Your Prepping Month Playbook

Waiting until disaster season is like waiting for the snowstorm to buy chains: you end up in the same line as everyone else, hoping there’s anything left. I’m Bill Bateman from Refuse to be a Victim Personal Protection Training in Southern Oregon, and I use August to get people ready for National Preparedness Month before September hits and interest spikes overnight. 

We walk through what FEMA’s Ready campaign gets right about emergency preparedness: know your local risks, write down a family emergency plan, and build an emergency supply kit you can actually use. I talk through practical questions that make a plan real, like how you’ll reconnect if you’re separated, what happens when roads are blocked, and why your first plan should be expected to fail so Plan B is already built in. We also get specific about go bags, evacuation essentials, and why training like first aid and CPR turns “stuff” into real capability. 

Then we zoom out to the bigger shift I’m seeing in the prepping mindset. The old benchmark was two to three days of supplies, then it became two weeks. Now we’re talking about 30 days of self-sufficiency, and that includes the uncomfortable scenario most people skip: what if the caregiver or family leader gets hurt? I also share ways to learn more through structured classes, including OLLI at SOU, a City of Phoenix overview program on September 30, and prep-focused sessions at the range (all with advance registration). We finish with a quick update on USCCA resources, concealed carry training expectations, and how our women’s class scheduling works. 

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National Preparedness Month

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Transcript

August Prep For September Surge

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Well, hi everybody. If you've been around this program for any amount of time, you know that August is the month I prepare. That's right, September is National Prepping Month, National Preparedness Month, if you will, and I spend August getting ready for the avalanche of classes that appear like Christmas snow. It's like nobody thinks about it all year, and all of a sudden, boom, hot topic. Well, we got information on that, plus a whole lot of other good stuff, so come on in. Hi everybody, I'm Bill Bateman, part of the team here at Refuse to be a Victim Personal Protection Training. Uh, we are in the Medford, White City area of Southern Oregon, and I hope to have an opportunity to have you come on by 6800 Kershaw, where Kershaw meets Corey in uh the White City area. It's the uh RVSSA range, and it's the old Camp White Range, if you're familiar with the area, and it's been there, it's been around longer than I have, if it gives you any kind of an idea. And prepping is something that we should be doing. This is something now more than ever because resources are stretched thin.

What Preparedness Month Really Means

SPEAKER_00 1:24

Uh, and National Preparedness Month is observed every September across the United States. It's sponsored by FEMA's Ready campaign, and this encourages families, individuals, and communities to plan for natural and man-made disasters, learn about local risks, build emergency supply kits, and get trained in safety.

Risk Assessments And Family Plans

SPEAKER_00 1:46

Part of this is knowing your risk. I'm in Southern Oregon, I just told you that, but you might be like my sister, she's in Chicago. So, what disasters like fires, floods, earthquakes, or Chicago tornadoes can happen where you live. Knowing what to expect and what potential problems are puts you a rung up on the emergency ladder. Also, you should make a plan, write down any family detailed plan how you're going to communicate and how you're going to get back together if you get separated. This is especially important if you got school-aged children or if you're a grandparent looking after the little ones. Where do you go if something happens? Who do you meet? How do you get there? How are you going to communicate? And I always tell people in my regular classes, expect your first plan to fall apart. Not because you did it badly, but because things are rapidly changing. So have a couple of alternatives, a plan B, if you will. Now we know about building a kit. Most of the folks who come to this program know about go bags. Essential supplies, including things like non-perishable food, water, medication, and a go bag for quick evacuation containing uh socks, uh utensils, all the things that you're going to need, a thermal blanket, if you've got to get out of your regular environment. And finally, get involved on a personal level. That means taking a first aid or CPR class, helping your neighbors prepare, and know how to use the first aid supplies you've got. There's nothing worse than having a whole bag full of

Go Bags Plus Skills And Training

SPEAKER_00 3:27

really pretty little toys and not knowing what to do with them. Now, many of you who come here, that's why you're here. It's survival beyond the bug out bag. Well, a lot of you are new. We are seeing more and more people, especially as things are changing in our community. Get ready to be self-sufficient because that's the goal. The goal is for you. It used to be two days, three days of supplies would get you through. Then it was two weeks. Now 30 days, and I'm not talking just supplies, I'm talking self-sufficiency. So for you new people just joining us, maybe somebody sent you this link as an eye, you know, kind of nudge, nudge, wink, wink, check this out. This is what uh we want the new people to catch up on. We have statistics that shows the very young. I can't keep track of what generation is what anymore. I know there's the real young, the right in the middle, and there's the older folks like me. We're the boomers. I'll go with that. I can commit to that. And we have always been pretty good in prepping because we've been through some rough times already, and we know it's good to have that extra can of beans, just in case. Young people are have started picking it up around uh five, ten years ago, realizing, who this is getting kind of serious. And just recently, the past couple years, we're seeing an uptick in folks of middle age, 30s, 40s, and into the 50s, realizing if it is to be, it's up to me. You're the one they're gonna be looking at if there's

Why Self Sufficiency Is Now 30 Days

SPEAKER_00 5:10

an emergency. And the other thing more and more people have realized, what if, and I did a program on this and I really liked it, and I got some good feedback on it. What if you're injured? You're the caregiver, you're the leader, you're the boss. What happens if John Wayne gets hurt? You're the you're the head of the family, you're gonna lead him, you're gonna do this, and you get a broken leg. What if you got to care for the family with someone else? Who else in your team? Your partner, your kids, your neighbor? This is the kind of stuff we gotta think of, and this is the kind of stuff this program is a part of. So when you're thinking of prepping, think of not only, oh my gosh, you got five minutes, get out of here, run, run, run, where are we going? Know where you're going in advance, know that plan may fail because the road gets blocked, and have another plan, and have something with you. We'll talk about that uh in future programs, and I'm gonna talk about it in a number of

Local Classes And Phoenix Flyover

SPEAKER_00 6:15

classes. This month I prepared for my SOU class at OLLI, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, and that's a class you will pay for. It costs you to uh to attend. I have it in person. You can come on in and see me, or you can do it on Zoom, and that's a six-week class, and I do not get any money for that. I'm a volunteer and this supports SOU and OLE, two excellent organizations. Also, and this is kind of out of left field, it dropped in from space, and I'm really honored to be a part of it. The City of Phoenix is looking at some of the situations and the idea that uh preparation is a good thing. The more you can be self-sufficient, the more they can help somebody who's in trouble. So, City of Phoenix is putting it together a thing on September the 30th, and it's going to be a two-hour program. I call it a flyover, an overview of some of the programs, some of the ideas, some of the concepts. Think of it as uh dipping your big toe in the crick to find out what the water's like. And that's again, September 30th. I will put addresses for all of this, as I always try and do, at the uh at the login page. And finally, and I know I have done this previously and it never really caught on because there's so many other things, but if you find you just can't make it uh to some of these places, I I do classes at the range for prepping. And if you're interested in that, uh call and say you're interested in a prepping class. Normally they are on a Saturday. Again, you always have to register in advance, you can't just drop in. Uh so if you're interested in a prepping class, I'll put a link up and give me a call. And this is going to be good for you and uh a family, a partner. Uh, I don't see little kids being useful, but if it's you and your parents, you've got uh you and your grandparents and uh the grandchildren, if you want to do a planning session, talking about things that are going to happen and what to expect takes the fear out of it. It's like a fire drill. Oh, it's a fire, but we know what to do. All right, very good. So those are the uh three prepping things I had for

USCCA Support And Concealed Carry Reality

SPEAKER_00 8:40

you. Uh, also want to let you know we're part of the U.S.CCA family. Now, I think I may have mentioned this previously, but uh USCCA, the U.S. Concealed Carry Association, a national organization, and they offer a lot of services such as an excellent magazine, uh, which is a membership bonus. They offer insurance if you are involved in an incident, if you have to defend yourself against deadly force. Uh, they offer insurance which will provide you with uh legal assistance. And I mean, right quick, bail money, get somebody, get me the heck out of here. I don't like baloney sandwiches. But insurance, uh, advice, membership, so that is uh something we're really happy to do. And do remember we have our concealed carry class the second Saturday of every month, and that's held at uh MRPC Medford Rifle Pistol Club. And what you need to do is register in advance for that class. It's six hours. Uh I know somebody who took a class, they said, Yeah, in 45 minutes you can get a concealed carry certificate. Yes, and you can get a $3 steak for dinner, but I don't recommend it. That's six hours and it talks about the law, it talks about when you should and should not engage. There's you're not a deputy. Too many people think they're becoming uh law enforcement when they get their concealed carry permit. No, you are getting the legal right to carry a concealed weapon to defend yourself from grievous threats and great bodily harm. Yourself, your loved ones, and others who cannot defend themselves. So when you're thinking about uh concealed carry, get some extra information. You're gonna find I love our program. Yes, I'm biased, but our program is great, and then back it up with some extra information.

Women’s Class Scheduling And Range Rules

SPEAKER_00 10:40

Speaking of classes, the women's class has developed kind of an interesting uh life of its own, uh kind of percolating along. Somebody called and said, you know, Bill, you're just telling us about a women's class, and it's like, guess when it is? Well, you gotta call and schedule it, but we decided, you know, it'd be a good idea to have a first day. You can call and request a Thursday, and again, not a drop-in. Request a Thursday, be at uh eight o'clock in the morning out there at the range, and that's our first class of the three. When you schedule the first class, you have an opportunity to look at some dates for the next two sessions. That allows you with one to phone call, set your first class, find out about the program, and schedule the remaining two, and you're ready to go. So Thursdays, 8 a.m. by advance registration. If you're listening to this on a Wednesday evening, don't pack the car and come running out there with expecting us to have it the very next morning. Uh take some time to put these things together. It's it's a planned, it's a structured class, but we have to make sure the range has not been reserved by somebody else. We have a special training area, and we want to uh always follow the rules and regulations and be as safe as we can for you and for those of us around

Share Responsibly And Start Now

SPEAKER_00 12:14

it. So those are three things we got going on here in the end of August as we get ready for September. I mentioned it's uh prepping month. I've got a lot of classwork I am preparing, so this will be kind of a short, short version. But uh somebody asked me once, can I share these? Yes, you can. These programs are appropriate to share. They're not for rebroadcast, they're not for sale. Don't ever let somebody sell you one of these. If that happens, I need to hear about it. That's a no-no. But these are a public service. We hope you're going to take an opportunity to get ready and get prepared, not only in September. Don't wait, it's like you know, waiting for the snowstorm to get the snow chains. Well, then you're at the store in line with everybody else getting the snow chains at the last minute. Now, now we buy our stuff at the August sale and uh get it taken care of in advance. That's what prepping is being ready for what's gonna happen. So you be one of those who is going to be ready to be self-sufficient for 30 days. Okay, that's it for this week. I'm Bill Bateman, part of the team. Happy to be here and looking forward to seeing you real soon out at the range. Be safe. The preceding program was a presentation of Retired Guy Productions.