Collin Stevens
Doctor Howard
English 1020
2 April 2019
First Pages
Everyone in our modern society interacts with electricity in one way and many people’s lives depend upon it all together it is because of this fact that I introduce the Montgomery EMP readiness plan. Before I explain the plan itself I must explain what an EMP is. Electromagnetic pulses or EMPs are essentially a concentrated burst of electromagnetic energy that can disrupt or even destroy electronics. In modern society, there are a vast number of factors that can lead to a widespread EMP disaster both natural and man-made. When an EMP occurs electronics may be destroyed but there is also the potential of society itself to be damaged.
As mentioned before electricity is a core component of modern society and society truly falters without it. As seen in the fictional television show The Revolution the world is a dark place when the lights go out. As electricity fails so too will communication, food stores, and other conveniences of modern society. A widespread blackout as seen in the show can lead to mass hysteria, famines, and droves of deaths due to a lack of medicines and contact with medical professionals. Another, major threat and one that is directly referenced in The Revolution is the violent tendencies of citizens who have begun to resort to barbarism and piracy in order to survive on what meager supplies are still available.
Before, the discussion of a possible reactionary plan is discussed in regards to an EMP disaster it is equally important to speak about how to prevent widespread damage. An EMP is an electromagnetic pulse that can be weaponized either intentionally or unintentionally to destroy electronics. The electronics affected range from refrigeration and communication devices to the power grid as a whole. While EMP’s can have massive widespread effects it is possible to greatly minimize the effects of them. This can be done through many interesting and new techniques to deal with this recently discovered threat.
The techniques mentioned below will be imperative to the government and its law enforcement branches keeping effective control over post EMP society as it will greatly increase their pool of usable tools. An extremely simple way to keep electronic devices from extreme EMP damage is by the use of a Faraday cage. A Faraday cage is essentially a grounded metal container that can protect electronic devices from EMPs. Faraday cages are extremely viable and easy to use as some trash cans could even be used to protect smaller devices such as walkie talkies or other important communication devices(citation/quote to be added). Another important technique is that of “electrical hardening” which is the process of reinforcing electrical components through a grounding process which leads to them being more resistant to EMPs and their effects(citation/quote). Although it would be possible to harden specific electrical devices the power grid as a whole would not feasibly be reinforced in its entirety as such there will likely still be mass outages after an EMP event. However, there is a possible way to deal with the widespread outages in the form of wireless power grids. Wireless power grids decrease the need to reinforce the whole grid as only the important sections of the grid would need to be properly reinforced due to the separation of each portion.
While these preparations are very efficient and desirable they also have their own drawbacks that would likely lead to local governments neglecting most of them. A major reason for these protective measures being ignored is the expenses related to the hardening and wireless power transfer techniques. The other thing that may discourage government officials from using the wireless power grid solution could be the possible side effects its form of power transfer can have on individuals. These techniques may have their let-downs but they are invaluable to minimizing the issues caused by an EMP disaster. If the government neglects to prepare in these ways it is imperative to have a reactionary plan in place.
Due to the dangerous possibilities caused by a widespread EMP the plan detailed in this document will be invaluable to saving many innocent lives and maybe society as a whole. The first goal of any disastrous situation such as this is to get citizens affected to safety as quickly as possible. To accomplish this the first stage of the EMP readiness plan is to establish a centralized evacuation point as soon as possible. This centralized evacuation point will allow the local government to keep an eye on the population. This watchful eye would be to prevent the aforementioned hysteria and societal degradation as well as ensuring that the meager supplies still available are properly managed and distributed to the affected citizens.
While in the evacuation zone all citizens should be treated as equals in order to prevent possible tensions caused by unequal treatments. However, individuals with healthcare risks would certainly require more rations, better accommodations, and more attention from medical personnel. The government will also be expected to handle the rationing of food lest famine induced riots break out across the evacuation site. To keep the populace calm and civil it is important to make a show of the government and public services continuing to work as usual.
An extremely important part of the habitation within the evacuation point is that everyone has access to the supplies they need while being aware of how the supplies must be conserved. The populace must be introduced to the concept of rationing all supplies immediately or else unrest or raiding could ensue. A way for government officials to alleviate this threat is by showing their presence and acting as a deterrent in the case of any crimes that are occurring within the evacuation area. Essentially, law enforcement should maintain typical incarceration strategies and formats.
While the evacuation point is a major point of the EMP readiness plan another large portion of it is re-connecting with society. An EMP attack or natural disaster can have a massive effect radius depending on what initiates it. Due to the possible size of the affected area, it is imperative that the government officials prepare and send a team to make contact with the nearest unaffected city. The exploration team will be the sole hope of the affected population in reconnecting with society as a whole.
The exploration team should be properly equipped before their journey begins. Food rations, medical supplies, camping tools, and weapons would be very important goods for the exploration team’s goal. In the event that any communication devices survived the initial EMP, the exploration team should also bring them along in order to keep in contact with the evacuation point. They should make their way North from Montgomery following close to major infrastructures such as interstates or well-known rivers. While following close to these well-defined landmarks they should avoid being directly on them as there is no telling how other cities may react to the new world order established by the lack of technology. Once the evacuation team has made contact with an unaffected city they should inform them of the dangerous and time sensitive situation occurring in Montgomery and other cities.
After the exploration team has informed the functioning government they need to get into contact with Montgomery either through still functioning communication devices or by attempting to return with the aid sent from the federal government. The exploration team will be able to advise the federal aid teams of the social environment in the areas affected by the EMP. Examples of useful information they could share are if any cities have had widespread rioting or any locations of dangerous individuals. Once the federal aid team and exploration team make it to the evacuation point in Montgomery the exploration team will help make contact and keep the population calm and collected.
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