Survive In Place
The Ultimate Step-By-Step guide to creating your Urban Survival Plan
This came to me from my bio-weapons expert who studied under Ken Alibek. It is a basic procedure for how to go into and out of your safe room in the event of a bio event.
I’ve considered the possibility that I may have to get OUT of that safe room to perhaps retrieve medicine, shut off utilities, or heaven-forbid, draw someone away from my family.
My method consists of the following. After building the safe room, sealing it, and getting everyone inside, I divide the remaing space into a larger living zone, and a smaller ‘warm’ zone. The warm zone should be easy to seal to facilitate access.
Everything outside the room is a ‘hot zone’. To be more specific, think of an airlock in a spaceship. You want to do a space walk and need to get out. The inside of the ship is the cold zone which leads to a sealed door which opens onto the warm zone.
Once inside, the cold door is re-sealed behind you and at that point you open the door to the outside . In this chamber, you have your Tyvek suit, HANGING UP, for reasons I’ll explain in a moment, your gas mask, a bottle of bleach solution in a spray bottle, roll of duct tape, box of latex (or nitrile) gloves, and an extra gallon of bleach and water to mix it.
Going out, all you have to do is put on the suit, gas mask, and latex gloves, duct tape your wrists and ankles, and place the duct tape roll on one wrist. The reason you do this is so that if you tear your suit while in the hot zone, you can instantly re-seal it.
Coming back in, this procedure must be followed exactly: Both latex gloves come off and you don’t touch anything except the bleach bottle. If you didn’t use latex gloves, you’ll contaminate your bottle. You take the spray bottle and start at the top of your suit on the hood. This works easier if two people go out, so that you can get hard to reach spots, but in a pinch it can be done alone. Working down, you saturate and make sure that no part of your suit is dry, remembering the bottoms or your feet. Once, done, you unzip the suit, let it fall to your ankles, step out, and hang it up with the back towards you, and without touching the back because this part is still ‘hot’. Now you can spray the back. You are almost done.
Retake the spray bottle and mist over the walls and floor and then, making sure the door to the hot zone is closed and sprayed, you open your inner door, enter, and then re-seal it. No door shoud ever be open without the one preceding it being shut and sealed.
This antechamber is also important in that you can use it to decon other occupants if they’ve been exposed, and also decon people who come in from the outside after you’re already in there. It must be insisted upon that those entering remove all clothing and be sprayed with bleach and then rinsed off. Modesty is trivial in this situation and a pair of scrubs will fit just about anyone. These need to be kept in the cold zone so people will just have to turn away while they dress. As for the bleach bath, it need not irritate the skin, because a 10 to 1 water to bleach ratio is extremely effective.
Note from David:
The same concept of “hot”, “warm”, and “cold” areas can be used for a chlorine gas incident or other non-weaponized chemical incidents, except you do not need to use bleach. Depending on the chemical agent, it may or may not make sense to do this. If you have specific chemical threats in your area, you will want to find out the concentrations that are lethal, what kind of mask you need to filter the chemical out, and what you need to have on hand in your “warm” area to neutralize it.
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Love this info? Hate it? Either way, let me know you’re alive by commenting below 
If you’re reading this post and you’re not already a Survive In Place student, you need to go to SurviveInPlace.com right now and sign up. It’s a 12 week course on surviving disasters in an urban environment. We cover logistics and responses that will help you in the event of natural disasters, terrorist attacks, accidents, breakdowns in civil order, economic collapse, and even flu pandemics.
Thanks,
David Morris
I am 76,saw this BS coming 20 25 years ago. I ask my frend’s all the time,( you armed)some look at me like what he talking about.I try to explain.Most have a weapon of some sort.As for being ready THEY DONT HAVE A CLUE.Rice Beans,Med Kit, Tape,Plastic. I all so made a rig to turn my pressure canner in to a still. Thank for the info,i hope to jone.
David
Thanks for the info. It is in my folder now!! Keep them coming.
Bob
GOOD STUFF THANKS BUT IF I COULD ONLY GET MY WIFE IN THE BALLGAME.
Manny,
Thanks for your post. You may find some good information here: http://secretsofurbansurvival.com/showthread.php?58-RE-Getting-Spouces-on-Board
Feel free to join the forum and get involved in the discussions.
Evan
Hardened Structures of California sells a complete Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) Protection System designed for use at home or at the office. The LSS-80 provides a safe protected space for a maximum of 6 persons for an extended period of time.
The LSS-80 Protection System comprises a Protective Tent with overhead rope supports and a Filter- Blower Unit provided with an effective Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Filter. The entry to the Protective Tent is through a zippered lock chamber to prevent the loss of positive pressure in the Protective Tent when using the entryway. The system Filter-Blower Unit LSS-FBU (also see Temet product leaflet no: 1274 6601 009) is powered by an electric motor and equipped with a manual hand crank back-up drive easily operable by one person. Additional features of the Filter-Blower Unit are a Pre-filter for removal of coarse particles from the intake air, and an Emergency Light functional in manual operation. The system components are packed in a special container for rapid deployment. Once the necessary preparations are performed, the LSS-80 Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection System can be made fully operational in less than 15 minutes
The Protective Tent is slightly pressurized with clean, completely toxic free air. The positive pressure inside the tent prevents the diffusion of toxic substances. The air is treated with the Filter-Blower Unit having a nominal air flow capacity of 50 m3/h (29 cfm). The airflow is sufficient to provide a minimum of 25 Pa (0.10 in Wg) positive pressure inside the tent.
The Filter-Blower Unit is based on the acknowledged Temet shelter technology originally developed for the comprehensive Civil Defense shelter program in Finland. The blower and the NBC Filter of the unit are standard components designed according to the Specific Provisions for small K-class shelters issued by the Finnish Ministry of the Interior. The blower and the filter are both type tested and approved by the Ministry and issued official approval code numbers K/420 respectively K/419.
THE LSS-80 IS THE BEST, MOST ECONOMICAL AND MOST EFFICIENT N.B.C PROTECTION SHELTER AVAILABLE ANYWHERE
Call or email me with question rcoventry@starside.com
Wow this is some good info I am going to join asap! This is info you need to know for when the SHTF !
I really like this info, sounds like a scene from a 24 terrorist chemical weapons or WMD thing. I love it, my fiancee lives in new york so I worry about her and her family everyday. WIll join your site cuz thier safefty and my family is all I think of. Keep up the great work
Excellent stuff! I’m always thinkin’ I have OCD when it comes to germs and what-not, so it’s good that I’m not the only one. **SUGGESTION** For all of your great articles, perhaps maybe you could include a site or two on where to get the not-so-mass-produced supplies, like a chemical suit for example. I, personally, know where to find such items, but maybe some other readers don’t have the internet know-how to find things of that nature.
Great info. on biological incidents! I want to say “warfare” but I prefer not to think in those lines, even though the possibility is there. I carry a product that is used to kill all virus and bacteria on surfaces and within the body. It is made with natural ingredients, no chemicals! You inhale it to treat the lungs and spray it up your nose to clear out heavy metals and any virus or bacteria there as well. Used daily it builds the immune system and keeps the body clear of the remnants of chemtrails and such. So in the event we have to quarantine our selves, we can stay well, avoiding a pandemic or biological incident. If interested in more info. on this product, feel free to e-mail me, minerkat@msn.com
Thanks to David for the great article!
While a Corpsman in the Navy I had to go through a five day course in chemical/biological attack preparation. The use of bleach and how to disrobe is almost identical as presented here. Keep up the good work and I hope to join for the full 12 course plan.
I AM REALLY ENJOYING THIS COURSE AND WILL PROBABLY SIGN UP FOR THE OTHER ONE. JUST A QUICK CHECK ON THE FINANCES FIRST. IT’S COMMENDABLE THAT YOU ARE HELPING PEOPLE TO BECOME MORE SELF-SUFFICIENT AND SELF-RELIABLE. IF ONLY MORE PEOPLE WOULD WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE AND THE ROSES, WHILE THEY ARE STILL AROUND TO BE SMELLED. ALSO WHILE THEY ARE STILL AROUND TO DO THE SMELLING. MANY WON’T BE, SORRY TO SAY.
I think one should always proactively obtain a supply of ciprofloxacin, the antibiotic, now available generically, used to treat Anthrax, as well as autoinjectible atropine used to counter “nerve gas” attacks. Additionally, a supply of IM Ativan (lorazepam) should be considered to help control seizures that could result from a biological attack, e.g. “nerve gas”. A compassionate family physician should be more than willing to prescribe and help you obtain these and instruct you on their use in the unfortunate circumstance they are needed.
This is somewhat the same as the pilot decon I did in the AF. We didn’t use bleach but vermiculite. We did it just as you said, entry area or warm zone and decon into a safe/cold area. We also had an area with a shower leading into the cold area. The shower area was free of airborn threats. The whole set up was over pressurized by a ventilation system so that outside contaminates could not seep into the shelter.
You said nothing about the contaminated air that you brought in from the hot zone to the warm zone! If the air is contaminated in the warm zone since you just came in from the hot zone you can spray all the bleach you want but that will not decontaminate the air your about to let in to the cold zone when you open the door to hug your wife and family!
liked the info we all need to be prepaired for anything that may happen thank you.
Wow! I too have been so enjoying all these mini courses. This one does overwhelm me a bit. I have gone to many web sights to look at chemical suits but have no idea what would be an appropriate and possible cost purchase. There are so many brands and kinds of suits available. Some would be very difficult to afford for the average family. Any ideas or suggestions? Thanks for all the fantastic information. I would love to continue to receive any and all updates.
So how does the avg person construct or use the current structures etc. Not everyone can or wants to build a “fallout” shelter in their backyard!!! Not many people have a three room set up that can be made structurally air tight etc?/ When you go from Hot to warm…the contaminants come with you including the air. How is the air treated?? You can not get out of your “suit” and decon if the air is still hot etc…I am having a difficult time uinderstanding the practicality of the info…when there are too many unanswered questions…
I am getting a lot of good ideas from your articles.
Thanks….Rusty
I know that there are expensive safe room filters and cleaning systems (i got to use them while in the navy) I know i can build and seal the room and an airlock but does anyone know how to build a simple Filter/fan system to bring in fresh clean air with a real chemical, biological, radiological filter? the filter and the fan is all im stuck on?
Zack, Spokane
Great stuff… good info to have in a pinch…
I did not know bleach was effective against radiation , or am I misreading something .
Fascinating information. However, living in a rental home with no windowless rooms might be a disadvantage for us. Even our bathroom has a window. Also, since it is an older home, the closets are small. We do have one area in the basement that could be converted fairly cheaply, so I will need to plan that. Like many others here, I have seen this coming. People used to think I was a little paranoid. Hopefully, we will never have to use this information but I’m glad we have it.
Thanks for this idea. Kinda along the same lines, I was wondering today how you bring fresh non-contaminated air (for respiration) into a sealed space without contaminating your safety?
interesting and a new concept to me so I will have to find out how to build the safe room first-basement ok? I have a very small house so could probably use the open basement easier?
Just let me add a few tips, if I may. A small canister vaccume cleaner, with “hepa” filters, running on “blow” rather than suck, can be pumped into a safe room to keep a positive pressure, and a supply of breathable air. several could be used, and they can be hooked into a set of switches, to pressurize the warm area, etc. You can pick up used ones at yard sales for almost nothing. clean ‘em up, put in new hepa filters (available from most mfg’s these days, and you’re in business. In an emergency, you could even rig up a way to intake the air thru a filter from a gas mask.
One fellow mentioned that his choice for a semi auto battle rifle was the L1A1, and while that is a great rifle, My choice was the Hk-91, or G-3,(in semi auto, of course.) or the spanish version, the “Cetme”. These are (except for the ’91′s,) a LOT more affordable than the L1-A1′s, or the M-1-A’s. You can pick up a good, newly built “cetme” for under $500. and the magazines are going for as little as .99 cents!.They hold 20 rounds of .308, same as a L1-A1, or M14(M1A), and are NOT gas operated! They operate on the delayed bolt roller design.You can get kits of spare parts, and they were almost as widely used as the various versions of the L1A1. almost all parts are interchangable between the Cetme and the Hk’s.
I have big guns also. It’s comforting to know you have kill power if you need it. However; don’t forget..you can carry 10 times as much .22 ammo as you can 7.62 or 308 stuff. We hunted deer, rabbits and squirrels in North Carolina back in the 50-60′s with .22 long rifle ammo and always brought home the meat. That’s all we could afford. A well placed .22 round is quite deadly. In an emergency situation you would have to make every round count. Besides having high powered rifles/pistols I also have two .22 scoped rifles and a .22 pistol. If you are in a “run for it” situation you can go a lot farther/faster with 1000 rounds of .22 than you can with the same amount of large calibre ammo or shotgun shells and be quite deadly while doing so. I am certainly not downplaying the importance of keeping the old 30-06 or AK around though.
Military flashbacks reading this, but I had forgotten all about it till I had started reading. Very well written, and something that I needed to be reminded about, though I pray we do not need this, I would not doubt anything at this point.
Thank you greatly for this one!
A very well-studied, planned and prepared materials. But strangely similar to the materials I got back at the time of Y2K. Then, I have already moved and am living in a foothill area.
definitly finding the info interesting. Please keep them coming.
I’m an older (52) single mom of a teen (15) son and we’re both smaller than most, altho I’ve put on more weight, it’s not an advantage. I’m very awake to what is going on world-wise, and very aware that I’m in a very high crime area. We don’t have other family to rely on, or to share expenses with. I’m going to check into the availability of those courses mentioned for the other smaller women. But, I’ve been laid off (company closed) and am even questioning the sanity of having paid for this course when so many supplies are needed. I’m trying to prepare for the worst (altho I keep seeing how unprepared I am) to the best of my ability, hope for the best, and trust in God. Sometimes I hate that I’m so aware since I cannot prepare the way I think is needed, other times I’m grateful I am, because I believe being mentally aware & spiritually prepared is a huge part of the prep. It’s all the people that won’t wake up that concern me when the day comes (and the gov’t). And I’m surrounded by them. I can’t say that this particular info is much help to me at the moment. I don’t have a sealable area or the funds to procure what would be needed. But who knows, it may come down to finding a way & be the only one with the info on how. Just know that I felt compelled to take this course.
I often thought that the submerged half of my basement would make a great storm shelter; then I expanded that thought to a bomb shelter; now I think it would make a great safe room for all kinds of attacks. I was going to add a half bath to the basement anyway; is this a good idea or not? In the cold zone?
I didn’t understand the part about pumping in air by a vacuum cleaner blowing through a HEPA filter; is that air from the warm zone?
thanks for the info. i’m pretty well prepared to “survive in place.” However, my wife thinks i’m nuts. Lots of like-minded folks in my area though. We could band together pretty quickly, i think.
mobility won’t be an option with me at first, as we have my wife’s mom and dad living with us and they aren’t in good health. Have made what provision i can, which i won’t advertise. Again, i appreciate the e-mail advice. there are a few things I’m sure that I hadn’t already thought of. But, having grown up under primitive conditions, I know a lot of what needs to be done. We lived in a 2 room log house with a 2 room lean-to until i was 8 years old, boards over a dirt floor in the hill country of missouri. Pa built a better house then, but still did not have indoor plumbing until i was 14.
I am so overwhelmed by all of this because there are some things that I don’t understand how I could prepare in a small apartment but it all sounds like good information. I have to re-think this over again very carefully. Thank you so much for the mini samples, they are so helpful.
I have seen this coming for a while, and have tried to prepare with supplies and with learning basic skills.. growing a garden, making homemade procucts. I listened to my grandparents discussing the great depression and tried to learn from them. My biggest problem, as I see it, is that I am alone. Not everyone sees this coming or believes it is real.
From what I see on here, there are others in the same condition I am in. Maybe we could find way for matching up people who need a place to go, with people who have preparations and are alone. Just a thought. I will be joining as soon as I get financially able…..
Thanks for the bird’s-eye view of becoming part of the solution and not part of the problem. I genuinely appreciate the pointers. My neighbor and I are in the formative stages of setting up a local watch-group in the event things go south. Thanks for all your valuable help. Keep up the good work!
thanks for the info. Will be signing up for the course soon.
Very good read on interesting topic, Thank You
I was a commercial diver and was trained and worked at a nuclear power plant.This info is quite good and easily employed.Long story short, think of these agents(chemicals,radiation) as dust that contaminates what it settles on. It can be washed off. The wash will now be contaminated. Gamma radiation requires shielding,lots of it. Not practical even in a nuke plant. Key is to limit your exposure.
What concentration of bleach do you recommend? As a medical person we often used a 1:10 as a disinfectant. I am not so certain how useful this info will be should an event of this magnitude occurs. I do not know how well individuals could prepare to play the decon game effectively enough to survive for any length of time, considering limited air filtration. If radiation is the threat, what will there be left to come out to? In the end, the best course is to trust God.
This is great stuff. Iam telling all of the people that I like about it.
this is all good stuff, but not everyone can afford to do everything! Just remember to do WHAT YOU CAN, WHEN YOU CAN, AND DON’T FORGET TO BREATHE WHEN YOU GET OVERWHELMED! My dad always had a garden, the back yard was his “garden area” and we kids had the front yard. He always got “Mother Earth News”and “Organic Garden.” I still have most issues of MEN, much to the ire of partner’s, because I have hauled them with me all over the NW. I will NEED them one day soon. My niece and I are doing what we can, everyone else in the family think we’re nut’s. this includes my son(the one with 4 kids). We all know whose door he will be knocken on! My niece is learning to garden and can. Last year her son was finally old enough to join 4H. They raised 2 pigs, one for the fair, one for the freezer.They plan on doing again this year, plus bigger garden and maybe some chickens. We are also looking for place further out in the “boondocks.” As far as the other women out there, how about our own blog, newspaper ad, bulletin board etc. to ask other women to join?
Good morning, Once again I want to express to you that you are doing a valuable service. As explained in an earlier mail I am a certified Hi-Tech Rescue technician. An addition to your instruction you may want to advise that the use of a second pair of surgical gloves will be beneficial. The first pair goes on under the suit so that when you take off your gear you will have an additional saftey from contaminants. As you decon your equipment you will have protection from any accidental contact while in the process of decon.
Additionally, those persons that have large dogs may want to fashion a small back pack for them and utilize their capacity for carrying smaller survival items.
Thanks for all of your good advice. I would love to take the 12 wk course but just lost my job and cannot afford it at this time. Keep the news coming. Thank you for your great service to your fellow man!
Ultraviolet light is a very effective germ killer. Set up a box with a uv light in it exposing the air that came through the hepa filter, and you have definitely improved air quality. Put one in your decon area, perhaps a pair you can stand between and rotate. Ozone is your friend when it comes to germs – uv produces it. Consider a battery powered uv light unit, available from places like goldmine-electronics.com (a surplus place) and others like it. No connection to them. good in conjunction with bleach solutions. Do not stare into uv lights.
I have been laying in emergency medical supplies for awhile along with battlefield surgical instruments. Next on the list decon materials as mentioned in this article, plus additional NBC books, medical books and FOOD. Mountan House freeze dried products are vey good when cooked and have a fairly long shelf life. http://www.mountainhouse.com Consider a product named CELOX for rapid blood clotting in case of serious bleeders.
Great info…I look forward to rceiving these hints and warnings…keep ‘em coming!
I live and about 45 miles north of an enrichment and depleatd disposal facilities. There are nuclear power plants 65-80 miles to the east should I be worried?
Thank you for the great info, Dave! I’m optimistic, but I’m also realistic. We had already started assembling our 72 hour kit before watching Porter Stansberry’s “End of America” video. Frankly, it scared the crap out of us and inspired to work faster! As the parents of two youngsters, we take our responsibility to protect them very seriously. Your lessons have helped us continue our preparedness efforts in a more surgical and efficient manner. We look forward to learning more in your “Survival in Place” course. Thank you for what you are doing.
Enjoy the articles. The one above is very reminiscent of the training we used to get in school many, many years ago; most especially the first aid and decontamination aspects.
Keep up the good work.
Thanx