As we approach the 2 week line, it’s vital that you take a few minutes to ensure that you are prepared for the chaos that this election is going to bring.
No, I’m not saying “may bring” or “might bring”. If you are of the belief that the election is going to resolve the state of affairs in the United States, you just aren’t being realistic and you haven’t been paying any attention.
Just today, from the right, I had a woman say “After the election, ANTIFA will be destroyed just like ISIS by Trump”. Really? Is Donald Trump not the President today? Who’s votes does him waiting secure?
On the left, today you literally have prominent figures talking about opening “deprogramming centers” and “re-education camps” that Trump supporters will have to go in.
Neither side is completely rational at this point.
Both the left and the right have become so entrenched in their positions, that the final winner of the election, no matter who it is, will spark violence. Now, actually read all the words (You know who I’m talking to), this article has nothing at all to do with left or right, it has to do with your PREPAREDNESS, because BOTH sides have a potential to erupt into violence.
Should Biden win, the right will scream that they only way he won is through fraud, and if Trump wins, the left will scream that he only won through election tampering and foreign influence.
The actual facts or accuracy of either position ARE COMPLETELY IRRELEVANT.
What you need to do is prepare to look after your family and loved ones, regardless.
…In this life,
You will have trouble…”
John 16:33
No one promised us peace on earth, in fact, we’ve been promised that in this life, you will have trouble, so let’s prepare for that eventuality.
The first thing to check on is that you have a sufficient supply of food and water for 14 days at home. That’s not hyperbole, staying home during street protests is far more preferable than daily resupply trips.
I know, a lot of people in our preparedness community will point to their 10 year supply of canned goods, but that doesn’t equal MEALS. Do you have actual meal plans, using what you have? SPAM and green beans gets old. Have a variety of things that can be mixed together to make actual meals, not just going for quantity.
Next, you should have an emergency binder that has information on all your family or group members. Complete details, like phone number, height, weight, description, and a photograph, along with copies of any documents (Driver’s License, passport, Concealed Pistol License, etc). This information should be checked for accuracy and updated right now, so that in the event someone goes missing, you can rapidly provide all details and a photo right away.
Conduct an area study (for more information on this see: forwardobserver.com). Locate areas that may be scenes of unrest on election day or right after and develop plans to avoid those areas in your daily travels. If you can’t avoid them, develop alternate routes away from the area in the event you get caught up in a situation. It’s also not a bad idea to make sure you have extra paper maps on hand.
In all honesty, if you can, plan to leave the cities for the first few days after the election. If nothing develops, you can always come back. The opposite is not true if you wait too long to leave an urban area.
Develop a communications plan. Get with your family, or group of friends, or whatever mutual assistance group you have, and develop a mutually agreed on communications plan. As a society, we are FAR too reliant on cellular technology, Most of the groups I advise or train with have cell phone as the first method, and something like Zello, a cell phone 2 way radio app, as a back up. If the cell network is overloaded or is down, you’ve lost them both. When I work in executive protection, RADIO is the first option, and cellular the second.
For most people, though, cellular can be the first option, as long as you have additional methods. You methodology should include several options, such as cellular, then radio, then email, then pre-arranged signals left in areas to be viewed by those knowing the signals. A lost communication plan is important as well, and that’s actions you decide to be taken if someone hasn’t been heard from in an agreed upon time.
If you’re incorporating radio, maintain a listening watch right now on the channels you plan to use so that you’re aware of any interference or changes that may need to be made. When we do an Executive Protection advance, we carry our radios on the planned frequency to see if we hear anyone else using that frequency, who might interfere with our operation.
Whatever you decide on, make sure everyone agrees and IMMEDIATELY begins to carry the supplies to make that happen. What I mean is, if radio is your back up to cellular, you need to carry a radio in your vehicle or with you at all times, for the next few weeks.
Develop and implement a security plan. No, it can’t be “rely on the police”. The police already aren’t coming to assist people caught up in civil unrest, so as it gets worse, you absolutely should not make them your first line of defense.
Matthew Doloff shot Lee Keltner, right or wrong, within 50 feet of police who watched the confrontation unfold and did nothing. Yesterday, police watched ANTIFA attack a black man and simply asked them to go back behind their barricades. In several cities, police have just stood by and let both sides fight it out in the streets.
Police are primarily a response force, not a peacekeeping force.
Develop a plan to keep your family or group secure and to check in on each other. As it gets closer to the election, you may even decide to make up a duty roster of who monitors the news/social media at certain hours to learn what is happening in your area.
Inventory and gather needed first aid and medical supplies. In addition to restocking all kits, consider buying to have on hand any medications you might want or need. I keep a lot of ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and allergy tablets on hand, as well as some Anti-Diarrheal medications (you don’t know what condition water supplies will be in).
Stage your supplies. Keep a “go bag” or emergency kit ready to walk out the front door at all times. I call this the 5 minute bag. In the worse case scenario, you can take that bag and walk out of the neighborhood for a few hours or days and come back later, after the danger has passed.
Have additional supplies ready so that with a little more notice you can take more things with you. I have 15 minute, 30 minute, and 3 hour designations. With 3 hours notice, I can leave the house with enough food and supplies to survive indefinitely. It has enough food for a few months without hunting, fishing, or foraging. Beyond that, I’d have to work at it, although my bug out location is self-sustaining as far as farming and hunting is concerned.
Your car should be kept prepared as well. Maintain a full tank of gas daily, it doesn’t cost you any more to top if off each day than it does to fill it once a week, and it could literally save your life. I also maintain additional gasoline storage at home, just be sure to rotate the stored gas occasionally (I do it whenever the price is very low). In my car, I keep emergency supplies, including tarps and an emergency blanket, as well as a change of clothes and boots. A change of clothes is necessary, because in a lot of jobs, work clothes aren’t exactly conducive to survival or overland travel. A well-stocked first aid kit (check out solatac.com) is a literal life-saver.
Begin a daily intelligence-gathering and awareness routine where you check out local news, national news, and local Facebook groups of known protest organizations, to remain aware of potential disturbances.
Most importantly, get over the normalcy bias that this will all go away after the election, it won’t. It’s actually more likely to get worse.
Let me leave you with one last piece from the Ultimate Tactical Handbook:
“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the Earth.
I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”
Matthew 10:34
If Jesus Himself warned of war and troubles, shouldn’t you listen and prepare?
Tactical Wisdom 