Tina Brayford, a survival specialist, shows a group of women how much of a difference a piece of material or a shawl such as this one can make when in an emergency situation. Photo by Becky Hoff.
On Saturday, April 30, survival specialist Tina Brayford presented simple ways for people to always be prepared, no matter what kind of an emergency they may be in at a special seminar sponsored by the Women’s Defensive Weaponry Club.
When most think of ‘survival’ they think of being stuck in the wilderness with little to no resources. However, as with recent power outages, simple techniques can make all the difference in being okay or being on the brink of a catastrophe.
There are eight letters in the word ‘Survival’ and each one can help a person remember what to do when they need to take matters into their own hands, whether it is camping, a power outage or even a flood, which tends to happen quite often in the valley.
S is to remind you to Size up the Situation. Realize what is around you as well as your own physical condition.
U is to make sure you Use all of your senses.
R helps to Remind you of where you are.
V tells your immediate instinct to Vanquish all fear and panic.
Improvise as much as possible.
Value Living.
Act like the Natives – with all there is today, surely taking a step back and remembering how they lived will help ensure supplies are used well.
And finally, Live by your wits as well as Learn basic skills.
Brayford made her first appearance with the Women’s Defensive Weaponry group in March at their first all-around Self-Defense Workshop. Her appearance there was just an abbreviation of what she had to show others on April 30. Anything can be transformed into something else with a little effort. Carrying a simple pack of items can mean the difference of surviving comfortably for a few hours or making rations and supplies last for a few days.
“What she has shown us has made all the difference for us,” said WDW Co-Owner Peggy Pope. “It’s really priceless information that everyone needs to know. You just never know when something is going to happen and all of a sudden you are stuck with one bag of items. With the right items, that bag can help you survive.”
With the success from Brayford’s first two events with the WDW, there will be additional survival seminars scheduled in the future. Anyone interested in learning more can call Pope at 702-346-6149 or find their booth at Mesquite Days this week, where they will have signup sheets and one of Brayford’s survival packs on display. As interest continues to increase, Pope stated that they will be holding several for couples, both men and women, to help make sure that more are educated on survival techniques.
