Operational security, situational awareness and intelligence

gathering they not the subjects that you typically think about when you think

prepping, but they are just as important as any of the supplies or gear we buy.

We can have a large amount of food stored, water filters,

solar panels, bug out bags and first aid supplies, but if we can’t protect it,

we could end up with nothing. Protecting your supplies doesn’t necessarily mean

by force, it could mean staying out of situations that require force.

Things we do daily that we don’t give a second thought to, Not

paying attention to what’s going on locally and globally, and not holding our

cards close to our vest can all put us at risk.

SPP278 Operational

Security, Situational Awareness & Intelligence Gathering

In the context of what we are talking about in today’s show, which is keeping yourself safe and informed before during and after a disaster, all of these are subjects are intertwined. This is the stuff you can’t buy to become better prepared but is just as important…if not more.

Below are some of the topics we covered in this week’s show,

and how they differ depending on what stage of a disaster we are talking about.

Situational awareness means something completely different in a SHTF scenario

than it does when you’re driving to work.

Intelligence Gathering

The more we know about what is going on the better prepared we will be to handle it. Making sure we are getting good information is also important because getting the correct info is critical to making well informed decisions.

Before: Gathering intelligence before a SHTF event could be as simple as

watching the news (critically), searching online, and discussions with family

and friends. It’s important to keep operational security in mind while doing

this.

During: When the

S has hit the fan all the rules will change, and the consequences could be much

more severe. Depending on the disaster gathering information could include

shortwave radio, scouts, neighbors, and group members.

After: At some

point in any disaster scenario the most dangerous times will subside. Gathering

intelligence will still be important, but it will need to be done for different

reasons. Security will still be important, but gathering supplies, bartering

and rebuilding will also be important.

Operational Security

While the basics of operational security are the same, the way they are utilized change depending on the environment you are in. When times are good it means locking doors and security cameras, in a SHTF event it could mean protecting your life and livelihood.

A few of the topics we covered in the show are…

Trust No One, Question Everything: This goes for before, during, and after a disaster or SHTF event. To maintain operational security, we need to make sure our biases and our feeling aren’t influencing our decisions. We also need to question the validity of everything we hear.

Family and Friends: This is a bit of a double edges sward, but we need to be careful about what we say, and who we say it to. This goes for prepper groups, family, friends,