Zombie Awareness Month: Basic Zombie Safety Tips

Photo Credit: Tom Woodward, Creative Commons 2.0

In celebration of Zombie Awareness Month, we bring you some basic safety tips for preparing for the zombie apocalypse.

Gather Your Emergency Supplies

Prepare for a complete breakdown of services. You’ll need supplies for sheltering in place as well as a kit for evacuation. Supplies you will need include:

• Fully stocked fist aid kit. Don’t forget to check the expiration dates.
• One gallon of water for each person and pet for each day.
• Canned goods and other nonperishable food that does not need to be cooked. Don’t forget to check your food stores for recalls.
• Extra food for each pet.
• Corded land line phone and backup power for your cell phone.
• Medications for those who use them, including pets.

For a more comprehensive look at sheltering in place during the winter months, read about winter power outages.

Prepare to Defend Yourself

By now, everyone knows that the only way to stop a zombie is to destroy the brain. It doesn’t really matter what you use, but you want to be quick and effective. And the last thing you want to do is injure yourself or someone else in the process. Whether armed with guns, tomahawks, or garden shears, when things get tense, we are all more accident prone. Read your directions now while you’re not under pressure. Revisit your basic bow safety, and gun safety for kids. Consider taking some classes.

Have an Escape Plan

Evacuation may be inevitable. Our Wildfire Evacuation Plan is a good basic model for evacuation planning. Here are some essentials to keep in mind:

• Have an emergency kit already loaded in the car.
• Make sure your family communication plan is up-to-date.
• Practice multiple escape routes before you need to run.
• Everyone in your group should know where you will meet in case you are not together when you leave, or get separated during your escape.
• Be prepared to transport your pets. Have the right carriers, collars, leashes, and medical records ready to go.
• Don’t forget your medications and medical supplies.