Prince spreads word on the need for preparedness

CHICOPEE – Think a moment – what would you do if the power goes off because of a weather emergency? Do you have access to food, water or a means to cook? Could you start a fire, if need be? Have emergency lighting?

Former paratrooper Robert Prince has a mission: preaching the word of being prepared for the inevitable. He has been doing so through free seminars he has conducted at the Castle of Knights, and since September he has been selling a wide variety of items as well as advising people at his Storm Ready store at 1512 Memorial Drive.

Prince is a veteran of Iraq and knows how important being prepared is in the military. He picked up a length of nylon cord known as “550 Cord,” because it can lift 550 pounds and explained that his unit made a fan belt out of the cord when the original broke on their vehicle.

  

He said his interest in being prepared for emergencies came about first with Y2K and the predictions that computer malfunctions would disrupt modern life.  

“I was curious,” Prince recalled. “I paid a lot of money for items I didn’t need.”

After the attack on the country on Sept. 11, 2001 and Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, Prince became even more interested in being prepared. He noted that effects from fracking are causing seismic disturbances. The nation has a crumbling infrastructure and said there are 850 water main breaks a day. He noted winter storm Juno was expected to affect 50 million people. 

He will be teaching a course on preparedness in June and October at Holyoke Community College.

Looking around his store, Prince carries a variety of food items. He said that part of the issue is proper storage and logistics. He has dried and canned products as well as military issue meals ready to eat. 

Packages of water that could fit in a pocket are another item. Prince said if a person had one of these and was stuck in his or her car during a winter storm the plastic and foil pouch could be used to melt snow for additional drinking water. He warned that eating snow lowers body temperature, something to avoid in winter.

Having a solar and crank powered radio is also another essential, Prince pointed out. With an additional antenna Prince said the radio picked up short wave broadcasts from Russia and China.

He said cell phones could give a person a false sense of security. He said there were recent instances in the bad weather across the country in which drivers were stuck in accidents and used their cell phones to call for help. While that was good, Prince explained a miniature air horn and a signal light are better ways to identify your whereabouts for rescuers.

Prince understands his message of preparedness might seem difficult to understand for some people. 

“It’s so foreign to people,” he said. “Without the proper guidance you can buy the wrong product.”

His store is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.