Most public water supplies would be very hard to contaminate. There are two major reasons for this... first, it would take a HUGE amount of anything to overcome the dilution factor (difficult to get a great concentration of anything in millions or billions of gallons of water); and second, all or nearly all municipal water supplies are filtered and chlorinated, which would eliminate most disease-causing organisms. The only exception to this may be Cryptosporidium, which normally doesn't kill people (just makes you wish you were dead!). It is highly unlikely that terrorists would target individual water wells. That said, we do believe that everyone should have a means to filter or disinfect water... if for some reason the water supply were shut down, you may have to visit your local pond or ditch for drinking water.

Anthrax is really not to be feared, unless you happen to be the first unlucky casualty of inhalation anthrax. Once a first victim is discovered, anthrax is easily prevented with antibiotics in others who may have been exposed. You need to inhale a large number of spores before you'll contract the disease. Anthrax is not transmissible from one person to another, unless perhaps you have an open cut or sore that is directly exposed to an anthrax skin lesion or spores. 

Smallpox should concern us! We know that some of these bad guys have access to smallpox, and virtually no one on earth is immune to it. If you had a smallpox vaccine more than 10 years ago, your immunity is gone. Since the vaccine hasn't been given for over 20 years, that would include EVERYONE on earth, except for a few select lab workers who can get the vaccine only from the CDC. A single confirmed case of smallpox anywhere in the world would trigger an international event... you could expect quarantines (probably enforced by armed military) that could last 1-6 months. Smallpox kills about 30-60% of it's victims outright... those who did not die would be scarred for life. Smallpox is caused by a virus, so there is no treatment for it. It is spread primarily through droplet contact (someone within 6-7 feet coughing or sneezing on you, or by contact with open sores, or contact with bedding and clothing that infected persons have used). I'm told it is usually NOT transmissible until the lesions begin to appear. If you're exposed and IF there is enough vaccine to immunize you within a few days of exposure, you should be ok. By the way, the smallpox vaccine is NOT made of smallpox, but of a different pox virus. The idiots who decided that smallpox had been eradicated (even though they KNEW that there were still stores of it),  and said that we no longer needed to immunize anyone should be hung out to dry, in my opinion. I don't know what the chances are of a release of smallpox, since not only would they infect us, they would also certainly infect their own people. Just be prepared with enough supplies if a quarantine should occur.

Basic sanitation is highly important, now more than ever (Mom was right!). Wash your hands frequently (even using plain water to wash hands can remove contaminants... it is the physical action of rubbing the hands together, rinsing and drying that removes most bacteria, although any type of soap does help). Cover any open cuts or sores with a bandage. Try not to touch your eyes or nose without washing your hands before and after. Practice safe food-handling techniques, such as washing fruits and vegetables before consumption; examining canned goods for bulging of the can, or foaming, off-taste or smell after opening; and examining food and medicine packaging for evidence of tampering. Attempt to keep yourself as healthy as possible so that your body can more easily fend off disease. 

Ordinary bleach is a nearly universal decontaminating solution for both biological and chemical agents. For skin, use 2 parts bleach (5.25% sodium hypochlorite, which is plain old Clorox, Purex, or store-brand bleach, unscented, and NOT the new "Ultra" concentrated stuff ) to 10 parts water. This makes a .5% (5/10th's percent) solution. Use straight bleach (5% solution) for equipment such as scissors, etc. You can also use calcium hypochlorite (such as HTH, a swimming pool chemical). For skin decon use 6 oz. HTH to five gallons of water (makes a .5% (5/10th's) solution). For equipment decon use 48 oz. of HTH to five gallons of water (makes a 5% solution). For skin decon of biological agents, use the .5% (5/10th's) solution and BLOT it on the skin (NOT swabbing or wiping), then wash with copious amounts of soapy, lukewarm water. To decon hair and face, gently wash with soapy water followed by a thorough rinse with plain water. For chemicals, first physically remove as much obvious contaminant as possible (through blotting or by scraping with a wooden tongue depressor, and removing contaminated clothing, eyeglasses, contact lenses, hearing aids, dentures, prostheses, etc), then wash with copious amounts of soapy water, then use common flour (the same stuff you'd bake a cake with) as an adsorbant, followed by wiping with wet tissue paper, followed by blotting on .5% (5/10th's) bleach solution followed by more soapy water. If you have nothing else, large volumes of water should be used to rinse as thoroughly as possible. It is a good idea to store one complete change of clothing (including shoes, underwear and socks) inside a tightly sealed plastic bag. That way, if your clothing does become contaminated, you'll have something to change into after decontaminating your body.

While I know there are those who disagree with us, we think that gas masks and biohazards suits are not necessary to own. Rather like some of the hokey airline "security" measures (stand back, or I'll cut your fingernails!) now being instituted, they are more of a "feel-good" band-aid than something that's truly useful. We know of people who've bought gas masks that are 50 years old, are cracked, lack filters or a working filter, or were generally worthless from the day they were designed (look here to see just some of the junk that's out there). They require training to be used effectively, and that training must be reinforced with regular practice. If you don't know how to clear your gas mask, get a drink with it on, or know what to do if you puke while wearing it (which I'm told is a common occurrence), the mask itself can kill you. Your gas mask and suit must be carried with you at all times, even to the bathroom or into the convenience store to get a cup of coffee, because you'd have only 7-9 seconds to get all of it on and get it on properly. I don't know how people will even know when to put this gear on, unless they happen to see folks around them dropping like flies, and by then it is too late. I don't believe that terrorists are too likely to announce that they've just released some deadly substance into the air, and if it were an easy task for these kooks to release something on a large scale it would probably have happened by now. The military relies on very expensive (and not infallible) sensing equipment to tell them when to don their gear, and civilians just do not have that. Like EVERYTHING else in life, this is a gamble, but we personally are willing to forego the expense of these items in favor of devoting our resources to more practical things. If you decide that you DO want this equipment, do your homework and do not scrimp on quality.

Arm yourself, your family and your children with as much knowledge as you possibly can. Make a sincere effort to learn about some new subject or skill on a regular basis. It is far better to be a "jack of all trades, master of none" than to flounder and fail if put outside of your narrow field of expertise and experience. Everyone should know how to sew on a button, bake a cake, give basic first aid, start a fire, build a shelter, know which fork to use when there's lots of silverware, speak to a group, write a poem, catch a fish, etc. Become too specialized, or too dependent on a particular set of circumstances, and you risk becoming extinct as conditions change. Learn how to "think outside the box" and how to improvise.

Be aware of your surroundings! Too many of us walk through life with blinders on, seeing only what is directly ahead (and some folks not even seeing that much). If something just doesn't seem right, trust your instincts! Before you walk into, or out of, a public building (convenience store, grocery store, shopping mall, corner bar, restaurant, etc.), take the time to STOP, let your eyes adjust, and really LOOK to see if something seems amiss. HEAR, SEE, SMELL and TOUCH what is around you... is someone hanging around who looks out of place, does the gas station attendant have her hands held in the air, should that guy really be wearing a ski mask when it's 100 degrees outside, do those apples you just picked up in the supermarket bin have some kind of gooey stuff all over them, is there suddenly a peculiar smell in the air, are the pills that you've been taking for 10 years now blue and square instead of yellow and round, is someone trying to box you in in traffic, or is someone following you? Pay attention... those who look like an easy victim will become one.

Encourage open dialogue and discussion in your own community, schools, workplace, church and neighborhood about emergency planning and preparation. Demand concrete answers to questions such as "what exactly will happen if there is a quarantine for smallpox (or if there's a tornado, flood, wildfire, ice storm, etc.)? Do NOT accept a pat on the head and a "don't worry, we'll take care of everything". Find out now what YOUR responsibilities might be in a disaster, and exactly what plans have been made. Will you basically be on your own to decide what to do, where to go, and how to survive? Will you have access to food, water and shelter? If an evacuation were required, what are the routes and what will be the means of transportation? If there were a quarantine, how would (or could) authorities provide basic services like electricity, sanitation and water, and would you and your children be allowed to leave work or school to stay at home? Will medicine and medical care be available, and how will it be provided? How will we care for the disabled and infirm in an emergency? What would happen if there were a nuclear emergency? Does everyone in this building know where the first aid kit is (or do we even have one)? Who will be in charge of shutting off the gas supply to the building in case of an earthquake or fire, where is the gas shutoff, and is there a tool there to get it shut off? Where is our emergency meeting place, so that everyone can be accounted for after a disaster? By discussing and planning for these things in advance, people are much less likely to panic and will have an idea of what to do and what to expect, and weaknesses and problems areas can be brought to light.