How I Prepared My Family to Survive a Terrorist Attack
by Mike Linnane
UNCLEWEST@aol.comAfter the Sept. 11 attacks, former Green Beret Mike Linnane did what came naturally -- he made a plan to help his family survive future assaults by terrorists.
That plan became a book, which has become a second career as an adviser on terrorism preparedness.
The 50-page book, "How I Prepared My Family to Survive a Terrorist Attack," has sold all 2,100 copies of its first run. A second print run of 1,500 copies is already half spoken for.
Linnane also has addressed community organizations and is to speak in May to some of the nation's top security specialists at an Interagency Operational Security Support Staff conference in California.
He said he is pleased by the attention for his work.
"I really believe I have a good sound plan to protect your family, and I don't see it anywhere else," he said. "I feel like I'm making a contribution to America's safety."
The 59-year-old drew on 20 years in the Army, including service in Vietnam, as a demolitions and explosives expert and a year as the deputy nuclear accident-incident control officer for the Southwest. He worked from his own knowledge, plus government and military manuals on chemical, biological and radiological warfare.
Much of the advice is common sense: Stock emergency supplies, such as first aid kits, maps, candles, food, water and toilet paper, together in one easily accessible location; fill tubs and sinks with water during an emergency; keep a list of telephone numbers for all family members in the car.
He also teaches readers how to calculate nuclear fallout zones and how to figure where to move by calculating wind direction and speed, and position relative to ground zero in a nuclear attack.
Linnane believes there is a "first move advantage" in a nuclear attack. He said those who know what nuclear facilities are near and how the wind is moving can hurry out of harm's way and be in better shape than those who seal a room with plastic and duct tape.
"I can conceive of a situation when it might be appropriate, but it's an extremely remote possibility," Linnane said. "My family will be moving. Everybody who waits is going to be sitting on an interstate parking lot."
He also advises stocking a 60-day food supply -- a lot more than the three days the government suggests.
"If you can't get food in three days, where are you going to get it on the fourth day? Fifty pounds of rice ... and 50 pounds of beans can feed a family for a month," Linnane said. "They're emergency rations. Not filet mignon."
And water, while plentiful, Linnane said, must be purified. Just 16 drops of bleach per gallon can do the trick.
"Americans aren't used to thinking this way at all. But they need to think bigger," he said.
Linnane, who heads the Triad chapter of the U.S. Army Special Forces Association, believes it is naive to count on the government to warn of an attack and tell you and your family what to do in time. He believes the government's color-coded alert system only confuses matters.
"I promise you, you can't find a person who knows what to do when they issue a red alert," he said.
He noted that it was only after past attacks on Pearl Harbor, Oklahoma City and the World Trade Center that the government and military raised security levels to their highest states.
In future attacks, he said, the public may get little warning.
"I say, get ready, be prepared, and you don't care what the color code is anymore," Linnane said. "Once you've got your supplies together, you're ready. You can kind of relax and just stay up to date on events."
Copies of the book are $10 each and include 1 book and 1 "One Minute Fallout Zone Calculator" (placed inside the back cover and explained in Chapter 4.). I wrote the book and invented the calculator.
Add $2 for up to 2 books for packing and shipping. One book is $12. Two are $22. Etc. Books are normally shipped the same day...or next.I prefer cash, check or money order...My goal is to keep costs down as so far I have donated all proceeds to refugees and the Special Forces Assn.
We use an honor system. Send an e-mail confirming check (payable to me) has been mailed, and we will ship your books right away. Please include the shipping address.
Thank you,
Mike Linnane
103 Mary Wil Ct.
Greensboro, NC 27455
336 471-6655
UNCLEWEST@aol.com
http://www.news14charlotte.com/content/special_edition/homeland_security/?SecID=182&ArID=27181 - review and video interview.
