WO2008034014A2 - Subscription-based private civil security facilitation method - Google Patents

Subscription-based private civil security facilitation method Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2008034014A2
WO2008034014A2 PCT/US2007/078418 US2007078418W WO2008034014A2 WO 2008034014 A2 WO2008034014 A2 WO 2008034014A2 US 2007078418 W US2007078418 W US 2007078418W WO 2008034014 A2 WO2008034014 A2 WO 2008034014A2
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civil security
access
civilly
supplies
authorized
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PCT/US2007/078418
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French (fr)
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WO2008034014A3 (en
Inventor
Barrett H. Moore
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Moore Barrett H
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Publication of WO2008034014A3 publication Critical patent/WO2008034014A3/en

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    • GPHYSICS
    • G06COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06QINFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q10/00Administration; Management

Definitions

  • This invention relates generally to providing survival-related services.
  • transportation infrastructure such as roads, bridges, railways, and so forth that facilitate the inexpensive and rapid movement of sometimes perishable goods from source to consumer;
  • communications infrastructure such as telephones, television, radio, and the Internet that facilitate the inexpensive and rapid sharing of news, advice, information, and entertainment;
  • Such persons are also largely without many options when faced with civilly- catastrophic conditions that create a concurrent need for shelter, evacuation, and/or rescue.
  • the only available shelter comprises a public facility such as a school, auditorium, or sports venue on the one hand or ad hoc accommodations obtained at a hotel or via a charity or one's own social network.
  • a public facility such as a school, auditorium, or sports venue on the one hand or ad hoc accommodations obtained at a hotel or via a charity or one's own social network.
  • such options may be adequate, hi many other cases, however, such options quickly prove inadequate or even dangerous in and of themselves.
  • FIG. 1 comprises a flow diagram as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention
  • FIG. 2 comprises a schematic block diagram view as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.
  • FIG. 3 comprises a flow diagram as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.
  • FIG. 4 comprises a flow diagram as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention
  • FIG. 5 comprises a schematic block diagram as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention
  • FIG. 6 comprises a schematic block diagram as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.
  • FIG. 7 comprises a schematic block diagram as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.
  • FIG. 8 comprises a schematic block diagram as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.
  • FIG. 9 comprises a schematic block diagram as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.
  • FIG. 10 comprises a flow diagram as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.
  • FIG. 11 comprises a top plan block diagram view as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.
  • FIG. 12 comprises a flow diagram as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.
  • a plurality of private civil security resources are provided.
  • These private civil security resources comprise, at least in part, civil security provisions, civil security facilities, and civil security services.
  • consideration-based private civil security subscriptions are accepted from subscribers with respect to providing civilly-catastrophic event-based access to at least one life-sustaining or civil security resource. That resource is then maintained pending a need to permit subscription-based access to the resource in the event of a catastrophic event.
  • Authorized beneficiaries are then provided with consideration-based access to this plurality of private civil security resources.
  • the private civil security provisions can comprise various life-sustaining resources as pertain to various categories of life's necessities, including, for example, breathable air, water, food, and protective clothing.
  • the nature of the subscribed-to resource can vary with the needs or requirements of a given application setting but may comprise one or more of a consumable necessity of human life, a non-consumable necessity of human life, shelter, transportation to effect the above-mentioned access, and/or rescue, to note but a few useful examples.
  • Deployable shelters can also be included if desired.
  • non-civil security resources such as, but not limited to, luxury items
  • the civil security facilities can comprise various facilities as have application with respect to protecting such authorized beneficiaries from the effects (including the aftermath, if any) of a civilly-catastrophic event and other dangerous or unpleasant environmental or external influences and forces.
  • the facilities can include, for example, such things as civil security shelters (including both short term and longer term facilities), transportation rally points, trans-shipment facilities and/or distribution facilities for civil security provisions, medical services facilities, training facilities, and so forth.
  • the civil security services can similarly comprise any of a wide variety of services as have application with respect to protecting such authorized beneficiaries.
  • Exemplary services include, but are not limited to, civil security information services (including information that is both generally and specifically appropriate for individual ones of the authorized beneficiaries), transportations services, rescue services, and so forth.
  • civil security information services including information that is both generally and specifically appropriate for individual ones of the authorized beneficiaries
  • transportations services including information that is both generally and specifically appropriate for individual ones of the authorized beneficiaries
  • rescue services and so forth.
  • So configured, authorized beneficiaries will have concrete, predictable access to various categories of privately supplied civil security resources. These steps are readily facilitated without dependency upon (and perhaps even in spite of) governmental oversight, participation, or control.
  • the particular resources provided can vary with the needs and requirements of the authorized beneficiaries.
  • a corresponding process 100 provides a plurality of private civil security resources.
  • "private” will be understood to refer to the opposite of public ownership or control (as exemplified by governmental or ecclesiastical ownership or control) but can include such things as ownership or control via publicly traded ownership (via, for example, publicly traded stock or the like), ownership or control via a not-for-profit entity, or the like.
  • the plurality of private civil security resources can vary to some degree with respect to category and kind of resource.
  • such resources will comprise, at least in part, civil security provisions, civil security facilities, and civil security services.
  • civil security provisions and civil security facilities are physical components rather than virtual components or products of the intellect.
  • the civil security provisions will typically comprise physical support and/or protection of one kind of another.
  • the civil security facilities will also typically comprise physical assets such as, but not limited to, physical shelters that provide real, substantive physical protection from physical threats to human life. Additional details in this regard are provided below.
  • the civil security services can comprise either physical real world services or virtual-content services.
  • These civil security provisions can comprise, for example, a plurality of life- sustaining resources as pertain to a plurality of differing categories of life's necessities.
  • examples in this regard include, but are not limited to, such elemental staples as water 201 (which can comprise water in a pure or impure state and/or other water-based palatable fluids), food 202 (which can comprise a wide variety of raw to highly processed food, nutritional supplements, and so forth, and protective clothing 203 (where "protective” will be understood to refer to protection against one or more potentially hazardous environmental influences such as temperature extremes, precipitation, high velocity winds, and the like but not to matters of fashion, social comment, or the like).
  • These civil security provisions 200 can further optionally include such components as breathable air 204 (which may comprise, for example, a fresh air supply, an oxygen supply (including but not limited to oxygen generators such as, but not limited to, chemical oxygen generators that often produce oxygen as part of a corresponding exothermic reaction) that can serve as a source of oxygen to mix with other atmospheric components, and/or personal or area air filters that serve to remove harmful airborne contaminants from the air prior to being inhaled by an authorized beneficiary), deployable shelters 205 (where "deployable” will be understood as referring to portable shelters such as tents, canopies, inflatable structures, and the like), and other items 206 as may be appropriate to meet the needs of a given application setting.
  • breathable air 204 which may comprise, for example, a fresh air supply, an oxygen supply (including but not limited to oxygen generators such as, but not limited to, chemical oxygen generators that often produce oxygen as part of a corresponding exothermic reaction) that can serve as a source of oxygen to mix with other atmospheric components,
  • these civil security provisions can be so provided in an aggregated form. Such might be the case, for example, when accumulating such material at a warehouse or the like.
  • These teachings will also accommodate, however, forming such civil security provisions into corresponding units of civil security provisions.
  • one such unit of civil security provisions as intended, for example, for a single authorized beneficiary might comprise, at least in part, consumable fluids, foods, medical supplies, personal hygiene supplies, and environmental threat abatement supplies (such as, for example, breathing masks, hazardous materials handling garb, and the like).
  • Such a unit of civil security provisions might comprise, for example, a short term unit that comprises a quantity and variety of civil security supplies that are adequate to sustain life for that one authorized beneficiary for, say, at least about thirty days but no more than, say, about one year.
  • adequacy of any food contents can be determined as a function of a particular target caloric intake per person on a per day basis.
  • the adequacy of any consumable fluid contents could be determined as a function of a particular target quantity intake per person on a per day basis.
  • a unit of aggregated survival resources can be delivered to the home of an authorized beneficiary or to some other designated drop off/delivery location in a secure container that anchors to a preinstalled tether at the location in question.
  • This container might also be secured at the location with earth penetrating ground anchors that might be used when the preinstalled tether is not available or is otherwise unusable.
  • the secure container can be locked in place.
  • this container can comprise a weather proof or tamper proof container or can be otherwise configured and arranged to be substantially impervious to exposure to the elements and/or theft.
  • This container can also be painted or otherwise marked so as to not arouse suspicion and/or unwanted third party interest with respect to its contents.
  • a cannon-based delivery method As an alternative to the use of aircraft when effecting a delivery of survival supplies to an area that is relatively unreachable by ordinary terrestrial vehicles, it would also be possible to employ a cannon-based delivery method. By this approach, a large cannon could serve to direct a projectile towards a desired delivery site. Again, a parachute deployment can be used in conjunction with some steering mechanism to facilitate safely landing the projectile and its contents in a given delivery area. If desired, such a container can comprise a beacon of choice to facilitate locating the projectile subsequent to its landing and/or to simply notify the deliveree that the projectile has landed.
  • the emergency supplies provided to a given authorized beneficiary can be numerous in quantity and widely varied by type and kind.
  • the subscriber and/or authorized beneficiary as correspond to a given civil security plan can be provided with the option to make suggestions regarding the custom packing of their emergency supply unit based on their projected or anticipated immediate requirements during a time of need.
  • one such authorized beneficiary may wish for their water treatment kit to be located on or very near the top of their aggregated supplies unit.
  • specific medicines such as insulin or other frequently administered medicines, could be specifically packed so as to be immediately accessible to the authorized beneficiary.
  • the degree of customization in this regard is constrained to a number of candidate options.
  • the degree of customization is essentially unbounded in these regards.
  • these teachings will accommodate delivery of an initial and/or relatively short term quantity of survival provisions prior to delivering a larger quantity of supplies.
  • This can serve, for example, to quickly provide a complete population of authorized beneficiaries to all receive a short term supply of needed resources at the outset of a civilly-catastrophic event.
  • the contents of these short term units can be varied to reflect, for example, a season during which the delivery occurs, the geographic location of the authorized beneficiary themselves, the distance of the delivery address from a distribution center from which such deliveries are sourced, and so forth.
  • These variations can relate to the types of supplies that are provided and/or the quantity of supplies that are so provided.
  • an authorized beneficiary that is located only 50 miles from the distribution center might be provided with a ten day supply while an authorized beneficiary that is located 700 miles from a distribution center might be provided with a 30 day supply.
  • Such choices could thereby reflect, for example, the relative ease or difficulty by which that initial delivery can be supplemented with additional subsequently delivered provisions.
  • such staged delivery may comprise pre-positioning a certain smaller quantity of survival supplies such that these survival supplies can be quickly dispersed to authorized beneficiaries that are affected by a civilly-catastrophic event.
  • Delivery of the subsequent quantity of survival supplies may include the remaining portion of the survival supplies to which the particular authorized beneficiaries has a right to receive.
  • facilitating the initial delivery may involve many storage locations with initial, short term quantities of survival supplies and facilitating subsequent delivery may involve fewer large repositories that function as main warehouses. Positioning a smaller portion of the survival supplies in a number of locations may give the provider the flexibility to customize the subsequently delivered longer term survival supplies.
  • the longer term survival supplies may be delivered from a larger storage facility, such as a main warehouse, which may have additional capacities unavailable at the numerous satellite storage locations.
  • the numerous locations may have survival supplies that differentiate from other locations and from quantities of supplies within the same location.
  • the survival supplies initially delivery may vary depending on at least one of: geographic location of the authorized beneficiary; expected weather conditions; distance from a survival supplies delivery center; individual characteristics of the authorized beneficiary; and the type of civilly- catastrophic event.
  • Important supplies such as but not limited to important data, seed supplies, and the like are always at risk to any of a variety of civilly-catastrophic events. This risk can be ameliorated, at least to some extent, by geographically distributing redundant stores of such content. Such a solution, of course, is not foolproof. Certain events, or a combination of events, can manage, through coincidence or plan, to destroy such stores. Another problem concerns the availability of surviving stores; it may not benefit survivors on, say, one continent if such supplies are safely located in another continent when transport capabilities are potentially severely impaired. To assist with further ameliorating these concerns, these teachings will accommodate placing such supplies into orbit around the Earth in a satellite or other space borne platform.
  • the satellite's return to Earth can be instigated using any of a variety of means.
  • this platform can return to a water or land-based landing zone upon receipt of a triggering signal from Earth.
  • a triggering signal might specify, for example, a particular landing zone or region from amongst a plurality of candidate landing areas.
  • this space borne platform can return at a predetermined time regardless of whether a civilly-catastrophic event-based event has occurred in the meantime.
  • this return can occur when an expected signal (such as an hourly signal, a daily signal, or the like) remains unreceived by the space borne platform for some predetermined period of time, such as three days, three weeks, three months, three years, or the like.
  • an expected signal such as an hourly signal, a daily signal, or the like
  • such a space borne platform can include protective cladding or the like to protect the contents from space borne radiation, meteorites, or the like.
  • the authorized beneficiary can be provided with one or more relatively small emergency packs that can be prepositioned for immediate use in the event of a civilly-catastrophic event (or other emergency, if desired). Such packs could be placed in the authorized beneficiary's home, their vehicles, their office, their school, their boat or airplane, and so forth as desired.
  • a variety of emergency provisions in one or more locations for the purpose of permitting an authorized person to access those emergency supplies in order to obtain immediately needed supplies during, for example, an evacuation event.
  • Such supplies might be contained in a relatively large secured container. Access to the container could be controlled via any number of mechanisms including key usage, code entry, credit card or other identification card swiping, and so forth. Once opened in this manner, the authorized person gaining access would then be ultimately charged a fee based upon their usage of the contents of that container. By one approach, this could be measured by simply noting which items had been removed from the container. Such usage could be noted by service personnel or automatic detectors could be employed for this purpose.
  • the storage location for survival provisions would be maintained in secrecy notwithstanding that those provisions may include supplies that are intended for and/or customized for given corresponding authorized beneficiaries.
  • Individual units could be brought to separate inspection facilities where a corresponding authorized beneficiary would be allowed to inspect their supplies, offer input regarding the customization of the contents or packing of those supplies, and so forth. Such a unit could then be returned to the secret storage location.
  • provisions can be made to permit remote viewing of such units. For example, Internet-based video or the like can serve in this regard.
  • a supply of emergency materials can be provided to a given authorized beneficiary well prior to any civilly-catastrophic event. At least some of these supplies, however, are likely to have a limited shelf life. Food, for example, will often have only a limited shelf life.
  • these teachings will accommodate the provision of a service to visit an authorized beneficiary's home, office, or other location of choice on a set or more casual basis (for example, once a week, once a month, once a year, once every five years, or whatever time frame makes sense in a given application setting) so that the pre-positioned goods that are owned, leased, or otherwise in the possession of authorized beneficiaries can be inspected, repacked, altered, and/or rotated to ensure that these supplies remain fresh and available should a need for their use arise.
  • a service may include substitutions, straight swaps, additions, or subtractions of goods and equipment so that the provisions are substantially optimized.
  • an authorized beneficiary could be moved to a regional location during a time of need where at least a portion of their unit is stored.
  • Survival supplies as are maintained for the benefit of a given authorized beneficiary may include prescription drugs. This, in turn, can present a logistics challenge. Such materials tend to have a limited shelf life and can require refreshed supplies. The particular medications that are prescribed for a given individual and/or their dosages, form factor, and so forth can also vary over time. To facilitate easing the logistic needs of such requirements, by one approach a pharmacy can be co-located in the storage and/or distribution center for such survival supplies to facilitate the timely and appropriate storage, issue, and rotation of pharmaceuticals for the benefit of corresponding authorized beneficiaries of such services.
  • a consideration-based private civil security subscription can provide, in whole or in part, for a non-human animal.
  • a subscription can provide for civilly-catastrophic event-based access to survival supplies for the animal such as food, hydration, vitamins and other nutritional supplements, protective wear, control apparatus (such as leashes, reins, collars, and the like), vaccinations, medications, first aid supplies, air borne environmental threat abatement apparatus and clothing, and so forth.
  • Such supplies can be specific and/or selected as a function of, for example, species, breed, size, age, and/or gender of the animal.
  • such a subscription can provide for shelter for the animal (either with or sans the owner or other ordinary caretaker), for rescue of the animal from a situation involving near term risk or danger, and/or transport to and/or from a shelter, the owner, or other destination of choice.
  • a consideration-based private civil security subscription can provide, in whole or in part, for an inanimate object.
  • a subscription can provide for civilly-catastrophic event-based access to maintenance supplies and/or conditions such as, but not limited to, airtight containers, controlled humidity and/or temperature containers, fireproof containers, and so forth.
  • a subscription can provide for shelter for the inanimate object (either with or sans the owner or other ordinary caretaker), for rescue of the inanimate object from a situation involving near term risk or danger, and/or transport to and/or from a shelter, the owner, or other destination of choice.
  • a beacon signal that the authorized beneficiary activates.
  • a beacon may comprise an electronic-based beacon (such as a long distance wireless transmitter), a sound-based beacon, a visual beacon (such as a strobe light, a flare, a rocket-based signal, or the like), or even a scent- based beacon.
  • the services provided in response to receipt of such a beacon might comprise, for example, dispatching survival supplies, dispatching a mobile shelter, dispatching transport services, dispatching and tasking a rescue operation, and so forth.
  • these teachings provide generally for accepting 301 consideration-based private civil security subscriptions from subscribers with respect to providing civilly-catastrophic event-based access to at least one life-sustaining resource or civil security resource (or, if desired, to a plurality of different kinds and/or categories of life-sustaining resources) such as, but not limited to, resources pertaining to hydration, nourishment, shelter, environmentally borne threat abatement (such as protection from chemical, biological, and/or radioactive threats and the like), transportation, and/or rescue services.
  • This life-sustaining resource can comprise, for example, a consumable necessity of human life (i.e., a necessity such as nourishment that tends to be reduced in supply as it is consumed) and/or a non-consumable necessity of human life (i.e., a necessity such as shelter that is not necessarily reduced in supply as it is applied or used).
  • a consumable necessity of human life i.e., a necessity such as nourishment that tends to be reduced in supply as it is consumed
  • a non-consumable necessity of human life i.e., a necessity such as shelter that is not necessarily reduced in supply as it is applied or used.
  • This right of access can pertain, if desired, to a predetermined quantity of the life-sustaining resource.
  • a given subscription can relate to providing access to a one year's supply of the at least one life-sustaining resource for a given individual, number of individuals, or the like.
  • these subscriptions may be accepted by, for example, a for- profit business.
  • a not-for-profit business such as a membership- based entity
  • the term “subscription” shall be understood to refer to and encompass a variety of legal mechanisms.
  • subscription mechanisms such as: time-limited rights of access (as where a subscription provides access rights for a specific period of time, such as one year, in exchange for a corresponding series of payments); event-limited rights of access (as where a subscription provides access rights during the life of a given subscriber based upon an up-front payment in full and where those access rights terminate upon the death of the subscriber or where, for example, a company purchases a subscription for a key employee and those corresponding rights of access terminate when and if that key employee leaves the employment of that company); inheritable rights of access (as may occur when the subscription, by its own terms and conditions, provides a right of access that extends past the death of a named subscription beneficiary and further allows for testate and/or intestate transfer to an heir); rights of access predicated upon a series of periodic payments (as where a subscription provides access rights during, for example, predetermined periods of time on a periodic basis as where a subscriber offers month-by-month payments
  • a plurality of differentiated subscription opportunities can be offered in this regard.
  • This plurality of differentiated subscription opportunities can correspond, for example, to providing access to differing selections and/or quantities of the civil security resources or life-sustaining resource supplies.
  • such subscription opportunities can differ from one another at least with respect to cost.
  • This provides subscriber choice with respect to selecting a particular subscription that best meets their specific needs and/or budget limitations. For example, one subscription can provide for accessing life-sustaining resources that, though nutritionally viable, are economically selected while another subscription might provide for life-sustaining resources that are more costly and in turn reflect, for example, a wider variety of choices within a given category of resource.
  • such access can be provided at the whim and convenience of the authorized beneficiaries. If desired, however, such access can be further conditioned in appropriate ways. For example, for many purposes and certainly as pertains to many of the civil security resources it may be appropriate to ordinarily limit such access to situations where such access is triggered, at least in part, by a civilly-catastrophic event having occurred or being likely imminent.
  • Such access may be predicated, if desired, upon a requirement that the civilly-catastrophic event be one that persists in substantial form for more than a predetermined period of time (such as one hour, one day, one week, and so forth) or that causes at least a predetermined amount or degree of infrastructure impairment or other measurable impact of choice (such as a particular level or degree of harm, interference, or negative impact upon a given minimum number of people).
  • a predetermined period of time such as one hour, one day, one week, and so forth
  • measurable impact of choice such as a particular level or degree of harm, interference, or negative impact upon a given minimum number of people.
  • such access may be predicated, if desired, upon a requirement of a particular level of objectivity or subjectively ascertained likelihood that a particular category or kind of civilly-catastrophic event will occur within a particular period of time.
  • civilly-catastrophic event will be understood to refer to an event that substantially and materially disrupts a society's local, regional, and/or national infrastructure and ability to provide in ordinary course for the at least one life-sustaining resource.
  • a civilly-catastrophic event can include both a precipitating event (which may occur over a relatively compressed period of time or which may draw out over an extended period of time) as well as the resultant aftermath of consequences wherein the precipitating event and/or the resultant aftermath include both the cause of the infrastructure interruption as well as the continuation (or worsening) of that interruption.
  • a civilly-catastrophic event can be occasioned by any of a wide variety of natural and/or non-naturally-caused disasters.
  • natural disasters that are potentially capable of initiating a civilly-catastrophic event include, but are not limited to, extreme weather-related events (such as hurricanes, tsunamis, extreme droughts, widespread or unfortunately-targeted tornadoes, extreme hail or rain, and the like, flooding, and so forth), extreme geological events (such as earthquakes, volcanic activity, and so forth), extreme space-based events (such as collisions with comets, large asteroids, and so forth, extreme solar flares, and the like), extreme environmental events (such as widespread uncontrolled fire or the like), and global or regional pandemics, to note but a few.
  • extreme weather-related events such as hurricanes, tsunamis, extreme droughts, widespread or unfortunately-targeted tornadoes, extreme hail or rain, and the like, flooding, and so forth
  • extreme geological events such as earthquakes, volcanic activity, and so forth
  • non-naturally-caused disasters capable of initiating a civilly- catastrophic event include both unintended events as well as intentional acts of aggression such as war, terrorism, madness or the like.
  • Examples of non-naturally-caused disasters capable of such potential scale include, but are not limited to, nuclear-related events (including uncontrolled fission or fusion releases, radiation exposure, and so forth), acts of war, the release of deadly or otherwise disruptive biological or chemical agents or creations, exposure to harmful mutagenic influence, and so forth.
  • conditional access can be absolute (as when a given individual may be granted or denied any access to any of the civil security resources) or may be relative (as when a given individual is granted or denied access to certain of the civil security resources while being allowed access to certain other of the civil security resources).
  • a given individual may habitually and consistently exhibit highly anti-social behaviors; in such a case, the provider of such civil security resources may be willing to provide such a person with civil security provisions but may be reluctant to permit this person to have access to a long term shelter where a certain amount of social buoyancy and ability to compromise with others may be important to the long term ability of that facility to successfully protect its inhabitants.
  • a very wide variety of criteria can be potentially considered for such purposes.
  • a few illustrative examples would include, but are not limited to, an authorized beneficiary's qualifications (based upon their experiences, aptitude testing, physical condition and capabilities, or the like), measured intelligence (based upon, for example, a traditional intelligence quotient (IQ test or the like), psychological test results, behavioral rest results, behavioral test results, race, nationality citizenship, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender, age, health, political beliefs and/or agenda, educational background, professional title, financial backing, athletic ability, mechanical ability, skills, and/or relationship to a third party entity with whom reciprocal relations regarding the provisions/facilities/services mutually agree to extend civilly-catastrophic event-based reciprocal access to one another's authorized beneficiaries).
  • IQ test traditional intelligence quotient
  • a given consideration-based private civil security subscription can provide civilly-catastrophic event-based access to one or more survival resources.
  • the triggering "civilly-catastrophic event" can be measured or detected as a function of a particular instigating event, such as an explosion, an earthquake, a tsunami, and so forth.
  • a particular instigating event such as an explosion, an earthquake, a tsunami, and so forth.
  • the actions of the civil defense benefits provider may be driven by the effect of a given disaster on people instead of merely or strictly by the type and/or severity of that disaster.
  • such a provider might initiate the provision of civil security services in response to a significant shortage of food rather than merely, or initially, to the occurrence of, say, an earthquake in a given area.
  • a given civilly-catastrophic event may be so regionally widespread and devastating as to effectively disable a given country or group of countries.
  • the provider of civil security benefits can pre-arrange the mass expatriation of a population of authorized beneficiaries to a host nation that has not been afflicted, at least unduly, by that given civilly-catastrophic event.
  • Such a possibility can comprise one of the benefits provided via the consideration-based private civil security subscriptions offered by that provider.
  • expatriation may be based upon, for example, a visa entry program or the like.
  • this visa can be prearranged in a manner that permits entry without having to go through ordinary formal immigration and or visa application processes.
  • a given subscription may also provide for similar access to at least one non-civil security resource or non-necessity 302 (that is, an item or service that is not, strictly speaking, necessary to sustain human life on an elemental basis). Li such a case, this process 300 will then also maintain 303 the additional resource and permit access 305 to these non-civil security resources as well.
  • An illustrative listing of representative non-necessities or non-civil security resources comprises, but is certainly not limited to: a luxury consumable (such as, for example, alcoholic beverages, foods that provide an experience beyond simple survival, and so forth); a luxury non-consumable; clothing; a food preparation tool; a personal communication device; a personal hygiene item; non-human nourishment (such as dog food, cat food, and so forth); barter medium (such as bulk or coined precious metals including but not limited to gold, silver, and so forth); an electrical energy source (including but not limited to alternating current power sources, direct current power sources, fuel-consumptive power sources, renewable fuel source power sources, and so forth); an entertainment apparatus (such as game stations, musical instruments, reading material, and so forth); an educational tool (including but not limited to instructional texts, reference works, laboratory and demonstrative equipment, and so forth); physical conditioning, exercise, and maintenance training and equipment; repair and maintenance tools and services; crafts supplies and training; and/or sports equipment and facilities; to note but
  • This process 300 then provides for maintaining 303 the resource(s) pending a need to permit subscription-based access to the resource(s) in response to the occurrence of a catastrophic event.
  • This can comprise maintaining the resource on behalf of the subscriber and/or on behalf of another authorized beneficiary. The specifics of such maintenance will of course vary with respect to the nature of the resource or resources being maintained.
  • maintaining 303 the resource can comprise acquiring 401 the at least one predetermined consumable necessity of human life to thereby provide acquired necessities and then storing 402 those acquired necessities to thereby provide stored necessities that are held on behalf of the corresponding authorized beneficiaries pending a need to access those stored necessities in the event of a triggering civilly-catastrophic event.
  • acquisition and storing steps can further comprise, if desired, acquiring and storing non-consumable necessities of human life and/or consumable or non-consumable non-necessities of human life.
  • Acquisition 401 of such items can be achieved through any of a variety of means.
  • the items may be procured on the open market.
  • the items may be purchased or otherwise acquired from third parties via private negotiations.
  • the entity that provides and accepts these subscriptions may itself create (through manufacturing, farming, or the like) the items of interest.
  • the acquired item may comprise a staple of ordinary commerce.
  • the acquired item may be unique and/or proprietary to the acquiring/storing entity.
  • the civil security facilities will typically comprise physical assets that tend, categorically, to comprise part of a private civil security infrastructure.
  • Such civil security facilities will typically comprise physical assets that tend, categorically, to comprise part of a private civil security infrastructure.
  • Such civil security facilities can, therefore comprise, for example:
  • one or more civil security shelters [0078] one or more civil security shelters; [0079] one or more rally points (at which authorized beneficiaries can gather in response to a civilly-catastrophic event in order to receive certain civil security services such as transportation to another civil security facility such as a shelter or at least to a location that is away from a location that presently (or imminently) lacks civil security (due, for example, to a civilly-catastrophic event, its aftermath, or both));
  • certain civil security services such as transportation to another civil security facility such as a shelter or at least to a location that is away from a location that presently (or imminently) lacks civil security (due, for example, to a civilly-catastrophic event, its aftermath, or both)
  • civil security services such as transportation to another civil security facility such as a shelter or at least to a location that is away from a location that presently (or imminently) lacks civil security (due, for example, to a civilly-catas
  • a location where at least some of the authorized beneficiary's civil security provisions are available such as a metropolitan, local, regional, and/or national distribution facility
  • a trans-shipment facility for at least some of the civil security provisions (where, for example, dis-aggregate provisions are brought and then parsed and aggregated into corresponding units of provisions destined for particular recipient authorized beneficiaries);
  • a temporary civil security shelter will be understood to comprise a shelter that is configured and arranged to adequately shelter and sustain human life for a relatively short period of time.
  • a temporary shelter might prove sufficient in this regard for, say, no more than about ten inhabitants for no more than about one week, ten days, 15 days, and the like.
  • a temporary shelter such as this is designed and intended to only serve as a temporary refuge from the effects of a civilly-catastrophic event. Should longer term accommodations be necessary in a given instance, the inhabitants of such a temporary shelter will often be better served to move to a longer term civil security shelter.
  • a long term civil security shelter will be understood to comprise a shelter that is configured and arranged to adequately shelter and sustain human life for a relatively longer period of time.
  • a temporary shelter might prove sufficient in this regard for, say, no more than about 100 inhabitants for up to about three months, six months, one years, or the like. (Again, such numeric examples serve an illustrative, rather than limiting, purpose only.)
  • These teaching will also readily accommodate the provision of a longer term civil security shelter up to and including an indeterminate term civil security shelter that is configured and arranged to adequately shelter and sustain human life for an indeterminately long period of time.
  • a shelter of this type will typically be characterized not only by an ability to protect its inhabitants against the rigors of the local environment and to contain a relatively large and varied supply of provisions, but by an ability to exist and operate in a fully or at least substantially independent manner. This can relate in particular to an ability to create and/or otherwise replace its consumable provisions (by, for example, growing food, creating power, and so forth).
  • Such shelters may differ from one other in other ways.
  • such shelters may differ with respect to the non-survival related amenities that are provided. These differences can relate to categories of amenities (such as educational facilities, workshop facilities, food preparation facilities, communication facilities, entertainment and/or recreation facilities, or the like) and/or to a relative level of perception of quality, comfort, convenience, or the like.
  • such facilities can serve as a hotel and/or resort during non-emergencies.
  • the facility can be owned and operated by a single entity.
  • multiple parties can contract or otherwise agree or arrange with one another to provide for these disparate uses.
  • a privatized civil defense provider can arrange for supplementing such a facility to include storage capability for emergency provisions, sources of water, protection against airborne contaminants (such as, but not limited to, nuclear, biological, and/or chemical agents) and other accoutrements appropriate to service as a shelter and/or emergency provisions distribution facility.
  • Such parties can further arrange and agree that the facility can be operated as an ordinary hotel/resort unless and until such time as a civilly-catastrophic event triggers the civil defense provider's right to employ the hotel/resort for the benefit of, say, the authorized beneficiaries of corresponding private civil defense benefits subscriptions.
  • all guests of the hotel/resort can be required to sign or otherwise agree to remove themselves and their possessions from the hotel/resort in the event of a civilly-catastrophic event that triggers such alternative usage. Discounts or other benefits might be offered to encourage such agreement.
  • a given hotel/resort is configured and arranged to serve as a shelter for non-guests and/or for registered guests, it will often be useful and desirable to pre- store survival provisions (such as consumable supplies, non-consumable supplies, and so forth) on site.
  • survival provisions such as consumable supplies, non-consumable supplies, and so forth
  • a given civilly-catastrophic event may be so regionally widespread and devastating as to effectively disable a given country or group of countries.
  • the provider of civil security benefits can pre-arrange the mass emigration of a population of authorized beneficiaries to a host nation that has not been afflicted, at least unduly, by that given civilly- catastrophic event.
  • Such a possibility can comprise one of the benefits provided via the consideration-based private civil security subscriptions offered by that provider.
  • Such emigration may comprise, if desired, permanent alien residency and/or citizenship.
  • mobile shelters can be employed in ways that exploit both their mobile capabilities and their shelter capabilities.
  • authorized beneficiaries of such services can be shuttled in, out, or within a given region (such as a region that has been threatened by or impacted by a given civilly-catastrophic event) between temporary and/or long term shelters using such a mobile shelter. It would also be possible to shuttle such authorized beneficiaries between two or more mobile shelters.
  • These teachings will also accommodate providing a plurality of shelters that are both removed geographically from one another and that are distinguished by, for example, a level of protection that the shelter affords its inhabitants.
  • one shelter may be located in a densely populated urban location and may afford a first level or class of protection.
  • a second shelter may be located on the outskirts of that urban setting and afford a second, higher level or class of protection.
  • a third shelter may be located further away from that urban setting (for example, 100 or 200 miles) and provide a third, yet higher level or class of protection.
  • a fourth shelter may be located in a rural setting that is even further from that urban location (such as, for example, 500 or 700 miles) and that provides a fourth, yet even higher level or class of protection.
  • these shelters may be differentiated with respect to their ability to sustain a given population of inhabitants for a given amount of time. In any event, authorized beneficiaries can then be moved as appropriate to and amongst these shelters to best facilitate protecting such authorized beneficiaries from a given civilly-catastrophic event and the consequences of its aftermath.
  • the aforementioned civil security services can comprise any of a relatively wide variety of offerings. Some examples include, but are certainly not limited to:
  • transportation services where such transportation services are not ordinary mass or individual transit services but instead represent, for example, services that are designed, scheduled, and deployed to effect transportation of dispossessed persons away from a location that substantially lacks civil security (such as an area afflicted by a civilly-catastrophic event);
  • civil security information including both civil security information that is generally appropriate for a large number (or all) of the authorized beneficiaries (such as civil security preparedness training or the like) as well as information that is specifically appropriate for individual ones of the authorized beneficiaries (such as personal contingency instructions that are formed and provided to guide specific authorized beneficiaries during a time of need regarding particular actions and behaviors that such specific individuals should take and observe when responding to a civilly-catastrophic event as well as consulting services that assist such individuals with respect to fortifying their relative positions and/or otherwise better protecting themselves against the effects of various civilly-catastrophic events);
  • communications services including long distance communication services (including, for example, wireless-based services) that are configured and arranged to provide substantially persistent communication services notwithstanding interaction of the long distance communication service with the effects of a civilly-catastrophic event (which may include, for example, satellite-based communications, quickly deployed wireless base stations (that comprise, for example, mobile terrestrial platforms, aerial platforms and so forth), and the like);
  • long distance communication services including, for example, wireless-based services
  • wireless-based services that are configured and arranged to provide substantially persistent communication services notwithstanding interaction of the long distance communication service with the effects of a civilly-catastrophic event (which may include, for example, satellite-based communications, quickly deployed wireless base stations (that comprise, for example, mobile terrestrial platforms, aerial platforms and so forth), and the like);
  • civil security rescue services to facilitate, for example, retrieving selected authorized beneficiaries from dangerous circumstances that are owing, at least in part, to a substantial lack of civil security (including, for example, immediate threats posed by life-threatening influences such as fire, collapsed buildings, lawless unpoliced individuals, and the like as well as less-immediate threats (such as starvation, dehydration, infection, or the like) that can follow a substantial failure of civil infrastructure;
  • civil security medical services including but not limited to both fixed location and mobile services
  • civil security physical security services to provide, for example, physical security (such as guards, fences, and other barriers, surveillance equipment, and so forth) for residences, businesses, and other physical property of interest to an authorized beneficiaries);
  • independent utilities facilities installation services (to provide, for example, for the installation of fuel-burning generators, renewable energy-based power generators, propane-based heating plants, and so forth at, for example, the residences and businesses of authorized beneficiaries); and/or
  • post-civilly-catastrophic event social relationship facilitation services to facilitate rebuilding social networks, friendships, partnerships, and romantic relationships for the survivors of civilly-catastrophic events
  • the vehicles used for this purpose can comprise, for example, a bus, van, or similar terrestrial platform.
  • Other vehicles, such as helicopters, hovercraft, boats, and so forth may also be employed where appropriate.
  • the right of a given individual to gain passage on such a vehicle can be arranged in advance of such a civilly-catastrophic event and/or at a specific time of need.
  • Rescue services for a subscriber or other authorized beneficiary can be paid for in a variety of ways including by use of a prepayment approach.
  • An alternative method is to have the subscriber pay a basic flat membership fee (or the like) along with an annual maintenance fee in order to then have rescue services staged and ready for their use.
  • the subscriber can pay a supplemental fee based, at least in part, on the difficulty of the rescue. For example, retrieving an authorized beneficiary from Manhattan using a water borne vessel might be less expensive then a rescue that is performed using a helicopter to remove the rescuee from the top of a building.
  • one or more threat-detection sensors can be deployed at the individual's property (for example, their homes, businesses, vehicles, their clothing, and so forth). Such sensors can be, if desired, coupled to a communication network of choice that forwards the gathered information (using a real time, near real time, or batch protocol of choice) to the central information collection function. If desired, such activities can be supplemented with training for the participating individuals regarding how these observations and so forth are to be carried out.
  • Information regarding how to prepare oneself for a civilly-catastrophic event and how to survive such an event can be added as a material component to certain relatively ubiquitous software programs such a Microsoft Office, Word, Excel, and the like.
  • This information would provide a user with a readily available list of emergency instructions on how to best react in an emergency given a certain set of circumstances.
  • Such information could be recalled using a desktop icon, a specific keyboard key (or combination of keys), or any other recall protocol of choice.
  • Such information could also be provided as a structural component of an enterprise resource software program such as Oracle, SAP, or a Learning Management System (LMS) program or the like.
  • LMS Learning Management System
  • Such content might be an integral part of the software in question or it might comprise an addon program. At least part of the content can reside on the host platform but additional content can be provided using network facilities (by exploiting, for example, a client/server model to provide such supplemental content).
  • this process will readily accommodate providing such civil security provisions 200, civil security facilities 502, and civil security services 503 by a single provider 501.
  • a provider 501 can be integrally involved with designing, providing, maintaining, and offering such civil security resources or can comprise an aggregator of such resources, in whole or in part, as are provided by other sources.
  • these teaching can be flexibly applied in various ways in this regard. For example, and referring momentarily to FIG.
  • the civil security provisions 200 can be provided by a first provider 601
  • the civil security facilities 502 can be provided by a second provider 602
  • the civil security services 503 can be provided by a third provider 603 wherein the first, second, and third providers comprise separate entities (as when, for example, these providers comprise separate legal entities having no co- ownership or common points of control).
  • these separate providers can meet the needs of this step by acting in an aggregated manner 604 (directly or indirectly) with one another.
  • a single provider 703 can provide the civil security facilities 502 and the civil security services 503 while the civil security provisions are provided by a plurality of civil security provisions providers represented here by a first civil security provisions provider 701 through an Nth civil security provisions provider 702 (where "N" will be understood to comprise an integer greater than one).
  • N will be understood to comprise an integer greater than one.
  • a private civil security provider will encounter particular difficulties not faced by providers of other, more traditional, products and services. For example, marketing such services, provisions, and facilities to consumers or clients may prove challenging because individuals may be hesitant to participate because of their reluctance to acknowledge the presence of certain threats or perhaps because they mistakenly believe that their federal, state, local, provincial, or municipal government is effectively addressing and preparing for such civilly-catastrophic events. Further, the business of civil security presents several unique obstacles and challenges to a business plan or model because the business partly operates within a realm sometimes occupied (or is at least perceived as being occupied) by various governmental entities. Some particular examples to address these concerns now follow (it being understood that these examples are provided for illustrative purposes and are not intended to comprise an exhaustive listing of such possibilities).
  • the consideration assessed to provide access to civil security-based resources such as a shelter can be varied dynamically as a function, at least in part, of the severity of the civilly-catastrophic event that otherwise triggers such access rights. For example, a given subscriber might pay a base rate and/or a periodic amount to maintain something akin to an option to access a given survival resource during a time of need. The remaining compensation assessed the subscriber upon making such access can then be determined as a function, at least in part, of the event and/or its attending consequences. To illustrate, the more widespread the effects of a given event, the larger this additional consideration might be. By one approach, this additional amount may be uncapped; if desired, however, this additional amount can be capped such that the ultimate amount to be paid will not exceed some given maximum amount.
  • coupons or the like can be used to permit and facilitate the acquisition of a given unit of survival supplies (such as a ten day unit configured and arranged to provide survival needs for at least ten days).
  • a given unit of survival supplies such as a ten day unit configured and arranged to provide survival needs for at least ten days.
  • Such a coupon could, by its own terms and conditions, permit the bearer of such a coupon to access those civil security benefits using an access protocol of choice.
  • the coupon holder could be provided with a telephone number to call and use to arrange for delivery or pick-up of the corresponding supplies.
  • each such coupon could be uniquely identified (using, for example, a unique corresponding code or the like) and may be usable only within a given geographic area and/or during a particular period of time. Use of such a coupon may also be conditioned upon the occurrence of a triggering civilly- catastrophic event.
  • Contract law provides for certain contractual obligations as between parties to be legitimately waived under certain circumstances that are relatively unforeseeable and/or unpredictable.
  • Force Majeure-based concepts as violent weather, earthquakes, acts of terrorism or war, and so forth therefore serve to obviate, at least temporarily, the obligation of a party to provide goods and/or services to another party as per the terms and conditions of their agreement.
  • a consideration-based private subscription to provide civilly-catastrophic event-based access to one or more life sustaining resources can explicitly exempt itself from at least some Force Majeure forces and events as such forces and events are, in many instances, precisely the kind of triggering event that creates the need for the agreed to services and deliverables.
  • a referral rewards program can be used to reward in some manner a current subscriber of such services who refers a person or organization that also becomes a subscriber of such consideration-based private civil security benefits.
  • Such rewards can assume any of a wide variety of forms and guises.
  • the referring subscriber can earn monetary compensation, credit towards further services, products, and/or subscription expenses, discounts, complimentary products and/or services, or points that can be accumulated and redeemed for one or more awards.
  • early subscribers of a consideration-based private civil security subscription service can also be rewarded in some manner as subsequent entities also subscribe.
  • a reward can serve as recognition for the value of these early subscriptions to assist with providing market validation of the service premise.
  • Such a reward can be determined in any of a wide variety of ways.
  • early subscribers can receive a return based upon a percentage of subsequent subscriber receipts.
  • Such a program may be bounded by any of a variety of triggers and/or boundary conditions.
  • Some illustrative examples include a window of time during which subsequent subscriptions will be counted for such a purpose, a maximum aggregate value to be received by an early subscriber under such a program, and so forth.
  • a complete privately supported civil defense solution may encompass a relatively large number of service and product providers, consultants, and service personnel. To facilitate the establishment and accelerated development of such a solution, it may therefore be useful to establish a tradeshow that caters to many or all of the requirements of a full civil defense solution including the myriad of suppliers to the industry, training requirements necessary or useful to service the business, and/or various types of solutions that are available to enterprises (or other non- family groups) and individuals (including family groups).
  • a person, family, company, or other party interested in taking steps to better prepare themselves to meet and survive a given civilly-catastrophic event may increasingly face a growing number of options.
  • de jure and/or de facto standards can be established and/or promulgated to specify minimum service/product levels for such an industry.
  • a group or association can set one or more standards for vendors of such services and deliverables so that consumers can have a basis to evaluate offerings.
  • Consideration-based private civil security subscriptions that provide for relatively comprehensive services and/or resources may be relatively costly. If desired, such a subscription may be supported through per day payments that are offered by a given subscriber. These daily payments, in turn, would allow corresponding authorized beneficiaries to come to a corresponding shelter in time of need. Similarly, such persons might be able to buy into a provisions program that provides access to survival supplies (such as food, clothing, medical attention, or the like) in a time of need as corresponds to a civilly-corresponding event. Such a daily fee might comprise, for example, a kind of membership fee, an association fee, or the like. The particular daily amount offered could depend upon the scope and nature of the resources provided.
  • a subscriber with limited means who pays $5 a day would receive event- triggered access to a corresponding civil security resource (or resources).
  • Such daily fees could be relatively fixed (with a same amount being paid each day) or could vary (with every seventh day, for example, comprising a doubled amount).
  • the authorized beneficiaries of a given civil security subscription will have access to survival supplies and/or other survival related resources within a particular geographic vicinity. Such access can be provided in other locations, too, if desired, to accommodate traveling authorized beneficiaries.
  • a roaming authorized beneficiary might be provided with a somewhat different suite of survival resources and/or different access fees. Such arrangements might be based upon previously arranged understandings between different providers of such resources and services.
  • this process 100 will also optionally provide for the provision 102 of non-civil security resources.
  • non-civil security resources comprise supplies and items that are not, strictly speaking, necessary to ensure human survival and hence may be viewed as luxuries.
  • Such items can quite literally span the full gamut of available offerings and can include both unique items (such as original works of art) and more commonly available offerings (such as jewelry, pleasure reading materials, audio playback devices, and so forth). Again, differentiation can exist with respect to actual or perceived levels of quality as pertain to such items if desired.
  • These steps of providing such civil security resources can further comprise maintaining such resources.
  • This can comprise, for example, maintaining the freshness and usability of civil security provisions (by replacing outdated or soon-to-be outdated supplies), replacing an existing resource with a better substitute that becomes available, maintaining present and/or imminent usability of a civil security shelter or transport vehicle, updating civil security-related information to reflect current data and intelligence, vetting and re-vetting personnel, and so forth.
  • Such maintenance can be provided, in whole or in part, by the provider of such civil security resources or can be outsourced if desired.
  • This process 100 then provides for providing 103 authorized beneficiaries with consideration-based access to the plurality of private civil security resources. There are various ways by which such authorized beneficiaries can be identified.
  • such authorized beneficiaries can attain this status as per the terms and conditions of a consideration-based private civil security benefits subscription as mentioned above with respect to FIG. 3.
  • a given subscription can provide such status for a stipulated one-year period of time for one or more authorized beneficiaries as correspond to that subscription.
  • the maintenance of the resource 203 may include storing the acquired necessities 402.
  • storage 402 occurs through use of one or more storage facilities 800, illustrated in FIG. 8, which are owned or controlled by the subscription accepting entity.
  • Any suitable storage facility may be used for this purpose with examples comprising (but not being limited to) above ground man-made shelters, below ground or below water facilities (including purposefully excavated facilities, natural caverns, and so forth), and water borne facilities (such as barges and the like).
  • Each such storage facility may be used for this purpose with examples comprising (but not being limited to) above ground man-made shelters, below ground or below water facilities (including purposefully excavated facilities, natural caverns, and so forth), and water borne facilities (such as barges and the like).
  • each such bundle will likely serve to store the resources as correspond to a plurality of authorized beneficiaries.
  • resources are stored in the aggregate.
  • some or all of the acquired necessities are stored in subscriber-based bundles 801. For example, each such bundle
  • Such a bundle 301 could comprise a one year supply of all acquired items as are intended for a family of four authorized beneficiaries.
  • a single authorized beneficiary may have a first bundle comprised of staple items that are acquired and stored for all beneficiaries and a second bundle comprised of custom items that are specifically and uniquely acquired for this particular beneficiary or class of beneficiaries (such as beneficiaries who all share a common dietary ailment or condition, sensitivity, medical condition, preference, or the like).
  • the bundle 801 itself can be realized via any of a wide variety of encapsulating or restraining mechanisms.
  • a tarp and tie-downs can be used to segregate the goods and form the described bundle.
  • discrete storage cabinets formed of wood, metal, plastic, canvas, or other material of choice could be employed for this purpose. Shrink wrap materials could also be employed in this regard.
  • these bundles 801 can be individually palletized (i.e., each placed upon and optionally secured to a pallet 802). Palletization, in turn, will permit ready and efficient movement of such bundles 801 to, about, or from a given storage facility 800 and/or delivery of such a bundle to an authorized beneficiary when such delivery comprises the desired form of granting access to such resources.
  • a first storage facility 901 may contain 1,000 such storage units while a second storage facility 902 may contain an additional 1,000 such storage units.
  • a second storage facility 902 may contain an additional 1,000 such storage units.
  • maintaining 303 the resource in such a context can further optionally comprise maintaining 403 the utility of the stored necessities. This can comprise, for example, monitoring the usability of perishable items and replacing such items on a corresponding schedule. As another simple illustration this step 403 can comprise holding certain items in deep refrigeration or in other special storage conditions as may suit the proper maintenance of such items.
  • Such maintenance 303 can also optionally comprise making adjustments 404 to the stored necessities to reflect dynamically changing circumstances as occur during the consideration-based private civil security subscription period.
  • a new product may become available that is particularly useful in treating a particular infectious condition that may likely arise upon the occurrence of a particular kind of civilly-catastrophic event.
  • maintaining 303 such resources can readily accommodate updating the acquired and stored items to include a supply of this new product.
  • this step of making adjustments 404 can readily comprise one or more of removing a particular one of the stored necessities (as when a better substitute becomes available, when the stored necessity itself is shown to be less effective for its intended purpose than was originally thought, and so forth), adding additional ones of the stored necessities (as when it becomes subsequently understood that more of a particular item is desirable to achieve a particular survival-related goal or purpose), adding at least one new stored necessity that is not already stored (as illustrated in the example provided above), and so forth.
  • the resource being acquired and maintained comprises consumable or non-consumable items.
  • these teachings are applicable for use with other resources as well.
  • maintaining 303 the resource may relate to providing civilly-catastrophic event-based access to a shelter.
  • this step of maintaining 303 the resource can comprise maintaining 1001 such a shelter.
  • Such a construction will usually at least serve to protect the inhabitants from environmental stress and extremes.
  • a shelter will typically also comprise internal temperature control, lighting, storage facilities, sleeping facilities, food preparation facilities, personal hygiene facilities, and so forth.
  • a shelter may also be equipped to provide for water treatment (such as filtering, bacteria removal, and so forth), waste treatment and/or recycling, electrical power generation, and/or air treatment (including but not limited to conditioning, filtering, and so forth).
  • water treatment such as filtering, bacteria removal, and so forth
  • waste treatment and/or recycling waste treatment and/or recycling
  • electrical power generation including but not limited to conditioning, filtering, and so forth.
  • such a shelter can also be equipped with communication facilities including a variety of wireless broadcast capabilities, longdistance two-way communications capabilities, and so forth.
  • Security will likely comprise a primary concern for such a shelter.
  • this can comprise maintaining the shelter in a location that is substantially distal from a nearest substantial human population.
  • a shelter 1102 may be separated from the closest major population bases 1103 by a distance that at least exceeds some predetermined substantial distance X 1104.
  • this distance X might comprise, for example, 800 kilometers.
  • Other factors might well play a part in this regard, of course.
  • a significant natural barrier (such as a large mountain range) might lie between a major population base and a shelter and make reasonable a shorter separation distance between such entities.
  • a suitable water source 1105 can comprise a ground-level water source or an underground water source as, in either case, ready access to the water source may be available. This, in turn, can be useful with respect to ensuring an adequate supply of water for the inhabitants of the shelter 1102 in times of need.
  • a ground-level water source may also provide a means of ingress and egress to facilitate the comings and goings of the authorized beneficiaries (for example, a navigable waterway can provide an effective pathway by which to transport authorized beneficiaries to the shelter 1102).
  • Such shelters may be differentiated, for example, with respect to their relative support for such things as a maximum supportable population, a depth and breadth of provided non-essential accouterments of life, medical facilities (such as, but not limited to, specialized equipment such as respirators, dialysis equipment, operating facilities, and so forth), pet animal accommodations, risk threat abatement capability, entertainment facilities, and so forth.
  • Assignment and/or access to a given differentiated shelter can be determined, at least in part, by such things as relative initial proximity of the authorized beneficiary, the terms and conditions of the corresponding subscription agreement, and so forth.
  • these teachings can be simply practiced by provision of shelter and/or life-sustaining supplies; gaining physical access to such resources comprises the responsibility of the authorized beneficiaries. During such times, of course, it can be expected that civil conditions will be troubled and confusing. Therefore, by another approach these teachings can further encompass transporting at least some of the authorized beneficiaries to the shelter and/or supplies in response to the occurrence of a civilly-catastrophic event. There are various ways by which to accomplish such a task.
  • At least one rally point can be identified 1002.
  • a rally point need not be reserved only for this purpose and may, for example, simply comprise a convenient location for at least some authorized beneficiaries.
  • Example rally points might include sports stadiums and auditoriums, amusement parks, and the like. When possible, it may be helpful to locate such a rally point relatively near an airstrip and/or a navigable waterway.
  • Such amenities can potentially be used when transporting the gathered beneficiaries to their destination (as when, for example, a destination shelter is accessible from the navigable waterway that is also readily accessible from the rally point).
  • one or more such rally points can be identified for each larger population area that contains authorized beneficiaries. It would also be possible, of course, to identify rally points to serve a similar function in more rural settings as well if desired.
  • This process can then optionally provide 1003 information regarding such rally points to the authorized beneficiaries.
  • This information can be provided prior to the occurrence of a civilly-catastrophic event if desired. It may also be useful or possible to provide such information (either in the first instance or as a supplemental notice) following the initiation of such an event. The latter may be achieved using such communication means as may be available at the time. It would also be possible to provision each authorized beneficiary (or family or company of beneficiaries) with one or more communications devices by which such information could be provided. This process could then provide 504 appropriate transportation to move the authorized beneficiaries from these rally points to the destination (such as to a designated shelter).
  • Such transportation can comprise standard vehicles (cars, buses, boats, airplanes, railroad cars, and so forth). If desired, however, more specialized equipment could be used including but not limited to armored transports, environmentally-contained vehicles or trailers, and so forth.
  • a short-term survival kit to facilitate their survival prior to their being able to access the aforementioned stored necessities upon the occurrence of a civilly-catastrophic event.
  • a short-term survival kit might comprise, for example, a seven day supply of nourishment, clothing, food preparation items, bedding, navigation tools, communication tools and/or location beacons, first aid supplies, water treatment items, items to aid with protecting against or otherwise treating environmentally borne hazards, maps, portable power sources, fire starting equipment, survival instructions, and so forth.
  • authorized beneficiaries could be provided 1202 with a survival instruction guide kit. These instructions could provide information regarding survival practices, emergency responses, and so forth.
  • a survival instruction guide kit such as a family group, a company group, and so forth.
  • each authorized beneficiary who comprised a part of a shared group such as a family group, a company group, and so forth
  • the participants would be able to take their own coordinated actions while being relatively secure in their knowledge of what their group counterparts were also likely doing at that time.
  • This survival instruction guide kit could comprise, for example, a book or manual having printing survival instructions and information in combination with fill-in- the-blank opportunities whereby a given authorized beneficiary could customize the instructions to specifically suit their particular needs and situation.
  • Such blanks could be used, for example, to prompt the beneficiary to think through and to record information such as their primary and secondary rally points or other family/group meeting points and protocols, communications protocols and contact information, specific items (perhaps somewhat unique to the individual and which may, or may not, relate to the survival of that individual) that should be stockpiled or otherwise made readily available in the event of a civilly-catastrophic event, and so forth.
  • Such a book or manual could include indexes, tabs, or other navigation tools to permit a reader to quickly find the relevant information they require during a time of need.
  • teachings would also accommodate providing 1203 survival training to authorized beneficiaries.
  • Such training could comprise in-person, on-site training, live instructors, and/or previously prepared teaching resources such as, but not limited to, electronic learning resources.
  • This training could include both general information regarding specific do's and don'ts as pertain to different kinds of civilly-catastrophic events as well as more specific information regarding specific actions that should be taken by the authorized beneficiary with respect to successfully achieving access to their subscribed-to resources as per their subscription.
  • These teachings will also accommodate providing 1204 authorized beneficiaries with a corresponding authorization mechanism by which they can effect their right of access to the resources provided by their subscription.
  • This may comprise a mechanism that the beneficiary carries with them as personal property (such as an identification card) or, for example, a biometric-based identity authentication process that relies upon fingerprints, retinal patterns, or some other relatively unique aspect of the human body.
  • the process 100 provides 104 the authorized beneficiaries with consideration-based access to the non-civil security resources. Notwithstanding the provision of such civil security resources, this step of providing access to such resources can readily comprise providing a plurality of different access opportunities. Such opportunities can differ from one another in any number of ways.
  • these opportunities can differ from one another with respect to the specific resources that are included, the quantity of resources that are included, the duration of time during which the aforementioned access may occur, the conditions under which such access can occur, the manner by which such access occurs (for example, whether civil security provisions are delivered to a given authorized beneficiary (and if so, when, how often, and so forth) or must be picked up by the authorized beneficiary from a given distribution point), and so forth.
  • differing access opportunities could comprise, at least in part, a first access opportunity that provides limited access to no more than a first amount of the civil security resources and a second access opportunity that provides limited access to more than the first amount of the civil security resources.
  • the first amount can be specified, if desired, as a function of a predetermined quantity of the civil security resources and/or as a function of a predetermined amount of time during which the civil security resources are accessed.
  • the second access opportunity could differ from the first access opportunity, at least part, by providing an opportunity to have access to the civil security resources at a time that is temporally subsequent to a time when the first access opportunity provides access to the civil security resources (to thereby provide, for example, for a resupply or replenishment opportunity that supplements an original stock of supplies as might correspond to what is provided pursuant to the first access opportunity).
  • a first access opportunity could provide limited access to only civil security provisions and civil security services while a second, different access opportunity could provide access to both these civil security resources and civil security facilities as well.
  • a first access opportunity that provides limited access to only a limited selection of the civil security provisions and a limited selection of the civil security services comprising information-related services;
  • a second access opportunity that provides limited access to only a limited selection of the civil security provisions and a limited selection of the civil security services comprising both information-related services and transportation services (such as civilly-catastrophic event-based transportation to a civil security provisions distribution facility);
  • a third access opportunity that provides limited access to only a limited selection of the civil security provisions, a limited selection of the civil security services comprising information-related services and transportation services, and a limited selection of the civil security facilities comprising a civil security rally point (or, in other words, an access opportunity that equals that provided by the second access opportunity plus access to the civil security rally point);
  • a fourth access opportunity that equals that provided by the third access opportunity plus access to a civil security shelter (or shelters);
  • a fifth access opportunity that equals that provided by the fourth access opportunity plus access to civil security rescue services.
  • a given provider of these civil security resources can provide five such access opportunities to comprise the primary offerings to be provided to the authorized beneficiaries.
  • Each such offering can of course command a different corresponding level of consideration (such as, for example, a different corresponding payment to be proffered for each).
  • this process will also optionally accommodate providing a key to authorized beneficiaries to thereby facilitate and permit those authorized beneficiaries to access one or more of the civil security resources during an authorized time of need.
  • a key may comprise a physical item (such as, for example, an identification card or a physical lock key) and/or a non-physical item (such as, for example, a code such as a personal identification number, a password, or the like).
  • this step can comprise (in conjunction with acquiring information, materials, and/or samples from the authorized beneficiary to thereby characterize the biometric of choice) providing instructions to the authorized beneficiary regarding presentation of such a biometric in order to gain the desired access.
  • this step can comprise providing the code to the authorized beneficiary.
  • this step can comprise receiving a code of choice from the authorized beneficiary and then providing confirmation to the authorized beneficiary regarding acceptance of that proffered code.
  • a base line membership for a given authorized beneficiary can bear a corresponding base line price and offer access to a corresponding set of civil security resources.
  • These resources might comprise, for example:
  • Pre-civilly catastrophic event delivery of a short-term supply of survival resources comprising at least nutritional consumables. Hydration supplies can also be provided if desired.
  • This short-term supply can comprise, for example, a sufficient quantity of survival resources to support survival of the corresponding authorized beneficiary for at least a predetermined number of days (such as, for example, a ten day period of time).
  • Pre-civilly catastrophic event access to civil security services comprising consulting services that provide for a preparedness review and inventory as well as preparation of a customized and personalized personal action plan to guide the authorized beneficiary in the event of a civilly-catastrophic event-based time of need.
  • a right to acquire additional civil security provisions (either for current delivery or to be held pending a civilly-catastrophic event-based time of need) and/or to access civil security facilities or additional services.
  • a base line offering can be provided for a relatively modest initial cost and, if and as the authorized beneficiary becomes more learned and experienced with respect to civil security issues and concerns, additional supplemental kinds and levels of protection and security can be subsequently acquired as needed.
  • One such modification may be the use of animals for a variety of purposes when dealing with the demands of a civilly-catastrophic event.
  • Non-human animals can serve a variety of purposes in a comprehensive civil defense plan.
  • Animals such as horses and mules can serve as pack animals and/or as a motive force for other constructs (such as plows, wagons, buggies, and so forth).
  • Animals such as dairy cattle, dairy goats, chickens, and so forth can serve as a source of fresh food products.
  • Animals such as cattle, chickens, pigs, and so forth can serve as direct (and renewable) food sources.
  • Some subscribers might want transport related animals, while others might only want food production animals, while yet others may wish for a variety of each. In most scenarios it would not necessarily be required that such animals be located and maintained so as to be available at the onset of a civilly-catastrophic event. Instead, the specified animals could be delivered to the corresponding authorized beneficiaries at some time following the initiation of such an event. It would also be possible, however, if desired, to pre-position such animals at, for example, an emergency shelter that is intended to serve as a long term survival facility. As part of a comprehensive solution, the authorized beneficiaries could also be provided with training, instructions, food, medicines, and other husbanding necessities or supplies as are necessary or useful to support, herd, employ, and/or process the animals as they support the authorized beneficiary.

Abstract

A plurality of private civil security resources are provided (101). These private civil security resources comprise, at least in part, civil security provisions, civil security facilities, and civil security provisions. Consideration-based private civil security subscriptions are accepted (301) from subscribers with respect to providing civilly-catastrophic event-based access to one or more such resource. That resource is then maintained (303) pending a need to permit subscription-based access to the resource in the event of a catastrophic event. By one approach, these subscriptions may also relate to delivering an initial quantity of civil security provisions, which is intentionally less than the full amount of survival supplies to which the individual has a right to receive.

Description

SUBSCRIPTION-BASED PRIVATE CIVIL SECURITY FACILITATION METHOD
Related Applications
[0001] This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. provisional application numbers 60/825,524 filed September 13, 2006, 60/825,976 filed September 18, 2006, 60/826,491 filed September 21, 2006, 60/827,591 filed September 29, 2006, 60/827,820 filed October 2, 2006, 60/827,828 filed October 2,2006, 60/828,341 filed October 5, 2006, 60/828,342 Filed October 5, 2006, and 60/829,447 filed October 13, 2006, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety herein.
Technical Field
[0002] This invention relates generally to providing survival-related services.
Background
[0003] Many citizens of the world have long passed the point when a ready availability of the basic necessities of life is satisfactory in and of itself. Today's consumer-oriented citizens demand, and often receive, an incredibly diverse and seemingly ever-growing cornucopia of consuming and experiential options. Such riches are typically based, in turn, upon a highly interdependent series of foundational infrastructure elements. Examples of the latter include, but are certainly not limited to:
[0004] transportation infrastructure such as roads, bridges, railways, and so forth that facilitate the inexpensive and rapid movement of sometimes perishable goods from source to consumer;
[0005] communications infrastructure such as telephones, television, radio, and the Internet that facilitate the inexpensive and rapid sharing of news, advice, information, and entertainment; and
[0006] the totality of civil services such as police services, fire fighting services, medical services, and so forth that facilitate a sufficient degree of order and predictability to, in turn, permit the complex series of inter-related actions that modern society requires in order to operate.
[0007] As powerful as the machinery of modern life appears, however, modern citizens are today perhaps more at risk of experiencing a serious disruption in their ability to prosper or even to survive en mass than is generally perceived. Providing the necessities of life in general requires a lot of things to all operate, more or less, correctly. To put it another way, a serious disruption to any significant element of civilized infrastructure can produce catastrophic results for a broad swath of a given civil entity. Any number of natural and/or human-caused events can greatly disrupt society's infrastructure and corresponding ability to provide one or more life-sustaining resources such as water, nutrition, shelter, and the like.
[0008] Many people believe and trust that their government (local, regional, and/or national) will provide for them in the event of such a civilly-catastrophic event. And, indeed, in the long view such is clearly a legitimate responsibility owed by any government to its citizens. That such is a consummation devoutly to be wished, however, does not necessarily make it so. Hurricane Katrina provided some insight into just how unprepared a series of tiered modern governmental entities may actually be to respond to even basic survival needs when a civilly-catastrophic event occurs. To a large extent one may reasonably argue that governments have forsaken their responsibility to design, fund, implement, or even discuss an effective civil defense program capable of protecting large segments of their populations.
[0009] Such insights, of course, are not particularly new. Civil preparedness shortcomings occasionally attract public attention and niche marketing opportunities exist with respect to provisioning the needs of so-called survivalists. Indeed, there are those who spend a considerable amount of their time and monetary resources attempting to ready themselves to personally survive a civilly-catastrophic event. Therein, however, lies something of a conundrum.
[0010] On the one hand, modern governments typically do little to proactively ensure the bulk survival (let alone the comfort) of their citizens in the face of most civilly- catastrophic events. On the other hand, attempting to take responsible actions to reasonably ensure one's own safety and security can become, in and of itself, nearly a full-time avocation and leave little time to actually enjoy the conveniences and opportunities of modern life. Such individual actions may even be frowned upon by the greater part of society which has grown accustomed and falsely secure with existing efficient just-in-time delivery systems that provide the illusion of plenty while undercutting the perception of risk. [0011] As a result, many (if not most) individuals and their families are largely bereft of access to survival resources that they will need should a civilly-catastrophic event befall them. This shortcoming tends to be relatively comprehensive; most people have ready access to neither a sufficient selection of survival supplies nor a sufficient quantity. For people who do have a store of supplies set aside against such an eventuality, it can be a considerable burden to maintain and ensure the freshness, vitality, and usability of those supplies. At the same time, the same civilly-catastrophic event that occasions their need for supplies will also likely disrupt relevant supply chains enough to cause a partial or complete shortage of supplies at their local merchants. The unfortunate net result is a relatively near term severe need for a variety of survival supplies that will often go unmet for lengthy periods of time.
[0012] Such persons are also largely without many options when faced with civilly- catastrophic conditions that create a concurrent need for shelter, evacuation, and/or rescue. For example, in many cases, the only available shelter comprises a public facility such as a school, auditorium, or sports venue on the one hand or ad hoc accommodations obtained at a hotel or via a charity or one's own social network. In some cases, such options may be adequate, hi many other cases, however, such options quickly prove inadequate or even dangerous in and of themselves.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0013] The above needs are at least partially met through provision of the subscription-based private civil security facilitation method described in the following detailed description, particularly when studied in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:
[0014] FIG. 1 comprises a flow diagram as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention;
[0015] FIG. 2 comprises a schematic block diagram view as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention;
[0016] FIG. 3 comprises a flow diagram as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention;
[0017] FIG. 4 comprises a flow diagram as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention; [0018] FIG. 5 comprises a schematic block diagram as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention;
[0019] FIG. 6 comprises a schematic block diagram as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention;
[0020] FIG. 7 comprises a schematic block diagram as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention;
[0021] FIG. 8 comprises a schematic block diagram as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention;
[0022] FIG. 9 comprises a schematic block diagram as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention;
[0023] FIG. 10 comprises a flow diagram as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention;
[0024] FIG. 11 comprises a top plan block diagram view as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention; and
[0025] FIG. 12 comprises a flow diagram as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.
[0026] Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions and/or relative positioning of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present invention. It will further be appreciated that certain actions and/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. It will also be understood that the terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions with respect to their corresponding respective areas of inquiry and study except where specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein. Detailed Description
[0027] Generally speaking, pursuant to these various embodiments, a plurality of private civil security resources are provided. These private civil security resources comprise, at least in part, civil security provisions, civil security facilities, and civil security services. By one approach, consideration-based private civil security subscriptions are accepted from subscribers with respect to providing civilly-catastrophic event-based access to at least one life-sustaining or civil security resource. That resource is then maintained pending a need to permit subscription-based access to the resource in the event of a catastrophic event. Authorized beneficiaries are then provided with consideration-based access to this plurality of private civil security resources.
[0028] The private civil security provisions can comprise various life-sustaining resources as pertain to various categories of life's necessities, including, for example, breathable air, water, food, and protective clothing. The nature of the subscribed-to resource can vary with the needs or requirements of a given application setting but may comprise one or more of a consumable necessity of human life, a non-consumable necessity of human life, shelter, transportation to effect the above-mentioned access, and/or rescue, to note but a few useful examples. Deployable shelters can also be included if desired. By one approach, non-civil security resources (such as, but not limited to, luxury items) can also be provided if desired to supplement such staples.
[0029] The civil security facilities can comprise various facilities as have application with respect to protecting such authorized beneficiaries from the effects (including the aftermath, if any) of a civilly-catastrophic event and other dangerous or unpleasant environmental or external influences and forces. The facilities can include, for example, such things as civil security shelters (including both short term and longer term facilities), transportation rally points, trans-shipment facilities and/or distribution facilities for civil security provisions, medical services facilities, training facilities, and so forth.
[0030] The civil security services can similarly comprise any of a wide variety of services as have application with respect to protecting such authorized beneficiaries. Exemplary services include, but are not limited to, civil security information services (including information that is both generally and specifically appropriate for individual ones of the authorized beneficiaries), transportations services, rescue services, and so forth. [0031] So configured, authorized beneficiaries will have concrete, predictable access to various categories of privately supplied civil security resources. These steps are readily facilitated without dependency upon (and perhaps even in spite of) governmental oversight, participation, or control. The particular resources provided can vary with the needs and requirements of the authorized beneficiaries. Importantly, via these teachings individuals can benefit from a greatly increased opportunity to bring a considerably improved measure of security into their lives, knowing that, should a civilly-catastrophic event indeed be visited upon them, they will have extraordinary and reliable access to privately facilitated civil security resources.
[0032] These and other benefits may become clearer upon making a thorough review and study of the following detailed description. Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1, a corresponding process 100 provides a plurality of private civil security resources. As used herein, "private" will be understood to refer to the opposite of public ownership or control (as exemplified by governmental or ecclesiastical ownership or control) but can include such things as ownership or control via publicly traded ownership (via, for example, publicly traded stock or the like), ownership or control via a not-for-profit entity, or the like.
[0033] The plurality of private civil security resources can vary to some degree with respect to category and kind of resource. By one approach, however, such resources will comprise, at least in part, civil security provisions, civil security facilities, and civil security services. Generally speaking, both the civil security provisions and civil security facilities are physical components rather than virtual components or products of the intellect. For example, the civil security provisions will typically comprise physical support and/or protection of one kind of another. Similarly, the civil security facilities will also typically comprise physical assets such as, but not limited to, physical shelters that provide real, substantive physical protection from physical threats to human life. Additional details in this regard are provided below. Also as described in more detail below, however, the civil security services can comprise either physical real world services or virtual-content services.
[0034] These civil security provisions can comprise, for example, a plurality of life- sustaining resources as pertain to a plurality of differing categories of life's necessities. Referring momentarily to FIG. 2, examples in this regard include, but are not limited to, such elemental staples as water 201 (which can comprise water in a pure or impure state and/or other water-based palatable fluids), food 202 (which can comprise a wide variety of raw to highly processed food, nutritional supplements, and so forth, and protective clothing 203 (where "protective" will be understood to refer to protection against one or more potentially hazardous environmental influences such as temperature extremes, precipitation, high velocity winds, and the like but not to matters of fashion, social comment, or the like).
[0035] These civil security provisions 200 can further optionally include such components as breathable air 204 (which may comprise, for example, a fresh air supply, an oxygen supply (including but not limited to oxygen generators such as, but not limited to, chemical oxygen generators that often produce oxygen as part of a corresponding exothermic reaction) that can serve as a source of oxygen to mix with other atmospheric components, and/or personal or area air filters that serve to remove harmful airborne contaminants from the air prior to being inhaled by an authorized beneficiary), deployable shelters 205 (where "deployable" will be understood as referring to portable shelters such as tents, canopies, inflatable structures, and the like), and other items 206 as may be appropriate to meet the needs of a given application setting.
[0036] By one approach, these civil security provisions can be so provided in an aggregated form. Such might be the case, for example, when accumulating such material at a warehouse or the like. These teachings will also accommodate, however, forming such civil security provisions into corresponding units of civil security provisions. To illustrate, one such unit of civil security provisions as intended, for example, for a single authorized beneficiary might comprise, at least in part, consumable fluids, foods, medical supplies, personal hygiene supplies, and environmental threat abatement supplies (such as, for example, breathing masks, hazardous materials handling garb, and the like).
[0037] Such a unit of civil security provisions might comprise, for example, a short term unit that comprises a quantity and variety of civil security supplies that are adequate to sustain life for that one authorized beneficiary for, say, at least about thirty days but no more than, say, about one year.
[0038] Those skilled in the art will recognize and understand that there are various ways by which such adequacy can be determined, measured, and/or established. For example, by one approach, the adequacy of any food contents can be determined as a function of a particular target caloric intake per person on a per day basis. Similarly, the adequacy of any consumable fluid contents could be determined as a function of a particular target quantity intake per person on a per day basis.
[0039] The particular time frames suggested in the above examples are intended only to serve an illustrative purpose and are not to be construed as limitations with respect to the practice of these teachings. Those skilled in the art will also appreciate and understand that such a unit of civil security provisions can comprise a quantity of supplies that are intended to support more than one authorized beneficiary for the given period(s) of time. For example, such a unit might comprise a family unit that contains sufficient contents to adequately sustain life for a family of four authorized beneficiaries.
[0040] These teachings will also accommodate providing civil security provisions that differ from one another in ways other than by category or kind. For example, both branded and generic versions (or other differentiators with respect to quality) of a same kind of item can be selectively provided if desired. In another aspect, the civil security provisions will differ in their storage requirements or in how the provisions are delivered. Some particular examples in this regard now follow (it being understood that these examples are provided for illustrative purposes and are not intended to comprise an exhaustive listing of such possibilities).
[0041] By one approach, a unit of aggregated survival resources can be delivered to the home of an authorized beneficiary or to some other designated drop off/delivery location in a secure container that anchors to a preinstalled tether at the location in question. This container might also be secured at the location with earth penetrating ground anchors that might be used when the preinstalled tether is not available or is otherwise unusable. By one approach the secure container can be locked in place. If desired, this container can comprise a weather proof or tamper proof container or can be otherwise configured and arranged to be substantially impervious to exposure to the elements and/or theft. This container can also be painted or otherwise marked so as to not arouse suspicion and/or unwanted third party interest with respect to its contents.
[0042] Following a civilly-catastrophic event, there may be scenarios where the delivery of survival supplies to an authorized beneficiary by a traditional means such as a terrestrial vehicle is not feasible. These teachings will accommodate permitting given subscribers the opportunity or option to pre-purchase or order the delivery of their survival supplies or components thereof to be delivered by aircraft when such conditions exist. This might comprise, for example, a helicopter, lighter-than-air aircraft (such as hot air balloons, dirigibles, and so forth), hovercraft, fixed wing aircraft, and so forth. This could also include an air drop by parachute or by a method similar to that used by the military with guided munitions, where a dropped parcel is guided to a particular landing location before a parachute deploys to cushion the landing of the parcel. There are various ways by which such guidance can be informed, including homing beacon signals (as might be initiated, for example, by an authorized beneficiary), global positioning system signals, and so forth.
[0043] As an alternative to the use of aircraft when effecting a delivery of survival supplies to an area that is relatively unreachable by ordinary terrestrial vehicles, it would also be possible to employ a cannon-based delivery method. By this approach, a large cannon could serve to direct a projectile towards a desired delivery site. Again, a parachute deployment can be used in conjunction with some steering mechanism to facilitate safely landing the projectile and its contents in a given delivery area. If desired, such a container can comprise a beacon of choice to facilitate locating the projectile subsequent to its landing and/or to simply notify the deliveree that the projectile has landed.
[0044] The emergency supplies provided to a given authorized beneficiary can be numerous in quantity and widely varied by type and kind. By one approach, the subscriber and/or authorized beneficiary as correspond to a given civil security plan can be provided with the option to make suggestions regarding the custom packing of their emergency supply unit based on their projected or anticipated immediate requirements during a time of need. For example, one such authorized beneficiary may wish for their water treatment kit to be located on or very near the top of their aggregated supplies unit. As another example, specific medicines, such as insulin or other frequently administered medicines, could be specifically packed so as to be immediately accessible to the authorized beneficiary. By one approach, the degree of customization in this regard is constrained to a number of candidate options. By another approach the degree of customization is essentially unbounded in these regards.
[0045] By one approach, these teachings will accommodate delivery of an initial and/or relatively short term quantity of survival provisions prior to delivering a larger quantity of supplies. This can serve, for example, to quickly provide a complete population of authorized beneficiaries to all receive a short term supply of needed resources at the outset of a civilly-catastrophic event. The contents of these short term units, however, can be varied to reflect, for example, a season during which the delivery occurs, the geographic location of the authorized beneficiary themselves, the distance of the delivery address from a distribution center from which such deliveries are sourced, and so forth. These variations can relate to the types of supplies that are provided and/or the quantity of supplies that are so provided. As one illustration in this regard, an authorized beneficiary that is located only 50 miles from the distribution center might be provided with a ten day supply while an authorized beneficiary that is located 700 miles from a distribution center might be provided with a 30 day supply. Such choices could thereby reflect, for example, the relative ease or difficulty by which that initial delivery can be supplemented with additional subsequently delivered provisions.
[0046] Upon the occurrence of a civilly-catastrophic event, a large number of the authorized beneficiaries will likely need access to a variety of civil security resources. Delivering the civil security provisions in an initial, short term quantity of survival supplies allows the provider to take care of the immediate needs of a large number of authorized beneficiaries without overwhelming the logistic delivery capabilities of the provider. In such a system, while not all of the authorized beneficiaries' provisions are delivered at least a portion of the provisions are delivered and the provider is able to more easily provide all authorized beneficiaries with some survival supplies without excessively taxing the system.
[0047] By one approach, such staged delivery may comprise pre-positioning a certain smaller quantity of survival supplies such that these survival supplies can be quickly dispersed to authorized beneficiaries that are affected by a civilly-catastrophic event. Delivery of the subsequent quantity of survival supplies may include the remaining portion of the survival supplies to which the particular authorized beneficiaries has a right to receive. In one form, facilitating the initial delivery may involve many storage locations with initial, short term quantities of survival supplies and facilitating subsequent delivery may involve fewer large repositories that function as main warehouses. Positioning a smaller portion of the survival supplies in a number of locations may give the provider the flexibility to customize the subsequently delivered longer term survival supplies. The longer term survival supplies may be delivered from a larger storage facility, such as a main warehouse, which may have additional capacities unavailable at the numerous satellite storage locations.
[0048] In another form the numerous locations may have survival supplies that differentiate from other locations and from quantities of supplies within the same location. For example, the survival supplies initially delivery may vary depending on at least one of: geographic location of the authorized beneficiary; expected weather conditions; distance from a survival supplies delivery center; individual characteristics of the authorized beneficiary; and the type of civilly- catastrophic event.
[0049] Important supplies, such as but not limited to important data, seed supplies, and the like are always at risk to any of a variety of civilly-catastrophic events. This risk can be ameliorated, at least to some extent, by geographically distributing redundant stores of such content. Such a solution, of course, is not foolproof. Certain events, or a combination of events, can manage, through coincidence or plan, to destroy such stores. Another problem concerns the availability of surviving stores; it may not benefit survivors on, say, one continent if such supplies are safely located in another continent when transport capabilities are potentially severely impaired. To assist with further ameliorating these concerns, these teachings will accommodate placing such supplies into orbit around the Earth in a satellite or other space borne platform. The satellite's return to Earth can be instigated using any of a variety of means. By one approach, this platform can return to a water or land-based landing zone upon receipt of a triggering signal from Earth. Such a signal might specify, for example, a particular landing zone or region from amongst a plurality of candidate landing areas. By another approach, this space borne platform can return at a predetermined time regardless of whether a civilly-catastrophic event-based event has occurred in the meantime. By yet another approach, this return can occur when an expected signal (such as an hourly signal, a daily signal, or the like) remains unreceived by the space borne platform for some predetermined period of time, such as three days, three weeks, three months, three years, or the like. If desired, such a space borne platform can include protective cladding or the like to protect the contents from space borne radiation, meteorites, or the like.
[0050] Upon obtaining a subscription to private civil security benefits, the authorized beneficiary can be provided with one or more relatively small emergency packs that can be prepositioned for immediate use in the event of a civilly-catastrophic event (or other emergency, if desired). Such packs could be placed in the authorized beneficiary's home, their vehicles, their office, their school, their boat or airplane, and so forth as desired.
[0051] In some cases it may be appropriate to preposition a variety of emergency provisions in one or more locations for the purpose of permitting an authorized person to access those emergency supplies in order to obtain immediately needed supplies during, for example, an evacuation event. Such supplies might be contained in a relatively large secured container. Access to the container could be controlled via any number of mechanisms including key usage, code entry, credit card or other identification card swiping, and so forth. Once opened in this manner, the authorized person gaining access would then be ultimately charged a fee based upon their usage of the contents of that container. By one approach, this could be measured by simply noting which items had been removed from the container. Such usage could be noted by service personnel or automatic detectors could be employed for this purpose.
[0052] By one approach, the storage location for survival provisions would be maintained in secrecy notwithstanding that those provisions may include supplies that are intended for and/or customized for given corresponding authorized beneficiaries. Individual units could be brought to separate inspection facilities where a corresponding authorized beneficiary would be allowed to inspect their supplies, offer input regarding the customization of the contents or packing of those supplies, and so forth. Such a unit could then be returned to the secret storage location. If desired, provisions can be made to permit remote viewing of such units. For example, Internet-based video or the like can serve in this regard.
[0053] By one approach a supply of emergency materials can be provided to a given authorized beneficiary well prior to any civilly-catastrophic event. At least some of these supplies, however, are likely to have a limited shelf life. Food, for example, will often have only a limited shelf life. If desired, these teachings will accommodate the provision of a service to visit an authorized beneficiary's home, office, or other location of choice on a set or more casual basis (for example, once a week, once a month, once a year, once every five years, or whatever time frame makes sense in a given application setting) so that the pre-positioned goods that are owned, leased, or otherwise in the possession of authorized beneficiaries can be inspected, repacked, altered, and/or rotated to ensure that these supplies remain fresh and available should a need for their use arise. Such a service may include substitutions, straight swaps, additions, or subtractions of goods and equipment so that the provisions are substantially optimized.
[0054] In some instances it may be easier, wiser, and/or more cost effective to move an authorized beneficiary to their unit then it is to move their unit to the authorized beneficiary's location. Under this scenario an authorized beneficiary could be moved to a regional location during a time of need where at least a portion of their unit is stored.
[0055] Survival supplies as are maintained for the benefit of a given authorized beneficiary may include prescription drugs. This, in turn, can present a logistics challenge. Such materials tend to have a limited shelf life and can require refreshed supplies. The particular medications that are prescribed for a given individual and/or their dosages, form factor, and so forth can also vary over time. To facilitate easing the logistic needs of such requirements, by one approach a pharmacy can be co-located in the storage and/or distribution center for such survival supplies to facilitate the timely and appropriate storage, issue, and rotation of pharmaceuticals for the benefit of corresponding authorized beneficiaries of such services.
[0056] These teachings will readily accommodate permitting a subscriber to identify and permit certain third parties (such as family members, traveling companions, co- workers, or the like) to have access to their subscription-based civil security benefits. Such access may be limited to only circumstances when the subscriber/authorized beneficiary is present or such access may be allowed even in the absence of the authorizing party if desired. Limitations can be accommodated regarding such access. For example, the duration of time during which such access is permitted, or the degree of access provided, can be circumscribed as desired.
[0057] By one approach, a consideration-based private civil security subscription can provide, in whole or in part, for a non-human animal. For example, such a subscription can provide for civilly-catastrophic event-based access to survival supplies for the animal such as food, hydration, vitamins and other nutritional supplements, protective wear, control apparatus (such as leashes, reins, collars, and the like), vaccinations, medications, first aid supplies, air borne environmental threat abatement apparatus and clothing, and so forth. Such supplies can be specific and/or selected as a function of, for example, species, breed, size, age, and/or gender of the animal. As another example, such a subscription can provide for shelter for the animal (either with or sans the owner or other ordinary caretaker), for rescue of the animal from a situation involving near term risk or danger, and/or transport to and/or from a shelter, the owner, or other destination of choice.
[0058] By one approach, a consideration-based private civil security subscription can provide, in whole or in part, for an inanimate object. For example, such a subscription can provide for civilly-catastrophic event-based access to maintenance supplies and/or conditions such as, but not limited to, airtight containers, controlled humidity and/or temperature containers, fireproof containers, and so forth. As another example, such a subscription can provide for shelter for the inanimate object (either with or sans the owner or other ordinary caretaker), for rescue of the inanimate object from a situation involving near term risk or danger, and/or transport to and/or from a shelter, the owner, or other destination of choice.
[0059] By one approach, if desired, the provision of civil security benefits and/or services by a given provider can be triggered, in part, by receipt of a beacon signal that the authorized beneficiary activates. Such a beacon may comprise an electronic-based beacon (such as a long distance wireless transmitter), a sound-based beacon, a visual beacon (such as a strobe light, a flare, a rocket-based signal, or the like), or even a scent- based beacon. The services provided in response to receipt of such a beacon might comprise, for example, dispatching survival supplies, dispatching a mobile shelter, dispatching transport services, dispatching and tasking a rescue operation, and so forth.
[0060] In one illustrative example, and referring now to FIG. 3, these teachings provide generally for accepting 301 consideration-based private civil security subscriptions from subscribers with respect to providing civilly-catastrophic event-based access to at least one life-sustaining resource or civil security resource (or, if desired, to a plurality of different kinds and/or categories of life-sustaining resources) such as, but not limited to, resources pertaining to hydration, nourishment, shelter, environmentally borne threat abatement (such as protection from chemical, biological, and/or radioactive threats and the like), transportation, and/or rescue services. This life-sustaining resource (or resources) can comprise, for example, a consumable necessity of human life (i.e., a necessity such as nourishment that tends to be reduced in supply as it is consumed) and/or a non-consumable necessity of human life (i.e., a necessity such as shelter that is not necessarily reduced in supply as it is applied or used). [0061] This right of access can pertain, if desired, to a predetermined quantity of the life-sustaining resource. For example, a given subscription can relate to providing access to a one year's supply of the at least one life-sustaining resource for a given individual, number of individuals, or the like.
[0062] By one approach, these subscriptions may be accepted by, for example, a for- profit business. By another approach a not-for-profit business (such as a membership- based entity) may be the appropriate entity to offer and accept such subscriptions. As used herein, the term "subscription" shall be understood to refer to and encompass a variety of legal mechanisms. Some relevant examples include, but these teachings are not limited to, subscription mechanisms such as: time-limited rights of access (as where a subscription provides access rights for a specific period of time, such as one year, in exchange for a corresponding series of payments); event-limited rights of access (as where a subscription provides access rights during the life of a given subscriber based upon an up-front payment in full and where those access rights terminate upon the death of the subscriber or where, for example, a company purchases a subscription for a key employee and those corresponding rights of access terminate when and if that key employee leaves the employment of that company); inheritable rights of access (as may occur when the subscription, by its own terms and conditions, provides a right of access that extends past the death of a named subscription beneficiary and further allows for testate and/or intestate transfer to an heir); rights of access predicated upon a series of periodic payments (as where a subscription provides access rights during, for example, predetermined periods of time on a periodic basis as where a subscriber offers month-by-month payments to gain corresponding month-by-month access rights); rights of access predicated upon a one-time payment (as may occur when a subscriber makes a single payment to obtain a time-based or event-based duration of access rights or, if desired, when a single payment serves to acquire a one-time right of access or a perpetual right of access that may be retained, transferred, inherited, or the like); ownership-based rights of access (as may occur when the subscription provides for ownership rights with respect to the civil security resources, when the subscription is based upon shareholder-based ownership of the provider of such civil security resources, or the like); non-transferable rights of access (as may occur when the subscription, by its terms and conditions, prohibits transfer of the right of access to the civil security resources from a first named beneficiary to another); transferable rights of access (as may occur when the subscription, by its terms and conditions, permits conditional or unconditional transfer of the right of access to the at least one life-sustaining resource from a first named beneficiary to another); membership-based rights of access (as may occur when the subscription, by its terms and conditions, establishes a membership interest with respect to the accorded right of access such as, for example, a club-based membership); fractionally-based rights of access (as may occur when the subscription, by its terms and conditions, establishes a divided interest by and between multiple subscription beneficiaries with respect to a right to access the civil security resources); non-ownership-based rights of access (as may occur when the subscription, by its terms and conditions, establishes the aforementioned right of access via, for example, a lease, a rental, or borrowing construct); option-based rights of access (as may occur when the subscription, by its terms and conditions, establishes a right for an authorized beneficiary to later obtain access to some or all such civil security resources upon, for example, paying an additional supplemental amount at that time); and/or credit-based rights of access (as may occur when a given individual predicates their right to access the civil security resources upon a representation, promise, or other credit-based transaction).
[0063] If desired, a plurality of differentiated subscription opportunities can be offered in this regard. This plurality of differentiated subscription opportunities can correspond, for example, to providing access to differing selections and/or quantities of the civil security resources or life-sustaining resource supplies. As but one very simple illustration in this regard, such subscription opportunities can differ from one another at least with respect to cost. This, in turn, provides subscriber choice with respect to selecting a particular subscription that best meets their specific needs and/or budget limitations. For example, one subscription can provide for accessing life-sustaining resources that, though nutritionally viable, are economically selected while another subscription might provide for life-sustaining resources that are more costly and in turn reflect, for example, a wider variety of choices within a given category of resource.
[0064] These teachings also readily encompass the notion of a given subscriber providing such a subscription for an authorized beneficiary other than themselves. Such might occur, for example, when one family member procures such a subscription for one or more other family members. Another example would be for a company to subscribe on behalf of named key employees, family members of such key employees, and so forth. Other examples no doubt exist. For example, a bearer certificate (or its legal or functional equivalent, such as a gift card) could serve to identify any individual who produces and bears that certificate as an authorized beneficiary.
[0065] By one approach, such access can be provided at the whim and convenience of the authorized beneficiaries. If desired, however, such access can be further conditioned in appropriate ways. For example, for many purposes and certainly as pertains to many of the civil security resources it may be appropriate to ordinarily limit such access to situations where such access is triggered, at least in part, by a civilly-catastrophic event having occurred or being likely imminent. Such access may be predicated, if desired, upon a requirement that the civilly-catastrophic event be one that persists in substantial form for more than a predetermined period of time (such as one hour, one day, one week, and so forth) or that causes at least a predetermined amount or degree of infrastructure impairment or other measurable impact of choice (such as a particular level or degree of harm, interference, or negative impact upon a given minimum number of people). In addition, or in lieu thereof, such access may be predicated, if desired, upon a requirement of a particular level of objectivity or subjectively ascertained likelihood that a particular category or kind of civilly-catastrophic event will occur within a particular period of time.
[0066] As used herein, "civilly-catastrophic event" will be understood to refer to an event that substantially and materially disrupts a society's local, regional, and/or national infrastructure and ability to provide in ordinary course for the at least one life-sustaining resource. Such a civilly-catastrophic event can include both a precipitating event (which may occur over a relatively compressed period of time or which may draw out over an extended period of time) as well as the resultant aftermath of consequences wherein the precipitating event and/or the resultant aftermath include both the cause of the infrastructure interruption as well as the continuation (or worsening) of that interruption.
[0067] A civilly-catastrophic event can be occasioned by any of a wide variety of natural and/or non-naturally-caused disasters. Examples of natural disasters that are potentially capable of initiating a civilly-catastrophic event include, but are not limited to, extreme weather-related events (such as hurricanes, tsunamis, extreme droughts, widespread or unfortunately-targeted tornadoes, extreme hail or rain, and the like, flooding, and so forth), extreme geological events (such as earthquakes, volcanic activity, and so forth), extreme space-based events (such as collisions with comets, large asteroids, and so forth, extreme solar flares, and the like), extreme environmental events (such as widespread uncontrolled fire or the like), and global or regional pandemics, to note but a few.
[0068] Examples of non-naturally-caused disasters capable of initiating a civilly- catastrophic event include both unintended events as well as intentional acts of aggression such as war, terrorism, madness or the like. Examples of non-naturally-caused disasters capable of such potential scale include, but are not limited to, nuclear-related events (including uncontrolled fission or fusion releases, radiation exposure, and so forth), acts of war, the release of deadly or otherwise disruptive biological or chemical agents or creations, exposure to harmful mutagenic influence, and so forth.
[0069] In addition, or in lieu thereof, such access can be further conditioned upon other criteria of interest or concern in a given application setting. Such conditional access can be absolute (as when a given individual may be granted or denied any access to any of the civil security resources) or may be relative (as when a given individual is granted or denied access to certain of the civil security resources while being allowed access to certain other of the civil security resources). As a simple illustrative example in this regard, a given individual may habitually and consistently exhibit highly anti-social behaviors; in such a case, the provider of such civil security resources may be willing to provide such a person with civil security provisions but may be reluctant to permit this person to have access to a long term shelter where a certain amount of social buoyancy and ability to compromise with others may be important to the long term ability of that facility to successfully protect its inhabitants. [0070] A very wide variety of criteria can be potentially considered for such purposes. A few illustrative examples would include, but are not limited to, an authorized beneficiary's qualifications (based upon their experiences, aptitude testing, physical condition and capabilities, or the like), measured intelligence (based upon, for example, a traditional intelligence quotient (IQ test or the like), psychological test results, behavioral rest results, behavioral test results, race, nationality citizenship, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender, age, health, political beliefs and/or agenda, educational background, professional title, financial backing, athletic ability, mechanical ability, skills, and/or relationship to a third party entity with whom reciprocal relations regarding the provisions/facilities/services mutually agree to extend civilly-catastrophic event-based reciprocal access to one another's authorized beneficiaries).
[0071] As noted elsewhere, a given consideration-based private civil security subscription can provide civilly-catastrophic event-based access to one or more survival resources. By one approach, the triggering "civilly-catastrophic event" can be measured or detected as a function of a particular instigating event, such as an explosion, an earthquake, a tsunami, and so forth. One may also, however, define such a trigger, in whole or in part, with respect to a measurable impact upon people. For example, the actions of the civil defense benefits provider may be driven by the effect of a given disaster on people instead of merely or strictly by the type and/or severity of that disaster. To illustrate, such a provider might initiate the provision of civil security services in response to a significant shortage of food rather than merely, or initially, to the occurrence of, say, an earthquake in a given area.
[0072] As noted above, in some cases, a given civilly-catastrophic event may be so regionally widespread and devastating as to effectively disable a given country or group of countries. In anticipation of such an occurrence, if desired, the provider of civil security benefits can pre-arrange the mass expatriation of a population of authorized beneficiaries to a host nation that has not been afflicted, at least unduly, by that given civilly-catastrophic event. Such a possibility, in turn, can comprise one of the benefits provided via the consideration-based private civil security subscriptions offered by that provider. Such expatriation may be based upon, for example, a visa entry program or the like. By one approach, this visa can be prearranged in a manner that permits entry without having to go through ordinary formal immigration and or visa application processes. [0073] As suggested previously, in addition to accepting 301 a subscription with respect to providing civilly-catastrophic event-based access to one or more consumable or non-consumable life-sustaining or civil security resources, a given subscription may also provide for similar access to at least one non-civil security resource or non-necessity 302 (that is, an item or service that is not, strictly speaking, necessary to sustain human life on an elemental basis). Li such a case, this process 300 will then also maintain 303 the additional resource and permit access 305 to these non-civil security resources as well. An illustrative listing of representative non-necessities or non-civil security resources comprises, but is certainly not limited to: a luxury consumable (such as, for example, alcoholic beverages, foods that provide an experience beyond simple survival, and so forth); a luxury non-consumable; clothing; a food preparation tool; a personal communication device; a personal hygiene item; non-human nourishment (such as dog food, cat food, and so forth); barter medium (such as bulk or coined precious metals including but not limited to gold, silver, and so forth); an electrical energy source (including but not limited to alternating current power sources, direct current power sources, fuel-consumptive power sources, renewable fuel source power sources, and so forth); an entertainment apparatus (such as game stations, musical instruments, reading material, and so forth); an educational tool (including but not limited to instructional texts, reference works, laboratory and demonstrative equipment, and so forth); physical conditioning, exercise, and maintenance training and equipment; repair and maintenance tools and services; crafts supplies and training; and/or sports equipment and facilities; to note but a few examples. [0074] This process 300 then provides for maintaining 303 the resource(s) pending a need to permit subscription-based access to the resource(s) in response to the occurrence of a catastrophic event. This, of course, can comprise maintaining the resource on behalf of the subscriber and/or on behalf of another authorized beneficiary. The specifics of such maintenance will of course vary with respect to the nature of the resource or resources being maintained.
[0075] As one example, and referring momentarily to FIG. 4, when the resource (or resources) comprise one or more predetermined consumable necessities of human life, maintaining 303 the resource can comprise acquiring 401 the at least one predetermined consumable necessity of human life to thereby provide acquired necessities and then storing 402 those acquired necessities to thereby provide stored necessities that are held on behalf of the corresponding authorized beneficiaries pending a need to access those stored necessities in the event of a triggering civilly-catastrophic event. These acquisition and storing steps can further comprise, if desired, acquiring and storing non-consumable necessities of human life and/or consumable or non-consumable non-necessities of human life.
[0076] Acquisition 401 of such items can be achieved through any of a variety of means. By one approach the items may be procured on the open market. By another approach the items may be purchased or otherwise acquired from third parties via private negotiations. By yet another approach the entity that provides and accepts these subscriptions may itself create (through manufacturing, farming, or the like) the items of interest. In some cases the acquired item may comprise a staple of ordinary commerce. In other cases the acquired item may be unique and/or proprietary to the acquiring/storing entity.
[0077] Referring again to FIG. 1 , the civil security facilities will typically comprise physical assets that tend, categorically, to comprise part of a private civil security infrastructure. Such civil security facilities will typically comprise physical assets that tend, categorically, to comprise part of a private civil security infrastructure. Such civil security facilities can, therefore comprise, for example:
[0078] one or more civil security shelters; [0079] one or more rally points (at which authorized beneficiaries can gather in response to a civilly-catastrophic event in order to receive certain civil security services such as transportation to another civil security facility such as a shelter or at least to a location that is away from a location that presently (or imminently) lacks civil security (due, for example, to a civilly-catastrophic event, its aftermath, or both));
[0080] a location where at least some of the authorized beneficiary's civil security provisions are available (such as a metropolitan, local, regional, and/or national distribution facility);
[0081] a trans-shipment facility for at least some of the civil security provisions (where, for example, dis-aggregate provisions are brought and then parsed and aggregated into corresponding units of provisions destined for particular recipient authorized beneficiaries);
[0082] a medical services facility;
[0083] and so forth, to note but a few relevant examples in this regard.
[0084] The teachings will readily accommodate a wide variety of civil security shelters. For example, this process 100 can provide for both temporary civil security shelters and longer term civil security shelters. A temporary civil security shelter will be understood to comprise a shelter that is configured and arranged to adequately shelter and sustain human life for a relatively short period of time. For example, such a temporary shelter might prove sufficient in this regard for, say, no more than about ten inhabitants for no more than about one week, ten days, 15 days, and the like. Generally speaking, a temporary shelter such as this is designed and intended to only serve as a temporary refuge from the effects of a civilly-catastrophic event. Should longer term accommodations be necessary in a given instance, the inhabitants of such a temporary shelter will often be better served to move to a longer term civil security shelter.
[0085] A long term civil security shelter will be understood to comprise a shelter that is configured and arranged to adequately shelter and sustain human life for a relatively longer period of time. For example, such a temporary shelter might prove sufficient in this regard for, say, no more than about 100 inhabitants for up to about three months, six months, one years, or the like. (Again, such numeric examples serve an illustrative, rather than limiting, purpose only.) [0086] These teaching will also readily accommodate the provision of a longer term civil security shelter up to and including an indeterminate term civil security shelter that is configured and arranged to adequately shelter and sustain human life for an indeterminately long period of time. A shelter of this type will typically be characterized not only by an ability to protect its inhabitants against the rigors of the local environment and to contain a relatively large and varied supply of provisions, but by an ability to exist and operate in a fully or at least substantially independent manner. This can relate in particular to an ability to create and/or otherwise replace its consumable provisions (by, for example, growing food, creating power, and so forth).
[0087] It is also possible for such shelters to differ from one other in other ways. For example, such shelters may differ with respect to the non-survival related amenities that are provided. These differences can relate to categories of amenities (such as educational facilities, workshop facilities, food preparation facilities, communication facilities, entertainment and/or recreation facilities, or the like) and/or to a relative level of perception of quality, comfort, convenience, or the like.
[0088] It is somewhat axiomatic that shelter facilities for a relatively large number of people will require a fair amount of space. Even relatively spartan quarters and accommodations should preferably provide space to accommodate inhabitants in any of a variety of postures and poses as well as certain possessions. Similarly, pre-positioned provisions to be used during or following a civilly-catastrophic event can also require a considerable amount of storage space. The extent of this space will increase as the intended self-sustained capability of these resources increases. Since civilly-catastrophic events are hopefully relatively rare in most locations, these volume requirements can possibly be viewed as comprising a wasteful use of such space. Dual and/or multi-use facilities are one way to address such a concern. By one approach, such facilities can serve as a hotel and/or resort during non-emergencies. By one approach the facility can be owned and operated by a single entity. By another approach, multiple parties can contract or otherwise agree or arrange with one another to provide for these disparate uses. By one illustrative approach, a privatized civil defense provider can arrange for supplementing such a facility to include storage capability for emergency provisions, sources of water, protection against airborne contaminants (such as, but not limited to, nuclear, biological, and/or chemical agents) and other accoutrements appropriate to service as a shelter and/or emergency provisions distribution facility. Such parties can further arrange and agree that the facility can be operated as an ordinary hotel/resort unless and until such time as a civilly-catastrophic event triggers the civil defense provider's right to employ the hotel/resort for the benefit of, say, the authorized beneficiaries of corresponding private civil defense benefits subscriptions. By one approach, all guests of the hotel/resort can be required to sign or otherwise agree to remove themselves and their possessions from the hotel/resort in the event of a civilly-catastrophic event that triggers such alternative usage. Discounts or other benefits might be offered to encourage such agreement.
[0089] Whether a given hotel/resort is configured and arranged to serve as a shelter for non-guests and/or for registered guests, it will often be useful and desirable to pre- store survival provisions (such as consumable supplies, non-consumable supplies, and so forth) on site. By one approach, one may arrange to use one or more interior hotel rooms (for example, perhaps the least desirable room(s) in the building) to store such civil defense supplies and related equipment.
[0090] In some cases, a given civilly-catastrophic event may be so regionally widespread and devastating as to effectively disable a given country or group of countries. In anticipation of such an occurrence, if desired, the provider of civil security benefits can pre-arrange the mass emigration of a population of authorized beneficiaries to a host nation that has not been afflicted, at least unduly, by that given civilly- catastrophic event. Such a possibility, in turn, can comprise one of the benefits provided via the consideration-based private civil security subscriptions offered by that provider. Such emigration may comprise, if desired, permanent alien residency and/or citizenship.
[0091] By one approach, mobile shelters can be employed in ways that exploit both their mobile capabilities and their shelter capabilities. For example, authorized beneficiaries of such services can be shuttled in, out, or within a given region (such as a region that has been threatened by or impacted by a given civilly-catastrophic event) between temporary and/or long term shelters using such a mobile shelter. It would also be possible to shuttle such authorized beneficiaries between two or more mobile shelters.
[0092] These teachings will also accommodate providing a plurality of shelters that are both removed geographically from one another and that are distinguished by, for example, a level of protection that the shelter affords its inhabitants. To illustrate, one shelter may be located in a densely populated urban location and may afford a first level or class of protection. A second shelter may be located on the outskirts of that urban setting and afford a second, higher level or class of protection. A third shelter may be located further away from that urban setting (for example, 100 or 200 miles) and provide a third, yet higher level or class of protection. And a fourth shelter may be located in a rural setting that is even further from that urban location (such as, for example, 500 or 700 miles) and that provides a fourth, yet even higher level or class of protection. In addition, or in the alternative to varying levels of protection, these shelters may be differentiated with respect to their ability to sustain a given population of inhabitants for a given amount of time. In any event, authorized beneficiaries can then be moved as appropriate to and amongst these shelters to best facilitate protecting such authorized beneficiaries from a given civilly-catastrophic event and the consequences of its aftermath.
[0093] The aforementioned civil security services can comprise any of a relatively wide variety of offerings. Some examples include, but are certainly not limited to:
[0094] transportation services (where such transportation services are not ordinary mass or individual transit services but instead represent, for example, services that are designed, scheduled, and deployed to effect transportation of dispossessed persons away from a location that substantially lacks civil security (such as an area afflicted by a civilly-catastrophic event);
[0095] civil security information (including both civil security information that is generally appropriate for a large number (or all) of the authorized beneficiaries (such as civil security preparedness training or the like) as well as information that is specifically appropriate for individual ones of the authorized beneficiaries (such as personal contingency instructions that are formed and provided to guide specific authorized beneficiaries during a time of need regarding particular actions and behaviors that such specific individuals should take and observe when responding to a civilly-catastrophic event as well as consulting services that assist such individuals with respect to fortifying their relative positions and/or otherwise better protecting themselves against the effects of various civilly-catastrophic events);
[0096] communications services, including long distance communication services (including, for example, wireless-based services) that are configured and arranged to provide substantially persistent communication services notwithstanding interaction of the long distance communication service with the effects of a civilly-catastrophic event (which may include, for example, satellite-based communications, quickly deployed wireless base stations (that comprise, for example, mobile terrestrial platforms, aerial platforms and so forth), and the like);
[0097] civil security rescue services to facilitate, for example, retrieving selected authorized beneficiaries from dangerous circumstances that are owing, at least in part, to a substantial lack of civil security (including, for example, immediate threats posed by life-threatening influences such as fire, collapsed buildings, lawless unpoliced individuals, and the like as well as less-immediate threats (such as starvation, dehydration, infection, or the like) that can follow a substantial failure of civil infrastructure;
[0098] civil security delivery services to provide for deliveries to authorized beneficiaries or the like of such things as their corresponding civil security provisions, fuel, and so forth;
[0099] civil security medical services (including but not limited to both fixed location and mobile services);
[00100] civil security physical security services (to provide, for example, physical security (such as guards, fences, and other barriers, surveillance equipment, and so forth) for residences, businesses, and other physical property of interest to an authorized beneficiaries);
[00101] independent utilities facilities installation services (to provide, for example, for the installation of fuel-burning generators, renewable energy-based power generators, propane-based heating plants, and so forth at, for example, the residences and businesses of authorized beneficiaries); and/or
[00102] post-civilly-catastrophic event social relationship facilitation services (to facilitate rebuilding social networks, friendships, partnerships, and romantic relationships for the survivors of civilly-catastrophic events);
[00103] and so forth, to note but a few relevant examples.
[00104] In the event of a civilly-catastrophic event, ordinary transportation may be difficult and/or impossible for certain individuals. This may be due to congested roadways, impaired transportation infrastructure, civil disorder, confusion and/or uncertainty regarding a best direction in which to proceed, as well as problems that certain would-be drivers and/or passengers may themselves face, to note but a few illustrative examples in this regard. A private entity can arrange appropriate transport facilities that will travel a specific route during such a time of need to pick up authorized beneficiaries of such a service. By one approach this activity will only occur in the event of a sufficiently serious civilly-catastrophic event and will not comprise an ordinary service during less trying times. The vehicles used for this purpose can comprise, for example, a bus, van, or similar terrestrial platform. Other vehicles, such as helicopters, hovercraft, boats, and so forth may also be employed where appropriate. The right of a given individual to gain passage on such a vehicle can be arranged in advance of such a civilly-catastrophic event and/or at a specific time of need.
[00105] Rescue services for a subscriber or other authorized beneficiary can be paid for in a variety of ways including by use of a prepayment approach. An alternative method is to have the subscriber pay a basic flat membership fee (or the like) along with an annual maintenance fee in order to then have rescue services staged and ready for their use. In the event that the authorized beneficiary needs these rescue services and is rescued by the privatized civil defense provider during a time of need, then the subscriber can pay a supplemental fee based, at least in part, on the difficulty of the rescue. For example, retrieving an authorized beneficiary from Manhattan using a water borne vessel might be less expensive then a rescue that is performed using a helicopter to remove the rescuee from the top of a building. By one approach, there can be a minimum event fee assessed for each such rescue event, which fee is then increased as necessary to reflect the nature and difficulties of the rescue itself.
[00106] These teachings will accommodate having an authorized beneficiary arrange for rescue services to be rendered in the event of a civilly-catastrophic event. This could comprise, for example, rescue personnel quickly locating the authorized beneficiary and physically accessing that authorized beneficiary to effect their removal to another location. If desired, such a service can be supplemented to include allowing such an authorized beneficiary to identify another party to be rescued and/or to be located and accompanied as a precautionary or protective measure. [00107] If desired, authorized beneficiaries of a subscription-based private civil defense program can participate in the program by providing threat assessment information to, for example, a central information collection function. This can include, for example, such individuals making regular reports (via telephone, email, a website, a wireless communications device, and so forth) regarding their observations in this regard. By another approach, in combination or in lieu thereof, one or more threat-detection sensors can be deployed at the individual's property (for example, their homes, businesses, vehicles, their clothing, and so forth). Such sensors can be, if desired, coupled to a communication network of choice that forwards the gathered information (using a real time, near real time, or batch protocol of choice) to the central information collection function. If desired, such activities can be supplemented with training for the participating individuals regarding how these observations and so forth are to be carried out.
[00108] Information regarding how to prepare oneself for a civilly-catastrophic event and how to survive such an event, such as training material, action plans, instructions, recommended behaviors, and so forth can be added as a material component to certain relatively ubiquitous software programs such a Microsoft Office, Word, Excel, and the like. This information would provide a user with a readily available list of emergency instructions on how to best react in an emergency given a certain set of circumstances. Such information could be recalled using a desktop icon, a specific keyboard key (or combination of keys), or any other recall protocol of choice. Such information could also be provided as a structural component of an enterprise resource software program such as Oracle, SAP, or a Learning Management System (LMS) program or the like. Such content might be an integral part of the software in question or it might comprise an addon program. At least part of the content can reside on the host platform but additional content can be provided using network facilities (by exploiting, for example, a client/server model to provide such supplemental content).
[00109] By one approach, and referring momentarily to FIG. 5, this process will readily accommodate providing such civil security provisions 200, civil security facilities 502, and civil security services 503 by a single provider 501. Such a provider 501 can be integrally involved with designing, providing, maintaining, and offering such civil security resources or can comprise an aggregator of such resources, in whole or in part, as are provided by other sources. [00110] As noted these teaching can be flexibly applied in various ways in this regard. For example, and referring momentarily to FIG. 6, the civil security provisions 200 can be provided by a first provider 601 , the civil security facilities 502 can be provided by a second provider 602, and the civil security services 503 can be provided by a third provider 603 wherein the first, second, and third providers comprise separate entities (as when, for example, these providers comprise separate legal entities having no co- ownership or common points of control). In such a case, these separate providers can meet the needs of this step by acting in an aggregated manner 604 (directly or indirectly) with one another.
[00111] Yet other arrangements are possible. For example, and referring momentarily to FIG. 7, a single provider 703 can provide the civil security facilities 502 and the civil security services 503 while the civil security provisions are provided by a plurality of civil security provisions providers represented here by a first civil security provisions provider 701 through an Nth civil security provisions provider 702 (where "N" will be understood to comprise an integer greater than one). Persons skilled in these arts will understand and appreciate that numerous permutations and combinations of these elements as well as other possibilities are available. Such alternatives are well within the scope of these teachings and are rightly considered to comprise a part of this invention.
[00112] By one approach, fully provisioned disaster centers (including accommodations, food, medical supplies, emergency supplies, food preparation facilities, and medical facilities, to note but a few examples in this regard) can be made available in a comprehensive facility that is available for rent short or long term. Such a facility can serve as a one stop location to provide shelter and life's necessities to a large group of people (such as the personnel of a given enterprise and their families) on short notice.
[00113] A private civil security provider will encounter particular difficulties not faced by providers of other, more traditional, products and services. For example, marketing such services, provisions, and facilities to consumers or clients may prove challenging because individuals may be hesitant to participate because of their reluctance to acknowledge the presence of certain threats or perhaps because they mistakenly believe that their federal, state, local, provincial, or municipal government is effectively addressing and preparing for such civilly-catastrophic events. Further, the business of civil security presents several unique obstacles and challenges to a business plan or model because the business partly operates within a realm sometimes occupied (or is at least perceived as being occupied) by various governmental entities. Some particular examples to address these concerns now follow (it being understood that these examples are provided for illustrative purposes and are not intended to comprise an exhaustive listing of such possibilities).
[00114] By one approach, the consideration assessed to provide access to civil security-based resources such as a shelter can be varied dynamically as a function, at least in part, of the severity of the civilly-catastrophic event that otherwise triggers such access rights. For example, a given subscriber might pay a base rate and/or a periodic amount to maintain something akin to an option to access a given survival resource during a time of need. The remaining compensation assessed the subscriber upon making such access can then be determined as a function, at least in part, of the event and/or its attending consequences. To illustrate, the more widespread the effects of a given event, the larger this additional consideration might be. By one approach, this additional amount may be uncapped; if desired, however, this additional amount can be capped such that the ultimate amount to be paid will not exceed some given maximum amount.
[00115] If desired, coupons or the like can be used to permit and facilitate the acquisition of a given unit of survival supplies (such as a ten day unit configured and arranged to provide survival needs for at least ten days). Such a coupon could, by its own terms and conditions, permit the bearer of such a coupon to access those civil security benefits using an access protocol of choice. For example, by one approach, the coupon holder could be provided with a telephone number to call and use to arrange for delivery or pick-up of the corresponding supplies. By one approach, each such coupon could be uniquely identified (using, for example, a unique corresponding code or the like) and may be usable only within a given geographic area and/or during a particular period of time. Use of such a coupon may also be conditioned upon the occurrence of a triggering civilly- catastrophic event.
[00116] Contract law provides for certain contractual obligations as between parties to be legitimately waived under certain circumstances that are relatively unforeseeable and/or unpredictable. Such Force Majeure-based concepts as violent weather, earthquakes, acts of terrorism or war, and so forth therefore serve to obviate, at least temporarily, the obligation of a party to provide goods and/or services to another party as per the terms and conditions of their agreement. By one approach, however, a consideration-based private subscription to provide civilly-catastrophic event-based access to one or more life sustaining resources can explicitly exempt itself from at least some Force Majeure forces and events as such forces and events are, in many instances, precisely the kind of triggering event that creates the need for the agreed to services and deliverables.
[00117] As yet another way to encourage a wider degree of participation in such services, a referral rewards program can be used to reward in some manner a current subscriber of such services who refers a person or organization that also becomes a subscriber of such consideration-based private civil security benefits. Such rewards can assume any of a wide variety of forms and guises. By one approach, the referring subscriber can earn monetary compensation, credit towards further services, products, and/or subscription expenses, discounts, complimentary products and/or services, or points that can be accumulated and redeemed for one or more awards.
[00118] If desired, early subscribers of a consideration-based private civil security subscription service can also be rewarded in some manner as subsequent entities also subscribe. Such a reward can serve as recognition for the value of these early subscriptions to assist with providing market validation of the service premise. Such a reward can be determined in any of a wide variety of ways. By one approach, early subscribers can receive a return based upon a percentage of subsequent subscriber receipts. Such a program may be bounded by any of a variety of triggers and/or boundary conditions. Some illustrative examples include a window of time during which subsequent subscriptions will be counted for such a purpose, a maximum aggregate value to be received by an early subscriber under such a program, and so forth.
[00119] In many cases the provision of civil security benefits to authorized beneficiaries will require the direct or indirect support of other people. Many of these people may comprise the employees of the civil security benefits provider. A civilly- catastrophic event that triggers the need for such people to perform their corresponding duties may also, however, interrupt an ability of the civil security benefits provider to make timely wage payments to such employees. To aid with ensuring that such employees do not face an undue hardship in such a scenario (and hence, to aid in ensuring that such persons remain on-task with respect to the demands of their employment), such employees can be prepaid by at least some manner. By one approach, this might be accomplished by paying employees one or more month's wages in advance or by paying thirteen months of wages over the course of a twelve month period in order to establish such a reserve. By another approach, such employees might be provided with a credit and/or debit card, gift card, or the like that is only activated or usable upon the occurrence of a triggering civilly-catastrophic event.
[00120] A complete privately supported civil defense solution may encompass a relatively large number of service and product providers, consultants, and service personnel. To facilitate the establishment and accelerated development of such a solution, it may therefore be useful to establish a tradeshow that caters to many or all of the requirements of a full civil defense solution including the myriad of suppliers to the industry, training requirements necessary or useful to service the business, and/or various types of solutions that are available to enterprises (or other non- family groups) and individuals (including family groups).
[00121] A person, family, company, or other party interested in taking steps to better prepare themselves to meet and survive a given civilly-catastrophic event may increasingly face a growing number of options. There may be different companies or groups that provide what appear to be similar and/or fungible services or products as pertain to provisions, shelters, transport options, and so forth. It is also possible, however, that initial appearances may be deceiving and that significant differences in quality, efficacy, reliability, and so forth may exist as between such offerings. By one approach, de jure and/or de facto standards can be established and/or promulgated to specify minimum service/product levels for such an industry. For example, a group or association can set one or more standards for vendors of such services and deliverables so that consumers can have a basis to evaluate offerings.
[00122] Consideration-based private civil security subscriptions that provide for relatively comprehensive services and/or resources may be relatively costly. If desired, such a subscription may be supported through per day payments that are offered by a given subscriber. These daily payments, in turn, would allow corresponding authorized beneficiaries to come to a corresponding shelter in time of need. Similarly, such persons might be able to buy into a provisions program that provides access to survival supplies (such as food, clothing, medical attention, or the like) in a time of need as corresponds to a civilly-corresponding event. Such a daily fee might comprise, for example, a kind of membership fee, an association fee, or the like. The particular daily amount offered could depend upon the scope and nature of the resources provided. For example, by one approach, a subscriber with limited means who pays $5 a day would receive event- triggered access to a corresponding civil security resource (or resources). Such daily fees could be relatively fixed (with a same amount being paid each day) or could vary (with every seventh day, for example, comprising a doubled amount).
[00123] In many cases, the authorized beneficiaries of a given civil security subscription will have access to survival supplies and/or other survival related resources within a particular geographic vicinity. Such access can be provided in other locations, too, if desired, to accommodate traveling authorized beneficiaries. By one approach, a roaming authorized beneficiary might be provided with a somewhat different suite of survival resources and/or different access fees. Such arrangements might be based upon previously arranged understandings between different providers of such resources and services.
[00124] Referring again to FIG. 1, this process 100 will also optionally provide for the provision 102 of non-civil security resources. Such non-civil security resources comprise supplies and items that are not, strictly speaking, necessary to ensure human survival and hence may be viewed as luxuries. Such items can quite literally span the full gamut of available offerings and can include both unique items (such as original works of art) and more commonly available offerings (such as jewelry, pleasure reading materials, audio playback devices, and so forth). Again, differentiation can exist with respect to actual or perceived levels of quality as pertain to such items if desired.
[00125] These steps of providing such civil security resources can further comprise maintaining such resources. This can comprise, for example, maintaining the freshness and usability of civil security provisions (by replacing outdated or soon-to-be outdated supplies), replacing an existing resource with a better substitute that becomes available, maintaining present and/or imminent usability of a civil security shelter or transport vehicle, updating civil security-related information to reflect current data and intelligence, vetting and re-vetting personnel, and so forth. Such maintenance can be provided, in whole or in part, by the provider of such civil security resources or can be outsourced if desired. [00126] This process 100 then provides for providing 103 authorized beneficiaries with consideration-based access to the plurality of private civil security resources. There are various ways by which such authorized beneficiaries can be identified. For example, by one approach, such authorized beneficiaries can attain this status as per the terms and conditions of a consideration-based private civil security benefits subscription as mentioned above with respect to FIG. 3. For example, a given subscription can provide such status for a stipulated one-year period of time for one or more authorized beneficiaries as correspond to that subscription.
[00127] Returning to the security subscriptions discussed with respect to FIGS. 3 and 4, the maintenance of the resource 203 may include storing the acquired necessities 402. By one approach such storage 402 occurs through use of one or more storage facilities 800, illustrated in FIG. 8, which are owned or controlled by the subscription accepting entity. Any suitable storage facility may be used for this purpose with examples comprising (but not being limited to) above ground man-made shelters, below ground or below water facilities (including purposefully excavated facilities, natural caverns, and so forth), and water borne facilities (such as barges and the like). Each such storage facility
800 will likely serve to store the resources as correspond to a plurality of authorized beneficiaries. By one approach such resources are stored in the aggregate. By another approach, or in combination with an aggregated approach, some or all of the acquired necessities are stored in subscriber-based bundles 801. For example, each such bundle
801 can comprise a one year supply of all acquired items for a single adult authorized beneficiary. As another example, such a bundle 301 could comprise a one year supply of all acquired items as are intended for a family of four authorized beneficiaries.
[00128] Other possibilities of course exist. For example, a single authorized beneficiary may have a first bundle comprised of staple items that are acquired and stored for all beneficiaries and a second bundle comprised of custom items that are specifically and uniquely acquired for this particular beneficiary or class of beneficiaries (such as beneficiaries who all share a common dietary ailment or condition, sensitivity, medical condition, preference, or the like).
[00129] The bundle 801 itself can be realized via any of a wide variety of encapsulating or restraining mechanisms. For example, a tarp and tie-downs can be used to segregate the goods and form the described bundle. As another example, discrete storage cabinets formed of wood, metal, plastic, canvas, or other material of choice could be employed for this purpose. Shrink wrap materials could also be employed in this regard. In addition, if desired, these bundles 801 can be individually palletized (i.e., each placed upon and optionally secured to a pallet 802). Palletization, in turn, will permit ready and efficient movement of such bundles 801 to, about, or from a given storage facility 800 and/or delivery of such a bundle to an authorized beneficiary when such delivery comprises the desired form of granting access to such resources.
[00130] The use of such bundles (and particularly the bundling of staple items in a manner calculated to provide at least a minimum level of survival support to a predetermined number of authorized beneficiaries for at least a predetermined period of time) provides highly leveragable resource allocation opportunities as well. For example, and referring now momentarily to FIG. 9, a first storage facility 901 may contain 1,000 such storage units while a second storage facility 902 may contain an additional 1,000 such storage units. By treating such storage units, at least in part, as being fungible with one another, such resources can be made available to authorized beneficiaries in time of need by accessing a storage facility that is positioned to provide the earliest relief to the beneficiaries rather than by necessarily requiring all beneficiaries to only access their resources from a specific pre-ordained facility.
[00131] Referring again to FIG. 4, maintaining 303 the resource in such a context can further optionally comprise maintaining 403 the utility of the stored necessities. This can comprise, for example, monitoring the usability of perishable items and replacing such items on a corresponding schedule. As another simple illustration this step 403 can comprise holding certain items in deep refrigeration or in other special storage conditions as may suit the proper maintenance of such items.
[00132] Such maintenance 303 can also optionally comprise making adjustments 404 to the stored necessities to reflect dynamically changing circumstances as occur during the consideration-based private civil security subscription period. As one illustration, a new product may become available that is particularly useful in treating a particular infectious condition that may likely arise upon the occurrence of a particular kind of civilly-catastrophic event. In such a case, maintaining 303 such resources can readily accommodate updating the acquired and stored items to include a supply of this new product. Accordingly, this step of making adjustments 404 can readily comprise one or more of removing a particular one of the stored necessities (as when a better substitute becomes available, when the stored necessity itself is shown to be less effective for its intended purpose than was originally thought, and so forth), adding additional ones of the stored necessities (as when it becomes subsequently understood that more of a particular item is desirable to achieve a particular survival-related goal or purpose), adding at least one new stored necessity that is not already stored (as illustrated in the example provided above), and so forth.
[00133] In the examples provided above, the resource being acquired and maintained comprises consumable or non-consumable items. As noted earlier, however, these teachings are applicable for use with other resources as well. For example, and referring now to FIG. 10, maintaining 303 the resource may relate to providing civilly-catastrophic event-based access to a shelter. By this approach this step of maintaining 303 the resource can comprise maintaining 1001 such a shelter.
[00134] Much is known in the art regarding construction and maintenance of shelters. Such a construction will usually at least serve to protect the inhabitants from environmental stress and extremes. In addition to walls and a roof such a shelter will typically also comprise internal temperature control, lighting, storage facilities, sleeping facilities, food preparation facilities, personal hygiene facilities, and so forth. For present purposes such a shelter may also be equipped to provide for water treatment (such as filtering, bacteria removal, and so forth), waste treatment and/or recycling, electrical power generation, and/or air treatment (including but not limited to conditioning, filtering, and so forth). By one approach such a shelter can also be equipped with communication facilities including a variety of wireless broadcast capabilities, longdistance two-way communications capabilities, and so forth.
[00135] Security will likely comprise a primary concern for such a shelter. In particular it will likely be important to secure the shelter, any resources as are stored or otherwise available at the shelter, and the inhabitants of the shelter from unauthorized entry and access. By one approach, this can comprise maintaining the shelter in a location that is substantially distal from a nearest substantial human population. For example, and referring momentarily to FIG. 11, within a given geographic region 1101 (such as a continent, country, or the like) a shelter 1102 may be separated from the closest major population bases 1103 by a distance that at least exceeds some predetermined substantial distance X 1104. Depending upon other factors, this distance X might comprise, for example, 800 kilometers. Other factors might well play a part in this regard, of course. For example, a significant natural barrier (such as a large mountain range) might lie between a major population base and a shelter and make reasonable a shorter separation distance between such entities.
[00136] When possible, and with continued reference to FIG. 11 , it may be desirable to locate such a shelter 1102 in relative proximity to a water source 1105. A suitable water source 1105 can comprise a ground-level water source or an underground water source as, in either case, ready access to the water source may be available. This, in turn, can be useful with respect to ensuring an adequate supply of water for the inhabitants of the shelter 1102 in times of need. A ground-level water source may also provide a means of ingress and egress to facilitate the comings and goings of the authorized beneficiaries (for example, a navigable waterway can provide an effective pathway by which to transport authorized beneficiaries to the shelter 1102).
[00137] Notwithstanding that it may be desirable to locate such shelters at a considerable distance from major population centers, this does not necessarily require that such shelters be secreted within completely primitive and/or wild settings. For example, one useful approach might be to locate such a shelter 1106 proximal to an entertainment destination 1107 (such as, but not limited to, remotely located golf courses, resorts, dude ranches, casinos, and so forth). In such a case at least some of the infrastructure that may be required and/or useful for the shelter can be shared with the facilities of the entertainment destination and thereby reduce the effective costs of installing and maintaining such facilities.
[00138] For a variety of reasons it may be appropriate to provide a plurality of such shelters in various locations throughout a relatively wide geographic region such as a continent or country. Such a dispersal can aid with reducing the logistic difficulties of transporting authorized beneficiaries to such a shelter during times of need. Dispersed shelters can also help ensure that at least some shelters will more likely survive civilly- catastrophic events that pose sufficient destructive force to destroy such a shelter or to otherwise significantly impair its purpose and functionality.
[00139] When providing a plurality of shelters, it may also be useful to differentiate such shelters from one another with respect to, for example, their features and/or accouterments. Such shelters may be differentiated, for example, with respect to their relative support for such things as a maximum supportable population, a depth and breadth of provided non-essential accouterments of life, medical facilities (such as, but not limited to, specialized equipment such as respirators, dialysis equipment, operating facilities, and so forth), pet animal accommodations, risk threat abatement capability, entertainment facilities, and so forth. Assignment and/or access to a given differentiated shelter can be determined, at least in part, by such things as relative initial proximity of the authorized beneficiary, the terms and conditions of the corresponding subscription agreement, and so forth.
[00140] By one approach these teachings can be simply practiced by provision of shelter and/or life-sustaining supplies; gaining physical access to such resources comprises the responsibility of the authorized beneficiaries. During such times, of course, it can be expected that civil conditions will be troubled and confusing. Therefore, by another approach these teachings can further encompass transporting at least some of the authorized beneficiaries to the shelter and/or supplies in response to the occurrence of a civilly-catastrophic event. There are various ways by which to accomplish such a task.
[00141] Referring again to FIG. 10, by one optional approach at least one rally point can be identified 1002. (An example of such a rally point appears in FIG. 11 as denoted by reference numeral 1108.) Such a rally point need not be reserved only for this purpose and may, for example, simply comprise a convenient location for at least some authorized beneficiaries. Example rally points might include sports stadiums and auditoriums, amusement parks, and the like. When possible, it may be helpful to locate such a rally point relatively near an airstrip and/or a navigable waterway. Such amenities, in turn, can potentially be used when transporting the gathered beneficiaries to their destination (as when, for example, a destination shelter is accessible from the navigable waterway that is also readily accessible from the rally point).
[00142] By one approach, one or more such rally points can be identified for each larger population area that contains authorized beneficiaries. It would also be possible, of course, to identify rally points to serve a similar function in more rural settings as well if desired.
[00143] This process can then optionally provide 1003 information regarding such rally points to the authorized beneficiaries. This information can be provided prior to the occurrence of a civilly-catastrophic event if desired. It may also be useful or possible to provide such information (either in the first instance or as a supplemental notice) following the initiation of such an event. The latter may be achieved using such communication means as may be available at the time. It would also be possible to provision each authorized beneficiary (or family or company of beneficiaries) with one or more communications devices by which such information could be provided. This process could then provide 504 appropriate transportation to move the authorized beneficiaries from these rally points to the destination (such as to a designated shelter).
[00144] In many instances such transportation can comprise standard vehicles (cars, buses, boats, airplanes, railroad cars, and so forth). If desired, however, more specialized equipment could be used including but not limited to armored transports, environmentally-contained vehicles or trailers, and so forth.
[00145] These teachings can readily accommodate other features as well. For example, and referring now to FIG. 12, prior to the occurrence of a civilly-catastrophic event an authorized beneficiary can be provided 1201 with a short-term survival kit to facilitate their survival prior to their being able to access the aforementioned stored necessities upon the occurrence of a civilly-catastrophic event. Such a short-term survival kit might comprise, for example, a seven day supply of nourishment, clothing, food preparation items, bedding, navigation tools, communication tools and/or location beacons, first aid supplies, water treatment items, items to aid with protecting against or otherwise treating environmentally borne hazards, maps, portable power sources, fire starting equipment, survival instructions, and so forth.
[00146] As another example, authorized beneficiaries could be provided 1202 with a survival instruction guide kit. These instructions could provide information regarding survival practices, emergency responses, and so forth. By one approach each authorized beneficiary who comprised a part of a shared group (such as a family group, a company group, and so forth) would receive such a kit. This, in turn, would facilitate unity of action, purpose, and result in the event of a civilly-catastrophic event. For example, by each knowing and observing the shared instructions provided by such an approach, the participants would be able to take their own coordinated actions while being relatively secure in their knowledge of what their group counterparts were also likely doing at that time. [00147] This survival instruction guide kit could comprise, for example, a book or manual having printing survival instructions and information in combination with fill-in- the-blank opportunities whereby a given authorized beneficiary could customize the instructions to specifically suit their particular needs and situation. Such blanks could be used, for example, to prompt the beneficiary to think through and to record information such as their primary and secondary rally points or other family/group meeting points and protocols, communications protocols and contact information, specific items (perhaps somewhat unique to the individual and which may, or may not, relate to the survival of that individual) that should be stockpiled or otherwise made readily available in the event of a civilly-catastrophic event, and so forth. Such a book or manual could include indexes, tabs, or other navigation tools to permit a reader to quickly find the relevant information they require during a time of need.
[00148] These teachings would also accommodate providing 1203 survival training to authorized beneficiaries. Such training could comprise in-person, on-site training, live instructors, and/or previously prepared teaching resources such as, but not limited to, electronic learning resources. This training could include both general information regarding specific do's and don'ts as pertain to different kinds of civilly-catastrophic events as well as more specific information regarding specific actions that should be taken by the authorized beneficiary with respect to successfully achieving access to their subscribed-to resources as per their subscription.
[00149] These teachings will also accommodate providing 1204 authorized beneficiaries with a corresponding authorization mechanism by which they can effect their right of access to the resources provided by their subscription. This may comprise a mechanism that the beneficiary carries with them as personal property (such as an identification card) or, for example, a biometric-based identity authentication process that relies upon fingerprints, retinal patterns, or some other relatively unique aspect of the human body.
[00150] Returning once again to FIG. 1 , the process 100, as mentioned, provides 104 the authorized beneficiaries with consideration-based access to the non-civil security resources. Notwithstanding the provision of such civil security resources, this step of providing access to such resources can readily comprise providing a plurality of different access opportunities. Such opportunities can differ from one another in any number of ways. For example, these opportunities can differ from one another with respect to the specific resources that are included, the quantity of resources that are included, the duration of time during which the aforementioned access may occur, the conditions under which such access can occur, the manner by which such access occurs (for example, whether civil security provisions are delivered to a given authorized beneficiary (and if so, when, how often, and so forth) or must be picked up by the authorized beneficiary from a given distribution point), and so forth.
[00151] As one example in this regard, differing access opportunities could comprise, at least in part, a first access opportunity that provides limited access to no more than a first amount of the civil security resources and a second access opportunity that provides limited access to more than the first amount of the civil security resources. In such a case, the first amount can be specified, if desired, as a function of a predetermined quantity of the civil security resources and/or as a function of a predetermined amount of time during which the civil security resources are accessed. As to the latter example, the second access opportunity could differ from the first access opportunity, at least part, by providing an opportunity to have access to the civil security resources at a time that is temporally subsequent to a time when the first access opportunity provides access to the civil security resources (to thereby provide, for example, for a resupply or replenishment opportunity that supplements an original stock of supplies as might correspond to what is provided pursuant to the first access opportunity).
[00152] This can comprise, if desired, additionally offering access opportunities that provide access to less than all three categories of the civil security resources noted. As a very simple illustration in this regard, a first access opportunity could provide limited access to only civil security provisions and civil security services while a second, different access opportunity could provide access to both these civil security resources and civil security facilities as well.
[00153] By one approach, for example, standard (or customizable) bundles of specific resources, fashioned in different ways, could comprise these different access opportunities. Again, a simple illustrative example may be useful in this regard (though the reader is cautioned that the provided example is but one example of an indeterminate number of possibilities and is not offered with any suggestion of exhaustion in this regard). Consider, in particular, five different access opportunities that are each generally characterized as follows:
[00154] A first access opportunity that provides limited access to only a limited selection of the civil security provisions and a limited selection of the civil security services comprising information-related services;
[00155] A second access opportunity that provides limited access to only a limited selection of the civil security provisions and a limited selection of the civil security services comprising both information-related services and transportation services (such as civilly-catastrophic event-based transportation to a civil security provisions distribution facility);
[00156] A third access opportunity that provides limited access to only a limited selection of the civil security provisions, a limited selection of the civil security services comprising information-related services and transportation services, and a limited selection of the civil security facilities comprising a civil security rally point (or, in other words, an access opportunity that equals that provided by the second access opportunity plus access to the civil security rally point);
[00157] A fourth access opportunity that equals that provided by the third access opportunity plus access to a civil security shelter (or shelters); and
[00158] A fifth access opportunity that equals that provided by the fourth access opportunity plus access to civil security rescue services.
[00159] If desired, a given provider of these civil security resources can provide five such access opportunities to comprise the primary offerings to be provided to the authorized beneficiaries. Each such offering can of course command a different corresponding level of consideration (such as, for example, a different corresponding payment to be proffered for each).
[00160] It would of course also be possible to permit an authorized beneficiary having a given one of these access opportunities to extend the scope of the opportunity in exchange for increased consideration. By one approach, such an extension (or upgrade) could be accommodated by simply requiring payment of a price differential as otherwise distinguishes such opportunities in the first instance. Such an approach might be appropriate, for example, when accommodating such a change well prior to even the threat of any particular civilly-catastrophic event. If desired, however, such an extension (or upgrade) might require a considerably higher supplemental payment when the authorized beneficiary seeks the extension (or upgrade) during or following a given civilly-catastrophic event and/or at a time when a given civilly-catastrophic event is perceived as being an imminent occurrence.
[00161] It would also be possible to permit some or all of the resources as comprise such an opportunity to be customized to suit the needs and/or preferences of a given authorized beneficiary. In some cases, such customization might be offered without additional corresponding cost. In other cases, and particularly where items and/or services of higher value are being substituted for existing standard items or services, additional commensurate cost might be required. For example, a given authorized beneficiary might wish to upgrade their unit of civil security provisions to include some foods that are not a part of a standard package of supplies or might wish to upgrade from a basic rescue package to a premier rescue offering that offers, for example, a faster guaranteed maximum response time.
[00162] If desired, this process will also optionally accommodate providing a key to authorized beneficiaries to thereby facilitate and permit those authorized beneficiaries to access one or more of the civil security resources during an authorized time of need. Such a key may comprise a physical item (such as, for example, an identification card or a physical lock key) and/or a non-physical item (such as, for example, a code such as a personal identification number, a password, or the like). When the key itself comprises a biometric characteristic as corresponds to the authorized beneficiary (such as, but not limited to, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), a retinal pattern, an asperity pattern (such as a fingerprint, a palm print, or the like), a voice print, a characteristic typing pattern, and so forth) this step can comprise (in conjunction with acquiring information, materials, and/or samples from the authorized beneficiary to thereby characterize the biometric of choice) providing instructions to the authorized beneficiary regarding presentation of such a biometric in order to gain the desired access. When the key comprises a code, by one approach this step can comprise providing the code to the authorized beneficiary. By another approach, this step can comprise receiving a code of choice from the authorized beneficiary and then providing confirmation to the authorized beneficiary regarding acceptance of that proffered code. [00163] Those skilled in the art will appreciate the considerably flexibility and scalability that these teachings offer. As an example of such flexibility, by one approach, if desired, a base line membership for a given authorized beneficiary can bear a corresponding base line price and offer access to a corresponding set of civil security resources. These resources might comprise, for example:
[00164] Pre-civilly catastrophic event delivery of a short-term supply of survival resources comprising at least nutritional consumables. Hydration supplies can also be provided if desired. This short-term supply can comprise, for example, a sufficient quantity of survival resources to support survival of the corresponding authorized beneficiary for at least a predetermined number of days (such as, for example, a ten day period of time).
[00165] Pre-civilly catastrophic event access to civil security services comprising consulting services that provide for a preparedness review and inventory as well as preparation of a customized and personalized personal action plan to guide the authorized beneficiary in the event of a civilly-catastrophic event-based time of need.
[00166] A right to acquire additional civil security provisions (either for current delivery or to be held pending a civilly-catastrophic event-based time of need) and/or to access civil security facilities or additional services.
[00167] So configured, a given authorized beneficiary can obtain a viable, valuable, useful entree into a private civil security paradigm. A base line offering can be provided for a relatively modest initial cost and, if and as the authorized beneficiary becomes more learned and experienced with respect to civil security issues and concerns, additional supplemental kinds and levels of protection and security can be subsequently acquired as needed.
[00168] It will be appreciated that these teachings provide for a highly flexible yet powerfully effective way by which a modern citizen can greatly improve their likelihood of surviving a civilly-catastrophic event. These teachings are sufficiently flexible so as to accommodate the needs and desires of a wide-ranging set of potential beneficiaries while nevertheless still tending to ensure adequate access to the basic necessities of life. Though training and some related activity may be provided and encouraged, in general the beneficiary receives these benefits without being required to make the commitment of time, energy, and expertise that would ordinarily be associated with attaining such a high level of civil security.
[00169] Those skilled in the art will recognize that a wide variety of modifications, alterations, and combinations can be made with respect to the above described embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and that such modifications, alterations, and combinations are to be viewed as being within the ambit of the inventive concept. As one example in this regard, the notion of civil security provisions can encompass, if desired, weapons of various kinds. Weapons and their ammunition (including, but not limited to, projectile-based weapons of various kinds) can have an important place in ensuring one's survival under certain conditions as they can be used for protection and can also be employed for hunting.
[00170] One such modification may be the use of animals for a variety of purposes when dealing with the demands of a civilly-catastrophic event. Non-human animals can serve a variety of purposes in a comprehensive civil defense plan. Animals such as horses and mules can serve as pack animals and/or as a motive force for other constructs (such as plows, wagons, buggies, and so forth). Animals such as dairy cattle, dairy goats, chickens, and so forth can serve as a source of fresh food products. Animals such as cattle, chickens, pigs, and so forth can serve as direct (and renewable) food sources. These and other animals can also serve other useful purposes during such times, including but not limited to security, herding, ratting and vermin abatement, companionship, information and/or supplies transportation, and so forth. In many instances, of course, it can be highly impractical and/or unrealistic for potential authorized beneficiaries of a consideration- based private civil defense benefits subscription to hold, maintain, and otherwise husband animals for such potential uses when responding to a civilly-catastrophic event. Therefore, in a major disaster or emergency that interrupts lines of supply, a comprehensive privatized civil defense solution can provide for the provision of animals as apart of an overall survival solution. The provider of civil defense services could offer, for example, a variety of animal or livestock packages to subscribers. Some subscribers might want transport related animals, while others might only want food production animals, while yet others may wish for a variety of each. In most scenarios it would not necessarily be required that such animals be located and maintained so as to be available at the onset of a civilly-catastrophic event. Instead, the specified animals could be delivered to the corresponding authorized beneficiaries at some time following the initiation of such an event. It would also be possible, however, if desired, to pre-position such animals at, for example, an emergency shelter that is intended to serve as a long term survival facility. As part of a comprehensive solution, the authorized beneficiaries could also be provided with training, instructions, food, medicines, and other husbanding necessities or supplies as are necessary or useful to support, herd, employ, and/or process the animals as they support the authorized beneficiary.

Claims

I claim:
1. A method comprising: accepting pre-catastrophe consideration-based private civil security subscriptions from subscribers with respect to providing civilly-catastrophic event-based delivery of survival supplies for authorized beneficiaries; in response to at least a likely occurrence of the civilly-catastrophic event, delivering an affected authorized beneficiary an initial quantity of survival supplies, which initial quantity of survival supplies is intentionally less than a full amount of survival supplies to which the affected authorized beneficiary has a right to receive with respect to their consideration-based private civil security subscription.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the initial quantity of survival supplies corresponds to a short term quantity of survival supplies.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising: delivering a subsequent quantity of survival supplies following the delivery of the initial quantity of survival supplies, wherein the subsequent quantity comprises at least a remaining portion of the full amount of survival supplies to which the affected authorized beneficiary has a right to receive.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the survival supplies delivered vary depending on at least one of: geographic location of the authorized beneficiary; expected weather conditions; distance from a survival supplies delivery center; individual characteristics of the authorized beneficiary; type of civilly-catastrophic event.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the initial quantity of survival supplies include at least one of: breathable air; water; food; protective clothing; shelter; medical supplies.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the civilly-catastrophic event comprises an event that substantially disrupts society's infrastructure and ability to provide at least one life-sustaining resource and is one that is likely to persist in substantial form for more than a predetermined period of time.
PCT/US2007/078418 2006-09-13 2007-09-13 Subscription-based private civil security facilitation method WO2008034014A2 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (18)

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US82552406P 2006-09-13 2006-09-13
US60/825,524 2006-09-13
US82597606P 2006-09-18 2006-09-18
US60/825,976 2006-09-18
US82649106P 2006-09-21 2006-09-21
US60/826,491 2006-09-21
US82759106P 2006-09-29 2006-09-29
US60/827,591 2006-09-29
US82782006P 2006-10-02 2006-10-02
US82782806P 2006-10-02 2006-10-02
US60/827,828 2006-10-02
US60/827,820 2006-10-02
US82834206P 2006-10-05 2006-10-05
US82834106P 2006-10-05 2006-10-05
US60/828,341 2006-10-05
US60/828,342 2006-10-05
US82944706P 2006-10-13 2006-10-13
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US20020143469A1 (en) * 2001-03-30 2002-10-03 Alexander John Franklin Emergency management system
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US6563910B2 (en) * 2001-02-26 2003-05-13 Royal Thoughts, Llc Emergency response information distribution
US20060026017A1 (en) * 2003-10-28 2006-02-02 Walker Richard C National / international management and security system for responsible global resourcing through technical management to brige cultural and economic desparity

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* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6060994A (en) * 1999-01-20 2000-05-09 Tempa Communication Inc. Method for controlling united home security system
US20030014342A1 (en) * 2000-03-27 2003-01-16 Vande Pol Mark E. Free-market environmental management system having insured certification to a process standard
US6563910B2 (en) * 2001-02-26 2003-05-13 Royal Thoughts, Llc Emergency response information distribution
US20020143469A1 (en) * 2001-03-30 2002-10-03 Alexander John Franklin Emergency management system
US20060026017A1 (en) * 2003-10-28 2006-02-02 Walker Richard C National / international management and security system for responsible global resourcing through technical management to brige cultural and economic desparity

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