This Isn't the Sort of Thing That Happens to Someone Like You (27 page)

Mobile groups. As the crisis matures, mobile groups may well develop, poss. from major population centres; these will be small groups and majority young/male. Likely to be physically weak due to fatigue of travel + unreliable nutrition; but prob. well armed (esp. if from major pop. centres) & experienced/uninhibited in use of deadly force. These groups will be the prime threat as crisis matures: careful surveillance will be essential, as will avoiding unnecessary awareness of site. Research plan for decoy vulnerable site (eg lit, smoke from chimney, obvious food supply) which can be booby-trapped.
14
Prepare others in group, esp. members of Primary Defence Task Force Group, for use of deadly/overwhelming force. (Again, utilise reference to poss. impact on children in event of defence failure as motivating tactic.)

Rogue loners. Individuals unlikely to survive crisis, as limited amount of co-operation will be req. However some are likely to appear, esp. in early stages, and will have advantage of low profile. Reminder that sustained & effective surveillance, with appropriate follow-up action, will be essential throughout period of crisis.

Defence:
15

Refer to notes on perimeter, above. Also camouflage, discretion, etc. These grouped as Passive Defence. Surveillance also part of this.

Need for force is likely to arise however.
v
Training in unarmed combat already in progress among some members of group; bring recommendation that
all
undertake this training to the next meeting, and that ‘unarmed’ be gradually redefined to inc. use of sticks, staves, shields, handtools, knives, etc, up to and including deadly force. (May need to be careful about phrasing of this; may need to introduce tools/knives etc at later date. But good training & preparedness is essential asap.)

Use of weaponry will be inevitable in crisis situation: many members of group not yet reconciled to this, and alarmed by talk of it. Need to work discreetly with others (B
, R
, J
) to make progress in obtaining items+ammo, & training. Shotgun, rifle, handguns in first instance. But also need low-tech/low-maintenance solutions; prepare construction & use of crossbows and/or traditional bows. Sourcing weapons will be primary difficulty. B
16
has referred to connections in major population centre which may be of use – expensive and poss. dangerous, but prob. only option. Of prime concern wd be to avoid alerting sources of weaponry to our existence and/or whereabouts; these wd by definition be groups we’d want to avoid knowing about us in the crisis time.