NYC 2003 Blackout

OK, Gotta' be quick here, lunch is almost over.

So the rest of my Emergency kit is in a small shoulder bag that I got from LAPOLICEGEAR when they discontined the model. They called it part of their Diplomat series. Nicely made little bag with two outside pockets on the sides, and two mesh pockets on the ends for small water bottles.

Handgrip, shoulder strap, three interior slots for small items and YKK zippers all-around. Overall dimensions are 8" high x 10" long, and just under 5" wide. I paid $10.00 for it with shipping included. I love it when companies discontinue their old models!

As for the contents: Two plastic water bottles, 20ozs each, a small First Aid kit (basically a big boo-boo kit with a few "extra duty" items), a surplus US Army Desert Storm Scarf (mud brown, all cotton, 24" x 72"), a standard sized bandanna, and one of those vinyl ponchos that you can order from Campmor for about $5.00.

Lighting: A small AAA no-name brand LED that I got from Dealextreme. Works great, less than $5.00. (I used it for a while attched to the barrel of my Ruger 10/22 until I replaced it with an upgraded LED Mini-Maglite), and spare batteries, along with a CountyComm So-LED.

Tools: An original Swisstool (pliers, screwdriver, phillips head) and a CountyComm Pocket Widgey Bar.

Edged Tools: A Boker Defender (designed by Bladeforums own Terry (TJT) Trahan), and an old Made In The USA Colonial brand "Forest Master" jack knife.

Nothing spectacular, but it was either all stuff I already had, or was able to pick up at low-cost.

The Blackout was also the motivating factor for my assembling similar emergency kits to be kept in my cars. Although there are additional items in those kits that I didn't feel are necessary in the office kit.

I appreciate all the stories you guys have related so far. Did the Blackout motivate any of you to take your preparedness for emrgencies more seriously?

Enquiring minds want to know!
 
I was running the waterpark for six flags during the blackout. When a park with ten thousand people goes from full tilt to totally dead in a second.... It's eerie. We knew it was big as soon as it hit, but had no idea how big. All our base radios were useless, phone system died, and we were scrambling to evac basically every ride in the park, including all five coasters that managed to get stuck on the hills at the same time. From there it's pretty boring logistics of dealing with ten thousand pissed off, hungry people.
 
Dizwolf said:
I was running the waterpark for six flags during the blackout. When a park with ten thousand people goes from full tilt to totally dead in a second.... It's eerie. We knew it was big as soon as it hit, but had no idea how big. All our base radios were useless, phone system died, and we were scrambling to evac basically every ride in the park, including all five coasters that managed to get stuck on the hills at the same time. From there it's pretty boring logistics of dealing with ten thousand pissed off, hungry people.
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LOL, not to make fun of a serious situation, but I could see myself totally standing in line, "Nope I am not movin, once the power come back on I am first on this ride!" Man your job had to suck that day!
 
Spenceds said:
LOL, not to make fun of a serious situation, but I could see myself totally standing in line, "Nope I am not movin, once the power come back on I am first on this ride!" Man your job had to suck that day!
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lol. On top of all that, my pools were the only thing we could keep open at first. Water was 'ok' on Cl for about that long. We had about 5500 people lined up at guest services. The ' no raincheck' policy was not popular that day. All in all it turned out to be fun. Anything diffrent is good.
 
Dizwolf said:
lol. On top of all that, my pools were the only thing we could keep open at first. Water was 'ok' on Cl for about that long. We had about 5500 people lined up at guest services. The ' no raincheck' policy was not popular that day. All in all it turned out to be fun. Anything diffrent is good.
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I think that is when you go into "DMV/Post Office" mode, look like you have been there for 3 days straight, be an A$$ to everyone, work as slow as possible, keep reciting the policies to people, and then say have a nice day in that tone that means F*** off!
 
I work for the post office now :)

I said screw it and gave 10 of my kids tickets books and told em to hand em out. The hardest part of the day was climbing all the. Pasternak hills, and evacing the white water rides without putting anyone in the drink.

My edc that day was a gerber multiper, and a gerber ezout. I beat those two to death 16 hours a day on that job.

Other cool stories from the park... Once had someone setup a turkey deep frier, on a vent for a 5000 gallon propane tank. 300 foot flames are cool :)
 
Dizwolf said:
I work for the post office now :)

I said screw it and gave 10 of my kids tickets books and told em to hand em out. The hardest part of the day was climbing all the. Pasternak hills, and evacing the white water rides without putting anyone in the drink.

My edc that day was a gerber multiper, and a gerber ezout. I beat those two to death 16 hours a day on that job.

Other cool stories from the park... Once had someone setup a turkey deep frier, on a vent for a 5000 gallon propane tank. 300 foot flames are cool :)
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:foot: Do you really? I had an A$$ the other day, still kind of bitter about it.

They let people bring deep fryers into the park?:eek:
 
I've never lived in a large city, but I remember watching the WTC on TV thinking about the implications that this was going to have on our country. Being a Marine, and having been through MCRD San Diego, one of the first things I thought about was the newbs going through the paces and being "trapped" there in a situation like this. For all of you who are not Marines, our boot camp is unlike anything the other branches go through. In "normal" times your always in an ABSOLUTE information blackout for 13 weeks. There are NO newspapers, tv's, or information from the outside allowed at all, except from letters from home, which is very little. Every group that goes through get's the "WWIII" senerio run on them, and let me tell you from experience, it's nerve racking at the least but mostly very scary and eye opening. Being in a blackout zone during something like this is tough at the least. I've spoke with plenty of Marines who were there and my hat goes off to them for having to go through that in that situation.
 
Sorry for the necrothread bump but...

On the day of the blackout I was already home trying to keep myself distracted by playing some games on my laptop. I had gotten 2 of my impacted wisdom teeth (left side) pulled out that morning and the painkillers did not seem to be working. While they were pulling out my bottom one, one of the roots broke and and cut my gums so I needed stitches there besides having the teeth pulled out. I only had a local so felt and heard it happen. No longer having a laptop (it had an old battery so it had to stay plugged in all the time) I used a CD player to stay distracted. I guess if I wasn't in pain things would have been different but I had learned the value of flashlights/lanterns, batteries, and to ask for stronger pain killers next time.

I went back two weeks later to have the other 2 taken out. While I was sitting in the chair I started talking to the surgeon, asking what he would have done if the blackout happened during surgery. He looked up, then called to his partner (private practice) asking what they would have done. He said "I don't know. Probably stitched him up as best we can and tell them to come back when the power comes back on." They learned that they didn't really have a plan in that situation and started talking about getting a backup generator for the future.
 
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