All were emergencies.
First instance someone was in need of help. I got the person the help that
was needed. That is not why I'm posting this lesson however.
Second instance was a large unknown smokey/burning condition of unknown providence right near my location.
Third the power went out. The following is a text alert from the NYC Dept. of Emergency Mgmt. I get both e-mail and text messages.
"Notification 1 issued 11 June 08, 1335
There is a large power outage impacting the Rockaway Peninsula. Agencies and emergency personnel are responding. Further info will be provided as it is available.
The sender provided the following contact information.
Sender's Name: NotifyNYC
Sender's Email: notifynyc@oem.nyc.gov"
Fourth a large dumpster fire across the street. Prior to this apparently the Fire Department was roaming the area for hazards probably due to people calling in about the smokey conditions. We're just pulling out of a heat wave. The neighbors including myself were able to communicate by voice across the terraces.
This gave me a chance to test out some survival equipment. I wasn't concerned that this was likely a large scale emergency so I got the equipment out and deployed it both water and power.
First Concern
My cell phone battery was very low. For this phone I didn't get the larger secondary battery. So it needed charging. I used The Wagan Power Dome 400Watt. http://www.wagan.com/htmls/detail-2354.html
Second Concern
Water
Since I live on the 9th floor of a large twelve story building I tested the tap to make sure there was enough water pressure. I have one 12L 5 gallon water jug. Since I recently rotated the water out it was less than half full. Since I had pressure albeit reduced pressure I started refilling the jug ASAP and stored some more water away replacing the small amount of MRE fortified orange drink.
As I'm writing this the power has been restored. So I had no more immediate concerns.
Conclusion
The Power Dome has many uses only limited to your own creativity. An industrial power cord can also extend the use of the unit. I'm still testing it on various things. The cell phone was charged on the unit with no problem. I even went ahead and connected it to my entertainment center.
It worked but only a short while. Soon I was sensing that someone would knock on my door and ask me about the power and why I had television
Water should be filled immediately and rotated every six months or so.
This is a topic of utmost importance and is worth looking into.
Wagan will soon be releasing the 2410 • Power Dome 1000. This is a 1250Watt unit. Once released I think I'll upgrade.
