Help...I am a Babe in the Woods of emergency generators!

[lumberjack_jeff]

4. batteries stored on concrete...

ignore that part.

Back in the day, batteries could self-discharge by sitting on concrete because the bodies were kind of porous. I guess I'm now officially a "back in the day" kind of guy.

Yes, you would keep it plugged in to a battery charger until you need it.

After Sandy, did the nearby gas station have uninterrupted power and was it regularly resupplied with gas?

Keep a generator in a shed or garage. Keep fuel stabilizer in the tank and start it every few months, summer and winter. Better yet, run it empty after each use. I'd be willing to bet that a third of generators won't start when the power goes out because ethanol in the fuel attracts water and turns to a gel in the carburetor.

Lead acid batteries are safer and more reliable. The danger of batteries is that if you drop them, the shell could crack and let the acid out, so I wouldn't store one inside my house. They're also worth about $10 at the scrapyard so keep it out of sight of the tweakers.