60 Day Preparedness
A practical guide to community survival and coordination when systems break down.
60 Day Preparedness
Warning
This course is not about fear โ it's about strategic confidence. Use it to plan, not panic.
Who This Is For
This guide is for:
- Community responders and pod members
- People organizing mutual aid in uncertain conditions
- Anyone wanting to build safety without the state
We assume you're not alone: you have or are building a pod โ a small team of 2โ10 people committed to keeping each other alive, safe, and informed.
Start Here: Day 1 Quick Wins
Success
These steps can be done today without full infrastructure. Each takes about 30โ60 minutes.
- Store 3 days of water per person (1 gal/day)
(Clean soda bottles are fine if jugs arenโt affordable.) - Write down emergency contacts on paper
(Translate to local languages or use pictograms if needed.) - Start a local Signal group with your pod
(Consider multilingual guides for setup.) - Save ICE numbers and KYR resources offline
(See glossary for "KYR" definition.) - Identify 1 backup power source (battery, solar, or car inverter)
Hint
Complete 3 of 5 and youโre roughly 20% prepared. Check back each week to track your podโs progress.
Trigger Events & Red Lines
These are early warning signs to begin escalation planning. Add region-specific ones (floods, wildfires, transit collapse).
Trigger Event | What It Signals | Immediate Action |
---|---|---|
Power grid failure (citywide) | Infrastructure vulnerability | Charge devices, fill bathtubs, gather pod |
Major ICE raid or sweep | Targeted community threat | Activate Signal, shelter at-risk members |
Cellular or internet blackout | State suppression, censorship | Shift to radio/offline ops, use runners |
Curfews, tanks, militarization | Martial escalation | Prep bug-in/bug-out plans, verify safety zones |
Water contamination or outage | Public utility failure | Filter, ration, alert pod |
Disabled care crisis (aide shortages or power-dependent med device failures) | Increased risk for vulnerable members | Assign buddy system, confirm cold storage |
Repeated government disinfo or silence | Breakdown of trust | Cross-verify info, document and share safely |
Hint
Add your own triggers annually. Consider transit strikes, supply chain issues, or wildfire evacuations.
The Rule of 3s (Visual Priority Pyramid)
Use this baseline for survival priorities:
Category | Survival Without | Notes |
---|---|---|
Air | 3 minutes | Smoke masks, ventilation, staying calm |
Shelter | 3 hours | Cold or wet? Risk of hypothermia |
Water | 3 days | 1 gal/person/day + filters or tablets |
Food | 3 weeks | High-calorie, shelf-stable preferred |
Connection | 3 months | Isolation kills โ prioritize contact |
Meaning | 3 years | Culture, purpose, and joy sustain morale |
Readiness Grid
Use this table to track where you are. Add โ ๏ธ for urgent needs and โ for complete.
Category | 3 Days | 30 Days | 60 Days+ |
---|---|---|---|
Water | Bottled, boiled, filtered | Refill plan, bleach method | Rain catchment, gravity filters |
Food | Shelf stable, snackable | Cooking setup, rotating stock | Preserved, community pantry |
Power | Flashlights, battery banks | Solar + inverter, hand-crank radio | DIY generator rig, shared grid |
Comms | Signal, radios, mesh tools | Hand signals, rally points | Runners, pre-set off-grid workflows |
Meds | OTC meds, first aid | Backup Rx, med list copies | Barter kit (check laws), cold storage |
Mobility | Full tank, working bike | Alt routes, ride crew formed | Shared carpool, bike repair kits |
Data | Paper KYR, local copies | Encrypted drives, password sheet | VeraCrypt or similar for USB vaults |
Safety | Flashlights, buddy system | Community patrol rotations | Self-defense trained pod |
Companion Planning Tool
Use the 60-Day Preparedness Spreadsheet with this course. Your sheet can include:
- ๐ข Items by survival priority (water, food, power)
- ๐งฎ Quantities per person/pod
- ๐ธ Estimated costs and budget goals
- ๐ฆ Storage tips (shelf life, cool/dry rotation)
Info
Our spreadsheet helps you track, budget, and build your plan. Customize it for your pod.
Communication Failure Protocol
Important
If cell and internet fail, fall back to your pod plan.
- Mesh tools: Briar, Bridgefy (Bluetooth-based; limited range)
- Fallback meeting point: Pre-decided place and time
- Use radios: Pre-tune walkies or ham frequencies
- No contact โ no action: Continue aid if safe
Simulation Drills
Drill Name | Objective | Notes |
---|---|---|
3-Minute Mobilize | Can your pod assemble quickly? | Treat like a fire drill |
Comms Blackout | 1 day no phones or internet | Practice non-digital workflows |
Bug-In Simulation | Stay indoors 72 hrs | Test supplies and stress handling |
First Aid Relay | Move supplies/info safely without cars | Use runners, bikes, or hand signals |
Ally Handoff | Test info passing across networks | Simulate under time pressure |
Rebuilding Together
Preparedness is also about resilience and shared resources.
Tool Libraries
- Share tools (repair, mobility, cooking, comms)
- Link to open-source tool management templates (like MyTurn)
Seed & Knowledge Libraries
- Archive PDFs and guides offline
- Include oral and indigenous survival practices
Skills Matrix (Example)
Name | First Aid | Comms | Cooking | Defense | Med Access | Bike Repair |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jamie | โ | ๐ก | โ | โ | โ | โ |
Rivera | โ | โ | ๐ก | ๐ก | โ | โ |
You | ๐ก | ๐ก | โ | โ | โ | โ |
๐ข โ
= Skilled
๐ก = Needs practice
โ = Not trained yet
Mental Health & Stress Protocol
- Daily rituals (food, check-ins, humor)
- If overwhelmed: Pause โ Breathe โ Delegate
- Rotate emotional labor to protect caregivers
- Assign joy-builders (music, storytelling, games)
Info
Joy is a survival tactic. Make space for laughter, art, and shared meals.
Inclusivity Checklist
- Plan for refrigerated meds (battery coolers or gel packs)
- Translate essentials to local languages
- Use visual/pictogram boards for comms
- Include childcare and pet plans
- Assign pod roles to check on disabled and elder members
Glossary
Term | Meaning |
---|---|
Pod | A small, trusted group committed to mutual survival and coordination |
KYR | Know Your Rights โ legal guidance for interacting with police/ICE |
Red Card | Rights card from defense orgs like NILC (often carried by immigrants) |
Bug-In | Staying in place during crisis |
Bug-Out | Leaving your location due to risk |
Final Thought
Preparedness isnโt fear. Itโs love practiced through logistics.
The more we coordinate, the more we can outlast any crisis together.
Success
Not just bunkers and beans โ build a resilient community.
Send your podโs adaptations or success stories to [academy@icetea.org] for future editions.
๐ซ You must register and log in to mark this lesson as qualified. Registering helps us track progress, verify training, and build trust across our network.
You can use your Dispatch login here if you already created an account there. Likewise, creating an account here will let you use the same credentials on Dispatch.