This article describes an easy and effective technique for developing your ability to make good decisions under stress. Many of our previous posts have "painted the picture" of some of the challenges we face, and presented tactics, techniques, and concepts that can help you get through them successfully. But they're just words on paper. You need pr...

INTRODUCTION In Part 5 of this series, we'll address some of the specific requirements of defending a community against violent threats in an uncertain future. These caveats apply: We cannot anticipate every situation and environment, so we will not descend too far into specifics, instead relying on concepts and principles that are broadly applicab...

In the first three parts of this series, we discussed several conditions and prerequisites for community defense - the WHERE, WHAT, WHEN, and WHO. The last topic encompassed recruiting, organization, and leadership in general terms, focusing mostly upon preparatory measures that ought to be undertaken before and in anticipation of a crisis. Now we'...

A useful tool for breaking down complex problems into digestible chunks is the "WHAT - WHO - WHEN - WHERE - HOW" paradigm. Parts 1 and 2 of this series addressed WHAT and WHEN, describing some of the constraints on planning and preparing in "normal" times to protect your community against emerging threats; and presenting examples of historical and ...

The first article in this series focused upon the social and legal constraints we face in "normal" times, preparing to defend our communities against potential violent threats under future, "off-normal" conditions. Here we'll present representative examples of a variety of threats - some historical, and some hypothetical - that would provide a rati...

We live in a networked society 330 million in the US (of 370 million total in North America), sustained by a complex infrastructure with both private and public/governmental components that provide a means of exchange, deliver power, transport goods and services, enable communication, and maintain civil order. Kick out one leg of a three-legged sto...