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edgecrusherntb.bsky.social
Edgecrusher
@edgecrusherntb.bsky.social
460 followers 290 following 1K posts
30 | He/Him ⛑ Emergency Management/Disaster Relief ⛑ Information & Planning | Logistics | EMT-B | HAZMAT Response | Autistic Savant | Atypicality is NOT disability | Science and sci-fi enthusiast

https://ko-fi.com/edgecrusherntb

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edgecrusherntb.bsky.social
Edgecrusher @edgecrusherntb.bsky.social · 13d
👋 Name: Edge
🧏‍♂️ Pronouns: He/Him
🗺 Location: US
🧑‍🔬🦺💪 Hobbies: Mechanical design, technical writing, electronics, weightlifting, martial arts, survivalism

#ScienceBehindSciFi: Breakdowns of references to real science in fictional media

#PublicPreparedness: Info and resources for ongoing US issues
Reposted by Edgecrusher
mollyploofkins.bsky.social
Alex Pretti’s coworkers take a moment of silence this morning
January 26, 2026 at 8:12 PM
edgecrusherntb.bsky.social
#PublicPreparedness #Minneapolis
startribune.com Minnesota Star Tribune @startribune.com · 2h
Here's how to identify some crowd control munitions, canisters of which federal agents have left on the ground after deploying them against people in Minnesota. bit.ly/3YWp1jE

Graphic by Mark Boswell/The Minnesota Star Tribune
January 26, 2026 at 8:51 PM
Reposted by Edgecrusher
drimplorable.bsky.social
I know that if one of the ICE agents who shot and killed Alex Pretti were injured and brought in to the same hospital where Alex worked . . . the nurses there would still care for that officer as if they were from their own family. Because that's what nurses do.

And, that's the whole difference.
January 26, 2026 at 6:21 PM
Reposted by Edgecrusher
edgecrusherntb.bsky.social
Riot-control agents info-doc! Hyperlinks lead to credible/scholarly sources for additional background: docs.google.com/document/d/1...

(1/2) #PublicPreparedness
Riot-Control Agents Image Source: Wikimedia Commons What They Are, How To Protect Yourself, and Addressing Common Misconceptions Written for Minnesota 50501 Street Medics, 01-22-2026 What Is A Riot-Control Agent? Riot-control agents are chemical compounds that cause irritation, most noticeably to the eyes, nose, and throat, intended to temporarily incapacitate a person or group of people without causing lasting harm. They are also known as “lachrimators” - from the Latin word for tears - or “tear gas.” A person exposed to a riot-control agent will experience intense, burning pain, especially in their eyes, nose, and throat, watery eyes, runny nose, and violent coughing fits. The pain and helplessness often causes people to panic. For a healthy adult who is able to remove themself from the source of the riot-control agent, these effects are temporary. They will subside about 15 minutes to two hours after decontamination, depending on the specific agent used, amount of exposure, and the individual’s sensitivity. If an infant or child, or a person with a respiratory condition, is exposed, or if a person is unable to remove themself from the source and suffers prolonged exposure, lasting injuries and/or respiratory failure may result. When tending to someone who was exposed to a riot-control agent, priorities are to get them to clean air, and flush their eyes with copious amounts of clean water. Do NOT use milk, baking soda, maalox, vinegar, lemon juice, or any other fad remedy. The thinking behind most of these rumor remedies was that riot-control agents are either an acid or a base, and could be neutralized by applying a compound on the opposite side of the pH scale. However, pH is not the mechanism by which these agents cause irritation. The agents bind to pain receptors (OC binds to receptor TRPV1; CS binds to receptor TRPA1) and cause the body’s pain-signaling circuits to get stuck in the “on” position. The best way to help is to flush the irritating agent away– the less of it is present to bind to pain receptors, the faster the irritation will subside. Other remedies have been shown to be no more effective than flushing with wat… OC – Oleoresin Capsicum Oleoresin capsicum, or pepper spray, is an oil composed of a concentrated form of the same chemical compounds that give hot peppers their spiciness (capsaicinoids). This is what we are seeing used against protesters in the Twin Cities most often, with the chemical agent being dispensed from a handheld spraying apparatus. Image Source: Encyclopedia of Toxicology (4th Edition) on ScienceDirect Because the compound is an oil, decontamination can be tedious and feel frustrating. Anyone who has touched cooking oil in the kitchen, then tried to give their hand a quick rinse, is familiar with the problem: oil doesn’t dissolve in water. It will take 20+ minutes of continuous flushing with water to rinse the oil off the body. Adding a drop of baby shampoo to the water may help decontaminate the skin, by breaking up the oil faster than water alone can rinse it off. Baby shampoo should NOT be used in the eyes– only clean water! Though it may aid the process of removing the oil from the skin, there is no clinical evidence that baby shampoo eases the pain and irritation from OC any faster than flushing with water. It simply takes time for the effects of OC exposure to subside– capsaicinoids that have already bound to pain receptors need to degrade. One might be thinking: “When it comes to eating spicy peppers, we’re told to drink milk; drinking water only spreads the capsaicin around, while milk relieves the burning. Isn’t this the same compound?” The difference is where the fluid is going. When one washes hot peppers down with milk, they are not decontaminating. The fluid is going down their throat, rather than away from their body. Furthermore, the milk is entering the stomach to be digested– not the eyes, where it may provide fuel to harmful bacteria. If one wanted to decontaminate, rather than ingest the spicy food, they would swish water in their mouth and spit it out several times. CS – 2-Chlorobenzylidenemalonitrile 2-chlorobenzylidenemalonitrile, usually known as CS, is a powder contained in tear gas grenades. The grenade works by rapidly heating a liquid solvent to form vapor, which disperses the powder into the air. Image sourced from a Minneapolis volunteer. Like OC, the only reliable remedy for CS exposure is to flush with copious amounts of water. After decontamination, the pain and irritation from CS on the eyes and skin typically subsides faster than that caused by OC. The powder is also more easily flushed away than OC oil. However, the grenades themselves present additional hazards that handheld spray mechanisms do not. They reach extremely high temperatures to convert liquid to vapor, which presents fire and burn hazards. They are meant for use outdoors, and if a CS grenade ends up in an enclosed space with people present, lethal exposure levels may result. People should NOT attempt to pick up the hot canisters when they are deployed, even with protective gloves. Materials that are prone to melting, like rubber and polyester, will melt to the skin, requiring extensive surgery. Commercially-available welding gloves are intended to protect the hands from sparks, not from grabbing a chunk of red-hot metal. Activists have occasionally managed to hurl hot canisters of tear gas, making for compelling photojournalism. Please be aware that their lack of injury is a combination of preparedness and luck. It is not preparedness alone. The incendiary (heat/fire-producing) compounds in the canisters are usually self-oxidizing, and cannot be extinguished by smothering. They extinguish once the chemical reaction is no longer releasing oxygen to burn.
January 23, 2026 at 3:23 AM
Reposted by Edgecrusher
edgecrusherntb.bsky.social
My group attended to three people today who suffered severe respiratory distress after prolonged CS exposure, because they tried to cover canisters with buckets & traffic cones instead of getting to fresh air

If you're not a HAZMAT technician, that isn't safe to do. #PublicPreparedness #Minneapolis
January 25, 2026 at 1:49 AM
Reposted by Edgecrusher
mkbinder.bsky.social
just like @dankaszeta.bsky.social tells folks.

DON'T PICK UP TEAR GAS OR SMOKE CANISTERS.

Nylon cold weather gloves ain't gonna protect you.
acatwithnews.bsky.social Sean Beckner-Carmitchel @acatwithnews.bsky.social · 17h
Minneapolis, MN -

One protester attempted to throw back the green smoke bomb and destroyed his glove in the process.

Noticing some confusion: this particular volley *WAS NOT CHEMICAL IRRITANT IT WAS NOT GREEN GAS, merely a gas that was green*
January 26, 2026 at 4:55 PM
Reposted by Edgecrusher
dankaszeta.bsky.social
Tear gas and smoke may be used to push people into vulnerable positions or be a distraction from something actually lethal. It’s an old tactic. Be mindful
January 25, 2026 at 5:47 PM
edgecrusherntb.bsky.social
It was my friend's coworker who was murdered, while said friend and I were at a library, teaching first aid skills to community responders.

Man, what the fuck...
January 25, 2026 at 8:20 AM
edgecrusherntb.bsky.social
Photo from South Minneapolis this afternoon. I'm standing outside of Glam Doll Donuts, who offered free donuts and let volunteer medic teams set up a space in their shop to bring injured people. ❤️ glamdolldonuts.com
January 25, 2026 at 2:21 AM
edgecrusherntb.bsky.social
My group attended to three people today who suffered severe respiratory distress after prolonged CS exposure, because they tried to cover canisters with buckets & traffic cones instead of getting to fresh air

If you're not a HAZMAT technician, that isn't safe to do. #PublicPreparedness #Minneapolis
January 25, 2026 at 1:49 AM
Reposted by Edgecrusher
maeisafraid.bsky.social
In loving memory of Alex Pretti, no longer a stranger, but my brother. Murdered by our federal government in the fight against fascism. Remember him.

I’m not very good at making graphics, but I needed to do something for his spirit.
ALEX PRETTI REMEMBER HIM. Alex Pretti, RN THIS IS A HERO WHO DIED TODAY TRYING TO HELP A WOMAN WHO HAD BEEN KNOCKED TO THE GROUND BY ICE. HIS LAST WORDS WERE "ARE YOU OKAY?" HE WAS EXECUTED IN THE STREET BY THE US FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
January 24, 2026 at 9:18 PM
edgecrusherntb.bsky.social
Flushing tear gas off people in -13° F without giving them hypothermia is a logistical challenge... Here's how we're managing it.

#PublicPreparedness #Minneapolis
January 24, 2026 at 7:02 AM
Reposted by Edgecrusher
marinmmiller.com
Work knows, I can be public about it!

I am scheduled for bottom surgery on 2/4. I do not qualify for Short Term Disability, so I need help staying afloat while I'm down. I'm working double shifts in tech support/writing dub scripts until 2/3, anything is DEEPLY appreciated!

ko-fi.com/U7U613D3A4
Support Marin
Support Marin
ko-fi.com
January 22, 2026 at 11:38 PM
Reposted by Edgecrusher
minnmax.com
In solidarity with today's ICE OUT OF MINNESOTA blackout, MinnMax is donating $1 to the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota for every share of this Bluesky post for the next hour.
January 23, 2026 at 4:01 PM
Reposted by Edgecrusher
aplante.com
first painting of 2026 with the energy i’m bringing into the year so far. things are pretty tough and i’m making a point of finding joy anywhere and everywhere i can

#art
a digital painting of a pigeon sitting on the ground of an alley in front of a green dumpster full of stereotypical cartoon garbage like banana peels and fish bones. the pigeon’s feet are splayed in front of her, and a carton of french fries next to her. some old fries are spilling onto the ground. the pigeon is holding a fry in her beak, having dipped it in a little paper pot of ketchup on the ground next to her, and is using it to messily paint her toenails with ketchup. she has eyelashes and happy little sparkles.
January 23, 2026 at 3:14 AM
edgecrusherntb.bsky.social
Riot-control agents info-doc! Hyperlinks lead to credible/scholarly sources for additional background: docs.google.com/document/d/1...

(1/2) #PublicPreparedness
Riot-Control Agents Image Source: Wikimedia Commons What They Are, How To Protect Yourself, and Addressing Common Misconceptions Written for Minnesota 50501 Street Medics, 01-22-2026 What Is A Riot-Control Agent? Riot-control agents are chemical compounds that cause irritation, most noticeably to the eyes, nose, and throat, intended to temporarily incapacitate a person or group of people without causing lasting harm. They are also known as “lachrimators” - from the Latin word for tears - or “tear gas.” A person exposed to a riot-control agent will experience intense, burning pain, especially in their eyes, nose, and throat, watery eyes, runny nose, and violent coughing fits. The pain and helplessness often causes people to panic. For a healthy adult who is able to remove themself from the source of the riot-control agent, these effects are temporary. They will subside about 15 minutes to two hours after decontamination, depending on the specific agent used, amount of exposure, and the individual’s sensitivity. If an infant or child, or a person with a respiratory condition, is exposed, or if a person is unable to remove themself from the source and suffers prolonged exposure, lasting injuries and/or respiratory failure may result. When tending to someone who was exposed to a riot-control agent, priorities are to get them to clean air, and flush their eyes with copious amounts of clean water. Do NOT use milk, baking soda, maalox, vinegar, lemon juice, or any other fad remedy. The thinking behind most of these rumor remedies was that riot-control agents are either an acid or a base, and could be neutralized by applying a compound on the opposite side of the pH scale. However, pH is not the mechanism by which these agents cause irritation. The agents bind to pain receptors (OC binds to receptor TRPV1; CS binds to receptor TRPA1) and cause the body’s pain-signaling circuits to get stuck in the “on” position. The best way to help is to flush the irritating agent away– the less of it is present to bind to pain receptors, the faster the irritation will subside. Other remedies have been shown to be no more effective than flushing with wat… OC – Oleoresin Capsicum Oleoresin capsicum, or pepper spray, is an oil composed of a concentrated form of the same chemical compounds that give hot peppers their spiciness (capsaicinoids). This is what we are seeing used against protesters in the Twin Cities most often, with the chemical agent being dispensed from a handheld spraying apparatus. Image Source: Encyclopedia of Toxicology (4th Edition) on ScienceDirect Because the compound is an oil, decontamination can be tedious and feel frustrating. Anyone who has touched cooking oil in the kitchen, then tried to give their hand a quick rinse, is familiar with the problem: oil doesn’t dissolve in water. It will take 20+ minutes of continuous flushing with water to rinse the oil off the body. Adding a drop of baby shampoo to the water may help decontaminate the skin, by breaking up the oil faster than water alone can rinse it off. Baby shampoo should NOT be used in the eyes– only clean water! Though it may aid the process of removing the oil from the skin, there is no clinical evidence that baby shampoo eases the pain and irritation from OC any faster than flushing with water. It simply takes time for the effects of OC exposure to subside– capsaicinoids that have already bound to pain receptors need to degrade. One might be thinking: “When it comes to eating spicy peppers, we’re told to drink milk; drinking water only spreads the capsaicin around, while milk relieves the burning. Isn’t this the same compound?” The difference is where the fluid is going. When one washes hot peppers down with milk, they are not decontaminating. The fluid is going down their throat, rather than away from their body. Furthermore, the milk is entering the stomach to be digested– not the eyes, where it may provide fuel to harmful bacteria. If one wanted to decontaminate, rather than ingest the spicy food, they would swish water in their mouth and spit it out several times. CS – 2-Chlorobenzylidenemalonitrile 2-chlorobenzylidenemalonitrile, usually known as CS, is a powder contained in tear gas grenades. The grenade works by rapidly heating a liquid solvent to form vapor, which disperses the powder into the air. Image sourced from a Minneapolis volunteer. Like OC, the only reliable remedy for CS exposure is to flush with copious amounts of water. After decontamination, the pain and irritation from CS on the eyes and skin typically subsides faster than that caused by OC. The powder is also more easily flushed away than OC oil. However, the grenades themselves present additional hazards that handheld spray mechanisms do not. They reach extremely high temperatures to convert liquid to vapor, which presents fire and burn hazards. They are meant for use outdoors, and if a CS grenade ends up in an enclosed space with people present, lethal exposure levels may result. People should NOT attempt to pick up the hot canisters when they are deployed, even with protective gloves. Materials that are prone to melting, like rubber and polyester, will melt to the skin, requiring extensive surgery. Commercially-available welding gloves are intended to protect the hands from sparks, not from grabbing a chunk of red-hot metal. Activists have occasionally managed to hurl hot canisters of tear gas, making for compelling photojournalism. Please be aware that their lack of injury is a combination of preparedness and luck. It is not preparedness alone. The incendiary (heat/fire-producing) compounds in the canisters are usually self-oxidizing, and cannot be extinguished by smothering. They extinguish once the chemical reaction is no longer releasing oxygen to burn.
January 23, 2026 at 3:23 AM
edgecrusherntb.bsky.social
I'm a volunteer medic in the Twin Cities. We've had women ask us if we can assist with home births because they're afraid to go to the hospital.
broadwaybabyto.bsky.social Kelly @broadwaybabyto.bsky.social · 4d
The US has the highest maternal mortality of any developed country … and it’s about to get a lot worse.

Why? Pregnant women are afraid to go to the hospital for care.

They’re labouring at home alone because ICE will grab them as soon as they give birth.

This is dystopian.
January 22, 2026 at 8:12 PM
edgecrusherntb.bsky.social
#PublicPreparedness
autisticadvocacy.org Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) @autisticadvocacy.org · 4d
MnNEAT has created these communication tools to help nonspeakers, or those who may lose speech due to stress, invoke their rights if they are stopped by ICE. As always, please be very careful when taking something out of a bag or wallet in front of police or ICE. mnneat.wixstudio.com/mnneat/safet...
MnNEAT | Rapid ICE‑Related Safety & Community Care Resources
MnNEAT stands with our community and against ICE. This rapid‑response effort for community care provides downloadable disability access resources to support individuals during the current emergency…
mnneat.wixstudio.com
January 22, 2026 at 8:10 PM
edgecrusherntb.bsky.social
#PublicPreparedness
fightforthefuture.org Fight for the Future @fightforthefuture.org · 4d
Twin Cities have built a dynamic and resilient rapid response system utilizing tools like Signal and counter-surveillance operations.

This is worth a read, especially for folks in cities where ICE escalations haven’t happened yet.

Start prepping NOW: crimethinc.com/2026/01/15/r...
Rapid Response Networks in the Twin Cities
The rapid response networks people organize to defend their communities have undergone a whirlwind evolution to keep up with ever-shifting ICE tactics.
crimethinc.com
January 22, 2026 at 5:37 PM
Reposted by Edgecrusher
fightforthefuture.org
Happening today folks! CALL IN, CALL IN, CALL IN 📲

1 (813) 213-3989
evangreer.bsky.social Evan Greer @evangreer.bsky.social · 4d
So the House is going to vote TOMORROW on the DHS funding bill that includes funding for ICE.

There's a real chance we can get Dems to vote NO on any bill with ICE funding to sink it.

Once it goes to the Senate we likely lose this chance.

24 hours. Go.

www.fightforthefuture.org/actions/no-f...
No Funding for ICE Surveillance Tech!
www.fightforthefuture.org
January 22, 2026 at 3:42 PM
edgecrusherntb.bsky.social
Good info in this thread for folks with a uterus and/or ovaries in particular! #PublicPreparedness
thinlyveiledtruth.bsky.social Bex 🐸 (they/them/frog) @thinlyveiledtruth.bsky.social · 14d
My "What You Need To Know About Tear Gas" thread:

First, tear gas is a particulate, not an actual vapor or gas. In some cases, this means you can get some of the tear gas off your clothes by standing in a stiff breeze or strong fan.
January 22, 2026 at 3:34 AM
edgecrusherntb.bsky.social
Notice how they're throwing the green smoke grenades without any PPE on.

It's just smoke. They're using it as a scare tactic because fiction has taught people to associate glowing green clouds with poison.

#PublicPreparedness
mn50501.bsky.social Minnesota 50501 @mn50501.bsky.social · 5d
The green stuff was just used in Uptown.
January 22, 2026 at 1:13 AM
edgecrusherntb.bsky.social
My group was able to recover a spent canister from a green smoke grenade in Minneapolis. We now confirm with physical evidence that it was a green signaling grenade.

Please don't spread rumors about hexachloroethane or nerve agents.

#PublicPreparedness #Minneapolis
January 21, 2026 at 10:07 PM
edgecrusherntb.bsky.social
When ICE agents realize the person they're holding is a US citizen, they push that person out the door of the building without their belongings, often including their coat. Temperatures are well below freezing. Part of what we do as volunteer medics is find these people and get them somewhere warm.
January 20, 2026 at 9:21 PM
Reposted by Edgecrusher
dankaszeta.bsky.social
Green smoke grenades are not HC. And HC is not a nerve agent, nor is the stuff in green smoke grenades.

ICE is being bad but spreading false information is unhelpful
January 20, 2026 at 5:43 PM