Can you organize your neighbors?

Prior to being part of a survival group and having a bug out location, I had always planned to bug in. My home location is far from perfect. I live in a suburban housing development just inside the city limits where the houses are approx 24 feet apart. Should the SHTF I had planned to organize as many of my neighbors as possible with the primary concern related to security.

I actually described this situation in my book A Survival Story. While doable, this scenario is filled with issues that provide a path to bad things happening. This scenario involves you – being the almighty and knowledgeable prepper who has prepared for such an event – coming forward trying to persuade a group of people to do things for the betterment of all.

Coming forward within days of the power being out, grocery stores emptied, and fuel unavailable professing that everyone needs to get organized is going to result in some questions:

“Who are you?”

“What’s your angle?”

“What do you want?”

“What makes you some kind of expert?”

Upon announcement that you are just trying to help and you thought that some day something like this might happen –

“You’re one of those prepper-types?”

“So you have food? Supplies?”

“How much?”

“Are you going to share or HOARD it all for yourself?”

A target has now been painted on your back by every person with limited supplies and a desire to survive. That means pretty much everyone.

Assuming the above is fairly accurate depending on the scenario this is where OPSEC comes in. I can tell you I blew my own OPSEC long ago and if I could go back in time I would change things dramatically. It is what it is. For people growing more desperate to know that you are a prepper and have supplies they NEED in order to keep them and their FAMILY alive is not a good situation. No, it would be much better for you to appear as just someone in a similar situation as everyone else who is stepping up to the plate to help.

So….you live in a neighborhood and plan to bug in.

Can you organize your neighbors?

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