fire is to keep adding more fuel as needed.

ATACTV.com survival can show you the tools and skills that you will need to do wilderness fire starting.

The value of a GPS receiver could be a cheap price to pay for your life. Yes, it can save your life! ATAC TV Survival highly recommends that you study the systems, learn to use it, and buy a pocket GPS for your safety. This is one of the best items that have come out of the electronic whirlwind of technology. GPS receivers are used to provide information on your current location, where you want to go, and how to get there, and back. In an overview of the capabilities of what a GPS receiver can do, we will hit the high points you should know about these units.

GPS stands for “Global Positioning System” and is a full network of satellites built by the US Department of Defense, 24 of them to be exact. Each satellite sends signals down to the earth from their orbits in space. It takes three (3) or more of the satellites signals to identify the GPS unit’s position. If the unit can receive four (4) of these signals, it can provide and determine your elevation. In 2003, the Government activated the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) that vastly improved the standard GPS unit’s accuracy, and once activated in your unit, it can give your position better than 3 meters about 95% of the time. Guess what? With a GPS unit, you will be able to tell where you are, even out in the middle of the ocean. Some GPS units that have highly sensitive chipsets, SiRF as an example can acquire, compute and process satellite signals very rapidly and can obtain these signals in very challenging areas such as narrow canyons and dense forests with thick overhead cover.

The GPS not only can tell you where you are, it can be programmed with information, and direct you to where you want to go. Another very useful feature that the units do is drop “bread crumbs”, usually called “Waypoints” along the route you pass to remember how and when you got from Point A to Point B. This means you can precisely follow the path you came on back to the original point. Also, you can drop an electronic waypoint any spot you want to remember, such as a good possible campsite, favorite rock formations etc, and find that spot anytime you want with the coordinates or waypoint. You can mark or save waypoints as you hike and once you have some in the unit, it is called a “route”. Basic GPS units display routes on a blank screen, but the more advanced and costly units are usually loaded with topographic and/or road maps.

Most GPS units come pre-loaded with a base map that includes cities and roads, or roads with points of interest, but there are many different software packages. Normally GPS units do not have detailed topographical maps. The better or more advanced units can be loaded with additional maps to suit your needs using a computer loading off CD’s or DVD’s. Usually the more money you spend on a GPS unit the more capable it will be. Consider the units memory if you plan to load many different sets of maps. A large memory is needed for storage of lots of waypoints and varies maps and information. As you learn more about these units, you will have to decide the primary use you have planned for the device. It might be that you will only use it for trail or roads. Some units can give you the best of both worlds being capable of both. B/W or color screens are another necessary choice that can make a big difference if you have to work with the units in the dark. Color screens are much better and easier to use after the sun goes down. Again, money drives these units and more capability costs more money. There are many other options available on these units and you must spend the time deciding what you need for your adventures. Don’t Forget! You still need a map and compass. Batteries can run dry at the worst possible time. ATAC TV will help teach you the basic and advance lessons you will need to venture out on your own safely. Learn how to use the GPS and the map and compass for your own safety. You will find it was time well spent.

ATAC TV™ - Single 8 on a Bight Knot

Glenn Justice and Mark Flinn talk about how to tie this very important knot for Rope and Rappelling. The Single 8 on a bight (loop of rope) is easy to tie and can be used for anchor points and/or tied into the mid line of the rope. The Single 8 on a bight is a strong loop knot, is named because it looks like the figure 8, and it can be easily untied after a load has been applied. This knot consists of two separate strands that are clones to each other, with smooth bends.

MORE Here:  ATACTV SURVIVAL AND OUTDOORS: Single 8 on a Bight Knot

WATCH VIDEO:  Single 8 on a Bight Knot Tying Free Program

AtacTV.com is a free source for raw, unscripted Rope & Rappelling Training.  Seven days a week, 24 hours a day, it’s Free!

Title: ATACTV FILMING AT RANGE
Location: RANGE
Description: ATACTV Staff includes Jim Fuller, Mark Flinn, Tom Clarke, Lenny Bolton, Glenn Justice and Frank Mir will be filming some rough and tumble advanced Firearms programs for use on ATACTV.
Start Date: 2010-06-18
End Date: 2010-06-19

Attachments to the Anchors

Now that you have made your choice on an appropriate anchor, how do you attach to it? ATAC Staff Member, Glenn Justice, show you the different types of attachments points:

Transom

Transom anchor attachments are a large object going through a small hole.

Wedges

The Wedges are those attachments that have an object wedged into a crack or between two anchors.  (Note, that wedges are the least reliable type of attachment)  There are several types and

MORE HERE

ATAC TV Rappelling: Intro to Anchors

Knowing and understanding what an acceptable anchor is and the different types of anchors, is a good start to setting up a safe and reliable rappel system.  Glenn Justice talks about Anchors used in Rappelling. Using 3 different types of anchor systems, BFT, BFR, and Structural.

• BFT are those trees that are 6inches in diameter, green and growing with no erosion at the roots.
• BFR are those rocks that are the size of a small car.
• Structural are the man made buildings that are large and non movable.

More HERE