Locally-born organization promotes disaster preparedness and relief education using undead theme
Melissa Wilkinson
Editor-in-Chief
Cliff Mirabella is a Meramec student whose interests include scriptwriting, yoga and preparing citizens for a zombie apocalypse.
After his retirement, Mirabella joined the St. Louis branch of Zombie Squad, a national organization dedicated to disaster preparedness education. The group educates the masses through seminars, demonstrations and training activities and gives back to the community through charity work such as volunteering, disaster relief drives and blood drives.
“We use the zombie apocalypse as a metaphor,” said Mirabella. “Basically, if you’re prepared for the walking dead, you’re pretty much prepared for floods, fires, earthquakes, power outages, et cetera. The
same prep steps apply.”
St. Louis branch leader Craig Mackin said that a major goal of Zombie Squad is to help people prepare for the several-day period in between a disaster and government relief response.
“Homeland Security, FEMA, American Red Cross, they’ll tell you it takes up to 72 hours for them to get all their assets in place for them to be able to assist a community,” said Mackin. “If, in a small way, we’re able to pass on some education to people so they’re able to prepare in advance, it can help them survive during that period.”
To be prepared, said Mackin, is to have a plan. Citizens should know where their fire extinguishers are, have a meeting place in mind in case of family separation and prepare what he calls a “bug-out bag,” an emergency kit containing survival supplies.
“Maybe your house is on fire. You’d have to go somewhere and if you have a pack and sturdy shoes you can get to a cleared area like a park,” said Mackin. “That’s the purpose of a bug-out bag, to take yourself out of a
dangerous situation.”
Zombie Squad has branches all across the United States, but St. Louis is where the organization was born 15 years ago. St. Louis remains one of its most active chapters. Mirabella, a former military man, was inspired to join after attending a meeting with his wife.
“I’ve been in places around the world where stuff hit the fan,” said Mirabella. “I think Americans can be prepared a lot better and be more aware that, as charmed as most of our lives are, stuff happens and you need to be ready for it, not only as an individual but as a community.”
Zombie Squad’s St. Louis Branch hosts a free monthly meeting every third sunday of the month at Shrewsbury Lanes, but the organization also hosts member events such as movie screenings, trivia contests and the upcoming Zombie Con 2018, where members will meet in Irondale, MO in June for a five-day camping trip. More information on Zombie Squad can be accessed via their website, zombiehunters.org, or on the St. Louis branch facebook page.
According to Mirabella, there are plenty of things the average citizen can do to be more prepared. Having a disaster plan and keeping simple supplies like water, canned food and a radio are the first steps to handle a disaster, be it fire, flood or zombie apocalypse.
“Drowning men have no business trying to save someone else. Get your head above water and then you can help someone else,” said Mirabella. “Look around you. Be aware
and prepare.”
