Be prepared

Our son, Daniel, is an active member of Boy Scout Troop 913. Scoutmaster Val Welch recently took him and other scouts on a three-day campout to Managaha by paddling kayaks to the island and then letting them learn cooking and survival skills that might come in useful someday.

Daniel is 14 years old and he will soon receive his Eagle rank. One of the things that Scouting teaches a young man is to live by the Scout motto: “Be prepared.” This is done by going on campouts, training, earning merit badges, and practicing safety skills and first aid. To the Scouts, it is often just a lot of fun; however, these skills and abilities could someday make the difference between life and death.

Many stories are being circulated about how people reacted prior to the devastating tsunami that has gripped the news in the last few days. Some were prepared, while many were caught totally by surprise when the wall of water crashed ashore. Garry Beran and Carolyn Spraggon, both research scientists from Manchester, England, were awakened by the earthquake in the Thai resort of Khao Lak. Not thinking much about it, they enjoyed breakfast and then went to the beach that Sunday morning to join hundreds of other tourists.

As the tide withdrew hundreds of feet away, Beran watched many of the people playfully chase the receding shoreline. The couple did not follow, only because Spraggon was still putting on her suntan lotion. Minutes later, they saw people running toward them and screaming. It was only at that moment that they realized they were in danger and quickly ran toward higher ground, narrowly escaping death.

Contrast that scenario with that of Tilly Smith, who has been given the label “Angel of the Beach.” Tilly is a 10-year-old British schoolgirl who was vacationing with her family on the Thai island of Phuket. Two weeks earlier, Tilly was sitting in class working on a school project on giant waves caused by underwater earthquakes. Her geography teacher, Andrew Kearney, taught the students about earthquakes and how they can create tsunamis. He warned the class that if they see the ocean draw out, they would only have about 10 minutes before the tsunami strikes.

Luckily, Tilly was paying attention in class because she was prepared. While playing on the beach, she noticed the tide quickly went out. She recognized the warning signs and told her mother, who alerted the Thai hotel staff. They warned the other tourists who were staring at the flopping fish left behind as the waters disappeared.

Because of Tilly and the quick response of her mother and Thai hotel staff, the Maikahao beach was cleared just minutes before the tsunami wave smashed onto shore. Hundreds of lives were spared, and the beach was one of only a few on the Thai island where no one was killed.

Disasters often occur randomly, and with little notice. However, if one is prepared and notices the warning signs, it can mean the difference between life and death, or prosperity and poverty. In the Commonwealth there are a few yelling on the beach that an economic tsunami is headed our way. Others are telling us to ignore the doomsayers because the sun is shining and the future is looking bright. No matter who you prefer to listen to, it is always a good idea to be prepared—just in case something happens.

The recent revelation that the CNMI lacks a coordinated evacuation plan if a tsunami were to hit is a warning that we as individuals should have a plan for evacuation at different points of origin, such as home, work, school, etc., and coordinate this with friends and loved ones.

Individually, we can prepare, but as a larger group it takes leadership to mobilize the needed resources and get people to take action. If our leaders fail to heed these signs it could spell disaster for many. One does not have to be a research scientist to notice the signs; sometimes the warning can come from unexpected sources.

If the Scouts train to be prepared for any situation, then it behooves us to examine our environment and prepare for any imminent catastrophe. Now that disaster has struck and hundreds of thousands of people are suffering after the tsunami in Asia, it is appropriate to live by the Scout slogan: “Do a good turn daily.” Nations are committing billions of dollars in aid, and as individuals we should ask ourselves how we can be prepared, and if are not touched by a disaster, how can we do a good turn and help relieve the suffering of others.

(Rik is a business instructor at NMC and Janel is the owner of Positively Outrageous Results. They have consulted with over 400 businesses in 40 different industries, and can be contacted at: biz_results@yahoo.com)