Village Preps

[BDG]

Most consistantly 'prepped' local groups I see are always and I mean always the local 4x4 clubs / green laners / what ever they are called in your area.

Last year with the floods up here, it was the lads who are in XYZ 4X4 club who were closing roads, managing traffic, getting people out and getting people in - under the authority of / backed by the LA and Plod.

The 4x4 lads turned me back on a few roads I wanted to get down to have play in the water. The only way I could get in was through the police blocks (they thought I was in the 4x4 club I think, or going to do recovery work). The people in 4x4 clubs normally have tricked out 4x4's, recovery gear, first aid gear and training, CB coms at the least and training and insurance.

TPTB would look to any group - they are not looking for skills to start of with, but organisation - any organised group has a role to play - could be the WI drying out socks and making tea to the scouts knocking on doors making sure folk are OK and asking if they have any rope.

If you are planning to bug in should TSHTF, all the better your local community are prepared for *something*. Even if you are bugging out, its good as they would, if they bugged in, be a more attractive target for THE MAN or raiders if you have foxtrot oscared. Gives you a chance to make some time and space.

I would get involved to the extent you can plant ideas, but do not let them know about all of your gear - something like 'Well, I have some spare shovels for filling sandbags and some ropes and a few DIY tools'.

[Grumpy Grandpa]

It's probably already occurred to you RS but I wonder if this might present an opportunity for you to get your employer to consider a wee alteration to your solar set up for grid down? Perhaps presented as a benefit to the village, a source of power for charging batteries, using power tools or similar?

Then again, that might increase risk to your security, power availability bringing an increase in visitors to your home - along with their noses! Just a thought but it may be worth some consideration.

That aside, a preparedness committee might be an additional opportunity to raise the issue of mutual dependency in defence and protection - put forward as a beefed up neighbourhood watch maybe?

I wholeheartedly agree with the advice to 'keep your secrets secret'.

[CharlesHarris]

Where I am in West Virginia, US, we use Neighborhood Watch and CERT groups to organize by streets and blocks for welfare checks on shut-ins and elderly, as well as for safety and security purposes. The main entrance is a public road for the first mile into the mailboxes and common park area, but gates can be closed and a guardhouse is there to control access to the outlying areas if needed. The only times that was ever done was immediately post 9/11 and again when arm armed fugitive was on the loose in the general area, who was apprehended by Sheriffs based on intel called in by Neighborhood Watch. The gate house served originally as an information office for the real estate developer back in the 1970s when they were selling building lots, but currently is used only by the postman to organize mail for set out in the common area mail boxes outside.

We have two Sheriff's deputies, an Emergency Room physician from the local hospital and two Emergency Medical Technicians with the local fire department who live in the neighborhood. Volunteers are equipped with 2-way portable radios which are monitored by the private armed security service we have under contract. There is always one roving patrol unit 24/7/365. Neighborhood Watch block captains monitor CB, FRS/GMRS radio and the 2 meter ham repeater nearby, and can tlak directly by radio to Sheriff's department in the event of a failure in then public service telephone network.

There are 375 lots of size ranging from 1 to 5 acres and 300 homes in the development, which including the wooded common areas totals two square miles.

[Mortblanc]

I live in a similar situation except there is a 2 mile long lake between the north and south sides of the community and the north side is in one county and the south side in another.

About the same mix of professions, except many of the people are retired, and we have more veterans mixed into the population, especially the retirement age population, than the British do.

While this thread on village organization seems a shock to the British it is run of the mill for the American situation. Every village has CERT groups, our rural fire brigades are all volunteer, and our search and rescue organizations are large and well trained units sometimes containing hundreds of community members. Often these community efforts are the center of social life in rural areas, sponsoring fundraising festivals, feasts and bazars.

[CharlesHarris]

About half of the lots have vacation cottages which are not occupied full time, and the rest are occupied by either retired people like myself, or young couples with kids who commute into DC, Winchester, Martinsburg or Hagerstown to work. The last year before I retired I commuted 150 miles round trip into Fairfax, VA and back every day. I don't miss that at all.

Something which worked well for our community, there were several houses which had been foreclosed upon, were derelict and several years behind in association dues for road maintainance, etc., as well as on taxes. Our association was able to file mechanic's liens on these properties, pay the back taxes and got clear title to the properties. The association then fixed them up and entered into an agreement with the County to permit sheriff's deputies, EMTs, etc. to live in these homes rent free if they would help coordinate with our security company, neighborhood watch and CERT, and the county then would include our neighborhood within part their assigned patrol area. This type of community policing is common here, and it is a good deal for younger deputies with families who are short on money. These Deputies and their families are part of our community, participate in community activities, and advice residents on safety and security matters.

[Scythe13]

Personally RS, I'm quite jealous.

First thing I'd try and do, find out the frequencies they're working on and listen in to EVERYTHING I could. What they say would be my business.

Secondly, I'd bring forward my plan to Bug Out, or I'd double cache EVERYTHING. All those stores suddenly need to vanish into hiding places. WTSHTF, it's pretty safe to assume the local council prepper group could go house to house and 'pick up supplies for the common good'. Keep what they suggest on the list in a box and be ready to hand it over when they come knocking.

Thirdly, practice bugging out. You don't want to have them make a second house visit. This is where radio listening comes in very handy.

Fourthly, I'd work on getting your neighbours on board and having them keep their spring a secret. Actually, I think this would be much higher a priority than 4th. You don't want everyone knowing on their door for the water they can share with you.