Building community and helping each other

Salty’s Note: Building community and helping each other in a grid-down, Stuff Hit The Fan (SHTF) situation is a key thought for many preppers. 

This article something Jerry wrote a while back and shared with friends and followers. We present it here as a “food for thought” post.

This is something different than what we normally publish at 3BY but it’s full of a lot of interesting thoughts and ideas, so we wanted to share them with you.

Building community and helping each other

by Jerry D. Young

This is a letter to address the many issues our community has in this modern world so filled with dangers. From the failing economy to local crime to natural disasters to terrorism and more.

I think that we, as individuals and as a community, can do what is needed to protect and help ourselves and each other to prepare for any of these events that could occur at any time. To start it is only a matter of stocking up some normal every day necessities for a couple of weeks, getting the police to help us set up a Neighborhood Watch, and obtaining those things for doing a community garden to help reduce our food bills.

We can even think about other community projects like a well so we will always have water, a set of outhouses in case the sewer system quits, a community kitchen for harvest season, and perhaps even a small tractor to make doing the garden easier and more productive.

It can be much easier and cheaper to do many of these things together, in partnership, to supplement those things we must do for ourselves, than everyone doing everything individually. We can do group buys to get groceries and other things much cheaper than a package or can at a time in the grocery store. There are so many things like this that can help us economically, as well as prepare us and our community to deal with disasters when they occur.

Think back on the tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, blizzards, and all the other things that have happened to other communities. No, they will not all happen here, but some of them not only could, but most probably will. We need to be ready for whatever comes our way, individually and as a community.

Please think about what I have written, and talk to others about it. If you want to know more, or inclined to participate, please do the following: 

Some caveats:

You will need some specialists in the group You will need to be able to mine and salvage durable items from abandoned areas You will need to stockpile some items long term that will not be recoverable Ideally you will have a small walled village to provide for the majority of the extra people

So, with those givens, here is what I think you will need in terms of people:

People

1. 2 platoons of 4 13-person squads each + 6-person command team external security = 110

2. 8 50-person work teams for 24/7 coverage of essential activities = 400 (farming, animal husbandry, general labor, firewood collection, salvage work, etc.)

3. 2 50-person groups of needed services = 100 (school, medical, dental, admin, internal security, child care, etc.)

4. Probably up to 100 non-productive children = 100

5. Probably up to 40 non-productive adults = 40 750 total on 9 -16 square miles (5,760 – 10,240 acres) A primary Estate w/small walled settlement plus some isolated housing units.

In other words, a small, rural village of like minded families well equipped and willing to do what it takes to be safe and secure in the PAW.

Higher tech option

A higher tech option that would need major financing and probably a corporate structure to operate it more or less as a business that people can contribute to by labor, goods, or services, or as an un-incorporated village with village government and your presence as a local land owner.

1. A large underground/earth sheltered three-story mall built around a long open atrium would be the local center of commerce. The upper story would be professional offices, some apartments, and the Town Hall and city offices.

2. Middle and lower floors would be commercial and include the same type of store mix as in one of the super malls. A large area would be set aside and set up as indoor Farmer’s Market, with an outdoor Farmer’s Market set up in one of the above ground areas.

3. The entire structure would be a fallout shelter. The above ground areas of the Town Center would be parks and small sports facilities. It would have its own wells and back-up power generating provisions.

4. A regional hospital would be adjacent to the Town Center, with both above ground and below ground elements. It, too, would be a fallout shelter.

5. A ring of suburban type small estates, walled developments, apartment complexes, quadraplexes, and single family homes, with each development having local parks. All parking of conventional vehicles would be in a ring of above ground/underground garages outside suburbia. All traffic inside the suburban area would be by energy efficient, non-polluting vehicles, bicycles, buses, and trams. There would be light commercial activity in designated areas of the suburban area typical of current suburban areas. All structures would be required to include PF 1000 or better fallout shelters.

6. Although home education would be encouraged, local schools would be in each section of the ring, as would police, fire, ambulance, medical clinics, and civil defense facilities. Each section would have a branch library, with the main library in the Town Center.

7. There would be wells spaced around the ring, with each community center in a development having back-up power. The area would house workers for the area itself, plus the City Center, and the outer rings described below.

8. There would be a sixty-foot wide, forty-foot tall earth filled, concrete walled structure around the suburban and Town Center area. The top of the structure would have provisions (a two-lane road) to move defensive equipment where it was needed. The wall would be crenelated on both sides, also for defensive purposes

9. Outside of suburbia would be light industrial areas, a regional airport, marina on the river, and commercial outlets serving the ring.

10. Another wall, identical to the inner wall.

11. Further out, would be truck farms, commercial farms, ranches, and heavy industry, mostly with underground buildings, including a small nuclear power plant to supply power to the whole area backed up with a wind turbine power farm. The underground buildings would allow additional production of food in the same footprint of property. There would be at least three natural wooded areas and an outdoor sports area among the other facilities.

12. A ring road would encircle the area, with defensive positions built every so often to provide for delaying actions to allow evacuation to the inner town areas for concerted defense.

Ideas on setting up a large community in a true, major, PAW environment.

First 5-year plan:

My city-state would be a Benevolent Monarchy, with a Bill of Rights based on the Ten Commandments, the US Bill of Rights, and the Golden Rule. The King/Queen would have two small groups of advisers, those he/she selects, plus a group elected by the populace.

Church activities would be encouraged, but would have no special legal standing. All citizens would be required to serve in the defense forces, civil defense force, or support groups to gain the right to vote in the elections for the lower positions of government, (few) and participate in the opinion polls (many) the monarch uses, with his/her advisers, to make decisions for the good of the community.

Taxes

Income for the government would primarily be taxes and tariffs on imported goods, paid by the importers; a land use tax as the Crown owns all real property; a flat rate head tax based on total net worth of the individual, with a minimum cut off; and a small sales tax on consumer goods. Details such as drinking age, capital punishment, workfare rules, disability rules, immigration rules, etc., would be decided by opinion polls, the two sets of Crown advisers, and the Monarch.

A Monarch can be changed by a seven-eighths majority decision by opinion vote, or seven eighths advisory group vote. Open elections would be held to decide the new Monarch.

Any subject wishing to leave the country would be bought out by the Crown for full market value of the owner’s possessions left behind.

Currency would be gold and silver coinage minted by the Crown.

The official language would be English.

Lifestyle

I would encourage an agrarian lifestyle at first until a stable economy is established and there is a surplus of food being produced. Then light industry and small commercial operations would be encouraged. Finally, again, when the economy is stable and surpluses are being produced, heavy industry and high technology companies would be established, with the Crown’s help.

Subsequent years:

A large underground/earth sheltered three-story mall built around a long open atrium would be the local center of commerce. The upper story would be professional offices, some apartments, and the Town Hall and city offices.

Middle and lower floors would be commercial and include the same type of store mix as in one of the super malls. A large area would be set aside and set up as indoor Farmer’s Market, with an outdoor Farmer’s Market set up in one of the above ground areas.

The entire structure would be a fallout shelter. The above ground areas of the Town Center would be parks and small sports facilities. It would have its own wells and back-up power generating provisions.

A regional hospital would be adjacent to the Town Center, with both above ground and below ground elements. It, too, would be a fallout shelter.

Suburbia

A ring of suburban type small estates, walled developments, apartment complexes, quadraplexes, and single family homes, with each development having local parks. All parking of conventional vehicles would be in a ring of above ground/underground garages outside suburbia. All traffic inside the suburban area would be by energy efficient, non-polluting vehicles, bicycles, buses, and trams. There would be light commercial activity in designated areas of the suburban area typical of current suburban areas. All structures would be required to include PF 1000 or better fallout shelters.

Although home education would be encouraged, local schools would be in each section of the ring, as would police, fire, ambulance, medical clinics, and civil defense facilities. Each section would have a branch library, with the main library in the Town Center.

There would be wells spaced around the ring, with each community center in a development having back-up power. The area would house workers for the area itself, plus the City Center, and the outer rings described below.

The Wall

There would be a sixty-foot wide, forty-foot tall earth filled, concrete walled structure around the suburban and Town Center area. The top of the structure would have provisions (a two-lane road) to move defensive equipment where it was needed. The wall would be crenelated on both sides, also for defensive purposes

Outside of suburbia would be light industrial areas, a regional airport, marina on the river, and commercial outlets serving the ring.

Another wall, identical to the inner wall.

Further out, would be truck farms, commercial farms, ranches, and heavy industry, mostly with underground buildings, including a small nuclear power plant to supply power to the whole area backed up with a wind turbine power farm. The underground buildings would allow additional production of food in the same footprint of property. There would be at least three natural wooded areas and an outdoor sports area among the other facilities.

A ring road would encircle the area, with defensive positions built every so often to provide for delaying actions to allow evacuation to the inner town areas for concerted defense.

After 15 years or so the Monarchy would be disbanded and a Republican form of government would be established.

That’s all I can think of off the top of my head.

About the author: Jerry D Young is an Author, Prepper, Consultant, Philosopher who resides in Nevada. He has written over 100 books, many of which are available at this link:

“I have been a prepper for more than 50 years. I believe that the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts have had it right for decades…”Be Prepared.” Unfortunately, we, as a country seem to have gotten away from that philosophy. There has been a disconnect from the “Old Ways so profound, some people don’t really understand where their food comes from. 

That’s not a problem until the “System” fails. Be it from a hurricane, earthquake, tornado, flood or even a closed road or train route. The system is designed to get JUST what is needed to the stores JUST when it’s needed. So if the “System” fails, then the things we need…the things we believe will be there aren’t. That’s when being a prepper makes sense. Being able to be self-sufficient for the the time needed until the “System” recovers…regardless of how long that takes. 

That’s why so many of my books incorporate the theme of “Being prepared.” Hope you enjoy them!”