EDC SEMINAR FOR PAGCOR SECURITY

MY CONTINUING ADVOCACY regarding the introduction, the spreading of information, the development or the carrying of the Everyday Carry (or EDC) Kit to all persons, regardless of their social status or profession, begun its full swing when I conducted an EDC for Security Guards in an Urban Survival Situation Seminar at Sky Rise 1 and Sky Rise 2 on November 24, 2012. Both buildings are located at Asiatown IT Park, Cebu City.

Previously, those who benefited from this very specialized instructions were participants of the yearly Philippine Independence Bushcraft Camp (PIBC). The PIBC is held every June after it started in 2011. PIBC is an outdoors gathering vis-a-vis seminar that introduce people about bushcraft and survival where EDC is one of the subjects taught.

Generally speaking, the idea about EDC is limited to those who have embraced prepping as a serious hobby. Most of them are based in Metro Manila and they converge and discuss about it in social networking sites like Facebook. In Cebu, however, bushcraft and survival is our pastime and we are just few and all belonged to the Camp Red Bushcraft & Survival Guild. Bushcraft – also known as wilderness skills – is an interest not yet fully grasped by the greater populace; not even by mainstream outdoor clubs.

EDC, on the other hand, is some kind of kit that you would carry or bring everyday from home to office (or to a pre-defined destination/environment) and vice versa. This is, in itself, a more generous version of the very limited survival kit. The ideal EDC Kit is something that which could provide you first aid treatment, instant replenishment, immediate survival and even a field expedient repair of broken equipment whenever the “saucer” hits the fan.

Actually, selecting items which would become part of your EDC Kit is an experiment in itself, a trial-and-error undertaking, which, ultimately, decide the best combination for your kit. The contents of an EDC Kit need not be expensive and all you need is resourcefulness and lots and lots of imagination. I would erase the misconception that the carrying of the EDC Kit are confined only to middle class preppers and the well-educated hobbyists.

It is by this notion that had emboldened me to introduce the habit of starting, maintaining and carrying an EDC Kit to anyone, be he rich or pauper. Of course, after the the successful experiment with the bushmen of Camp Red, I proceed to expand this specialty to private security workers.

It needs a lot of skill and intrepidity should you steer to involve the common man in a classroom environment especially teaching a very complex subject like the EDC. The terms or the whole handout itself if translated in its Cebuano equivalent are simply daunting and you have to improvise and it lengthens the discussion a bit. But, as they say, the first time is the hardest time.

On February 4, 2013, I am again engaged in another EDC seminar for security professionals assigned with the Philippine Amusement Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) and, this time, it is held at the Casino Filipino Theatre, Waterfront International Hotel and Casino, Cebu City. Twenty-six male and female private security agency guards attended this indoors lecture and demo. A representative of PAGCOR Security Department joined his subordinates for this occasion.

This lecture is not just about the EDC Kit but it is also a venue to teach simple items such as the garrison belt and the lanyard into useful tools; converting the flashlight and handcuffs into effective tactical weapons; increasing the effective range of the baton and the stun gun; the proper way to stop bleeding; improving their present first-aid kit; and the importance of a triangular handkerchief.

Furthermore, the participants are enlightened about certain items which sometimes are part of an EDC Kit but, actually, are either lethal weapons or forbidden gadgets that are made to look like harmless things. These questionable items are designed to fool security and are mixed with attractive things to make it look ordinary. To be an effective security personnel, you must constantly watch out for these things and it is where this seminar is very relevant.

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A CAMP RED EDC KIT PARLEY

THERE IS A NEED to convene the Camp Red Bushcraft and Survival Guild today, January 27, 2013, to start a tradition. Every start of a year should be the time for every member to renew, strengthen and reaffirm his association with Camp Red. It could either be paying membership dues, participation in a club election or just by being there – attendance wise. That is why it is called a charter meeting

The place of meeting is at the Red Hours Convenience Store, located in M. Velez Street, Capitol Site, Cebu City. Red Hours is our place of choice when we are engaged in a post-activity discussion, some brainstorming, a little merriment or by simply releasing stress – alone or with company. After the guild priorities, an everyday carry (or EDC) kit parley soon follow.

The time is 1:00 PM and I arrive there first. A guest, Shio Cortes, came after me. He just want to meet me and the rest of the pack. He is a UN volunteer assigned in the Democratic Republic of Congo but he is on vacation right now and took advantage of free time before going back to his overseas posting in a few days.

Member applicants Kulas Damaso and Nyor Pino came after the other and then Camp Red stalwart Glenn Pestaño arrived. Kulas is with his motorcycle with a Jackie Chan autograph. Cold glasses of beer are filled for each individual. Then comes Ernie Salomon, Jhurds Neo and Randell Savior who just came from an outdoors seminar. Mayo Leo Carillo, JB Albano and Dominikus Sepe completed the circle.

Before leaving, Shio, showed his EDC kit and I saw fuel tablets, a tin folding burner, some anti-malaria pills, water purifying tablets, emergency scalpels and other wonderful things that we could not source locally. He promised to be back by May as he seemed interested in what we are doing as the only outdoor group in this country focusing mainly on bushcraft and survival.

The meeting turned to phase two with Glenn anchoring the flow of the activity. He put on a mini-knife porn with all the blades he carried and laid it all bare on the table. His EDC kit is most extensive as it is sub-divided – with individual pouches – into the survival kit, the first-aid kit, the replenishment kit and the repair kit.

Aside those, he had with him his micro-EDC kit attached to a climbing carabiner. The blades, the gadgets and his replenishment kit were the envy of everyone. All make light of this moment by reaching in their sticky fingers for Glenn’s chocolates and pulverizing it down inside everyone’s mouth.

JB, for his part, showed his very austere EDC; Jhurds his micro-EDC kit which includes a peppermint spray hanging by a carabiner; Nyor with his own kit placed in a small pouch; Dom imitating JB; Ernie with his own inside a waist pack that included a tiny alcohol burner and an emergency flash charger; and Randell splaying his first-aid kit.

Standing out were those of Glenn’s. Everything in his EDC, to include his micro-EDC, is a must-have for everyone and his is the benchmark of what an EDC kit is all about. I could mention a few items but the list is endless really. The only thing that Glenn – and everyone else – failed to have is the list of the items printed or written on a paper which, incidentally, Kulas had although he doesn’t have an EDC.

Meanwhile, my own EDC kit consists of two sections: the survival kit and the first-aid kit. My replenishment items are already integrated into the survival kit which consist of high-protein emergency food and beverage. My survival and first-aid kits are segregated by individual mesh bags and both are stored inside an Ortlieb heavy-duty dry bag.

I am quite satisfied with the turn of events and, I think, Camp Red is now a stalwart when it comes to EDC on this side of town although some Facebook-based groups are beginning to sprout like Filipino Survival and Pinoy Preppers which both espouse about EDC kits. What distinguishes Camp Red from the rest is we are more oriented in the back-country, the wilderness and the real world.

But the most important thing is that more and more people are beginning to understand about the EDC kit. I help to spread this sub-interest – you may call it a hobby – by actually conducting EDC seminars designed for security professionals. Soon, I may be able to include other professionals and the schoolkids.

In the end, this habit of carrying daily a survival or first-aid kit would eventually give you the needed elbow room to decide your existence and of others in a real-world SHTF situation.

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EVERYDAY CARRY SEMINAR FOR SECURITY WORKERS

THIS BLOGGER RECENTLY conducted a lecture and demonstration about everyday carry or EDC on November 24, 2012 at Sky Rise 4 Building, Asiatown IT Park, Cebu City. This short seminar is designed for people tasked to oversee the security of properties and persons. These people are the security officers, the security guards and corporate officers whose other functions are supervising security personnel and dealing in security procedures.

My discourse was aimed at introducing the participants about this very specialized seminar and arouse their involvement into this domain. This interest had found appeal among survivalists and preppers in the United States and is not yet taught as part of curricula in training institutions here but it had been introduced and emphasized to our local paramedics. Preparation for an unforeseen future is an exercise that must be nurtured and the more people acquiring awareness of this interest the better the chances of their survival.

The main focus of the lecture is the EDC Kit. The participants are taught how to select, develop and start their own EDC kits to keep them prepared in the event of the breakdown of order resulting from small incidents to natural and man-made catastrophe. The EDC kit will sustain the individual or group for a few hours to a few days until such time when solutions, help or rescue will arrive.

By the very nature of their jobs, the participants are reminded (and induced) to rediscover the importance of the everyday items which they possess being part of their equipment or uniforms like the firearm, ammunition, radio set, documents, flashlight, whistle, nightstick, lanyard, pistol belt, garrison belt, handcuff, lanyard and medicine kit as the very fine examples of what is an EDC. They are instructed to take advantage of these and add some relevant items to make their emerging EDCs thorough and relevant.

These everyday items can be used in a very rapid way if you can develop a systematic approach to its use. Take for example the medicine kit. The items inside the medkit can be retrieved in seconds and in an orderly fashion if you use a plastic container (ex. Tupperware) to house it all instead of just placing all the items under the flap of the kit. Besides, it protects your items from being exposed to germs.

The participants, on the other hand, had been taught how to identify and recognize certain EDC items which are not applicable in their working environment by virtue of strict company policies. Environments vary from ports of entry, financial institutions, IT centers, industrial zones, schools of learning, etc. These EDC items which are mostly carried by hobbyists, who are very educated and highly sophisticated, are well-camouflaged and well-hidden and constantly fool security screens where this lecture greatly aid the participants to that facet.

This writer maintains his own EDC kit which is sub-divided into the gear kit and the first aid kit. This kit was used as visual aid for the eighteen participants, to include one security officer. A representative of Sky Rise Realty Development Corp. came to observe the lecture and, in the process, understood plainly what this is all about.

Yours truly, through this blog, conduct regular bushcraft and survival camps in the Philippines where EDC is one of the subjects taught. The introduction of EDC had been embraced wholeheartedly among the camp participants and a different interest sprung up due to this. More and more people here are now becoming aware about survival and the EDC Kit which creates a very positive environment.

Spreading this amongst people working in the private security industry is a good step in the right direction. They are there at the frontline of any establishment to screen people getting inside and out. A security guard with a good knowledge about EDC is an effective guard, much more so, if he or she happens to be an EDC hobbyist.

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