Letter Re: My Experience in Setting Up a Community Survival Group

Jim,
In these uncertain times many of us are preparing, some for economic collapse others for a coming pandemic or EMP strike, either natural or man made. Not having the option of relocating to a more ideal area my wife and I decided a few months ago to try to stack the odds in our favor by going a little different route. We have been able to partner with other local families and friends to be each others back-up and support systems. We initially started with just three families (6 of us total) and thru careful vetting and many meetings we have now grown to almost 16 families totaling about 40 people. All of these families have demonstrated a commitment to the group and are either past preppers (Y2K) or those that really “get it”. We have been able to find just about every talent we think we may need with the exception of a physician. However, we do have a well-experienced emergency room nurse and a veterinarian.

Realizing that we are not in the best of positions we have been to each others homes and properties and have done what we believe are honest assessments of the strengths and weaknesses of each location. We have looked at location and surrounding areas, water availability, defensibility, lines of approach and egress, construction, heating and alternative energy methods, land available to till and plant. We have found that about half of the locations are too small or are too vulnerable to be of much use so those families will automatically be bunking in with others when the need comes as well as storing their supplies with those families now. As a group we have tried to identify and define what triggers we will use to implement our plans. In the case of a long slow slide to economic collapse we will have some time to sit back and monitor the situation, in the case of something major we have plans for our group to divide into three different locations in our township. We feel that this will give us the ability to not only support each other but will give us fall back positions to go to in the event we are forced out of one particular area.

This has not been an easy venture. We have had some people who would like to join that had personalities that just didn’t fit well with the rest of the group. Some people were just too radical, some lazy and argumentative, some wanted the comfort of a backup without being willing to contribute anything to the group, let alone for their own welfare. We have found that group dinners and work days have not only strengthened our bond with each other but has led to some real friendships that we may not have been able to forge. Easy, no, but worthwhile, yes. While we may not be in the best of locations we have through hard work put together a group of people and the synergy that comes along with it. One family alone in this area has no chance, but us, I think we have a fighting change of getting through the times ahead.

Thanks for all you do. K. J., – Somewhere in Ohio