Beyond The Burning Shore: Searching For Survival

by Ron Foster

  Mostly in the beginning of their association, Mr. Salsec began expanding his preparedness learning from Hogan about the more obscure threats existing in the world in general and to his company specifically.

  Hogan’s planning was well received and sufficient for that task however over time Mr. Salsec shifted the focus eventually to preparing more for his family specifically and distracting Hogan.

  Hogan didn’t mind telling him survival tips and tricks over lunch or long drinking bouts at this little pub about what was necessary prepperwise to take care of his family, but he couldn’t write a business plan like that for a company. Well he could, but he wasn’t about to make it his life’s work to hang out and provide preparedness advice at that level to every employee or manager the guy had.

  Hogan explained that much of this general kind of preparedness information needed was freely available on the internet and if more was needed for the employees’ basic preparedness, brochures were available for cost or no cost from the government printing office.

  Many continuity planners as well as the would be so called preparedness consultants just add that free stuff to their plan and charged for it, but Hogan wasn’t one to do that. This kind of “See Spot Run” Dick and Mary Jane level of preparedness examples for the uninitiated was not something he was willing to get into. That kind of FEMA awareness or resilient community information was a necessity but something that a big corporation like Mr. Salsec’s safety officer should have already addressed, Hogan had explained

  Boss asked Hogan if he would consider sticking around a bit longer in his duties if he himself put a word in with the Country Club for them to hire him to write their continuity plan.

  “Why is that?” Hogan had asked.

  “Because you could get a major contract and I could make a bunch of money on the side and we would both feel better about ourselves.” Boss said with a broad grin.

  “Ha boss! I would feel a little bit better if you had started that conversation out with that I could make a bunch of money and that you could get a major contract that YOU needed to take care of instead of me. I am stretched pretty thin time wise with my work already. What did you do? Go and start talking to all those business men about continuity plans? Were you sitting with those the country club ones you were telling me about that only have their IT divisions Disaster operation plans that may or may not include backing up their servers in another state written down somewhere if needed?” Hogan asked remembering he had been asked if he could recommend anyone in that particular field because Hogan didn’t do the technical electronic aspects of disaster planning. He usually just reviewed the techs plans and then added the human elements they never contained like the phone numbers for all employees on a pass around sheet, a way to disseminate news to employees regarding wages etc, what to do in a quarantine environment if it was declared etc.

  “Yea I did go do something like that, what did you tell me you called it when you sucked me into paying for all this preparedness planning? Your 4 foot effect I think it was that you called it where everyone within 4 feet of you knew what business you were in and you engaged the first interested person that looked like they had money that spoke to you? See, I do listen to you Hogan!” The boss said catching Hogan off guard about how much information he just gave away about himself every time they met.

  ‘Well yes I do admit that with you I sort of got pointed in your direction as a lead to solicit some business from because someone pointed you out. But I do ok on my own that way, I love to network. I started doing that solicitation crap when I tried my hand at being a stockbroker back in the day; only thing worse is an insurance salesman. I guess until I think of a wily old real-estate wheeler dealer like you sniffing around for a victim. I already told you I would put my name, titles and recommendations on the Business Continuity Company you proposed. That was mostly based on if I could look over other professionals’ plans and make suggestions. But if you remember right I told you city living wasn’t for me and I could do most of the work from my home office in the sticks.” Hogan said proud as a peacock he was asked to head up such a firm with the power of Salsec money and influence but loving his country boy freedoms more.

  “Well, hear me out Hogan, before we go to the ballroom at the Country Club for a meeting I would appreciate you visiting my barber, you are starting to look like Samson.” Boss said getting an immediate eye clinch and a bite your tongue held back retort to the insult to Hogan’s alleged dignity.

  “Now you just go right ahead and get your feathers unruffled Hogan. You know I didn’t mean to offend you none. Nothing wrong with you getting yourself spiffed up once in awhile. I bet you clean up good! If you remember, I told you awhile back that I was going to take a poke at you and hurt your feelings in business occasionally. I do that to make you uncomfortable sometimes to see how you act under pressure, hell boy if I am paying you top dollar to deal with how my employees are supposed to act in hard times, I better see you doing the same in the real world as well as the apocalyptic scenarios you scare the crap out of me every day with. Now before you turn me down flat on my proposition hear me out. I tell you what, you might know how to camp out in the woods better than me under adverse conditions but I know business better than you ever will. Look here, I don’t need to even ask someone to seriously consider giving you the Atlanta Country Club contract to increase your business and prestige. All I got to do is ask a favor and get it printed in the newspaper that you are possibly being considered for the job and you can make more money than you can think of making using that headline as a reference! Now hush up and let’s get to the meat of the matter as your country butt is always telling me.” Boss said huffily losing patience with Hogan’s either put on or actual country way of southern negotiations when he wanted out of something.

  “Ok my friend I am in, I will even get me a real fancy haircut for you. What’s on your mind that’s so all fired important it’s got to be that day?” Hogan said looking for the bar maid.

  “I don’t care about your hair you know that, just get it styled a might because you are going to be playing Hollywood and making appearances to the rich and famous as it were. I got to thinking about all them articles you send me sometimes of the super rich building bunkers and such for themselves and others at the community level and they got me to thinking about a new real estate angle. That country club owns a large acreage on the bend of that river, they already jacked the prices for folks having golf course homes etc and of course they got their little conclave thing going. A whole lot of retirees live there, they pay lots of extra cash for security, landscaping, home owners association fees etc. so I said why not add disaster preparedness to that mix? Seems to me you already know everybody and their brother in the manufacturing end or suppliers to the prepper community for food and gear. If you got a membership there and moved around and mingled a little as well as do the emergency plan for that area you could make a million bucks maybe.” Boss offered reminding Hogan it wasn’t what you know in life, but who you know oftentimes that makes you successful.

  “Aw man now you got me intrigued and maybe just a bit greedy!” Hogan said slurping his drink before catching himself and responding negatively.

  “Frank that would work, I know it would probably work like gangbusters but I can’t do it. If I don’t believe in the product you better believe I can’t sell it and what’s worse than that is if somebody has just got money to burn I can suggest something preparedness wise until the sun comes up something to buy. But as I told you just having survival stuff is worthless if they have the wrong mindset. Tell you what, I can show you some plans that Japanese Emergency Management is using right now for stocking community warehouses of supplies and you can mimic that. I am not into retailing how expensive of a bug out bag to sell folks the components of with a straight face. I usually tell people most of what they buy is too much or unnecessary.” Hogan objected.

  “I ain’t talking about us getting into that kind of business at all. I
know you got ideals and won’t just sell crap to make a nickel. You are the one that has been preaching all that prepper homesteader rhetoric at me and I understand the reason you want to go back to your little house in the country away from this big city. Tell you what, you put your emergency manager hat back on and get them rich folks to follow you down the same path you follow as a prepper and it might get your preparedness message to go mainstream better.” Boss said before adding “wasn’t it Hogan who had said the government spent millions every year trying to get the hurricane prone gulf coast residents to put together a 72 hour kit but only 40% ever did it? This was his chance to try to do the same thing but now he could do it Hogan’s cheaper, better way.”

  “Yes, I remember telling you that. It wasn’t until they nearly doubled the amount of dollars spent and started everyone on an advertising campaign of preparing for the mythical “zombie apocalypse” that they got better results.” Hogan answered

  Hogan hated that particular media campaign. It gave the excuse for snot-nosed kids and adults alike to ask their parents to buy big ass knives, swords and axes and such they had no business with without understanding it wasn’t a silly role-playing game. But Mr. Salsec was right; getting the preparedness message out was a driving force in Hogan’s life so he listened patiently.

  “Now back to the country club, you can look at apartment rentals and investment returns the closer you are to that amenity being higher than places like where you are living now. What if when you paid your deposit down on an apartment and you were guaranteed by a corporation food and preparations being provided for a disaster located in one of those little Japanese shipping container things we talked about along with a renter’s insurance policy? See you got age restrictive retirement communities etc that have certain caveats in their leasing how about established preparedness communities?” Boss said letting the idea sink in.

  “Pretty cool, an already pre-made resilient community setup, why not?” If he could have moved into one for an affordable extra fee he would have done it himself.” Hogan considered.

  “I take it you been maybe looking around buying property options?” Hogan said wryly with a small smirk in boss’s direction as he eyed the bar to see if anyone appeared to be listening too closely to them talking business.

  “Of course I have considered doing it but that’s none of your business right now, the idea is would you consider writing the Country Clubs emergency plan and giving a talk to a couple developers I have coming there?” Boss said scrutinizing Hogan’s mixed emotions that were furrowing his brow.

  Hogan looked up at him and then lowered his head studying his drink that all of the sudden tasted flat. Mr. Salsec wanted answers and he didn’t have them. Going to Atlanta wasn’t as bad as going to hell in New York City but it felt about the same to him right now as he considered what an extended even longer stay in the big city would mean. No planting spring gardens, no homegrown vegetable harvest, no watching flowers form on the fruit trees in the orchard, no pissing or making a campfire in the backyard or letting loose with his 22 or AR rifle whenever he wanted to, no neighbors dogs coming to visit when they wanted to say hi to him and his mate, no nothing but a big old pile of money if he could forgo such of life’s luxuries a little while longer.

  “Now as for shaking hands on it and committing to writing a continuity plan you can take a few days to consider. But as for just going to talk about help sell the business and idea of it, I need your answer now.” Boss said.

  “I told you before that you need a face man for them folks to look at and not me. I can feed whoever it is you find what they need to be concentrating on. Grab another business continuity specialist or emergency manager to tag along that I can direct the grunt work to. That way you got somebody to answer phones and handle objections and I don’t find myself backed into a corner trying to handle too much.” Hogan suggested.

  “We haven’t got the time to go interview and hire one. The meeting I am calling is in only a few days. Don’t you have a prepper friend around here somewhere that already knows basic human survival needs you can get to tag along with you? Maybe somebody that talks about stocking pantries and camping and canning and such? Don’t bring one of them fortress minded or over the top bristling with weapons gun prepper folks though. I would want you to choose someone that can talk about surviving hard times more calmly and holistically, like you do.” Boss asked.

  “Uh yea, I might be able to come up with someone that would fit the bill and be willing to play the game with me. Is there anything in it for them personally that I can offer as bait or a bonus to get them to go?” Hogan asked thinking about compensation for what might be viewed as a paid acting or reacting job.

  “Hell, they get a fine dinner, a bar tab and a hundred bucks for hanging out talking about prepping, is that fair?” Boss asked not having considered this factor yet but thinking Hogan and whoever he brought with him would probably cost $400 bucks in receipts and tips in there if they hit the bar after an expensive dinner for any lengthy time period.

  “Sure I will do it, I am not sure who exactly it is yet I am going to drag along with me though. When did you want us to do that thing again?” Hogan asked.

  “I know it’s short notice but would Wednesday be too early to finalize the meeting date on?” Boss asked flinching when Hogan’s eyes momentarily flashed his anger at the time schedule.

  “I don’t know who I might end up with to help me on such short notice. I will have to think on that. That’s ok I can come alone if I have to and we sort it out later. What’s that recreational creator or whatever you call that lady that coordinates your employee events think of my Boy Scout idea?” Hogan asked watching the Boss get uncomfortable about one of Hogan’s odder suggestions of using the company’s non profit paid volunteer works time to focus on preparedness.

  A lot of companies these days required their workers to take a week or two weeks off to advance the social model while interacting in things like building houses for Habitat for Humanity or Care Givers Day Off, etc. and doing a bit of community service. Usually the employees were free to choose what they wanted to do but helping a Scout with a preparedness badge or learning something about survival benefited both and Hogan pushed it as an option to get people up to speed quicker to just basically take care of themselves or get out in the outdoors.

  Well we got the typical Girls Scouts versus the Boy Scout participations objections but that is the only thing going on which is easily remedied. But the message to do these sorts of things got confused when you started making it sound like play day and including fishing, kayaking and canoeing, reptile study and such. I can easily imagine it will work though all people have to think about is no food, nothing to drink and wishing they had some scouting skills. That’s why I wanted you to try to include in your planning some kind of personal level for the employees but I understand it’s too difficult right now at this stage.” Boss said checking his watch before informing Hogan he had to leave soon.

  Well at the personal preparedness level it becomes an individual thing with different needs. There is precedence though; there are Emergency Assistance Funds (EAFs) for Employee Hardship and Disaster Relief. Say for example, there is a tornado which destroys homes, a flood ravages a town, a family member dies, or an unforeseen sickness causes unusual medical expenses. Employees who face crises like these can receive quick assistance from their employer’s Employee Assistance Fund (EAF), which typically has the majority of its money donated by the employees themselves. Then there is the other end of the spectrum. You ever hear that the company Overstock has about $10 million in gold, mostly the small button-sized coins, that they keep outside of the banking system. Their CEO says they expect that when there is a financial crisis there will be a banking holiday. They don't know if it will be 2 days, or 2 weeks, or 2 months. But they have $10 million in gold and silver in denominations small enough that OverStock can use for payroll. They want to be able to keep their employees paid, safe and their
site up and running during a financial crisis. They also happen to have three months of food supply for every employee that they can live on.” Hogan declared ordering one more drink before Boss closed out his tab.

  ‘We need to talk more about that later, I already increased our petty cash at various locations after your suggestions but it is in no way enough to cover any payroll.” Boss said eying his bill and adding the tip.

  “Hey back to your Country Club idea, do you know a couple of those things are already being built in Texas and Ohio? They cost about 300 million dollars each; the houses are 90 % underground and going for about 6 figures each. The sites are like 700 acres with a 12 ft wall around them complete with guard towers.” Hogan said trying to decide if he wanted to walk on home or hang out with the lounge lizards awhile longer.

  “I hadn’t seen that, email me some articles please, I don’t have anything that grandiose in mind but I can see the potential for upgrading their preparedness and expanding into the surrounding community. Do I see you having more interest in my project now?” Boss said pouncing on the subject.

  “I never said I wasn’t disinterested in it, I just don’t want to have to live in the big city to help get it done. If I could work from home and visit, then we got potential. Hey are you going to play the Walt Disney options game?” Hogan said referring to the genius way Disneyland got built.

  “You just remember now that we got ourselves a non-circumvent agreement with each other and your work you do for me. That’s a touchy subject and not one I care to discuss with you but I might see to it you get a little action on something like that if you are being supportive enough.” Boss said a bit miffed that Hogan was eying his secret plans so closely without him even bringing up the subject.