Worried about the coming "Zombie Apocalypse?" Want to know what to do about it? Well, besides attempting to get all the helpful hints from "World War Z" and "The Walking Dead" that you can, you can head out to Kansas, the state that just declared October "Zombie Preparedness Month."
The Inquistr reported Sept. 26 that Kansas, in an effort to get its citizens in the right frame of mind for disaster awareness and preparedness, declared the October "Zombie Preparedness Month" in the hopes that the pop culture phenomenon of zombie worship will increase participation in the readiness campaign for real world disasters like floods, blizzards, tornadoes, earthquakes, and the like. The prevailing opinion of state officials is that if one is prepared for a zombie apocalypse or similar scenario, one should be prepared for just about any type of catastrophe.
According to a press release from the Adjutant General's Office of the state of Kansas, Gov. Sam Brownback signed the "Zombie Preparedness Month" proclamation Sept. 26. With a nod to the popularity of zombies, the release noted that the Kansas of Division of Emergency Management was intent on utilizing the popularity of said undead to encourage Kansans to prepare for emergencies.
“If you’re prepared for zombies, you’re prepared for anything” is the theme behind the zombie apocalypse preparedness campaign.
“If you’re equipped to handle the zombie apocalypse then you’re prepared for tornadoes, severe storms, fire and any other natural disaster Kansas usually faces,” one Kansas state official said. “This is a fun and low-stress way to get families involved, and past turnouts have proven it to be effective.”
So… just how does one really go about preparing for a zombie apocalypse? Well, basically the same way one would prepare for a catastrophic tornado strike or a devastating flood. The first two things everyone needs are emergency home kits with survival supplies that will last at least three days and an emergency plan. There's more of course, so for Kansans -- and non-Kansans -- you are directed to www.ksready.gov for more preparedness information.
Still, Kansas isn't the first government entity to embrace the zombie idea to help get the message out about being disaster-ready. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta issued a plan for preparedness in case of a zombie apocalypse in 2011, much to the bemusement of mainstream media. But their point then was the same as Kansas' is now: basic preparedness for one disaster is preparedness for all.
It was also revealed in May that the Pentagon had commissioned battle plans that included various doomsday scenarios involving zombies. The actual documents were submitted in 2011 with a summary that read, in part, that the report "fulfills fictional contingency planning . . . to undertake military operations to preserve 'non-zombie' humans from the threats posed by a zombie horde."
So… it's really all about disaster readiness. Belief in zombies -- or using them as a fictitious motivator -- is optional. So is going to Kansas.
Houdini in Omaha
The Inquistr reported Sept. 26 that Kansas, in an effort to get its citizens in the right frame of mind for disaster awareness and preparedness, declared the October "Zombie Preparedness Month" in the hopes that the pop culture phenomenon of zombie worship will increase participation in the readiness campaign for real world disasters like floods, blizzards, tornadoes, earthquakes, and the like. The prevailing opinion of state officials is that if one is prepared for a zombie apocalypse or similar scenario, one should be prepared for just about any type of catastrophe.
According to a press release from the Adjutant General's Office of the state of Kansas, Gov. Sam Brownback signed the "Zombie Preparedness Month" proclamation Sept. 26. With a nod to the popularity of zombies, the release noted that the Kansas of Division of Emergency Management was intent on utilizing the popularity of said undead to encourage Kansans to prepare for emergencies.
“If you’re prepared for zombies, you’re prepared for anything” is the theme behind the zombie apocalypse preparedness campaign.
“If you’re equipped to handle the zombie apocalypse then you’re prepared for tornadoes, severe storms, fire and any other natural disaster Kansas usually faces,” one Kansas state official said. “This is a fun and low-stress way to get families involved, and past turnouts have proven it to be effective.”
So… just how does one really go about preparing for a zombie apocalypse? Well, basically the same way one would prepare for a catastrophic tornado strike or a devastating flood. The first two things everyone needs are emergency home kits with survival supplies that will last at least three days and an emergency plan. There's more of course, so for Kansans -- and non-Kansans -- you are directed to www.ksready.gov for more preparedness information.
Still, Kansas isn't the first government entity to embrace the zombie idea to help get the message out about being disaster-ready. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta issued a plan for preparedness in case of a zombie apocalypse in 2011, much to the bemusement of mainstream media. But their point then was the same as Kansas' is now: basic preparedness for one disaster is preparedness for all.
It was also revealed in May that the Pentagon had commissioned battle plans that included various doomsday scenarios involving zombies. The actual documents were submitted in 2011 with a summary that read, in part, that the report "fulfills fictional contingency planning . . . to undertake military operations to preserve 'non-zombie' humans from the threats posed by a zombie horde."
So… it's really all about disaster readiness. Belief in zombies -- or using them as a fictitious motivator -- is optional. So is going to Kansas.
Houdini in Omaha
