Re: A To-do list of sorts.

[Rooster]

we've had discussions over all of that actually, but it's good to know that you are already on the same page. we've had the discussions, but we need to make some actual decisions.

[Dan Champion]

If Ive already posted this (im sure I have), im sorry. And if I haven't, well im still sorry to have not shown you a plan that I think is good, this is what im doing in the short run, before I head out to a headquarters after the panic dies down.

Spoiler:

STEP 1: Make your home as secure as possible, as quickly as possible. Board up all first floor windows and doors from the inside and outside, using interior doors and disassembled furniture if wood is in short supply. In extreme climates stuff old clothes in the window pockets for insulation
fortifications really are a matter of whats available. while having 1" steal plates welded over you door would be great most people don't have steal plating lying around. if you have a yard then you can reinforce your barricades with sandbags (or dirt bags) since most people don't have the actual sandbags lying around and in your case your parental units would not approve of storage of sand bags improvise. garbage bags would work as long as they don't need to be moved. So using a wheelbarrow to bring the dirt to the bags would work. 500 pounds of dirt behind a door will go along way to reinforcing you front door.

For windows if z-day is well under way then you have access to abandon vehicles. most people over look cars for barricading much past using the entire car as a blockade. the hood of a car is a valuable piece of scrap metal. with the use of a wrench or a metal cutting tool you can remove the entire hood and place it over the window. if you have a power drill you can drill holes in the edges and put screws through the holes and into the window frame to hold it in place. using large washer with the screws will prevent the metal around the hole from being bent allowing the hood to be pulled away.

Barbed wire can work wonders for buying you extra time as zombies approach you fortress. since you probable wont have barbed wire regular wire will still be effective at slowing attackers. with barbed wire having the post spread 5 to 10 feet will help keep the wires aligned. your house has lots of internal electrical wires that won't do much once the power is out so do your neighbors houses (assuming they fled.) in world war 1 barbed wire was very effective at tangling up soldiers as they attempted to travel from one trench to another.

chicken wire can be very effective at fortifying a exposed entrance if you can securely mount it. most people cant break chicken by brute force they have to bend it back and forth a bit. by mounting it completely taught you prevent this from happening. it you have access to concrete and a bit of man power making a 4 inch thick concrete slab with a bit of chicken wire running through the center to hold it together is fairly strong. the concrete will probably crack when you try to move it and it will weigh at least 300 depending on the size but having a solid concrete block makes a section of barricade look impenetrable. legitimately it is not the most effective barricade and forming the cement directly into your barricade would be a better choice the trying to move a concrete slab but always reinforce your concrete if it is part of a standing barricade. if you can get your hands on chainlink fencing its a much better choice then its a much better choice then chicken wire.

a rug is not something that jumps out as a strong baracade material but most rugs are rugged enough that you cant tear through them or punch trough it infact you would have a better chance of breacking through a solid board then a rug the problem is finding a way to mount the rug to act as a stand up baracad. if you remove the drywall around a stud then you could wrap the edges of the rug around the stud and drive a few nails through the rug into the stud.

if you have stairs you can dissemble those with a hammer or power drill relatively easily making your upstairs significantly more secure. make a rope ladder and use that once your stairs are dissembled. if you don't have a second floor then you probably have an attic. laying plywood over the rafter will make the attic habitable but if you intend to spend significant time up there then you should install a hinged escape hatch to the roof. from there having a bridge to the neighboring house gives you the option of a escape route should your house become surrounded. a weight baring bridge can be made out of 3 2x4 planks with a sheet of 1/2" ply wood over the top the bridge only needs to be about 2 feet wide.

one option that can be effective is using defensive traps as part of your fortifications. a length of cheese running across the approach to your house at neck height has the potential to seriously injure anything the runs into it at full speed. using spikes on the exterior of you fortifications can impale a horde that pushes the first few attackers forward into it giving you a meat shield and reducing the number of attackers. a trip line can cause the front runners of a horde to fall and be trampled by those behind them. if you have explosives there is lots you can do kill off attackers but most of us don't so ill skip over that one. cars are heavy and make for good wall material. if you have the equipment or man power to flip a few SUVs up on there side then you have a strong wall and with a few support braces you can make them very difficult to knock over. you can atempt to use shards of glass as spikes in the ground of barricades but securing the shards in place would be difficult and if the zombies have shoes they wont be super effective. avoid pungi pit style traps unless you are in an isolated area that days go by between zombie sightings other wise you will probably be eaten while your out digging.

use good judgment in what you do to prepare. buying a power drill would look fairly normal but installing an escape hatch to the roof won't go over well.

STEP 2: Find your hot water heater, and drain it into portable containers (buckets, bottles, trash cans) then move all newly stored water off of the ground floor. A second story or attic works best, but when not available use the basement, sub-floor crawl space or roof (weather permitting). Fill up sinks and bathtubs and repeat the process. Never forget to purify any water before drinking
Early effects of dehydration include muscle cramping, nausea, and lightheadedness, and if left unchecked can lead to confusion, coma and death.
Start by shutting off the water to the building. This may be contrary to instinct, but the danger of contaminated fluids compromising your existing reserves outweighs any potential benefit. Next, locate the building’s water heater. It’s a large metal tank usually housed in the basement, utility closet or laundry room.
The average home water heater holds 50 to 75 gallons, or 6,400 to 9,600 ounces. In simple terms an adult male should drink 64 ounces of water per day, give or take. So, once the heater water has been properly purified it will provide enough drinking water for two people to be fully hydrated for at least 50 days.
Along with available food rations, that will give you plenty of time to fashion needed weapons, communicate with other survivors, and develop a solid plan for escape or further fortification.
Mixed in the correct ratio, unscented bleach added to water can kill any unwanted contaminates and render the source safe for human consumption. 1/2 tablespoon of bleach mixed to 5 gallons of clear water (or 2.5 gallons of cloudy water) should do the trick. Stir in and let sit for thirty minutes. If the water does not have a chlorine smell when finished, add more bleach.

STEP 3: Take inventory of your supplies, hauling anything of possible to you water storage level. Grab canned goods and other nonperishable foods, batteries, radios, flashlights, clothing, blankets, couch cushions, medical and hygiene aids, weapons, books, car keys, etc. Look for anything that you might need in the future for any reason. After water, food is of primary concern. Hopefully you stored up plenty ahead of time

STEP 4: Find a central interior closet and rip out the floor and ceiling to expose the second floor or attic above, and the basement or crawl space under the house below. Hammer chair legs to the wall to create a ladder, allowing to climb up and down with ease. Then seal up the first floor closet entrance, and block the area with discarded furniture and other heavy debris. If you have a stairwell to the basement or second floor, destroy them or block them off

STEP 5: Set up a strict schedule of security and information gathering. If numbers permit, keep a 24/7 watch on your surrounding area from a secure rooftop location. Follow all radio and television transmissions closely for updates on the situation outside your door. Keep noises to a minimum and lights off at night. Draw as little attention to yourself as possible while you prepare for your next move

NOTES: This plan is intended for short term survival, based on the premise that early retreat to a more remote location is impossible due to jammed and unusable roads. No matter how secure your suburban location, and how much food and water you’ve stocked, the need to move to more sustainable shelter will likely come.

http://forum.zcorps.org/disaster-survival-and-preperation-f2/bug-out-bag-t176.htm
Got it covered dane

[Elephant]

Well George is supposedly on our coast but I think he went to Vegas and never came back or something.

I believe thats the prodigal son mentioned above.

5 points to rooster

[Rooster]

Well George is supposedly on our coast but I think he went to Vegas and never came back or something.

I believe thats the prodigal son mentioned above.

5 points to rooster

ha...suck it everybody without 5 points.

[Twitch]

we might just all have to agree on who's best capable of leadership

i was thinking of voting. but would we do overall voting or regional votes for their candidates?

we already did that. Auto is in charge.

for your region?

No a while back I got voted into the position of in charge of everything but since I'm not a dictator I'm letting you guys make decisions on what you want z:corps to be. The idea of having regional leaders is a good idea since odds are I'm not in your region and on z-day I probably wont be there either. Unless there is something that is obviously not working or we are at a point where decisions need to be made quickly then for the most part I am just contributing like the rest of you till we hit a z-day type event.

i just wanna quickly bring it back to Auto's comment here. I think this is a very mature and intelligent way of handling the Z:CORPS, especially since we (FINALLY) seem to be growing at a steady rate (what, 5 members in 2 months!? thats awesome!). Everyone is allowed to contribute their two-cents, but as the group becomes bigger (100-500+ range) it will obviously become more unmanageable in this manner, hence the region leaders/second in commands. Everyone in their region will communicate when their region's first and second in command, and then they will converse amongst themselves. I think this form of democracy will be extremely effective at keeping everything organized. But when a split-second decision is need, just as when HQ becomes under attack or we're in a firefight, Auto has authority.

Didn't the ancient romans do something similar?

[♫GENJUÆ穴☼☢۞҉░♫]

Didn't the ancient romans do something similar?

Hence the name Auto....

[juggajames]

no disrespect, but i dont feel comfortable with one man making all the snap decisions. too many errors play out in my head.

[Rooster]

no disrespect, but i dont feel comfortable with one man making all the snap decisions. too many errors play out in my head.

I know where youre coming from, but it takes to long for a group to make a "snap" decision...plus Auto seems like a capable enough person.

[Ceres]

no disrespect, but i dont feel comfortable with one man making all the snap decisions. too many errors play out in my head.

I know where youre coming from, but it takes to long for a group to make a "snap" decision...plus Auto seems like a capable enough person.

Auto's the only one I really trust with this responsibility.

[♫GENJUÆ穴☼☢۞҉░♫]

no disrespect, but i dont feel comfortable with one man making all the snap decisions. too many errors play out in my head.

I know where youre coming from, but it takes to long for a group to make a "snap" decision...plus Auto seems like a capable enough person.

Auto's the only one I really trust with this responsibility.

yeah, I don't even trust myself lol. I've always been a loner; I pop up at friends places, meet up for drinks at the local dives and jamm out here and there with other random musicians but 9 times out of 10 I just wander around all by myself or just hang out in my lair. This mindset of mine would continue post z-day for me unless i came across a drifting hunter/gatherer group. I should have been borne a gypsy...

[Twitch]

no disrespect, but i dont feel comfortable with one man making all the snap decisions. too many errors play out in my head.

I know where youre coming from, but it takes to long for a group to make a "snap" decision...plus Auto seems like a capable enough person.

Auto's the only one I really trust with this responsibility.

yeah, I don't even trust myself lol. I've always been a loner; I pop up at friends places, meet up for drinks at the local dives and jamm out here and there with other random musicians but 9 times out of 10 I just wander around all by myself or just hang out in my lair. This mindset of mine would continue post z-day for me unless i came across a drifting hunter/gatherer group. I should have been borne a gypsy...

man i would've loved to be a gypsy.

[juggajames]

haha, i feel as though i'd get in trouble for not listening to auto. i kinda have a mindset where if i don't want to do something, or feel as though i shouldn't(even though my superior told me to) then i don't...

[autonomous]

I agree that I probably am not always going to be able to tell you exactly what to do in the event of a split second decision scenario which is why it is very useful for me or who ever is filling my place on z-day to know who are capable leaders who can keep people under there command safe, remain flexible in tactics and still complete the mission. If I'm at the center of a 100+ person army I certainly wont be making every little decision in a crisis but I would be designating objectives to sub units leaving most of the execution under the decision making power of your squad leader under the coordination of your platoon leader. If your planes are to flee at the first sign of trouble your welcome to stay with us as long as you want but please don't steal to much when you run off.

[X]

In the military we work as a team, we integrate all aspects and jobs into one mission and goal, and this goal is the Army’s goal and the country’s goal. Teamwork is probably the most important aspect of the military in performing our missions and tasks, it helps us break the work apart and make it easier for each member of the military community. The team works together and performs as one unit supporting each individuals strengths and weaknesses and balancing the workload to adhere to a certain team members specialties or such strengths as that member would possess. The Military is a huge team working together with sister branches and other countries militaries to create one powerful force to counter other forces in the world and spread democracy. The army is also a large team sometimes referred to as a gang, which we are, not in the sense that we sell drugs or pimp prostitutes but we still kill a lot of people in the world. And that’s a good thing. As a scout we use many resources such as artillery, the medics, mechanics, air support etc. to accomplish our mission and work together as a team.
The key of teamwork in the army, in my opinion is the hierarchy of leadership and the discipline to follow orders un-questionably. Good leaders lead by example, know their own individual job and can also follow directions and commands promptly and enthusiastically. The key to all of teamwork, leading, and following is adhering to the instructions of those appointed over you which brings me to my next point. As soldiers we are drilled almost everyday to listen to commanders, NCO's and basically everyone higher in rank than us or in some cases people that have more time in service. We are taught discipline from day one in basic training when we hit the ground the first time doing pushups to the last right face in the last ceremony before we see our families. Discipline is crucial to following orders effectively, without it soldiers would not react fast enough to what is being said or would simply not care enough about the task at hand to perform it, weakening the team it self. We follow our commands from higher because we know that whatever decision it is it overall is good for the Army, US or individual soldiers. When an order is given we should acknowledge the order, think about what needs to be done and execute using the least amount of resources or time to accomplish the mission at hand to standard and the commanders or NCO's specific commands. This is the crucial key in performing the mission, soldiers should not question the reasoning behind the command but execute promptly knowing that their leadership is looking out for him/her.

as individuals that is all that we are.

you are no good to anyone if you are not a team player.

[autonomous]

In the military we work as a team, we integrate all aspects and jobs into one mission and goal, and this goal is the Army’s goal and the country’s goal. Teamwork is probably the most important aspect of the military in performing our missions and tasks, it helps us break the work apart and make it easier for each member of the military community. The team works together and performs as one unit supporting each individuals strengths and weaknesses and balancing the workload to adhere to a certain team members specialties or such strengths as that member would possess. The Military is a huge team working together with sister branches and other countries militaries to create one powerful force to counter other forces in the world and spread democracy. The army is also a large team sometimes referred to as a gang, which we are, not in the sense that we sell drugs or pimp prostitutes but we still kill a lot of people in the world. And that’s a good thing. As a scout we use many resources such as artillery, the medics, mechanics, air support etc. to accomplish our mission and work together as a team.
The key of teamwork in the army, in my opinion is the hierarchy of leadership and the discipline to follow orders un-questionably. Good leaders lead by example, know their own individual job and can also follow directions and commands promptly and enthusiastically. The key to all of teamwork, leading, and following is adhering to the instructions of those appointed over you which brings me to my next point. As soldiers we are drilled almost everyday to listen to commanders, NCO's and basically everyone higher in rank than us or in some cases people that have more time in service. We are taught discipline from day one in basic training when we hit the ground the first time doing pushups to the last right face in the last ceremony before we see our families. Discipline is crucial to following orders effectively, without it soldiers would not react fast enough to what is being said or would simply not care enough about the task at hand to perform it, weakening the team it self. We follow our commands from higher because we know that whatever decision it is it overall is good for the Army, US or individual soldiers. When an order is given we should acknowledge the order, think about what needs to be done and execute using the least amount of resources or time to accomplish the mission at hand to standard and the commanders or NCO's specific commands. This is the crucial key in performing the mission, soldiers should not question the reasoning behind the command but execute promptly knowing that their leadership is looking out for him/her.

as individuals that is all that we are.

you are no good to anyone if you are not a team player.

I like your attitude. One thing that is important to keep in mind is in the event that you leader does not see a potential hazard it may become appropriate to point out its existence if you are working or traveling unnecessarily close to it. Knowing hazards exist is half the battle on avoiding them. Second is that conducting After Action Reviews help prevent mistakes that were made from being repeated.