Urban Survival Plan

Objective   Understand & plan for unique urban survival challenges

IN ADDITION TO the applicable survival guides in the other areas, urban
areas present unique challenges that are addressed in this section. 

If you plan to stay in the city during a crisis, be sure to have an alternate, pre-designated location you can move to outside the city if a mandatory evacuation order is given or if your urban retreat becomes unsafe.

Most of the information in the other survival plans are applicable to urban areas.  The differences that create unique challenges include:

• High population density

• Reliance on government provided infrastructure

• Many people rent and don't own their residence

• Neighborhood relationships are harder to establish

• Multiple uncontrolled street level public access points to buildings

• Lack of non-public perimeter around buildings

• Potential for mandatory evacuations

• Potential for implementation of Martial Law

• Potential for high-impact civil unrest

Urban survival preparations, in addition to areas addressed in other plans include some very specific strategic and tactical objectives not needed in rural or suburban environments.

History shows that the thin-veneer of civilization can quickly breakdown in urban areas.  During the past 40 years many some inner city areas have turned into quasi war zones where fire and ambulance services refused to deploy. It would not take much of a push for these areas to expand to the outer periphery of a city.

During a crisis, conditions in urban areas can degrade rapidly.
Create and always carry a small Personal Urban Survival Kit

The impersonal quality of a high population density creates lack of trust in, and for some people fear of, strangers which inhibits people from helping others outside their immediate circle.  This makes creating a neighborhood survival ethic much more difficult.

During crisis and disaster response there will be a tremendous strain on the ability of government agencies to provide assistance.  They will be understaffed and overworked.  This will create a high level of competition for resources by the unprepared.  If people can't get what

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