Bill Anderson:   A Man Prepared for Emergencies

By Joni Johnson

Bill Anderson

Bill Anderson is known as the Tesla guy here on campus.  While a number of people have Teslas, Bill has had at least five.  And his love for his Tesla is a testament for how he sees it keeping him prepared for Emergencies.  But his Tesla is only one of the many marvelous gadgets he has for being prepared for emergencies.

Bill has been involved in Emergency Preparedness since a teenager.  He told me how, as a young boy in Fargo, North Dakota, he was commandeered as a ham radio operator to communicate between train dispatchers during a raging blizzard.  The snow was piled so high that there was absolutely no transportation moving within a 50 mile radius of Fargo.  He agreed to help the two major railroad dispatchers.  He was taken to an undisclosed location, and for one week, he slept on the floor and ate sandwiches so that using his ham radio equipment, he could help the train dispatchers talk to each other.

That experience started him on a life-long interest in emergency preparedness.  When he arrived at RVM in 2008 he realized that even though the Manor would do all it could to ensure his safety, it really was each man for himself in terms of complete readiness.  What would happen in a fire?  What if an earthquake closed down Highway 5 and/or his house was destroyed?  He realized he wanted to protect himself and his wife as much as he could.

But Bill has formulated a longer list to protect himself in a variety of emergency situations.  His question was, What would he need that quite possibly might not be available from the Manor during a fire evacuation or an earthquake?  The four major items are power, water, food and transportation. 

POWER

During our interview, Bill and I spent the next hour discussing his wonderful array of gadgets and how they would work in an emergency.  I first met Bill when I did an article on emergency generators.  Many generators are gas powered, and gasoline storage isn’t allowed at RVM.  He has two Jackery 1500s. These are high-capacity portable battery systems that can be charged with solar panels or electricity.  These would allow him to keep his house well lit and his refrigerator going in case of a blackout. He also has the solar cells that would keep the batteries juiced up in case of a long power outage.

I was looking for options for myself and my husband, Tom.  Tom used a portable oxygen concentrator and needed a way to recharge its batteries in case of an emergency power outage.  Two hours of no power would be fine, but much longer could be a disaster.  And while the Manor and Plaza have emergency generators, Tom would have had to sit in chair near the power outlet for as long as the power outage lasted.  That would not have been very practical.  We decided on a Jackery 1000 with solar panels that cost about $1500.  It was the largest electric power source that I personally could easily move from place to place.  With an extra set of concentrator batteries and a battery charger, this would allow Tom to recharge his batteries over and over again.  It addition, it would power the TV and some light sources.  The refrigerator would have required too much wattage.  The larger Jackery would have taken care of that. This link is to an article written for The Complement comparing a variety of battery powered sources.

https://thecomplement.info/2021/09/30/emergency-power-at-home-why-what-and-how/

Anyone living in the Plaza, Terrace and Manor doesn’t have to go anywhere during a fire.  They can shelter in place in their apartment.  However, even though the high-rises have generators, those would mostly light up the hallways and not provide power to each apartment.  So a power outage is something to consider, since it would shut down light and most communication channels campus-wide as well as heating and cooling in the cottages.  Other than possible power outages, those in cottages should be fine unless there is imminent danger.  RVM has plans for helping people in cottages who are seriously threatened by fire to get to the Plaza or the Manor. This will be on a street-by-street basis.

So Tom and I felt fairly safe in case of an extended power outage.  And Bill was an enormous help in making a decision about what to buy.

WATER

Safe drinking water and food are clearly high on the list.  Bill has boxes of water and food to last for several weeks that he bought off the internet from a company named Patriot. But you need room for that. I don’t have it in my two-bedroom cottage.  However, Manor security has a number of emergency kits that would provide food, medical supplies, mylar blankets and many other items – including a small amount of water — for short term use.  I bought several of these. The cost for these kits ranges from $42.99 to $139.99. Go to    https://files.mwapp.net/FILES/105136059.pdf.  RVM will charge your account and the kits show up on your doorstep.

TRANSPORTATION

Bill loves his Tesla model Y because he can charge it from his Jackery batteries and in case of a gasoline shortage, he could still get in his car and leave.  In addition, because it is an SUV, he can sleep in the car if necessary.  During the Almeda fire, Bill headed out to the Expo with his Tesla, a mattress for the car and food and water. All was well. For more information on this model Tesla, go to https://www.tesla.com/modely

FOOD

Bill has enough freeze-dried long lasting food to last him for a month or more.  He bought his from Patriot as well.  Costco often has packages, and all camping stores have freeze dried food.  In the emergency kit mention above, there are enough food bars to last for several days.

Bill’s love of his Tesla and his plans to use it in case of a major emergency that would let him travel farther away is great.  But many of us do not have Teslas, or even cars, for that matter.  However, some of Bill’s gadgets could certainly be useful.

In addition to food, water and a mattress, Bill has the following at his fingertips (all of which can fit in his car in case he has to leave).  Some of these could be useful, even if you plan to stay at RVM. I’ve starred (*) those.  Items with double stars (**) would require high capacity storage batteries or solar panels for use.

Sun Powered Thermos

*          water filter

*          Sun powered thermos

*          Solar cells for phones

*          Lanterns

**        portable refrigerator/freezer by Bodega

**        small electric frying pan

tent and tent mattress just in case he doesn’t want to sleep in his car

biolite camping stove

folding camping table

Fire is one thing. In case of an earthquake, there are many other factors to consider.  You need to decide what items will be required to keep you safe and somewhat comfortable for at least a week without utilities (electricity, gas, running water, sewer), or access to shopping.   Everyone’s situation is different in detail, but you can find general advice on personal emergency preparedness by looking at the Emergency Preparedness list as part of the link on MyRvm mentioned above.

Bill is ready for whatever emergency, come what may.  If any of you camp, you may already have many of these items. If not, Amazon, Bimart or Big Lots are at your command.  It is wise to be prepared.  One never knows. Thank you Bill!