[LINK] FW: home emergencies

[Karl Auer]

On Fri, 2009-02-20 at 11:14 +1100, Tom Koltai wrote:
> OK - lets say 30 minutes for 20 kilometres.
> The radio and TV are off.
> The mobile phone is on the kitchen table.
> You are in the bedroom, it is a warm night, you have the airconditioner
> on.
> You went to sleep at midnight. The firefront was a "safe" 60 kilomtres
> away.
> All your neighbours are asleep.
> It is 3:30 am in the morning.
> 
> What warning system would wake you up, get you out of the house and and
> safe.

The problem is that the radio is off, that the TV is off, that you are
sleeping, that everyone is sleeping! The assumption that 60km is "safe"
is a problem. Your idea that "out of the house" is safe is also
terribly, fatally wrong. "Out of the house" is where the fire is! Or
will be soon. Where you are unprotected from radiant heat and where,
unless you are well-prepared, you can do no good whatsoever. "Out of the
house" is where you will *die*.

And your alarm system won't solve any of these problems. It is, in short
pushing you-know-what uphill.

IF (and it is a big IF) you are otherwise well prepared and IF you are
taking turns with the neighbours to sleep and keep watch, then THAT'S a
good alarm system. Because it can react to actual conditions, in real
time, with credible information.

Regards, K.

PS: Why do people send a copy to the list and a copy to the OP? I'm
getting two of everything. Just send to the list - everyone will see it,
including the OP. Use the "reply to list" function of your mailer; if it
doesn't have one, choose "reply to all" and trim the address list.

-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Karl Auer (kauer at biplane.com.au)                   +61-2-64957160 (h)
http://www.biplane.com.au/~kauer/                  +61-428-957160 (mob)

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