WO2008085584A2 - Subscription-based private civil security facilitation method - Google Patents

Subscription-based private civil security facilitation method Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2008085584A2
WO2008085584A2 PCT/US2007/083018 US2007083018W WO2008085584A2 WO 2008085584 A2 WO2008085584 A2 WO 2008085584A2 US 2007083018 W US2007083018 W US 2007083018W WO 2008085584 A2 WO2008085584 A2 WO 2008085584A2
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authorized beneficiary
civil security
particular authorized
beneficiary
information
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PCT/US2007/083018
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French (fr)
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WO2008085584A3 (en
Inventor
Barrett H. Moore
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Moore Barrett H
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Publication of WO2008085584A3 publication Critical patent/WO2008085584A3/en

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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION 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
    • G06Q30/00—Commerce
    • G06Q30/06—Buying, selling or leasing transactions

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.
  • such options quickly prove inadequate or even dangerous in and of themselves.
  • Even in cases where public civil security resources in the aggregate may be adequate, significant problems can arise with respect to matching and providing a proper type of resource to those who need a particular type of resource in light of a civilly-catastrophic event while simultaneously avoiding waste, confusion, or unnecessary loss.
  • 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.
  • FIG. 13 comprises a schematic block 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.
  • a sales support tool may have an information collection unit used to acquire information regarding at least a particular authorized beneficiary who is interested in obtaining access to the private civil security resources. The collected information is then used by an offer package generator to identify a package of selected ones of the plurality of the private civil security resources as being appropriate to offer to the particular authorized beneficiary. Once a package is established, consideration- based access to the package is offered to the particular authorized beneficiary by using an offer package display.
  • 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. 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • a corresponding process 100 provides 101 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.
  • a unit of civil security provisions might comprise a longer term unit that comprises a quantity and variety of civil security supplies that are adequate to sustain life for that authorized beneficiary for some longer period of time.
  • 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.
  • the process 100 may further comprise accepting 108 subscriptions.
  • 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
  • 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 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).
  • 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 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));
  • 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.
  • 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.)
  • 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.
  • a shelter may comprise an underground shelter.
  • One of the challenges of creating an underground shelter is the time and cost associated with excavating a site that is deep enough to mitigate the threats associated with broad civil disaster and, in particular, the effects of radiation in the event of fall-out and/or ionizing radiation associated with the explosion of a nuclear weapon and/or accident at a nuclear power plant.
  • a private civil security provider may build an extensive underground facility by utilizing an existing, abandoned, or soon to be closed strip or pit mine.
  • the mine may have been built to extract any number of natural resources that resulted in the creation of a broad and deep hole in the Earth. Once the mining work is completed, the natural resource exhausted, or it is no longer cost effective to mine the resource, mining companies are generally required by law to perform extensive remediation work, including refilling the holes and replanting vegetation.
  • the large excavated hole provides a less expensive opportunity to build an underground shelter by building a shelter in the bottom of the existing mine, connecting it to the surface, and then back filling the mine with dirt or other spoil, thereby creating an underground bunker with a significant amount of matter above to thereby provide the shelter with a high level of radiation shielding.
  • the underground shelter can encompass one room or many rooms, some of which may be located at different levels, and in some instances rooms might be built on top of one another with, for example, a common hallway, passageway, ladder, and/or elevator connecting the various rooms, levels, and access passages to the surface. It would also be possible for such a structure to couple to an above ground building that can serve any number of related or unrelated functions.
  • the underground shelter may encompass all the basic conveniences and creature comforts one might find in a home and/or office building, such as, for example, electricity, water, bathrooms, kitchen, sleeping quarters, entertainment areas, offices, meeting rooms, communication network facilities, office equipment, cafeterias and other food preparation and dining areas, theatres, and so forth.
  • the facility may also include positive pressure air filtrations systems.
  • the shelter itself may serve primarily as a residential facility if desired, or can be configured and arranged to serve as a business facility.
  • serving as a business facility it would be possible to permit the business tenants to have non-civilly catastrophic-event based access to the shelter in order, for example, to maintain the virtually instant readiness of that facility to serve a headquarters function or other important on-line function for the business during a civilly-catastrophic event-based time of need.
  • a large enough facility could host a number of such businesses if desired.
  • a shelter may be dedicated to serving a corporate subscriber and its employees.
  • the corporate shelter may include a design that provides for the facility to be used pre-disaster in addition to use of the shelter during and/or after a disaster.
  • the corporate shelter may be made available based on a long term lease or sale of space using a condominium model wherein the landlord or private civil security provider provides a fully built-out space (furnished or unfurnished), including common elements like electrical generation, water supply, communications lines, air filtration systems, emergency supplies, and so forth.
  • the corporate shelter may be designed to be used pre-disaster, such that the facility is not designed solely as a disaster recovery center, but can be manned during times of peace, calm, and/or non-disaster.
  • Corporations may have their own completely independent shelter or they may have their own independent space within a multi-tenant corporate shelter for their offices and communications network, with certain common services being shared with other corporate tenants, such as, for example, photocopying, food preparation, sleeping, bathing and sanitation accommodations, medical treatment and so forth.
  • a shelter landlord or private civil security provider could provide supplies and equipment to support occupants for an extended period of time.
  • a corporate tenant's space may be fully or partially occupied on a day-to-day basis.
  • the facility may be fully used as a regular office facility with people coming and going. In other instances, the facility may only be partially staffed with the staff being optionally increased in the time of emergency. A corporation may also allow employees and their families to occupy the shelter during a civilly-catastrophic event.
  • An electromagnetic pulse as can be caused by certain kinds and categories of civilly-catastrophic events, can disrupt and/or destroy electrical circuits.
  • the effects of an electromagnetic pulse can be significantly mitigated though the use of copper screening or related materials.
  • dry wall or similar construction materials may be impregnated with a copper screen during the manufacturing process.
  • the screen becomes an integral part of the wall and, once installed, will provide connectivity through all of the copper-impregnated walls, ceilings, and/or room panels used throughout a shelter or structure.
  • the panels would be designed such that a copper element is exposed on the edges of each panel to ensure continuity between the panels and the electrical ground.
  • people that are susceptible to the negative health effects of radio signals and/or electromagnetic fields may benefit from the use of this impregnated material.
  • a cascading water tank system may be developed to capture and/or retain fresh water in a home, office, or shelter. In a time of emergency, this system can help ensure that there is always a fresh supply of water available, irrespective of whether the electricity has failed, the metropolitan water system continues to pump water, and/or a well water supply is available.
  • the system includes a series of tiered inline water tanks that fill with water, with the series of tanks being hooked to a main distribution point within the structure.
  • the tanks can be of a multitude of sizes and/or dimensions and can range from a few gallows to potentially thousands of gallons.
  • Water enters the house from the main supply, fills the inline tanks, and then flows into the house for normal use. As water is consumed, the new supply of water flows through the tanks as usual. However, in the event of a water supply failure due to the loss of electricity or some other means, water is retained in the tanks, hi the event the external water supply fails, the occupant of the structure has a retained water supply stored in the online tanks and this water can then be accessed through a valve positioned in the bottom of each tank. The system ensures that the occupant has a supply of fresh water, as the water in the tanks is continually refreshed through normal use.
  • 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);
  • 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
  • communications services including long distance communication services
  • 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 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;
  • 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. In addition, some vehicles may operate to provide both transportation and shelter. 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.
  • 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 resource, such as rescue and/or evacuation services.
  • One of the difficulties in performing rescue operations in a large metropolitan area is the lack of open space, which can significantly impair the ability for a helicopter to land near or around a disaster area.
  • the water offers an additional method for ingress and egress from the disaster area.
  • a private civil security provider may pre-position a barge, boat, ship, or similar craft on a body of water in a greater metropolitan area.
  • the craft can be relocated (such as moved by a tug or similar craft or moved by the craft's own form of propulsion) to a location close to the disaster area where it can act as a staging point for the ingress and egress of private civil security rescue personnel.
  • the craft could be initially stored at a commercial port and could then be moved at the time of a civilly-catastrophic event to a sea wall adjacent the disaster zone, thereby providing a landing zone for a helicopter or tilt-rotor aircraft.
  • the craft may have supplies, equipment, rescue vehicles, and so forth on board that can be quickly dispatched into the disaster zone to retrieve victims and return them to the craft so they can be evacuated.
  • the craft may include, for example, secure enclosed areas that provide areas for storage of supplies, communications equipment, medical treatment and/or environmental risk mitigation equipment, including positive pressure, biological, chemical, and/or radiological air filtration systems and/or mitigation devices.
  • rescue services will be rendered in the event of a civilly-catastrophic event.
  • rescue personnel quickly locating the authorized beneficiary and physically accessing that authorized beneficiary to effect their removal to another location.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • a central information collection function 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.
  • 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.
  • such activities can be supplemented with training for the participating individuals regarding how these observations and so forth are to be carried out.
  • the civil security provider may have civil security facilities, such as a tactical operations center (TOC), to provide any of a variety of services.
  • the tactical operations center may include a subscription services center to support subscribers, instant subscribers, and other related groups.
  • the subscription services center may have a broad language capability to ensure that the staff of the civil security provider can efficiently communicate with subscribers before, during, and/or after a disaster.
  • the staff may be trained in the nuances of various cultural and religious considerations to ensure that cultural and religious preferences and/or requirements are adhered to and that the subscriber is not purposely or inadvertently offended.
  • 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, 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), hi 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.
  • 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).
  • a sales support tool utilizing a software-based program may be designed to assist and support sales and subscription staff in offering products, services, and/or solutions to potential subscribers.
  • the sales representative of the private civil security provider may solicit and then input some background information as pertains to a potential subscriber. This information can be collected through a variety of different methods, such as, for example, by an application for membership filled out either in paper and/or electronic form, by an on-line question and answer process, in person via an interview format, and so forth.
  • some external background information on the applicant may be collected from public information sources, such as, for example, credit records, employment history records, criminal and civil databases, and so forth. This information may then be inputted into the sales support tool to provide a baseline for the sales representative to determine the best services and/or products for a specific person given their circumstances as further described below.
  • subscription cards may be sold at retail, with the card representing a form of subscription to a private civil security product and/or service.
  • an application and approval process may be required after purchasing the card, with such application and/or approval depending, if desired, on the type of product and/or service offered with the card.
  • the card may entitle the holder to a specific batch of emergency supplies and/or services. The purchase of the card eliminates the need for a person to haul a great quantity of goods away from a retailer.
  • the card may entitle the holder to either pickup their goods at a designated location or the goods could be shipped to the holder. Similarly, if the card entitles the holder to services, then the holder of the card could come to a designated location to receive their services.
  • the card could optionally have a telephone number and/or a website address that would allow the user to contact the provider of civil security services and products for more information relative to their purchase.
  • a card-based system of ownership may be offered to allow a user to buy into a private civil security service solution and own the provisions and safety equipment necessary to support life without being burdened with the challenge of storing their supplies.
  • the card would represent ownership of a specific volume of goods and/or services that allow the holder of the card to withdraw or retrieve their goods and/or obtain their services from a metropolitan service center where goods are stored.
  • the service center may optionally be open and available 24 hours a day.
  • the card may optionally include services such as, for example, the rotation of goods, the optimization of goods (such as, for example, updating the stored goods with the newest and/or best goods and equipment available), and so forth.
  • a service may be offered where a subscriber delivers funds to a private civil security provider and the civil security provider then converts the funds into a barterable commodity and/or goods and maintains the inventory on behalf of the subscriber.
  • the civil security provider may establish and maintain a contingency plan that allows their subscribers to diversify a portion of their financial holdings into something other than the national currency.
  • Such an approach may be particularly valuable if a country's currency is debased in the wake of a civilly-catastrophic event.
  • the barterable goods may include metals, such as, for example, gold bullion or silver, a currency for a country that is not affected by civil disaster, or other item that might have residual value during and/or after a national crisis.
  • the civil security provider would be responsible for securing the barterable goods and ensuring that the goods can be made available at the request of the subscriber, whether before, during and/or after a civilly-catastrophic event.
  • 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 revetting 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.
  • 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.
  • 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 process 100 then includes acquiring information 105 about at least a particular authorized beneficiary in order to use 106 the information to develop and offer 107 consideration-based access to a package of selected ones of the plurality of private civil security resources that are deemed appropriate to offer to the particular authorized beneficiary.
  • the provider may limit the type of agreement or access to the private civil security resources that affects what information may be necessary to develop the package.
  • the type of agreement might control questions regarding options for when resources may be provided (for example, the initiation and termination of a coverage period) and/or the costs and pricing involved (where, for example, a long term contract provides different resource options than that covered by relatively shorter term contract since costs can be defrayed over a longer period of time).
  • the type of agreement and the terms therein between a provider of resources and the authorized beneficiaries may be partially or wholly negotiable.
  • acquiring information 105 may include questions to first identify who is to have access to the private civil security resources and that establish how payment for the private civil security resources is to be provided.
  • questions for a third party who seeks to provide access to the private civil security resources for a plurality of authorized beneficiaries may relate to:
  • the third party's criteria for deciding who to include as an authorized beneficiary to determine who should receive access to the resources when it may be difficult to determine, such as when only a portion of a group receives access (such as management versus non-management employees of a company));
  • acquiring 105 information may also include determining a likely condition as a result of the incident at least one likely location of a particular authorized beneficiary at issue. It can then be determined which options and resources that would be used to respond to such an event are at the disposal of at least one provider that would be assigned to provide the resources to the particular authorized beneficiary at issue.
  • determinations should be made regarding which options and resources all of the providers have available, or may be made available, within the cost constraints for providing the civil security resources. This will enable relatively quick development and offering of resource packages no matter where an authorized beneficiary is located. It will also be appreciated that, in one example, no significant limits may exist on providing the resources where the costs for the resources are passed to wealthy authorized beneficiaries or organizations where, relatively speaking, cost is not a limiting factor.
  • this process 100 will permit optionally providing 104 non- civil security resources.
  • the process 100 then also includes providing 103, 104 the authorized beneficiaries with consideration-based access to both the civil and non-civil security resources. Notwithstanding the provision of such civil security resources, the step of providing 103, 104 access to such resources can readily comprise providing a plurality of other different access opportunities which are detailed in commonly owned U.S. Patent Application No. 11/549,874, which is fully incorporated herein.
  • a sales support tool 1300 as shown in FIG. 13 may have an information collection unit 1302 used to acquire 105 information from the authorized beneficiary, an offer package generator 1304 to use 106 the collected information to form a package of appropriate private civil security resources, and/or an offer package display 1306 to offer 107 consideration-based access to the package of private civil security resources.
  • the party using the sales support tool 1300, or parts thereof, to provide the offers may be the provider of some or all of the resources or may be associated with others, or hired by, the provider such as independent sales agents or companies, or may be other organizations or corporations that have agreements to offer the resources on behalf of the providers. This may include companies that mainly sell other products, whether related to private civil security resources or not, and such a company may offer the package of access to the resources as an incentive to purchase their product.
  • the information collection unit 1302 may simply be a real-time interview by an agent associated with a provider of the private civil security resources asking the authorized beneficiary questions.
  • the information maybe collected at any place normally occupied by the particular authorized beneficiary, a physical location of a provider of the private civil security resources, a vehicle configured for meeting the particular authorized beneficiary, a commercial establishment, a trade show booth, a conference having a relation to civil security resources, a location configured for conducting a telephonic interview with a recently located particular authorized beneficiary, or any other location convenient to the authorized beneficiary.
  • the information collection unit 1302 may include a hard-copy questionnaire, a computer generated questionnaire, a questionnaire on an Internet web-site, an audio questionnaire, a pre-recorded questionnaire, and/or a video questionnaire just to name some examples, hi other cases, the information may be collected by receiving calls from authorized beneficiaries through a telephonic network, receiving a hardcopy document from a delivery service (such as a letter from an authorized beneficiary explaining their circumstances and whether or not requested by the provider), an electronic message received through a computer network, a facsimile, a radio transmission, a wireless transmission, and/or a visual display (such as on a sign or computer screen) to name but a few examples.
  • a hard-copy questionnaire such as a letter from an authorized beneficiary explaining their circumstances and whether or not requested by the provider
  • a delivery service such as a letter from an authorized beneficiary explaining their circumstances and whether or not requested by the provider
  • an electronic message received through a computer network such as a letter from an authorized beneficiary explaining their circumstances and whether or not requested by the provider
  • the sales support tool 1300 or any part thereof such as the information collection unit 1302 may be, or may include, a portion of a computer network (such as a local area network or intranet that may or may not use tunneling through a public network such as the Internet, to name a few examples), one or more computers such as a mainframe computer, a server, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a portable computer, a hand-held computer having adequate memory and processing to perform the functions mentioned above (such as a personal data assistant (PDA)), a telephone (whether it is a hardwired phone, a cordless phone, a cellular phone, and/or a satellite phone, to name a few examples), an email transceiver device such as a BLACKBERRY ® , and/or any other device that can present a question to an authorized beneficiary, record an answer to the question, or both.
  • a computer network such as a local area network or intranet that may or may not use tunneling through a public network such as the Internet, to name a
  • a data storage device such as a detachable, external hard drive, memory stick, and so forth to name a few examples
  • any other media player such as an audio player (radio, walkman (for example, iPOD), CD players, and so forth) and video players such as a VCR or DVD player to name some examples.
  • the information collection unit 1302 is a computer with an interface 1308 for entering information onto the computer and a data storage or database 1310 for storing questions for the authorized beneficiary and/or answers to the questions or other collected data regarding the authorized beneficiaries.
  • the information collection unit also includes the offer package generator 1304 and/or the offer package display 1306.
  • the information collection unit 1302 may form substantially the entire sales support tool 1300 and may have the ability to collect information (such as by a computer program that asks questions and may receive answers typed or otherwise received by the computer as is well known), process the information to form an appropriate package, or a portion of the package, of resources, and then display on the computer's screen the package as part of an offer of access to the package of resources.
  • the information collection unit may be entirely self-contained and may be permanently located at the provider's location or alternatively may be carried to the authorized beneficiary's location.
  • the offer package generator 1304 or offer package display 1306 may be referred to as containing the other two parts of the sales support tool mentioned depending on which part is considered the dominant part of the sales support tool 1300 at issue.
  • the sales support tool 1300 may be configured to communicate with a separate main system 1312 that may have its own data storage devices and databases for storing questions and authorized beneficiary profile data.
  • the information collection unit 1302 transmits some or all of the collected information through a transmitter 1314 to the main system 1312 so that an offer package generator 1304 on the main system can then process the information and establish the contents, or a portion of the contents, of the package of resources to be offered to the authorized beneficiary.
  • the listing of the contents for the offer are then received by a receiver 1316 of the information collection unit 1302.
  • both the main system 1312 and the information collection unit 1302 have their own offer package generator 1304 to alternatively or cooperatively (where each is assigned a certain category of information, for example) process collected information.
  • each major component of the sale support tool 1300 for example, the information collection unit 1302, the offer package generator 1304, and the offer package display 1306) can be combined or remote from the others.
  • the information collection unit 1302 is equipment such as a laptop computer or other portable computer device that is provided to the potential authorized beneficiary.
  • the equipment is sent to the authorized beneficiary by a delivery service and is configured for the authorized beneficiary to enter information onto the equipment at the convenience of the authorized beneficiary.
  • instructions would be provided to the authorized beneficiary for starting an information collection computer program and entering information onto the equipment.
  • the authorized beneficiary may be instructed to send the entire information collection unit 1302, or apart thereof (such as a detachable hard drive or other removable data storage device, for instance), back to the provider for attachment to, or downloading to, an offer package generator 1304 on the main system 1312 at a provider's location, for example, to develop an offer package.
  • the authorized beneficiary may be instructed to transmit the collected information on the information collection unit 1302 back to the provider or main system 1312 through a wireless or hard- wired communications network.
  • a remote offer package generator 1304 may receive and process the transmitted information, and then transmit a listing of the contents of an offer package back to the information collection unit 1302 to inform the authorized beneficiary of the offer package.
  • the information collection unit 1302 may be able to process at least a portion of the collected information and display at least a portion of an offer package of private civil security resources without, or in addition to, transmission of data to a remote system.
  • equipment such as the information collection unit 1302 for example is provided to at least one sales agent or other party associated with a provider of the private civil security resources.
  • the sales agent may transport the equipment to a location of the potential authorized beneficiary to ask the authorized beneficiary (or one associated therewith) questions that appear on, or are suggested by, the information collection unit 1302 and/or enter answers on the information collection unit.
  • the information collection unit 1302 may show empty data fields on a monitor or screen and that have titles that suggest questions for the agent to ask the authorized beneficiary so the agent can fill in the data fields.
  • the sale agent may instruct the authorized beneficiaries on how to use the information collection unit 1302 themselves.
  • the agent is provided with a vehicle that carries the equipment.
  • the agent may then remove the equipment from the vehicle for a meeting with the particular authorized beneficiary, conduct a meeting with the particular authorized beneficiary on the vehicle, and/or board the vehicle to enter information using the equipment for a meeting conducted with the particular authorized beneficiary when the particular authorized beneficiary is located remotely from the vehicle, to name a number of examples.
  • a vehicle includes any means of transport that can at least carry the information collection unit 1302, and in some cases, permit the agent to ride the vehicle.
  • the vehicle may include any tertiary, seagoing, and/or air worthy transport including any automobile, truck, trailer, cart, camper, boat, airplane, and so forth.
  • acquiring 105 information regarding a particular authorized beneficiary includes obtaining information to potentially provide needs for any and all aspects of an authorized beneficiary's life.
  • a number of questions relate to the compatibility of the authorized beneficiary with others for sheltering purposes, for example, which may require grouping the authorized beneficiary with like-minded people, or to predict the authorized beneficiary's actions and abilities in a time of great stress to determine what resources might be needed to rescue the authorized beneficiary, against their own will, for example, if the need arises, or to assess the ability of the authorized beneficiary to assist with tasks in association with responding to a civilly-catastrophic event (such as rescues or services needed at a shelter community for example).
  • a demographically related question for identification purposes for finding the particular authorized beneficiary, for identifying special physical needs (such as with a disability for example), and for categorizing groups of authorized beneficiaries for sheltering purposes and to increase efficiency with resource deployment);
  • an environmentally related question to identify authorized beneficiary' s environmental sensitivities or circumstances that raise greater than normal environmental concerns (such as a location near a nuclear plant to name one example)
  • a pychographically related question to determine the authorized beneficiary's personality, attitudes, lifestyle, values and/or interests, to name a few examples, that may be used for assessing compatability and cooperativeness as well as determining certain needs such as companionship or hobbies;
  • a goal and/or communications related question (to assess the authorized beneficiary's priorities and needs regarding the safety of property, their own safety, and/or other authorized beneficiaries, and/or for maintaining a business); [00181] a skill and/or experience related question (to determine the ability of the authorized beneficiary to use the resources and/or assist with other civil security related efforts (such as assisting with rescues or providing a service at a shelter to name a few examples));
  • the identification related questions may relate to a nickname, a legal name, an address, a phone number, an email address, a personal identification number, an identifying physical characteristic, and/or an astrological sign to name a few examples.
  • the demographically related question may relate to age, gender, physical description including, but not limited to, height, weight, distinguishing marks, skin color, hair color, hair style, a physical attribute, eye wear, a disability, a tattoo, a disfigurement, a handicap, and so forth.
  • the demographic questions may also include questions relating to race, nationality, citizenship, ancestry, sexual orientation, a religious requirement, a dietary restriction, a physical restriction, a medical restriction, a political agenda, a group to which the at least one authorized beneficiary belongs, a pet, an educational background, a profession, a financial condition, and times the at least one authorized beneficiary may be found at each location on a list of physical locations visited by the authorized beneficiary.
  • the environmentally related questions may relate to environmental conditions that would impact the particular authorized beneficiary, tobacco smoking environments, allergies of the at least one authorized beneficiary, and so forth.
  • the psychographically related questions may also relate to phobias of the particular authorized beneficiary, topics that make the particular authorized beneficiary particularly uncomfortable, and/or a personal definition of a safety related word, to name a few particular examples.
  • the goal oriented related questions may relate to (1) criteria for evacuating rather than remaining in a home in light of circumstances that would raise a need for the criteria, (2) motivation to take action relating to civil security resources such as fear for themselves, fear for family members's safety, fear for extended family's safety, fear for co- workers' safety, a desire to return workers to a state of at least partial productivity as soon as possible, and/or remaining in communication with a party who could recommend trusted courses of action, and/or (3) a civil security resource believed to be ideal by the particular authorized beneficiary to preserve the particular authorized beneficiary with respect to a dangerous situation, to name a few examples.
  • the experience related questions may relate to formal training in activities that are likely to assist the particular authorized beneficiary's actions when responding to the needs associated with a civilly-catastrophic event such as employment, military training, medical training, up-to-date certified medical training, specific industrial experience, a hobby, athletic training, vehicle driver training, vehicle driver experience, and so forth.
  • the financial security related questions may relate to finances in light of a civilly-catastrophic event that affects financial institutions, and/or commerce, or that causes at least a financially detrimental injury to the particular authorized beneficiary.
  • the questions here may relate to a will, a trust, an heir, and/or an executor of the particular authorized beneficiary's estate, to name some specific examples.
  • the physical security related questions relate to physical aspects of a residence of the particular authorized beneficiary for determining a candidate way to rescue the particular authorized beneficiary from the residence and/or a likelihood that the residence will remain substantially undamaged by a certain possible civilly-catastrophic event, to name a couple of examples.
  • the physical security related questions may also relate to a building type of the residence, a primary construction material of the residence, a means for exiting the residence, fire safety equipment supplied in the residence, security equipment provided for the residence, suitability of at least a portion of the residence to serve as a shelter from a particular environmentally-borne hazard to survival, suitability of at least a portion of the residence to be retrofitted as a viable civil security shelter for the particular authorized beneficiary, availability of a reliable water supply notwithstanding a civilly- catastrophic event, proximity of the residence to a potential disaster causing object, and so forth.
  • the physical security related questions may also relate to firearms in the possession of the particular authorized beneficiary such as a quantity of the firearms, licenses for the firearms, ownership of the firearms, a type of the firearms, maintenance of the firearms, a location of the firearms, a location of ammunition for the firearms, training for use of the firearms, and so forth.
  • the physical security related questions also may relate to a distance between the residence of the particular authorized beneficiary and a nearest government public safety services facility to assess the practicality of evacuating the residence during certain dangerous events and the ability of the government to provide services (such as police, fire, and ambulance service) during non-civilly-catastrophic events.
  • the communications related questions may relate to a need for the particular authorized beneficiary to communicate with other people in association with an occurrence of a civilly-catastrophic event for determining a status of family members, friends, co-workers, and/or employees, providing for at least one of a family members', friends', co-workers', and employees' safety, maintaining operation of a business, and/or maintaining the particular authorized beneficiary's health to name some examples.
  • the information is used 106 to identify the package of selected ones of the plurality of private civil security services as being appropriate to offer to the authorized beneficiary. This includes using the collected information to determine the relative ease and/or relative difficulty of providing the particular authorized beneficiary with access to the private civil security resources in view of: (1) a likely condition as a result of a threatened potential incident (as described previously) that would trigger access to the private civil security resources, (2) at least one provider's options for providing the private civil security resources to the particular authorized beneficiary (including as mentioned above what may be available or may be made available to the provider depending on the provider's cost constraints), (3) the abilities of the particular authorized beneficiary, (4) the needs of the particular authorized beneficiary, and (5) the cost constraints established by a budget of the particular authorized beneficiary.
  • the process 100 then proceeds to offering 107 consideration-based access to the package of private civil security resources.
  • the offer may be provided on the offer package display 1304 described above, which may be in the form of a visual display such as a hard-copy item (paper or a computer generated print-out for instance), a screen of a computer device, a projected image on a screen or wall for viewing as a group of people, or a hand-held device screen, and/or an audio device, to name a few examples.
  • the offer may be provided as multiple packages where each package has different content.
  • the packages may be presented as alternatives and/or packages that can be combined.
  • Each package may also be displayed separately or simultaneously with other packages.
  • a package is displayed and then changed to account for subsequently acquired information. This may be relatively instantaneous when the sales support tool 1300 has the information collection unit 1302, offer package generator 1304, and offer package display 1306 interconnected so that the offer can be updated quickly with new information.
  • changing the information, and offering a second and subsequent packages may be performed during a single continuous sales session.
  • a package is desirably developed that is affordable to the particular authorized beneficiary.
  • the price of the offer may be reduced depending on (1) the expected cooperativeness of the particular authorized beneficiary during a civilly-catastrophic event, (2) the expected ease of placing the particular authorized beneficiary at a location with people compatible with the particular authorized beneficiary, and/or (3) an expected contribution in assisting with civil security tasks by the particular authorized beneficiary that otherwise would be performed by a provider of the plurality of private civil security resources, to have but a few possible examples. It will be understood that price reductions may be offered for many other reasons as would be understood from the information collected from the authorized beneficiary. These and other pricing options are more fully explained in commonly owned U. S. Patent Application No. 11/539,861, which is fully incorporated herein.
  • 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 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.
  • each such bundle 801 can comprise a one year supply of all acquired items for a single adult authorized beneficiary.
  • 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 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.
  • 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, hi 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.
  • 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
  • air treatment 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, long-distance 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).
  • 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.
  • 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 nonessential 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. 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.
  • 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 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.

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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. A sales support tool (1300) is used to acquire information that relates to providing access to the plurality of private civil security resources. The acquired information is analyzed for establishing a package of selected ones of the plurality of private civil security resources depending on the information acquired and that are appropriate to offer to a particular authorized beneficiary. Access to the package of selected ones of plurality of private civil security resources is then offered to at least one beneficiary.

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 60/863,469 filed October 30, 2006, 60/863,481 filed October 30, 2006, 60/864,302 filed November 3, 2006, and 60/894,350 filed March 12, 2007, which are hereby incorporated in their entirety herein.
[0002] This comprises a continuation-in-part of each of:
[0003] SUBSCRIPTION-BASED PRIVATE CIVIL SECURITY FACILITATION METHOD as filed on March 17, 2006 and having application number 11/384,037;
[0004] SUBSCRIPTION-BASED CATASTROPHE-TRIGGERED MEDICAL SERVICES FACILITATION METHOD as filed on March 30, 2006 and having application number 11/394,350;
[0005] PERSONAL PROFILE-BASED PRIVATE CIVIL SECURITY SUBSCRIPTION METHOD as filed on April 11, 2006 and having application number 11/279,333;
[0006] RADIATION SHELTER KIT APPARATUS AND METHOD as filed on April 24, 2006 and having application number 11/379,929;
[0007] FRACTIONALLY-POSSESSED UNDERGROUND SHELTER METHOD AND APPARATUS as filed on May 2, 2006 and having application number 11/381,247;
[0008] SUBSCRIPTION-BASED CATASTROPHE-TRIGGERED TRANSPORT SERVICES FACILITATION METHOD AND APPARATUS as filed on May 2, 2006 and having application number 11/381,257;
[0009] SUBSCRIPTION-BASED MULTI-PERSON EMERGENCY SHELTER METHOD as filed on May 2, 2006 and having application number 11/381,265;
[0010] SUBSCRIPTION-BASED CATASTROPHE-TRIGGERED RESCUE SERVICES FACILITATION METHOD AND APPARATUS as filed on May 2, 2006 and having application number 11/381,277;
[0011] DOCUMENT-BASED CIVILLY-CATASTROPHIC EVENT PERSONAL ACTION GUIDE FACILITATION METHOD as filed on May 12, 2006 and having application number 11/383,022; [0012] RESCUE CONTAINER METHOD AND APPARATUS as filed on May 26, 2006 and having application number 11/420,594;
[0013] PURCHASE OPTION-BASED EMERGENCY SUPPLIES PROVISIONING METHOD as filed on June 1, 2006 and having application number 11/421,694;
[0014] SUBSCRIPTION-BASED PRE-PROVISIONED TOWABLE UNIT FACILITATION METHOD as filed on June 12, 2006 and having application number 11/423,594;
[0015] RADIATION-BLOCKING BLADDER APPARATUS AND METHOD as filed on June 19, 2006 and having application number 11/425,043;
[0016] PRIVATE CIVIL DEFENSE-THEMED TELEVISION BROADCASTING METHOD as filed on June 23, 2006 and having application number 11/426,231 ;
[0017] EMERGENCY SUPPLIES PRE-POSITIONING AND ACCESS CONTROL METHOD as filed on July 10, 2006 and having application number 11/456,472;
[0018] PRIVATE CIVIL DEFENSE-THEMED BROADCASTING METHOD as filed on August 1, 2006 and having application number 11/461,605;
[0019] METHOD OF PROVIDING VARIABLE SUBSCRIPTION-BASED ACCESS TO AN EMERGENCY SHELTER as filed on August 1, 2006 and having application number 11/461,624;
[0020] SUBSCRIPTION-BASED INTERMEDIATE SHORT-TERM EMERGENCY SHELTER METHOD as filed on August 7, 2006 and having application number 11/462,795;
[0021] SUBSCRIPTION-BASED CATASTROPHE-TRIGGERED RESCUE SERVICES FACILITATION METHOD USING WIRELESS LOCATION INFORMATION as filed on August 7, 2006 and having application number 11/462,845;
[0022] PRIVATELY PROVISIONED SURVIVAL SUPPLIES DELIVERY METHOD as filed on August 15, 2006 and having application number 11/464,751;
[0023] PRIVATELY PROVISIONED SURVIVAL SUPPLIES SUB UNIT-BASED DELIVERY METHOD as filed on August 15, 2006 and having application number 11/464,764; [0024] PRIVATELY PROVISIONED SURVIVAL SUPPLIES ACQUISITION METHOD as filed on August 15, 2006 and having application number 11/464,775;
[0025] PRIVATELY PROVISIONED SURVIVAL SUPPLIES CONTENT ACQUISITION METHOD as filed on August 15, 2006 and having application number 11/464,788;
[0026] METHOD TO PRIVATELY PROVISION SURVIVAL SUPPLIES THAT INCLUDE THIRD PARTY ITEMS as filed on August 15, 2006 and having application number 11/464,799;
[0027] WASTE DISPOSAL DEVICE as filed on August 16, 2006 and having application number 11/465,063;
[0028] SUBSCRIPTION-BASED PRIVATE CIVIL SECURITY RESOURCE CUSTOMIZATION METHOD as filed on August 23, 2006 and having application number 11/466,727;
[0029] PREMIUM BASED PRIVATE CIVIL SECURITY POLICY METHODS as filed on August 24, 2006 and having application number 11/466,953;
[0030] SUBSCRIPTION-BASED MOBILE SHELTER METHOD as filed on September 5, 2006 and having application number 11/470,156;
[0031] METHOD OF PROVIDING A FLOATING LIFE-SUSTAINING FACILITY as filed on September 13, 2006 and having application number 11/531,651;
[0032] PRIVATELY PROVISIONED SUB-UNIT-BASED SURVIVAL SUPPLIES PROVISIONING METHOD as filed on September 15, 2006 and having application number 11/532,461;
[0033] PRIVATELY PROVISIONED INTERLOCKING SUB UNIT BASED SURVIVAL SUPPLIES PROVISIONING METHOD as filed on September 25, 2006 and having application number 11/535,021;
[0034] RESOURCE CONTAINER AND POSITIONING METHOD AND APPARATUS as filed on September 26, 2006 and having application number 11/535,282; [0035] PUBLICLY-FUNDED PRIVATELY FACILITATED ACCESS TO SURVIVAL RESOURCES METHOD as filed on September 29, 2006 and having application number 11/537,469;
[0036] ELECTRICITY PROVIDING PRIVATELY PROVISIONED SUBSCRIPTION- BASED SURVIVAL SUPPLY UNIT METHOD AND APPARATUS as filed on October 9, 2006 and having application number 11/539,798;
[0037] PREMIUM-BASED CIVILLY-CATASTROPHIC EVENT THREAT ASSESSMENT as filed on October 9, 2006 and having application number 11/539,861 ;
[0038] PRIVATELY MANAGED ENTERTAINMENT AND RECREATION SUPPLIES PROVISIONING METHOD as filed on October 10, 2006 and having application number 11/548,191;
[0039] METHOD TO FACILITATE PROVIDING ACCESS TO A PLURALITY OF PRIVATE CIVIL SECURITY RESOURCE as filed on October 16, 2006 and having application number 11/549,874;
[0040] METHOD OF PROVIDING BEARER CERTIFICATES FOR PRIVATE CIVIL SECURITY BENEFITS as filed on October 18, 2006 and having application number 11/550,594;
[0041] METHOD FOR CIVILLY-CATASTROPHIC EVENT-BASED TRANSPORT SERVICE AND VEHICLES THEREFOR as filed on October 19, 2006 and having application number 11/551,083;
[0042] METHOD FOR PROVIDING PRIVATE CIVIL SECURITY SERVICES BUNDLED WITH SECOND PARTY PRODUCTS as filed on October 30, 2006 and having application number 11/554,452;
[0043] SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A PRIVATE CIVIL SECURITY LOYALTY REWARD PROGRAM as filed on November 1, 2006 and having application number 11/555,589;
[0044] SUBSCRIPTION BASED SHUTTLE METHOD as filed on November 2, 2006 and having application number 11/555,896;
[0045] METHOD AND SECURITY MODULES FOR AN INCIDENT DEPLOYMENT AND RESPONSE SYSTEM FOR FACILITATING ACCESS TO PRIVATE CIVIL SECURITY RESOURCES as filed on November 3, 2006 and having application number 11/556,520;
[0046] METHOD OF PROVIDING SURVIVAL SUPPLIES CONTAINER WITH AN ILLUMINATION APPARATUS as filed on November 13, 2006 and having application number 11/559,278;
[0047] the contents of each of which are fully incorporated herein by this reference.
Technical Field
[0048] This invention relates generally to providing survival-related services.
Background
[0049] 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:
[0050] 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;
[0051] communications infrastructure such as telephones, television, radio, and the Internet that facilitate the inexpensive and rapid sharing of news, advice, information, and entertainment; and
[0052] 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.
[0053] 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.
[0054] 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.
[0055] 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.
[0056] 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.
[0057] 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.
[0058] 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. In many other cases, however, such options quickly prove inadequate or even dangerous in and of themselves. Even in cases where public civil security resources in the aggregate may be adequate, significant problems can arise with respect to matching and providing a proper type of resource to those who need a particular type of resource in light of a civilly-catastrophic event while simultaneously avoiding waste, confusion, or unnecessary loss.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0059] 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:
[0060] FIG. 1 comprises a flow diagram as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention;
[0061] FIG. 2 comprises a schematic block diagram view as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention;
[0062] FIG. 3 comprises a flow diagram as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention;
[0063] FIG. 4 comprises a flow diagram as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention;
[0064] FIG. 5 comprises a schematic block diagram as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention;
[0065] FIG. 6 comprises a schematic block diagram as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention; [0066] FIG. 7 comprises a schematic block diagram as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention;
[0067] FIG. 8 comprises a schematic block diagram as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention;
[0068] FIG. 9 comprises a schematic block diagram as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention;
[0069] FIG. 10 comprises a flow diagram as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention;
[0070] FIG. 11 comprises a top plan block diagram view as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention;
[0071] FIG. 12 comprises a flow diagram as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention; and
[0072] FIG. 13 comprises a schematic block diagram as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.
[0073] 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
[0074] 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.
[0075] In order to provide these resources, a sales support tool may have an information collection unit used to acquire information regarding at least a particular authorized beneficiary who is interested in obtaining access to the private civil security resources. The collected information is then used by an offer package generator to identify a package of selected ones of the plurality of the private civil security resources as being appropriate to offer to the particular authorized beneficiary. Once a package is established, consideration- based access to the package is offered to the particular authorized beneficiary by using an offer package display. These and some of the many other facets of the sales support tool are described below.
[0076] 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. 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.
[0077] 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.
[0078] 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. [0079] 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.
[0080] 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.
[0081] 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 101 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.
[0082] 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.
[0083] 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).
[0084] 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.
[0085] 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).
[0086] 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. As another illustrative example, such a unit of civil security provisions might comprise a longer term unit that comprises a quantity and variety of civil security supplies that are adequate to sustain life for that authorized beneficiary for some longer period of time.
[0087] 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.
[0088] 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.
[0089] 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.
[0090] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the process 100 may further comprise accepting 108 subscriptions. 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).
[0091] 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.
[0092] 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).
[0093] 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.
[0094] 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.
[0095] 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.
[0096] 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.
[0097] 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.
[0098] 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.
[0099] 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.
[00100] 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).
[00101] 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). In 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.
[00102] 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.
[00103] 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.
[00104] 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. [00105] 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:
[00106] one or more civil security shelters;
[00107] 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));
[00108] 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);
[00109] 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);
[00110] a medical services facility;
[00111] and so forth, to note but a few relevant examples in this regard.
[00112] 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. [00113] 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.)
[00114] 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).
[00115] 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.
[00116] As discussed, 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 resource, such as a shelter. By one approach, a shelter may comprise an underground shelter. One of the challenges of creating an underground shelter is the time and cost associated with excavating a site that is deep enough to mitigate the threats associated with broad civil disaster and, in particular, the effects of radiation in the event of fall-out and/or ionizing radiation associated with the explosion of a nuclear weapon and/or accident at a nuclear power plant. To address these challenges, a private civil security provider may build an extensive underground facility by utilizing an existing, abandoned, or soon to be closed strip or pit mine. The mine may have been built to extract any number of natural resources that resulted in the creation of a broad and deep hole in the Earth. Once the mining work is completed, the natural resource exhausted, or it is no longer cost effective to mine the resource, mining companies are generally required by law to perform extensive remediation work, including refilling the holes and replanting vegetation. For a private civil security provider, the large excavated hole provides a less expensive opportunity to build an underground shelter by building a shelter in the bottom of the existing mine, connecting it to the surface, and then back filling the mine with dirt or other spoil, thereby creating an underground bunker with a significant amount of matter above to thereby provide the shelter with a high level of radiation shielding. The underground shelter can encompass one room or many rooms, some of which may be located at different levels, and in some instances rooms might be built on top of one another with, for example, a common hallway, passageway, ladder, and/or elevator connecting the various rooms, levels, and access passages to the surface. It would also be possible for such a structure to couple to an above ground building that can serve any number of related or unrelated functions. If desired, the underground shelter may encompass all the basic conveniences and creature comforts one might find in a home and/or office building, such as, for example, electricity, water, bathrooms, kitchen, sleeping quarters, entertainment areas, offices, meeting rooms, communication network facilities, office equipment, cafeterias and other food preparation and dining areas, theatres, and so forth. The facility may also include positive pressure air filtrations systems. The shelter itself may serve primarily as a residential facility if desired, or can be configured and arranged to serve as a business facility. When serving as a business facility, it would be possible to permit the business tenants to have non-civilly catastrophic-event based access to the shelter in order, for example, to maintain the virtually instant readiness of that facility to serve a headquarters function or other important on-line function for the business during a civilly-catastrophic event-based time of need. A large enough facility, of course, could host a number of such businesses if desired.
[00117] By one approach, a shelter may be dedicated to serving a corporate subscriber and its employees. The corporate shelter may include a design that provides for the facility to be used pre-disaster in addition to use of the shelter during and/or after a disaster. The corporate shelter may be made available based on a long term lease or sale of space using a condominium model wherein the landlord or private civil security provider provides a fully built-out space (furnished or unfurnished), including common elements like electrical generation, water supply, communications lines, air filtration systems, emergency supplies, and so forth. The corporate shelter may be designed to be used pre-disaster, such that the facility is not designed solely as a disaster recovery center, but can be manned during times of peace, calm, and/or non-disaster. Corporations may have their own completely independent shelter or they may have their own independent space within a multi-tenant corporate shelter for their offices and communications network, with certain common services being shared with other corporate tenants, such as, for example, photocopying, food preparation, sleeping, bathing and sanitation accommodations, medical treatment and so forth. A shelter landlord or private civil security provider could provide supplies and equipment to support occupants for an extended period of time. A corporate tenant's space may be fully or partially occupied on a day-to-day basis. In some instances, the facility may be fully used as a regular office facility with people coming and going. In other instances, the facility may only be partially staffed with the staff being optionally increased in the time of emergency. A corporation may also allow employees and their families to occupy the shelter during a civilly-catastrophic event.
[00118] An electromagnetic pulse, as can be caused by certain kinds and categories of civilly-catastrophic events, can disrupt and/or destroy electrical circuits. The effects of an electromagnetic pulse can be significantly mitigated though the use of copper screening or related materials. By one approach, dry wall or similar construction materials may be impregnated with a copper screen during the manufacturing process. As a result, the screen becomes an integral part of the wall and, once installed, will provide connectivity through all of the copper-impregnated walls, ceilings, and/or room panels used throughout a shelter or structure. The panels would be designed such that a copper element is exposed on the edges of each panel to ensure continuity between the panels and the electrical ground. Similarly, people that are susceptible to the negative health effects of radio signals and/or electromagnetic fields may benefit from the use of this impregnated material.
[00119] Civilly-catastrophic events typically occur with little or no warning and there is generally little time to prepare and store water or other necessities once the event occurs. Next to the need for air, water is the second most important element to support life. By one approach, a cascading water tank system may be developed to capture and/or retain fresh water in a home, office, or shelter. In a time of emergency, this system can help ensure that there is always a fresh supply of water available, irrespective of whether the electricity has failed, the metropolitan water system continues to pump water, and/or a well water supply is available. The system includes a series of tiered inline water tanks that fill with water, with the series of tanks being hooked to a main distribution point within the structure. The tanks can be of a multitude of sizes and/or dimensions and can range from a few gallows to potentially thousands of gallons. Water enters the house from the main supply, fills the inline tanks, and then flows into the house for normal use. As water is consumed, the new supply of water flows through the tanks as usual. However, in the event of a water supply failure due to the loss of electricity or some other means, water is retained in the tanks, hi the event the external water supply fails, the occupant of the structure has a retained water supply stored in the online tanks and this water can then be accessed through a valve positioned in the bottom of each tank. The system ensures that the occupant has a supply of fresh water, as the water in the tanks is continually refreshed through normal use.
[00120] The aforementioned civil security services can comprise any of a relatively wide variety of offerings. Some examples include, but are certainly not limited to:
[00121] 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);
[00122] 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);
[00123] 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);
[00124] 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;
[00125] 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;
[00126] civil security medical services (including but not limited to both fixed location and mobile services);
[00127] 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);
[00128] 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
[00129] 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);
[00130] and so forth, to note but a few relevant examples.
[00131] hi 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. In addition, some vehicles may operate to provide both transportation and shelter. 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.
[00132] As discussed, 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 resource, such as rescue and/or evacuation services. One of the difficulties in performing rescue operations in a large metropolitan area is the lack of open space, which can significantly impair the ability for a helicopter to land near or around a disaster area. For metropolitan areas that have rivers, lakes, canals, harbors, ocean, seas, or other water resources, the water offers an additional method for ingress and egress from the disaster area. Furthermore, a private civil security provider may pre-position a barge, boat, ship, or similar craft on a body of water in a greater metropolitan area. In the event of an emergency requiring evacuation services, the craft can be relocated (such as moved by a tug or similar craft or moved by the craft's own form of propulsion) to a location close to the disaster area where it can act as a staging point for the ingress and egress of private civil security rescue personnel. For example, the craft could be initially stored at a commercial port and could then be moved at the time of a civilly-catastrophic event to a sea wall adjacent the disaster zone, thereby providing a landing zone for a helicopter or tilt-rotor aircraft. Furthermore, the craft may have supplies, equipment, rescue vehicles, and so forth on board that can be quickly dispatched into the disaster zone to retrieve victims and return them to the craft so they can be evacuated. The craft may include, for example, secure enclosed areas that provide areas for storage of supplies, communications equipment, medical treatment and/or environmental risk mitigation equipment, including positive pressure, biological, chemical, and/or radiological air filtration systems and/or mitigation devices.
[00133] 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.
[00134] 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.
[00135] If desired, the civil security provider may have civil security facilities, such as a tactical operations center (TOC), to provide any of a variety of services. The tactical operations center may include a subscription services center to support subscribers, instant subscribers, and other related groups. The subscription services center may have a broad language capability to ensure that the staff of the civil security provider can efficiently communicate with subscribers before, during, and/or after a disaster. Similarly, the staff may be trained in the nuances of various cultural and religious considerations to ensure that cultural and religious preferences and/or requirements are adhered to and that the subscriber is not purposely or inadvertently offended.
[00136] 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. [00137] 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), hi 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.
[00138] 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.
[00139] 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).
[00140] Given the myriad of different private civil defense offerings, and potential customers of virtually every different gender, age, size, health, physical ability, and so forth, it is important that the appropriate civil security product is offered to the correct person. By one approach, a sales support tool utilizing a software-based program may be designed to assist and support sales and subscription staff in offering products, services, and/or solutions to potential subscribers. For example, the sales representative of the private civil security provider may solicit and then input some background information as pertains to a potential subscriber. This information can be collected through a variety of different methods, such as, for example, by an application for membership filled out either in paper and/or electronic form, by an on-line question and answer process, in person via an interview format, and so forth. Additionally, some external background information on the applicant may be collected from public information sources, such as, for example, credit records, employment history records, criminal and civil databases, and so forth. This information may then be inputted into the sales support tool to provide a baseline for the sales representative to determine the best services and/or products for a specific person given their circumstances as further described below.
[00141] As discussed, 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 resource. By one approach, subscription cards may be sold at retail, with the card representing a form of subscription to a private civil security product and/or service. If desired, an application and approval process may be required after purchasing the card, with such application and/or approval depending, if desired, on the type of product and/or service offered with the card. By one approach, the card may entitle the holder to a specific batch of emergency supplies and/or services. The purchase of the card eliminates the need for a person to haul a great quantity of goods away from a retailer. Similarly, the retailer does not have to experience the cost associated with stocking, handling, and/or merchandising large quantities of emergency supplies. The card may entitle the holder to either pickup their goods at a designated location or the goods could be shipped to the holder. Similarly, if the card entitles the holder to services, then the holder of the card could come to a designated location to receive their services. The card could optionally have a telephone number and/or a website address that would allow the user to contact the provider of civil security services and products for more information relative to their purchase.
[00142] For people living in an urban setting, living space may be quite limited and storage can be in even shorter supply. Many people are challenged to find space for life's every day necessities, let alone emergency supplies, making it very difficult for people living in large metropolitan areas to properly prepare for a civilly-catastrophic event. By one approach, a card-based system of ownership may be offered to allow a user to buy into a private civil security service solution and own the provisions and safety equipment necessary to support life without being burdened with the challenge of storing their supplies. In this instance, the card would represent ownership of a specific volume of goods and/or services that allow the holder of the card to withdraw or retrieve their goods and/or obtain their services from a metropolitan service center where goods are stored. The service center may optionally be open and available 24 hours a day. The card may optionally include services such as, for example, the rotation of goods, the optimization of goods (such as, for example, updating the stored goods with the newest and/or best goods and equipment available), and so forth.
[00143] By one approach, a service may be offered where a subscriber delivers funds to a private civil security provider and the civil security provider then converts the funds into a barterable commodity and/or goods and maintains the inventory on behalf of the subscriber. Thus, the civil security provider may establish and maintain a contingency plan that allows their subscribers to diversify a portion of their financial holdings into something other than the national currency. Such an approach may be particularly valuable if a country's currency is debased in the wake of a civilly-catastrophic event. The barterable goods may include metals, such as, for example, gold bullion or silver, a currency for a country that is not affected by civil disaster, or other item that might have residual value during and/or after a national crisis. The civil security provider would be responsible for securing the barterable goods and ensuring that the goods can be made available at the request of the subscriber, whether before, during and/or after a civilly-catastrophic event.
[00144] 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. [00145] 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 revetting 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.
[00146] 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.
[00147] The process 100 then includes acquiring information 105 about at least a particular authorized beneficiary in order to use 106 the information to develop and offer 107 consideration-based access to a package of selected ones of the plurality of private civil security resources that are deemed appropriate to offer to the particular authorized beneficiary. In order to present this offer, however, by one approach, the provider may limit the type of agreement or access to the private civil security resources that affects what information may be necessary to develop the package. For instance, the type of agreement might control questions regarding options for when resources may be provided (for example, the initiation and termination of a coverage period) and/or the costs and pricing involved (where, for example, a long term contract provides different resource options than that covered by relatively shorter term contract since costs can be defrayed over a longer period of time). Of course, it will be appreciated that the type of agreement and the terms therein between a provider of resources and the authorized beneficiaries may be partially or wholly negotiable.
[00148] Accordingly, acquiring information 105 may include questions to first identify who is to have access to the private civil security resources and that establish how payment for the private civil security resources is to be provided. Thus, questions for a third party who seeks to provide access to the private civil security resources for a plurality of authorized beneficiaries may relate to:
[00149] the third party's criteria for deciding who to include as an authorized beneficiary (to determine who should receive access to the resources when it may be difficult to determine, such as when only a portion of a group receives access (such as management versus non-management employees of a company));
[00150] whether the third party made a promise to pay, at least in part, for providing the access to the civil security resources for authorized beneficiaries (again, to determine who should receive access to the resources when doubts arise);
[00151] a description of circumstances that would motivate the third party to include other authorized beneficiaries who are currently not amongst the plurality of authorized beneficiaries (for example, rescuing non-third party beneficiaries (such as extended family) when present with authorized beneficiaries during a time of need);
[00152] how many authorized beneficiaries are to receive access to the private civil security resources via the third party;
[00153] identification of each authorized beneficiary to have access to the private civil security resources via the third party;
[00154] aversion, by any one of the plurality of authorized beneficiaries, to receiving civil security benefits from the third party and/or a provider of the private civil security resources (when, for example, protecting an authorized beneficiary, such as children as one example, "for their own good" despite their personal desires may be necessary);
[00155] whether the third party is motivated to protect the plurality of authorized beneficiaries due to a familial relationship, an employment relationship, an organizational relationship, and/or a religious affiliation;
[00156] which of the private civil security resources the third party anticipates offering to the plurality of authorized beneficiaries; [00157] a level of civil security benefits the third party desires for each authorized beneficiary and the level of civil security benefits each authorized beneficiary already expects, if any, where the level of civil security benefits relates to which civil security resources of a plurality of candidate civil security resources are accessible during a time of need;
[00158] whether any of the authorized beneficiaries expect to pay at least a portion of the cost required to access to the civil security resources; and/or
[00159] a method used by the third party to determine how much the authorized beneficiaries will contribute with respect to providing consideration in exchange for having access to the private civil security resources;
[00160] and so forth, to mention a number of examples.
[00161] When the access to the resources is triggered upon an incident such as a civilly-catastrophic event for example, acquiring 105 information may also include determining a likely condition as a result of the incident at least one likely location of a particular authorized beneficiary at issue. It can then be determined which options and resources that would be used to respond to such an event are at the disposal of at least one provider that would be assigned to provide the resources to the particular authorized beneficiary at issue. Of course, it will be understood that determinations should be made regarding which options and resources all of the providers have available, or may be made available, within the cost constraints for providing the civil security resources. This will enable relatively quick development and offering of resource packages no matter where an authorized beneficiary is located. It will also be appreciated that, in one example, no significant limits may exist on providing the resources where the costs for the resources are passed to wealthy authorized beneficiaries or organizations where, relatively speaking, cost is not a limiting factor.
[00162] As noted earlier, this process 100 will permit optionally providing 104 non- civil security resources. In such a case, the process 100 then also includes providing 103, 104 the authorized beneficiaries with consideration-based access to both the civil and non-civil security resources. Notwithstanding the provision of such civil security resources, the step of providing 103, 104 access to such resources can readily comprise providing a plurality of other different access opportunities which are detailed in commonly owned U.S. Patent Application No. 11/549,874, which is fully incorporated herein.
[00163] Regarding the acquiring 105 of information of particular authorized beneficiaries, other information is collected in order to establish a characterizing profile and budget constraints of the particular authorized beneficiary in order to determine appropriate needs for the particular authorized beneficiary. By one approach, at least some of the information is gathered by the provider or parties hired by, or otherwise associated with, the provider, to investigate the particular authorized beneficiary by searching legally accessible privately owned records, legally accessible computer networks, general statistical records relating to the particular authorized beneficiary, and/or legally obtained information from a private investigator to name a few possible examples.
[00164] By another approach, the particular authorized beneficiary, or one acting on the beneficiary's behalf, is asked questions or otherwise told to submit documents or explanations in order to collect the desired information. By one approach, a sales support tool 1300 as shown in FIG. 13 may have an information collection unit 1302 used to acquire 105 information from the authorized beneficiary, an offer package generator 1304 to use 106 the collected information to form a package of appropriate private civil security resources, and/or an offer package display 1306 to offer 107 consideration-based access to the package of private civil security resources. The party using the sales support tool 1300, or parts thereof, to provide the offers may be the provider of some or all of the resources or may be associated with others, or hired by, the provider such as independent sales agents or companies, or may be other organizations or corporations that have agreements to offer the resources on behalf of the providers. This may include companies that mainly sell other products, whether related to private civil security resources or not, and such a company may offer the package of access to the resources as an incentive to purchase their product.
[00165] The information collection unit 1302 may simply be a real-time interview by an agent associated with a provider of the private civil security resources asking the authorized beneficiary questions. In this case, and whenever the information collection is portable as in a number of the examples described below, the information maybe collected at any place normally occupied by the particular authorized beneficiary, a physical location of a provider of the private civil security resources, a vehicle configured for meeting the particular authorized beneficiary, a commercial establishment, a trade show booth, a conference having a relation to civil security resources, a location configured for conducting a telephonic interview with a recently located particular authorized beneficiary, or any other location convenient to the authorized beneficiary.
[00166] Alternatively, or additionally, the information collection unit 1302 may include a hard-copy questionnaire, a computer generated questionnaire, a questionnaire on an Internet web-site, an audio questionnaire, a pre-recorded questionnaire, and/or a video questionnaire just to name some examples, hi other cases, the information may be collected by receiving calls from authorized beneficiaries through a telephonic network, receiving a hardcopy document from a delivery service (such as a letter from an authorized beneficiary explaining their circumstances and whether or not requested by the provider), an electronic message received through a computer network, a facsimile, a radio transmission, a wireless transmission, and/or a visual display (such as on a sign or computer screen) to name but a few examples.
[00167] By another approach, the sales support tool 1300 or any part thereof such as the information collection unit 1302 may be, or may include, a portion of a computer network (such as a local area network or intranet that may or may not use tunneling through a public network such as the Internet, to name a few examples), one or more computers such as a mainframe computer, a server, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a portable computer, a hand-held computer having adequate memory and processing to perform the functions mentioned above (such as a personal data assistant (PDA)), a telephone (whether it is a hardwired phone, a cordless phone, a cellular phone, and/or a satellite phone, to name a few examples), an email transceiver device such as a BLACKBERRY®, and/or any other device that can present a question to an authorized beneficiary, record an answer to the question, or both. This includes a portion of a computer such as a data storage device (such as a detachable, external hard drive, memory stick, and so forth to name a few examples) or any other media player such as an audio player (radio, walkman (for example, iPOD), CD players, and so forth) and video players such as a VCR or DVD player to name some examples.
[00168] In one form, the information collection unit 1302 is a computer with an interface 1308 for entering information onto the computer and a data storage or database 1310 for storing questions for the authorized beneficiary and/or answers to the questions or other collected data regarding the authorized beneficiaries. By one approach, the information collection unit also includes the offer package generator 1304 and/or the offer package display 1306. In this regard, the information collection unit 1302 may form substantially the entire sales support tool 1300 and may have the ability to collect information (such as by a computer program that asks questions and may receive answers typed or otherwise received by the computer as is well known), process the information to form an appropriate package, or a portion of the package, of resources, and then display on the computer's screen the package as part of an offer of access to the package of resources. In this case, the information collection unit may be entirely self-contained and may be permanently located at the provider's location or alternatively may be carried to the authorized beneficiary's location. It will also be appreciated that the offer package generator 1304 or offer package display 1306 may be referred to as containing the other two parts of the sales support tool mentioned depending on which part is considered the dominant part of the sales support tool 1300 at issue.
[00169] In other alternatives, the sales support tool 1300 may be configured to communicate with a separate main system 1312 that may have its own data storage devices and databases for storing questions and authorized beneficiary profile data. In this case, the information collection unit 1302 transmits some or all of the collected information through a transmitter 1314 to the main system 1312 so that an offer package generator 1304 on the main system can then process the information and establish the contents, or a portion of the contents, of the package of resources to be offered to the authorized beneficiary. The listing of the contents for the offer are then received by a receiver 1316 of the information collection unit 1302. By another approach, both the main system 1312 and the information collection unit 1302 have their own offer package generator 1304 to alternatively or cooperatively (where each is assigned a certain category of information, for example) process collected information. Thus, it will be understood that at least each major component of the sale support tool 1300 (for example, the information collection unit 1302, the offer package generator 1304, and the offer package display 1306) can be combined or remote from the others.
[00170] In one example, the information collection unit 1302 is equipment such as a laptop computer or other portable computer device that is provided to the potential authorized beneficiary. In one case, the equipment is sent to the authorized beneficiary by a delivery service and is configured for the authorized beneficiary to enter information onto the equipment at the convenience of the authorized beneficiary. In this example, instructions would be provided to the authorized beneficiary for starting an information collection computer program and entering information onto the equipment. Once the information is stored on the equipment, the authorized beneficiary may be instructed to send the entire information collection unit 1302, or apart thereof (such as a detachable hard drive or other removable data storage device, for instance), back to the provider for attachment to, or downloading to, an offer package generator 1304 on the main system 1312 at a provider's location, for example, to develop an offer package.
[00171] Alternatively, the authorized beneficiary may be instructed to transmit the collected information on the information collection unit 1302 back to the provider or main system 1312 through a wireless or hard- wired communications network. In this case, a remote offer package generator 1304 may receive and process the transmitted information, and then transmit a listing of the contents of an offer package back to the information collection unit 1302 to inform the authorized beneficiary of the offer package. Alternatively, and as mentioned above, the information collection unit 1302 may be able to process at least a portion of the collected information and display at least a portion of an offer package of private civil security resources without, or in addition to, transmission of data to a remote system.
[00172] By yet another approach, equipment such as the information collection unit 1302 for example is provided to at least one sales agent or other party associated with a provider of the private civil security resources. In this case, the sales agent may transport the equipment to a location of the potential authorized beneficiary to ask the authorized beneficiary (or one associated therewith) questions that appear on, or are suggested by, the information collection unit 1302 and/or enter answers on the information collection unit. In this case, the information collection unit 1302 may show empty data fields on a monitor or screen and that have titles that suggest questions for the agent to ask the authorized beneficiary so the agent can fill in the data fields. Alternatively, the sale agent may instruct the authorized beneficiaries on how to use the information collection unit 1302 themselves. [00173] By another example, the agent is provided with a vehicle that carries the equipment. The agent may then remove the equipment from the vehicle for a meeting with the particular authorized beneficiary, conduct a meeting with the particular authorized beneficiary on the vehicle, and/or board the vehicle to enter information using the equipment for a meeting conducted with the particular authorized beneficiary when the particular authorized beneficiary is located remotely from the vehicle, to name a number of examples. Here, a vehicle includes any means of transport that can at least carry the information collection unit 1302, and in some cases, permit the agent to ride the vehicle. Thus, the vehicle may include any tertiary, seagoing, and/or air worthy transport including any automobile, truck, trailer, cart, camper, boat, airplane, and so forth.
[00174] Referring once again to FIG. 1, acquiring 105 information regarding a particular authorized beneficiary includes obtaining information to potentially provide needs for any and all aspects of an authorized beneficiary's life. Thus a number of questions relate to the compatibility of the authorized beneficiary with others for sheltering purposes, for example, which may require grouping the authorized beneficiary with like-minded people, or to predict the authorized beneficiary's actions and abilities in a time of great stress to determine what resources might be needed to rescue the authorized beneficiary, against their own will, for example, if the need arises, or to assess the ability of the authorized beneficiary to assist with tasks in association with responding to a civilly-catastrophic event (such as rescues or services needed at a shelter community for example).
[00175] In order to offer an optimum package of private civil security resources, the authorized beneficiary may be asked the following to acquire 105 information:
[00176] an identification related question (so that the providers can identify authorized beneficiaries whether before, during, or after a time of need);
[00177] a demographically related question (for identification purposes for finding the particular authorized beneficiary, for identifying special physical needs (such as with a disability for example), and for categorizing groups of authorized beneficiaries for sheltering purposes and to increase efficiency with resource deployment);
[00178] an environmentally related question (to identify authorized beneficiary' s environmental sensitivities or circumstances that raise greater than normal environmental concerns (such as a location near a nuclear plant to name one example)); [00179] a pychographically related question (to determine the authorized beneficiary's personality, attitudes, lifestyle, values and/or interests, to name a few examples, that may be used for assessing compatability and cooperativeness as well as determining certain needs such as companionship or hobbies);
[00180] a goal and/or communications related question (to assess the authorized beneficiary's priorities and needs regarding the safety of property, their own safety, and/or other authorized beneficiaries, and/or for maintaining a business); [00181] a skill and/or experience related question (to determine the ability of the authorized beneficiary to use the resources and/or assist with other civil security related efforts (such as assisting with rescues or providing a service at a shelter to name a few examples));
[00182] a financial security related question (to assist the authorized beneficiary with financial matters to prepare for, during, or after a resource triggering event such a civilly- catastrophic disaster);
[00183] a physical security related question (to assess the specific circumstances of the authorized beneficiary as they relate to safety in a specific potential dangerous situation or many different potential dangerous situations); and/or
[00184] a family, theologically, and or/ politically related question (to assess what groupings, as in a shelter, would be compatible, desirable, and/or necessary for the survival of the authorized beneficiary).
[00185] More specifically now, the identification related questions may relate to a nickname, a legal name, an address, a phone number, an email address, a personal identification number, an identifying physical characteristic, and/or an astrological sign to name a few examples. The demographically related question may relate to age, gender, physical description including, but not limited to, height, weight, distinguishing marks, skin color, hair color, hair style, a physical attribute, eye wear, a disability, a tattoo, a disfigurement, a handicap, and so forth. The demographic questions may also include questions relating to race, nationality, citizenship, ancestry, sexual orientation, a religious requirement, a dietary restriction, a physical restriction, a medical restriction, a political agenda, a group to which the at least one authorized beneficiary belongs, a pet, an educational background, a profession, a financial condition, and times the at least one authorized beneficiary may be found at each location on a list of physical locations visited by the authorized beneficiary. [00186] The environmentally related questions may relate to environmental conditions that would impact the particular authorized beneficiary, tobacco smoking environments, allergies of the at least one authorized beneficiary, and so forth. [00187] The psychographically related questions, in addition to the psychological tests and so forth mentioned above, may also relate to phobias of the particular authorized beneficiary, topics that make the particular authorized beneficiary particularly uncomfortable, and/or a personal definition of a safety related word, to name a few particular examples. [00188] The goal oriented related questions may relate to (1) criteria for evacuating rather than remaining in a home in light of circumstances that would raise a need for the criteria, (2) motivation to take action relating to civil security resources such as fear for themselves, fear for family members's safety, fear for extended family's safety, fear for co- workers' safety, a desire to return workers to a state of at least partial productivity as soon as possible, and/or remaining in communication with a party who could recommend trusted courses of action, and/or (3) a civil security resource believed to be ideal by the particular authorized beneficiary to preserve the particular authorized beneficiary with respect to a dangerous situation, to name a few examples.
[00189] The experience related questions may relate to formal training in activities that are likely to assist the particular authorized beneficiary's actions when responding to the needs associated with a civilly-catastrophic event such as employment, military training, medical training, up-to-date certified medical training, specific industrial experience, a hobby, athletic training, vehicle driver training, vehicle driver experience, and so forth. [00190] The financial security related questions may relate to finances in light of a civilly-catastrophic event that affects financial institutions, and/or commerce, or that causes at least a financially detrimental injury to the particular authorized beneficiary. Thus, the questions here may relate to a will, a trust, an heir, and/or an executor of the particular authorized beneficiary's estate, to name some specific examples.
[00191] By one approach, the physical security related questions relate to physical aspects of a residence of the particular authorized beneficiary for determining a candidate way to rescue the particular authorized beneficiary from the residence and/or a likelihood that the residence will remain substantially undamaged by a certain possible civilly-catastrophic event, to name a couple of examples. Thus, the physical security related questions may also relate to a building type of the residence, a primary construction material of the residence, a means for exiting the residence, fire safety equipment supplied in the residence, security equipment provided for the residence, suitability of at least a portion of the residence to serve as a shelter from a particular environmentally-borne hazard to survival, suitability of at least a portion of the residence to be retrofitted as a viable civil security shelter for the particular authorized beneficiary, availability of a reliable water supply notwithstanding a civilly- catastrophic event, proximity of the residence to a potential disaster causing object, and so forth.
[00192] The physical security related questions may also relate to firearms in the possession of the particular authorized beneficiary such as a quantity of the firearms, licenses for the firearms, ownership of the firearms, a type of the firearms, maintenance of the firearms, a location of the firearms, a location of ammunition for the firearms, training for use of the firearms, and so forth.
[00193] The physical security related questions also may relate to a distance between the residence of the particular authorized beneficiary and a nearest government public safety services facility to assess the practicality of evacuating the residence during certain dangerous events and the ability of the government to provide services (such as police, fire, and ambulance service) during non-civilly-catastrophic events.
[00194] The communications related questions may relate to a need for the particular authorized beneficiary to communicate with other people in association with an occurrence of a civilly-catastrophic event for determining a status of family members, friends, co-workers, and/or employees, providing for at least one of a family members', friends', co-workers', and employees' safety, maintaining operation of a business, and/or maintaining the particular authorized beneficiary's health to name some examples.
[00195] Referring again to FIG. 1, once the information is acquired, as mentioned above, the information is used 106 to identify the package of selected ones of the plurality of private civil security services as being appropriate to offer to the authorized beneficiary. This includes using the collected information to determine the relative ease and/or relative difficulty of providing the particular authorized beneficiary with access to the private civil security resources in view of: (1) a likely condition as a result of a threatened potential incident (as described previously) that would trigger access to the private civil security resources, (2) at least one provider's options for providing the private civil security resources to the particular authorized beneficiary (including as mentioned above what may be available or may be made available to the provider depending on the provider's cost constraints), (3) the abilities of the particular authorized beneficiary, (4) the needs of the particular authorized beneficiary, and (5) the cost constraints established by a budget of the particular authorized beneficiary.
[00196] The process 100 then proceeds to offering 107 consideration-based access to the package of private civil security resources. The offer may be provided on the offer package display 1304 described above, which may be in the form of a visual display such as a hard-copy item (paper or a computer generated print-out for instance), a screen of a computer device, a projected image on a screen or wall for viewing as a group of people, or a hand-held device screen, and/or an audio device, to name a few examples.
[00197] By one approach, the offer may be provided as multiple packages where each package has different content. The packages may be presented as alternatives and/or packages that can be combined. Each package may also be displayed separately or simultaneously with other packages. By one approach, a package is displayed and then changed to account for subsequently acquired information. This may be relatively instantaneous when the sales support tool 1300 has the information collection unit 1302, offer package generator 1304, and offer package display 1306 interconnected so that the offer can be updated quickly with new information. Thus, changing the information, and offering a second and subsequent packages may be performed during a single continuous sales session. [00198] In another aspect of the offer, a package is desirably developed that is affordable to the particular authorized beneficiary. Thus, in addition to limiting resources or types of resources in the package, the price of the offer may be reduced depending on (1) the expected cooperativeness of the particular authorized beneficiary during a civilly-catastrophic event, (2) the expected ease of placing the particular authorized beneficiary at a location with people compatible with the particular authorized beneficiary, and/or (3) an expected contribution in assisting with civil security tasks by the particular authorized beneficiary that otherwise would be performed by a provider of the plurality of private civil security resources, to have but a few possible examples. It will be understood that price reductions may be offered for many other reasons as would be understood from the information collected from the authorized beneficiary. These and other pricing options are more fully explained in commonly owned U. S. Patent Application No. 11/539,861, which is fully incorporated herein.
[00199] 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.
[00200] 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).
[00201] 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.
[00202] 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.
[00203] 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.
[00204] 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.
[00205] 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.
[00206] 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, hi 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, long-distance two-way communications capabilities, and so forth.
[00207] 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.
[00208] 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).
[00209] 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.
[00210] 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.
[00211] 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 nonessential 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.
[00212] 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.
[00213] 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).
[00214] 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.
[00215] 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).
[00216] 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.
[00217] 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.
[00218] 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.
[00219] 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.
[00220] 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.
[00221] 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.
[00222] 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.
[00223] 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).
[00224] 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.
[00225] 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:
[00226] 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;
[00227] 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);
[00228] 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);
[00229] A fourth access opportunity that equals that provided by the third access opportunity plus access to a civil security shelter (or shelters); and [00230] A fifth access opportunity that equals that provided by the fourth access opportunity plus access to civil security rescue services.
[00231] 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).
[00232] 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.
[00233] 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.
[00234] 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.
[00235] 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:
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.
[00236] 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.
[00237] Those skilled in the art will recognize and appreciate that the above described teachings can be applied and leveraged in a variety of ways to achieve a significant number of tangible and concrete benefits (including but not limited to facilitating a relatively higher degree of personal awareness regarding civil security issues, a relatively higher level of resources availability, and/or a relatively more powerful set of motivations for various parties to adopt behaviors that in turn prompt an increased availability of potentially life-preserving resources for a relatively wide consuming audience than might likely be achieved in the absence of such teachings).
[00238] 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.
[00239] 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.

Claims

I claim:
1. A method comprising: providing a plurality of private civil security resources comprising, at least in part: civil security provisions; civil security facilities; and civil security services; acquiring information regarding at least a particular authorized beneficiary; using the information to identify a package of selected ones of the plurality of private civil security resources as being appropriate to offer to the particular authorized beneficiary; and offering consideration-based access to the package of selected ones of the plurality of private civil security resources to the particular authorized beneficiary.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the consideration-based access comprises at least one of: a time-limited right of access; an event-limited right of access; an inheritable right of access; a right of access predicated upon a series of periodic payments; a right of access predicated upon a one-time payment; an ownership-based right of access; a non-transferable right of access; a transferable right of access; a membership-based right of access; a fractional ownership-based right of access; a non-ownership-based right of access; an option-based right of access; a credit-based right of access a group affiliation-based right of access.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the information comprises at least one of: the particular authorized beneficiary's civil security benefits qualifications; the particular authorized beneficiary's measured intelligence; the particular authorized beneficiary's psychological test results; the particular authorized beneficiary's behavioral test results; the particular authorized beneficiary's race; the particular authorized beneficiary's nationality; the particular authorized beneficiary's citizenship; the particular authorized beneficiary's ancestry; the particular authorized beneficiary's sexual orientation; the particular authorized beneficiary's gender; the particular authorized beneficiary's age; the particular authorized beneficiary's height; the particular authorized beneficiary's weight; the particular authorized beneficiary's physical attributes; the particular authorized beneficiary's health; the particular authorized beneficiary's physical mobility; the particular authorized beneficiary's physical location; the particular authorized beneficiary's political agenda; the particular authorized beneficiary's educational background; the particular authorized beneficiary's profession; the particular authorized beneficiary's job title; the particular authorized beneficiary's financial backing; the particular authorized beneficiary's athletic ability; the particular authorized beneficiary's mechanical ability; the particular authorized beneficiary's military record; the particular authorized beneficiary's civil security training; the particular authorized beneficiary's civil security experience; the particular authorized beneficiary's criminal record; the particular authorized beneficiary's driving skills; the particular authorized beneficiary's multiple language fluency; the particular authorized beneficiary's civil security benefits expectations; the particular authorized beneficiary's skills; the particular authorized beneficiary's relationship to a third party entity with whom reciprocal relations regarding a provision of private civil security resources exist.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the civil security provisions comprise a plurality of resources as pertain to at least one of: a life-sustaining resource; breathable air; fluids; water; food; protective clothing; a shelter; a medical supply; a personal hygiene supply; an environmental threat abatement supply; a luxury item.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the civil security facilities comprise at least one of: a civil security shelter; a rally point at which authorized beneficiaries can gather in response to a civilly-catastrophic event in order to receive the private civil security services; a location where at least some of the authorized beneficiary's civil security provisions are available; a trans-shipment facility for at least some of the civil security provisions; a medical services facility.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the civil security services comprise at least one of: transportation away from a location that substantially lacks civil security; transportation to a civil security facility; civil security information for at least one of individual ones and any of the authorized beneficiaries; civil security information that comprises contingency instructions to guide the authorized beneficiary during a time of need when responding to a civilly-catastrophic event; civil security preparedness training; a long distance communications service that is configured and arranged to provide persistent communication services notwithstanding interaction of the long distance communication service with effects of a civilly- catastrophic event; a rescue service to retrieve selected beneficiaries from dangerous circumstances owing, at least in part, to a substantial lack of civil security; delivery of at least a portion of the civil security provisions; transport of dispossessed persons; physical security; medical services; post-civilly-catastrophic event social relationship facilitation; delivery of fuel; installation of independent utilities facilities.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: accepting consideration-based private civil security subscriptions from subscribers with respect to providing the consideration-based access to the plurality of private civil security resources.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the access to the plurality of private civil security resources comprises only providing access in association with a civilly- catastrophic event.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein acquiring information comprises acquiring information regarding at least one of: a likely condition as a result of an at least threatened potential incident at at least one location of the particular authorized beneficiary wherein the potential incident would trigger the use of the private civil security resources; at least one provider's options for providing the plurality of the private civil security resources to the particular authorized beneficiary.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein the incident is at least one of: a civilly-catastrophic event; a natural disaster; a non-natural disaster.
11. The method of claim 9 wherein acquiring information regarding the at least one provider's options comprises acquiring information regarding which of the plurality of private civil security resources are at least one of: available; may be made available; to the at least one provider within an at least one provider's cost constraints for providing the plurality of civil security resources.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein acquiring information comprises acquiring information regarding at least one of: a characterizing profile of the particular authorized beneficiary; a budget constraint of the particular authorized beneficiary.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein acquiring information comprises acquiring information relating to the particular authorized beneficiary by at least one of: conducting a real-time interview by an agent associated with a provider of the plurality of the private civil security resources; providing a hard-copy questionnaire; providing a computer generated questionnaire; providing a questionnaire on an Internet web-site; providing an audio questionnaire; providing a pre-recorded questionnaire; providing a video questionnaire.
14. The method of claim 1 wherein acquiring information comprises acquiring information relating to the particular authorized beneficiary by receiving information in the form of at least one of: a call received through a telephonic network; a hardcopy document received through a delivery service; an electronic message received through a computer network; a facsimile; a radio transmission; a wireless transmission; a visual display.
15. The method of claim 1 wherein acquiring information comprises acquiring information about the particular authorized beneficiary when the particular authorized beneficiary visits a physical location associated with a provider of the plurality of private civil security resources.
16. The method of claim 1 wherein acquiring information comprises acquiring information about the particular authorized beneficiary by: providing equipment configured for receiving authorized beneficiary information; and at least one of: receiving the equipment with the authorized beneficiary information stored on the equipment; receiving transmitted authorized beneficiary information from the equipment.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein the equipment is further configured for informing the particular beneficiary of at least some contents of the package of selected ones of the plurality of private civil security resources.
18. The method of claim 16 wherein providing the equipment comprises providing the equipment to the particular authorized beneficiary, and wherein acquiring information about the particular authorized beneficiary further comprises providing instructions to the particular authorized beneficiary regarding use of the equipment
19. The method of claim 16 wherein the equipment is at least one of: a portion of a computer network; a computer; a laptop computer; a portable computer; a hand-held computer; a detachable, computer data storage device; an external hard drive; a data memory stick; a personal data assistant; a telephone having a memory for storing data; an email transceiver device; an audio player; a video player.
20. The method of claim 16 wherein acquiring information about the particular authorized beneficiary further comprises transmitting at least a portion of the information to a system remote from the equipment and configured for using the information, and wherein offering the package further comprises transmitting, from the system and to the equipment, information relating to at least some contents of the package.
21. The method of claim 16, wherein using the information for identifying a package further comprises using the equipment to use at least a portion of the information and establish at least a portion of the contents of the package.
22. The method of claim 16 wherein the equipment is provided to at least one agent associated with a provider of the private civil security resources, and wherein the agent at least one of: enters information into the equipment; instructs a person associated with the particular authorized beneficiary to enter information into the equipment.
23. The method of claim 22 wherein the equipment is provided on a vehicle accompanying the agent, and acquiring the information further comprises at least one of: removing the equipment from the vehicle for a meeting with the particular authorized beneficiary; conducting a meeting with the particular authorized beneficiary on the vehicle; boarding the vehicle to enter information using the equipment for a meeting conducted with the particular authorized beneficiary when the particular authorized beneficiary is located remotely from the vehicle.
24. The method of claim 22 wherein acquiring the information further comprises acquiring at least some of the information from the particular authorized beneficiary at at least one of: a place normally occupied by the particular authorized beneficiary; a physical location of a provider of the private civil security resources; a vehicle configured for meeting the particular authorized beneficiary; a commercial establishment; a trade show booth; a conference having a relation to civil security resources; a location configured for conducting a telephonic interview with the particular authorized beneficiary.
25. The method of claim 1 wherein acquiring information comprises searching at least one of: public records specifically related to the particular authorized beneficiary; legally accessible privately owned records; legally accessible computer networks; general statistical records relating to the particular authorized beneficiary; legally obtained information from a private investigator.
26. The method of claim 1 wherein acquiring information comprises asking the particular authorized beneficiary to provide information relating to at least one of: identifying who is to have access to the private civil security resources; establishing how payment for the private civil security resources is to be provided.
27. The method of claim 1 wherein acquiring information comprises seeking information from a party who seeks to provide the access to the private civil security resources for a plurality of authorized beneficiaries regarding at least one of: how many authorized beneficiaries are to receive access to the private civil security resources via the party; a level of civil security benefits the party desires for each authorized beneficiary, wherein the level of civil security benefits relates to which civil security resources of a plurality of candidate civil security resources are to be accessible during a time of need; aversion, by any one of the plurality of authorized beneficiaries, to receiving civil security benefits from at least one of the party and a provider of the private civil security resources; a level of civil security benefits that the plurality of authorized beneficiaries already expect, wherein the level of civil security benefits relates to which civil security resources of a plurality of candidate civil security resources are to be accessible during a time of need; whether the party is motivated to protect the plurality of authorized beneficiaries due to at least one of: a familial relationship; an employment relationship; an organizational relationship; a religious affiliation; whether any of the plurality of authorized beneficiaries expects to pay at least a portion of a cost as pertains to having the access to the civil security resources; whether the party made a promise to pay, at least in part, for providing the access to the civil security resources for the plurality of authorized beneficiaries; a method used by the party to determine how much any of the plurality of authorized beneficiaries will contribute with respect to providing consideration in exchange for having access to the private civil security resources; a description of circumstances that would motivate the party to include other authorized beneficiaries who are currently not amongst the plurality of authorized beneficiaries; which of the private civil security resources the party anticipates offering to the plurality of authorized beneficiaries; the party's criteria for deciding who to include amongst the plurality of authorized beneficiaries; identification of each of the plurality of authorized beneficiaries to have access to the private civil security resources via the party.
28. The method of claim 1 wherein acquiring information comprises seeking information from the particular authorized beneficiary regarding at least one of: compatibility of the particular authorized beneficiary with other people; cooperativeness that can be expected from the particular authorized beneficiary while providing the private civil security resources; ability to assist with tasks in association with responding to a civilly-catastrophic event; measured intelligence of the particular authorized beneficiary; a psychological test of the particular authorized beneficiary; a behavioral test of the particular authorized beneficiary coordination of the particular authorized beneficiary; athletic ability of the particular authorized beneficiary; physical ability of the particular authorized beneficiary.
29. The method of claim 1 wherein acquiring information comprises acquiring information relating to the particular authorized beneficiary by presenting at least one of: an identification related question; a demographically related question; an environmentally related question; a psychographically related question; a goal related question; a skill related question; an experience related question; a communications related question; a financial security related question; a physical security related question; a family related question; a theologically related question; a politically related question.
30. The method of claim 29 wherein the identification related question relates to at least one of: a nickname; a legal name: an address; a phone number; an email address; a personal identification number; an identifying physical characteristic; an astrological sign.
31. The method of claim 29 wherein the demographically related question relates to at least one of: age; gender; physical description comprising at least one of: height; weight; distinguishing marks; skin color; hair color; hair style; a physical attribute; eye wear; a disability; a tattoo; a disfigurement; a handicap; race; nationality; citizenship; ancestry; sexual orientation; a religious requirement; a dietary restriction; a physical restriction; a medical restriction; a political agenda; a group to which the at least one authorized beneficiary belongs; a pet; an educational background; a profession; a financial condition; times the at least one authorized beneficiary may be found at each location on a list of physical locations.
32. The method of claim 29 wherein the environmentally related question relates to at least one of: environmental conditions that would impact the particular authorized beneficiary; tobacco smoking environments; allergies of the at least one authorized beneficiary.
33. The method of claim 29 wherein the psychographically related question relates to at least one of: phobias of the particular authorized beneficiary; topics that make the particular authorized beneficiary particularly uncomfortable; a personal definition of a safety related word.
34. The method of claim 29 wherein the goal oriented related question relates to at least one of: criteria for evacuating rather than remaining in a home in light of circumstances that would raise a need for the criteria; motivation to take action relating to civil security resources comprising at least one of: fear for themselves; fear for family members's safety; fear for extended family's safety; fear for co-workers 's safety; a desire to return workers to a state of at least partial productivity as soon as possible; remaining in communication with a party who could recommend trusted courses of action; a civil security resource believed to be ideal by the particular authorized beneficiary to preserve the particular authorized beneficiary with respect to a dangerous situation.
35. The method of claim 29 wherein the experience related question relates to at least one of: employment; military training; medical training; up-to-date certified medical training; specific industial experience; a hobby; athletic training; vehicle driver training; vehicle driver experience; formal training in activities that is likely to assist the particular authorized beneficiary's actions when responding to the needs associated with a civilly-catastrophic event.
36. The method of claim 29 wherein the financial security related question relates to at least one of: finances in light of a civilly-catastrophic event that affects financial institutions; finances in light of a civilly-catastrophic event that affects commerce; finances in light of a civilly-catastrophic event that causes at least a financially detrimental injury to the particular authorized beneficiary; a will; a trust; an heir; an executor of the particular authorized beneficiary's estate.
37. The method of claim 29 wherein the physical security related question relates to physical aspects of a residence of the particular authorized beneficiary for determining at least one of: a candidate way to rescue the particular authorized beneficiary from the residence; a likelihood that the residence will remain substantially undamaged by a certain possible civilly-catastrophic event.
38. The method of claim 37 wherein the physical security related question relates to at least one of: a building type of the residence; a primary construction material of the residence; a means for exiting the residence; fire safety equipment supplied in the residence; security equipment provided for the residence; suitability of at least a portion of the residence to serve as a shelter from a particular environmentally-borne hazard to survival; suitability of at least a portion of the residence to be retrofitted as a viable civil security shelter for the particular authorized beneficiary; availability of a reliable water supply notwithstanding a civilly-catastrophic event; proximity of the residence to a potential disaster causing object.
39. The method of claim 29 wherein the physical security related question relates to firearms in the possession of the particular authorized beneficiary.
40. The method of claim 39 wherein the physical security related question relates to at least one of: a quantity of the firearms; a license for the firearms; ownership of the firearms; a type of the firearms; maintenance of the firearms; a location of the firearms; a location of ammunition for the firearms; training for use of the firearms.
41. The method of claim 29 wherein the physical security related question relates to a distance between the residence of the particular authorized beneficiary and a nearest government public safety services facility.
42. The method of claim 29 wherein the communications related question at least relates to a need for the particular authorized beneficiary to communicate with other people in association with an occurrence of a civilly-catastrophic event for at least one of: determining a status of at least one of: family members, friends, co-workers, and employees; providing for at least one of a family members', friends', co-workers', and employees' safety; maintaining operation of a business; maintaining the particular authorized beneficiary's health.
43. The method of claim 1 wherein using the information comprises, at least in part, determining at least one of a relative ease and a relative difficulty of providing the particular authorized beneficiary with access to the private civil security resources in view of at least one of: a likely condition as a result of at least a threatened potential incident that would trigger providing access to the private civil security resources; at least one provider's options for providing the plurality of the private civil security resources to the particular authorized beneficiary; abilities of the particular authorized beneficiary; needs of the particular authorized beneficiary; cost constraints established by a budget of the particular authorized beneficiary.
44. The method of claim 43 wherein the incident is at least one of: a civilly-catastrophic event; a natural disaster; and a non-natural disaster.
45. The method of claim 43 wherein acquiring information regarding the at least one provider's options comprises acquiring information regarding which of the plurality of private civil security resources are at least one of: available; may be made available; to the at least one provider within an at least one provider's cost constraints for providing the plurality of civil security resources.
46. The method of claim 1 wherein offering consideration-based access to the package comprises displaying at least some contents of the package using at least one of: a visual display; a projected image; an audio device; a hard-copy item; a computer device screen; a hand-held device screen; a computer generated print-out.
47. The method of claim 1 wherein the package is a first package, and wherein offering access to the package further comprises offering at least a second package with different content than content of the first package after changing the information to account for subsequently acquired information.
48. The method of claim 47 wherein offering access to the first package, changing the information, and offering the at least a second package are performed during a single continuous sales session.
49. The method of claim 1 wherein offering access to the package further comprises displaying multiple different offers to the particular authorized beneficiary.
50. The method of claim 49 wherein displaying multiple different offers comprises substantially simultaneously displaying the multiple different offers, at least in part, to the particular authorized beneficiary.
51. The method of claim 1 wherein offering the package comprises offering a package that is determined to be affordable to the particular authorized beneficiary.
52. The method of claim 51 wherein offering the package comprises varying a price of the package depending on at least one of: expected cooperativeness of the particular authorized beneficiary during a civilly- catastrophic event; expected difficulty of placing the particular authorized beneficiary at a location with people compatible with the particular authorized beneficiary; an expected contribution in assisting with civil security tasks by the particular authorized beneficiary that otherwise would be performed by a provider of the plurality of private civil security resources.
53. A sales support tool, comprising: at least one information collection unit configured for acquiring information relating to at least a particular authorized beneficiary; at least one offer package generator configured to use the information to identify an offer package of selected ones of a plurality of private civil security resources appropriate to offer to the particular authorized beneficiary, the plurality of private civil security resources comprising, at least in part: civil security provisions; civil security facilities; and civil security services; and at least one offer package display configured to display the offer package to offer consideration-based access to the offer package for the particular authorized beneficiary.
54. The sales support tool of claim 53 wherein the consideration-based access comprises at least one of: a time-limited right of access; an event- limited right of access; an inheritable right of access; a right of access predicated upon a series of periodic payments; a right of access predicated upon a one-time payment; an ownership-based right of access; a non-transferable right of access; a transferable right of access; a membership-based right of access; a fractional ownership-based right of access; a non-ownership-based right of access; an option-based right of access; a credit-based right of access; a group affiliation-based right of access.
55. The sales support tool of claim 54 wherein the information comprises at least one of: the particular authorized beneficiary's civil security benefits qualifications; the particular authorized beneficiary's measured intelligence; the particular authorized beneficiary's psychological test results; the particular authorized beneficiary's behavioral test results; the particular authorized beneficiary's race; the particular authorized beneficiary's nationality; the particular authorized beneficiary's citizenship; the particular authorized beneficiary's ancestry; the particular authorized beneficiary's sexual orientation; the particular authorized beneficiary's gender; the particular authorized beneficiary's age; the particular authorized beneficiary's height; the particular authorized beneficiary's weight; the particular authorized beneficiary's physical attributes; the particular authorized beneficiary's health; the particular authorized beneficiary's physical mobility; the particular authorized beneficiary's physical location; the particular authorized beneficiary's political agenda; the particular authorized beneficiary's educational background; the particular authorized beneficiary's profession; the particular authorized beneficiary's job title; the particular authorized beneficiary's financial backing; the particular authorized beneficiary's athletic ability; the particular authorized beneficiary's mechanical ability; the particular authorized beneficiary's military record; the particular authorized beneficiary's civil security training; the particular authorized beneficiary's civil security experience; the particular authorized beneficiary's criminal record; the particular authorized beneficiary's driving skills; the particular authorized beneficiary's multiple language fluency; the particular authorized beneficiary's civil security benefits expectations; the particular authorized beneficiary's skills; the particular authorized beneficiary's relationship to a third party entity with whom reciprocal relations regarding a provision of private civil security resources exist.
56. The sales support tool of claim 53 wherein the civil security provisions comprise a plurality of resources as pertain to at least one of: a life-sustaining resource; breathable air; fluids; water; food; protective clothing; a shelter; a medical supply; a personal hygiene supply; an environmental threat abatement supply; a luxury item.
57. The sales support tool of claim 53 wherein the civil security facilities comprise at least one of: a civil security shelter; a rally point at which the authorized beneficiaries can gather in response to a civilly-catastrophic event in order to receive the civil security services; a location where at least some of the authorized beneficiary's civil security provisions are available; a trans-shipment facility for at least some of the civil security provisions; a medical services facility.
58. The sales support tool of claim 53 wherein the civil security services comprise at least one of: transportation away from a location that substantially lacks civil security; transportation to a civil security facility; civil security information for at least one of individual ones and any of the authorized beneficiaries; civil security information that comprises contingency instructions to guide the authorized beneficiary during a time of need when responding to a civilly-catastrophic event; civil security preparedness training; a long distance communications service that is configured and arranged to provide persistent communication services notwithstanding interaction of the long distance communication service with effects of a civilly-catastrophic event; a rescue service to retrieve selected beneficiaries from dangerous circumstances owing, at least in part, to a substantial lack of civil security; delivery of at least a portion of the civil security provisions; transport of dispossessed persons; physical security; medical services; post-civilly-catastrophic event social relationship facilitation; delivery of fuel; installation of independent utilities facilities.
59. The sales support tool of claim 53 further comprising: consideration-based private civil security subscriptions from subscribers with respect to providing the consideration-based access to the plurality of private civil security resources.
60. The sales support tool of claim 53 wherein the consideration-based access to the plurality of private civil security resources comprises only providing access in association with a civilly-catastrophic event.
61. The sales support tool of claim 53 wherein the at least one information collection unit further comprises at least one of: the at least one offer package generator; the at least one offer package display.
62. The sales support tool of claim 61 wherein the at least one information collection unit further comprises: a transmitter for transmitting at least a portion of the information to the at least one offer package generator; a receiver for receiving information regarding the offer package; and the at least one offer package display for displaying at least some content of the offer package.
63. The sales support tool of claim 61 wherein the at least one information collection unit comprises both the at least one offer package generator and the at least one offer package display.
64. The sales support tool of claim 61 wherein the at least one offer package generator comprises both a first offer package generator of the at least one information collection unit for using at least a portion of the information and a second offer package generator remote from the at least one information collection unit for using at least a portion of the information.
65. The sales support tool of claim 53 wherein the at least one information collection unit, the at least one offer package generator, and the at least one offer package display are remote from each other.
66. The sales support tool of claim 53 wherein the at least one information collection unit comprises at least one of: a real-time interview by an agent associated with a provider of the plurality of the private civil security resources; a hard-copy questionnaire; a computer generated questionnaire; a questionnaire on an Internet web-site; an audio questionnaire; a pre-recorded questionnaire; a video questionnaire.
67. The sales support tool of claim 53 wherein the sales support tool further comprises at least one of: a database for storing the information; a telephonic network for receiving a call including the information; a facsimile receiving device; a delivery address for receiving a hard copy document having the information; an email transceiver for receiving an electronic message received through a computer network and having the acquired information; a radio reception device; a wireless reception device.
68. The sales support tool of claim 53 wherein the sales support tool further comprises at least one of: a portion of a computer network; a mainframe computer; a server; a computer; a laptop computer; a portable computer; a hand-held computer; a personal data assistant; a telephone having a memory for storing data; an email transceiver device a detachable, computer data storage device; an external hard drive; a memory stick; an audio player; a video player.
69. The sales support tool of claim 53 wherein the information collection unit further comprises a user interface for entering the information onto the at least one information collection unit, and a database for storing the information.
70. The sales support tool of claim 53 further comprising: a physical location associated with a provider of the plurality of private civil security resources, and visited by the particular authorized beneficiary, wherein the at least one information collection unit is disposed at the physical location.
71. The sales support tool of claim 53 wherein the at least one information collection unit is configured and arranged for being transported to the particular authorized beneficiary, and at least one of: being received from the particular authorized beneficiary with the information stored on the at least one information collection unit; transmitting the information from the at least one information collection unit.
72. The sales support tool of claim 71 wherein the at least one information collection unit further comprises the offer package display for displaying at least some content of the offer package to the particular authorized beneficiary.
73. The sales support tool of claim 71 wherein the at least one information collection unit is configured and arranged for providing instructions to the particular authorized beneficiary for entering information onto the at least one information collection unit.
74. The sales support tool of claim 53 further comprising: a provider of at least a portion of the plurality of private civil security resources and having at least one sales agent, wherein the at least one information collection unit is configured and arranged for the at least one sales agent to at least one of: transport at least one information collection unit; enter information into the at least one information collection unit; instruct others to enter information into the at least one information collection unit.
75. The sales support tool of claim 74 further comprising: a vehicle, and wherein at least the at least one information collection unit is provided on the vehicle, the vehicle being configured for at least one of: the sales agent removing the at least one information collection unit from the vehicle for a meeting with the particular authorized beneficiary; the sales agent conducting a meeting with the particular authorized beneficiary on the vehicle; the sales agent coming to the vehicle to enter information into the at least one information collection unit for a meeting conducted with the particular authorized beneficiary when the particular authorized beneficiary is located remotely from the vehicle.
76. The sales support tool of claim 74 wherein the at least one information collection unit is configured for obtaining information at at least one of: a place normally occupied by the particular authorized beneficiary; a physical location of a provider of the private civil security resources; a vehicle configured for meeting the particular authorized beneficiary; a commercial establishment; a trade show booth; a conference having a relation to civil security resources; a location configured for conducting a telephonic interview with the particular authorized beneficiary.
77. The sales support tool of claim 53 wherein the at least one information collection unit is configured for collecting information related to the at least one authorized beneficiary from at least one of: public records specifically related to the particular authorized beneficiary; legally accessible privately owned records; legally accessible computer networks; general statistical records relating to the particular authorized beneficiary; legally obtained information from a private investigator.
78. The sales support tool of claim 53 wherein the information relates to at least one of: a likely condition as a result of an at least threatened potential incident at at least one location of the particular authorized beneficiary wherein the potential incident would trigger providing the private civil security resources; a characterizing profile of the particular authorized beneficiary; a budget constraint of the particular authorized beneficiary; at least one provider's options for providing the plurality of the private civil security resources for the particular authorized beneficiary.
79. The sales support tool of Claim 78 wherein the incident is at least one of: a civilly-catastrophic event; a natural disaster; and a non-natural disaster.
80. The sales support tool of Claim 78 wherein the incident at least one provider's options comprises which of the plurality of private civil security resources are at least one of: available; may be made available; to the at least one provider and within an at least one provider's cost constraints for providing the plurality of private civil security resources.
81. The sales support tool of claim 53 wherein the acquired information relates to at least one of: identification of parties who are to have access to the private civil security resources; establishment of how payment for the private civil security resources is to be provided.
82. The sales support tool of claim 53 wherein the information relates to a party who seeks to provide access to the private civil security resources for a plurality of authorized beneficiaries, the information comprising at least one of: how many authorized beneficiaries are to receive access to the private civil security resources via the party; a level of civil security benefits the party desires for each authorized beneficiary, wherein the level of civil security benefits relates to which civil security resources of a plurality of candidate civil security resources are to be accessible during a time of need; aversion, by any one of the plurality of authorized beneficiaries, to receiving civil security benefits from at least one of the party and a provider of the private civil security resources; a level of civil security benefits that the plurality of authorized beneficiaries already expect, wherein the level of civil security benefits relates to which civil security resources of a plurality of candidate civil security resources are to be accessible during a time of need; whether the party is motivated to protect the plurality of authorized beneficiaries due to at least one of: a familial relationship; an employment relationship; an organizational relationship; a religious affiliation; whether any of the plurality of authorized beneficiaries expects to pay at least a portion of a cost as pertains to having the access to the civil security resources; whether the party made a promise to pay, at least in part, for providing the access to the civil security resources for the plurality of authorized beneficiaries; a method used by the party to determine how much any of the plurality of authorized beneficiaries will contribute with respect to providing consideration in exchange for having access to the private civil security resources; a description of circumstances that would motivate the party to include other authorized beneficiaries who are currently not amongst the plurality of authorized beneficiaries; which of the private civil security resources the party anticipates offering to the plurality of authorized beneficiaries; the party's criteria for deciding who to include amongst the plurality of authorized beneficiaries; identification of each of the plurality of authorized beneficiaries to have access to the private civil security resources via the party.
83. The sales support tool of claim 53 wherein the information relates to at least one of: compatibility of the particular authorized beneficiary with other people; cooperativeness that can be expected from the particular authorized beneficiary while providing the private civil security resources; ability to assist with tasks in association with responding to a civilly-catastrophic event; measured intelligence of the particular authorized beneficiary; a psychological test of the particular authorized beneficiary; a behavioral test of the particular authorized beneficiary; coordination of the particular authorized beneficiary; athletic ability of the particular authorized beneficiary; physical ability of the particular authorized beneficiary.
84. The sales support tool of claim 53 wherein the information relates to at least one of: an identification related question; a demographically related question; an environmentally related question; a psychographically related question; a goal related question; a skill related question; an experience related question; a communications related question; a financial security related question; a physical security related question; a family related question; a theologically related question; a politically related question.
85. The sales support tool of claim 84 wherein the identification related question relates to at least one of: a nickname; a legal name: an address; a phone number; an email address; a personal identification number; an identifying physical characteristic; an astrological sign.
86. The sales support tool of claim 84 wherein the demographically related question relates to at least one of: age; gender; physical description comprising at least one of: height; weight; distinguishing marks; skin color; hair color; hair style; a physical attribute; eye wear; a disability; a tattoo a disfigurement; a handicap; race; nationality; citizenship; ancestry; sexual orientation; a religious requirement; a dietary restriction; a physical restriction; a medical restriction; a political agenda; a group to which the particular authorized beneficiary belongs; a pet; an educational background; a profession; a financial condition; times the particular authorized beneficiary may be found at each location on a list of physical locations.
87. The sales support tool of claim 84 wherein the environmentally related question relates to at least one of: environmental conditions that would impact the particular authorized beneficiaries; tobacco smoking environments; allergies of the at least one authorized beneficiary.
88. The sales support tool of claim 84 wherein the psychographically related question relates to at least one of: phobias of the particular authorized beneficiary; topics that make the particular authorized beneficiary particularly uncomfortable; a personal definition of a safety related word.
89. The sales support tool of claim 84 wherein the goal oriented related question relates to at least one of: criteria for evacuating rather than remaining in a home in light of circumstances that would raise a need for the criteria; motivation to take action relating to civil security resources comprising at least one of: fear for themselves; fear for family members's safety; fear for an extended family member's safety; fear for co-worker's safety; a desire to return workers to a state of at least partial productivity as soon as possible; remaining in communication with a party who could recommend trusted courses of action; a civil security resource believed to be ideal by the particular authorized beneficiary and provided to remove the particular authorized beneficiary from a dangerous situation.
90. The sales support tool of claim 84 wherein the experience related question relates to at least one of: employment; military training; medical training; up-to-date certified medical training; specific industrial experience; a hobby; athletic training; vehicle driver training; vehicle driver experience; formal training in activities that is likely to assist the particular authorized beneficiary's actions when responding to the needs associated with a civilly catastrophic event.
91. The sales support tool of claim 84 wherein the financial security related question relates to at least one of: finances in light of a civilly-catastrophic event that affects financial institutions; finances in light of a civilly-catastrophic event that affects commerce; finances in light of a civilly-catastrophic event that causes at least a financially detrimental injury to the particular authorized beneficiary; a will; a trust; an heir; an executor of the particular authorized beneficiary's estate;
92. The sales support tool of claim 84 wherein the physical security related question relates to physical aspects of a residence of the particular authorized beneficiary for determining at least one of: a candidate way to rescue the particular authorized beneficiary from the residence; a likelihood that the residence will remain substantially undamaged by a certain possible civilly-catastrophic event.
93. The sales support tool of claim 92 wherein the physical aspects relate to at least one of: a building type of the residence; a primary construction material of the residence; a means for exiting the residence; fire safety equipment supplied in the residence; security equipment provided for the residence; security equipment provided for the residence; suitability of at least a portion of the residence to serve as a shelter from a particular environmentally-borne hazard to survival; suitability of at least a portion of the residence to be retrofitted as a viable civil security shelter for the particular authorized beneficiary; availability of a reliable water supply notwithstanding a civilly-catastrophic event; the proximity of the residence to a potential disaster causing object.
94. The sales support tool of claim 84 wherein the physical security related question relates to firearms in the possession of the particular authorized beneficiary.
95. The sales support tool of claim 94 wherein the physical security related question further relates to at least one of: a quantity of firearms; a license for the firearms; ownership of the firearms; a type of firearms; a location of firearms; maintenance of the firearms; a location of ammunition for the firearms; training for use of the firearms.
96. The sales support tool of claim 84 wherein the physical security related question relates to the distance between the residence of the particular authorized beneficiary and a nearest government public safety facility.
97. The sales support tool of claim 84 wherein the communications related question relates to a need for the particular authorized beneficiary to communicate with other people in association with an occurrence of a civilly-catastrophic event for at least one of: determining a status of at least one of: family members, friends, co-workers, and employees; providing for at least one of a family members', friends', co-workers', and employees' safety; maintaining operation of a business; maintaining the particular authorized beneficiary's health.
98. The sales support tool of claim 53 wherein the at least one offer package generator is configured for using the information, at least in part, to determine at least one of a relative ease and a relative difficulty of providing the particular authorized beneficiary with access to the private civil security resources in view of at least one of: a likely condition as a result of at least a threatened potential incident that would trigger the use of the private civil security resources; at least one provider's options for providing the plurality of the private civil security resources for the particular authorized beneficiary; abilities of the at least one authorized beneficiary; needs of the at least one authorized beneficiary; cost constraints established by a budget of the at least one authorized beneficiary.
99. The sales support tool of claim 98 wherein the incident is at least one of: a civilly-catastrophic event; a natural disaster; and a non-natural disaster.
100. The sales support tool of claim 98 wherein the at least one provider's options comprises which of the plurality of private civil security resources are at least one of: available; may be made available; to the at least one provider and within an at least one provider's cost constraints for providing the plurality of private civil security resources.
101. The sales support tool of claim 49 wherein the offer package display comprises at least one of: a hard-copy item; a computer device screen; a hand-held device screen; a computer generated print-out; a video display; a projected image.
PCT/US2007/083018 2006-10-30 2007-10-30 Subscription-based private civil security facilitation method WO2008085584A2 (en)

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US86430206P 2006-11-03 2006-11-03
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