Presenter: Colonel Jim Smith MSS, NRP, FABCHS, CPC, CLEE

Topic: Bleeding Control and Tourniquet Use & Rescue Task Force

Colonel Jim Smith is a registered paramedic and has been involved in law enforcement and public safety for more than 45 years.
He is the co-author of several textbooks including "Tactical Medicine Essentials Downed Operator Course" and "Rescue Task Force" programs based on the textbook. He has a master's degree from USC and teaches criminal justice courses for the University of Phoenix and Troy University.
Smith is a certified police chief and certified law enforcement executive. He is a former police SWAT member and is a TACDA Board Advisor and frequent contributor to the Journal of Civil Defense.

Some topics of discussion:

• Tools to Stop the Bleed. First Aid Kits, Tourniquets and Battle Dressings
• How and When to Safely Use a Tourniquet
• Steps to Treat and Control Bleeding

Presentation Materials: Tourniquet & Bleeding Control & Rescue Task Force

Link To Zoom Presentation: January 15, 2022 Colonel Jim Smith Presentation

Topic: Lessons From a Hay Fire

Presenter: Bruce Curley, TACDA Vice President

Bruce Curley has a passion for Civil Defense and has hosted the blog www.poetslife.blogspot.com for the past 20 years. He generously gives his time and talents to The American Civil Defense Association, American Tactical Civil Defense, and Poetslife to teach practical American civil defense planning, strategy, and preparedness through articles in his blogs and in the Journal of Civil Defense.

In this discussion Bruce will be sharing the lessons he learned from experiencing a hay fire in his home town.

Click here for lesson material!

Topics of discussion include:

• Disasters Occur at the Most Unexpected Times

• Have Your Emergency Items BEFORE the Event

• People Freeze in any Disaster and Need Guidance

• Go into the Zone and Think Clearly

• Expect Conflict and Adapt to It

Topic: The Effects of Nuclear Radiation

Presenter: Sharon Packer

Sharon Packer has a bachelor’s degree in mathematics with a minor in physics, and a master’s degree in Nuclear Engineering. She has served on the TACDA board of directors for over 20 years in several different capacities. Sharon is an expert in civil defense and in NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) shelter design.

Some topics of discussion:

• The difference between RADS and REMS
• Types of radiation
• Limiting exposure through methods of Time, Distance and Shielding
• Expedient sheltering
• Charting and Measuring radiation levels
• Radiation Sickness
• Post War Decontamination

Link to Zoom presentation: March 12, 2022 The Effects of Nuclear Radiation

Link for lesson materials: The Effects of Nuclear Radiation pdf Slide Presentation

Topic: Back-Up Power

Presenter: Jonathan Jones, TACDA Advisor

Jonathan is a licensed civil engineer and an avid enthusiast of alternative energy sources; especially solar and wind power. He has served in many capacities for TACDA, and has developed the city emergency plan in his own community as a city councilperson.

Jonathan has written numerous articles published in the Journal of Civil Defense on emergency preparedness topics. He co-authored, The Provident Prepper—A Common-Sense Guide to Preparing for Emergencies with his wife. He is the co-owner of Your Family Ark, LLC, an educational and consulting business designed to assist individuals and families in preparing for an uncertain future. Their website is the TheProvidentPrepper.org, and their YouTube Channel is The Provident Prepper.

Lesson Overview:

Because of the vulnerability of our power grid to natural disasters, cyber attacks, EMP, war, and other unforeseen events, everyone should have options when it comes to power. In this presentation you will learn where to begin and what types of alternative power will work best for you in an emergency situation.

• Why backup power
• Decide how much energy you need to run critical loads
• Calculate energy consumption.
• Discover your options
• Types of fuel based generators
• Solar/Battery based systems
• Advantages/disadvantages and maintenance

Link for Zoom Presentation: Click HERE

Link for Lesson Materials: Click HERE

Topic: Sanitation

Presenter: Jim Philips

Date: May 14, 2022 6pm (Utah time)

Link for Recorded Zoom Presentation: Click HERE

Following a disaster, there are two overlapping sinister challenges that (over the long-term) will cause more misery, disease, and death than the event. This deadly sanitation combo will quickly kill far more people than starvation or most other issues.  Be prepared to overcome them, before they overcome you and your household!

After the Event Serial Killer —

When “things” happen, there are areas that households can work through on their own (food, shelter, light, clothing, stored water, first aid, etc.).  However, there are a few areas that are very ‘public’, and absolutely require unified participation from the ‘community’.

Recognize that if you are doing everything correctly, but others around you are not, your ability to stay well is drastically diminished or totally negated.  At the top of this list, two major issues go hand in hand with disasters of significant magnitude and duration —

FAILED SANITATION, and its twin sister lack of SANITARY WATER.

Link for Recorded Zoom Presentation: Click HERE

Topic: Are We Ready? Neighborhood Emergency Preparedness

Presenter: Sharon Packer

Sharon Packer has a bachelor’s degree in mathematics with a minor in physics, and a master’s degree in Nuclear Engineering. She has served on the TACDA board of directors for over 20 years in several different capacities. Sharon is an expert in civil defense and in NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) shelter design.

Date: June 9, 2022 6pm (Utah time)

Sharon will give us an overview of Neighbor helping Neighbor with the basics of emergency preparedness:

• Nuclear threat
• Food storage
• Evacuation
• First Aid
• Power outages
• Emergency Communications
• Water storage
• Sanitation
• Neighborhood Watch
• Alternative Energy

Live Zoom presentation will be on Thursday June 9th, and the recording will be available to watch by the following Monday.

Link for Recorded Zoom Presentation: Click HERE

Neighborhood Preparedness Plan Handout: Click HERE

Topic: Cold Weather Survival

Presenter: Jim Phillips

Date: October 13, 2022 6pm (Utah time)

Recorded Video Link: Click HERE for YouTube video link.

Yah, Disasters Happen in the Winter Too — People Are Truly Unprepared to Live Comfortably and Safely in Winter Without Utilities and/or Shelter

Most people tolerated winter as a seasonal inconvenience while staying inside a “warm box” most of the time (homes, buildings, vehicles, etc.).  Some go outside in winter to work or play for a few hours, some even a few days, but all have the firm expectation of coming back to a warm shelter and avoiding long-term exposure to winter conditions.  When things go wrong and that warm-up expectation is not met on schedule, discomfort and misery are at hand.  Serious injury and even death can follow shortly for the ignorant and unprepared.

When utilities are off, vehicles are stuck or broken down, when you cannot get back from an outside excursion, or when the “perfect storm” of events happens in winter at home or away, you may find yourself seriously threatened by the cold.  Being really cold is very unpleasant, and being cold for any extended period seriously impacts one's attitude and performance at any task.

You must be prepared to not just avoid discomfort in winter but to prevent it from progressing to any level of the different cold injuries that can be fatal.  The common answers universally taught are critically flawed—downright wrong, however, there are realistic and reliable answers for emergencies in winter when heat is not available for any number of reasons.

Topic: Psychology of Civil Defense (TACDA Academy Ch.1)

Presenter: Jay Whimpey PE, TACDA President

Date: Saturday, November 12, 2022 6pm MST (Utah time)

Recorded Video Link: Click HERE

Mr. Whimpey will begin a series of lessons covering the TACDA Academy beginning with chapter 1, Psychology of Civil Defense.

To purchase the TACDA Academy: Click here

People do not like to think about disaster. In the minds of most people, comfort, health and plenty remain the rule throughout all time, and they live their lives accordingly. When crisis looms in any form that announces warning, they rush in panic to the grocery store to purchase a few extra supplies. This scene re-plays for the majority of the population prior to every major storm.

Few places in the United States have suffered a long-term disaster. Help in the form of shelter, food and water have always been provided within a few days. We anticipate and expect this help to arrive, and have grown dependent and apathetic because of it. In many other parts of the world, help is not readily available. Vast populations in areas affected by war, pandemics, earthquakes, land slides and floods are left to their own devices for weeks and even months.

Fear, panic, and sheer terror overwhelm the masses during and immediately after major disasters. Panic is soon replaced by overwhelming depression and apathy. Modern day threats have the potential to leave our own population in this same condition. Our survival is dependent upon a change of attitude and the acknowledgment that we are at risk.

Topics of discussion: 

• Assessing Your Risk
• A Change of Attitude
• Neighborhood Emergency Plan (for more information see below links):

Link for Recorded Zoom Presentation "Neighborhood Emergency Preparedness": Click HERE

Neighborhood Preparedness Plan Handout: Click HERE

• Psychological Preparation for Life in a Shelter
• Plan of Action in the Event of a Disaster