DISASTER! - Homeland Security and Emergency Management ...

• ventilation• water and food• sanitation and first aid products• radiation monitoring devices, radio, tools, firearms, etc.Shielding materials - All fallout shelters must provide good protection fromradioactive particles. FEMA suggests having a minimum of several inchesof concrete or 1 to 2 feet of earth as shielding around your shelter, and themore the better. The following shows examples of shielding materials thatequal the protection of 4 inches (10 cm) of concrete ...• 5 - 6 inches (12 - 15 cm) of bricks• 6 inches (15 cm) of sand or gravel• 7 inches (18 cm) of earth• 8 inches (20 cm) of hollow concrete block• 10 inches (25 cm) of water• 14 inches (35 cm) of books or magazines• 18 inches (46 cm) of woodUnderground is best - Taking shelter in a basement or a facility belowground reduces exposure by 90%. Less than 4 inches (10 cm) of soil orearth can reduce the penetration of dangerous gamma rays by half.Prefab shelter - If you have bucks, time and land, there are many types ofprefabricated shelters you can purchase and have buried on your property.Some have complete living quarters and come fully stocked with food andother items. Suggest you do some research and get references first though.Outside shelter - There are free books and pamphlets with instructions onbuilding underground fallout shelters by FEMA, Cresson Kearny (author of“Nuclear War Survival Skills”), Shane Connor (CEO of KI4U, Inc.) andothers. If you have a few days, tools, property you can dig down into, anddon’t mind heavy labor ... check out www.oism.org/nwss orwww.ki4u.com. (Both sites describe other shelters too like lean-tos, polecoveredtrench shelters, etc.)Indoor shelter locations - If you don’t have a fallout shelter you can get tosafely and quickly, these options could provide protection from dangerousradiation by using shielding materials described on the next page.• basement - find the corner that is most below groundlevel (the further underground you are the better)• 1-story home / condo / apartment - if no undergroundfacility, find a spot in center of home away from windows• trailer home - find sturdier shelter if at all possible (likea basement or a brick or concrete building)www.itsadisaster.net or call 1-888-999-4325119