The heightened preparation level is completely warranted right now. Anytime our military is sent out, we should be concerned. Every event has a cause and effect, whether local, national, or global. We must wonder what type of resources the event will draw away from the people. If the fuel supplies are diverted to a war effort, it will cause the price at the pump to increase to a level where truckers can’t afford the fuel to transport food across the county. The just-in-time systems will quickly fail when the needed shipments are not received.

Terror cells within the US will likely flare if the Middle East continues deteriorating. As a society, we have grown soft. Many people will rely upon the government to tell them what to do in an emergency, and the government doesn’t have plans to handle disturbances in many of the major cities all at once. The social breakdown within the city will cause citizens to flee to outlying areas while the locals in those remote areas begin to panic. The locals will binge buy, and the city transplants will buy what is left. Supplies will disappear.

Right now, you must develop a list of your needs and a list of your wants. Put a food plan in place for six months and then try to stretch that to a year. With inflation, this is going to be a challenge. Start with fundamentals like a protein source, salt, vinegar, etc. Shop local whenever possible.

At Hope for Survival, they have a thirty-two-page checklist for your personal preparedness plan. This checklist includes suggestions on what to buy if you wake up one morning and the disaster is upon you. Items like batteries, car batteries, and tires are included. Think about what makes your home tick and focus there. Have at least a two-year supply of seeds.

When it comes to your community, you must work with what you’ve got. Most of us don’t get to pick our neighbors, so you will have to learn to work together if disaster leaves you reliant upon one another. Do a personal risk assessment as well as a community risk assessment. Remember that everyone can have value. It is your job to make their talents work for the group. Make a mission statement, a plan, and a schedule. Put it into writing so it can be referred to in your absence. Start with your home in the center of a five-mile radius on a map and go to work meeting people and setting up a defensive plan. Know what groups are in other places and get in touch now so later essentials can be traded between the groups. Every step should have a risk assessment to measure the risks and rewards correctly.

This sounds good, but how do you start finding people and vetting them? It makes a big difference where you live. An urban plan will look very different from a suburban one, and a rural one will also differ. Your personality will also be a determining factor. How willing are you to include multiple walks of life in your group? Are you charismatic enough to meet people without being singled out as the nut job in the neighborhood?

You can find like-minded people at local events or join a club focused on skills valuable in collapse, like gardening or a gun club. Another good place is a 1st aid class or the local survival store. Don’t share team information at the start of the relationship. Each situation is different, so strike up a conversation and relax. Enjoy getting to know more about them while you gauge their trustworthiness. Maybe one day you’ll ask them to be part of the team, or maybe not.

The most important thing is being brave and not timid. Believe in yourself and your mission. Know what the FEMA recommendations are and have printouts when you are on a door-to-door meet and greet. Get to know your local sheriff and understand their stand on specific issues affecting you. Be as straightforward as possible about the mission of your group. Build the group and then build a buffer for the group. Eventually, this buffering will create a preparedness network ready to help one another in need.