Urban Survival:

Fail-Proof Guide to Surviving An Urban Collapse

Josh McCoy

All Rights Reserved

Copyright © 2014

Disclaimer

No part of this eBook can be transmitted or reproduced in any form including print, electronic, photocopying, scanning, mechanical or recording without prior written permission from the author.

While the author has taken utmost efforts to ensure the accuracy of the written content, all readers are advised to follow the information mentioned herein at their own risk. The author cannot be held responsible for any personal or commercial damage caused by misinterpretation of information.

All ideas, views and thoughts expressed in this eBook are the author’s own. References have been provided wherever possible. Urban Survival is not affiliated, authorized or endorsed with any of the brands and names mentioned in here unless specified otherwise. This book is not meant for promotional or advertising purposes.

All information contained here is meant to be taken as a guideline. The survival experience can be different from person to person owing to different climates; medical conditions, self-defense, availability of tools, food, supplies, etc. and the advice contained herein is mentioned in a neutral manner. It is understood that the reader claims responsibility for their own actions.

The author does not claim nor was any guarantee made regarding any success through this book. Therefore they cannot be held responsible should any losses, risks, liabilities or damages occur, that might be linked, directly or indirectly, with the information contained within this book.

Table Of Contents

Disclaimer

Introduction

Chapter 1: The Philosophy Of Urban Survival

Chapter 2: The Need To Be Prepared

Natural Disasters

Anthropogenic and Man-made Disasters

Collapse of Social Order

Collapse of Societal System

Chapter 3: Essential SOS Kit For Everyone

First Aid Medical Kit

Water and Food

Emergency Blanket

Emergency Lighting/ Signalling Stores

Safety Gear

Radio and Flashlight

Batteries/Chargers

Chapter 4: Medical Knowledge

ABCDE of Medical Emergency

Airway

Breathing

Circulation

Disability

Exposure

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)

Common Medical Problems Likely to be Encountered

Chapter 5: Food And Water

Chapter 6: Weapons For Your Safety

Chapter 7: Lock Picking

Chapter 8: Sourcing Essentials

First Aid Medical Kit

Water and Food

Emergency Blanket

Emergency Lighting/Signalling Stores

Batteries/Chargers

Chapter 9: Safest Cities Of America

Conclusion

About Author

Introduction

As Walt Disney said, “The difference in winning and losing is most often...not quitting.”

Over the centuries, you would think that human beings have reached a platform where survival skills should not be necessary. You all do live in major cities, right? You have cars and money and buildings and luxury. One phone call can generally make any problem go away. There are restaurants to cook food for you; there is the electrician to take care of electric problems and plumbers to make sure you have water in your taps. Till you don’t land up in a jungle (when would that happen? Seriously?), who needs ‘survival skills’?

How wrong you are!

You live today in what would be called urban reality. Did the power go out and you lost a fortune through kitchen appliances dropping dead like flies? Did you get stuck in the elevator for an hour and lost a major client? Did a riot outbreak hurt somebody close to you? You couldn’t afford dinner today because your bank went bankrupt? Did someone break into your house in the middle of the night to make money of your belongings? Unfortunately, we are still surviving these realities. The difference between today and when early man lived—it’s a concrete jungle out there. A jungle not green, yet full of the unknown.

Every day you hear of what happened and where. There are as many man-made disasters as natural ones. You need to learn to survive both. Cities are the major targets for man-made disasters like airplane crashes, rape cases, murder for money, terrorist attacks that kill thousands, industrial accidents and thefts are daily incidents as of today. Newspapers carry stories to make you run to your psychiatrist every day. It is time more pages of the newspaper came filled with survival stories rather than sad news.

Floods, cyclones and hurricanes hit cities all the time. 2005’s hurricane Katrina destroyed millions of homes. The floods of Haiti caused grief not yet known to most. In a world with guns and bombs, earthquakes and thunderstorms, surviving in the city can be quite a daunting task. But being prepared keeps one ready for most problems that chance to turn up. Though cities and urban settings can provide you with an illusion of safety, risks never cease to exist. You can face the everyday with a small advantage—the benefit of a survival philosophy and kit. It is actually very easy to be prepared if you follow a few steps religiously. You need to have a sense of preparedness and a will to survive.

If you still think survival is not necessary, stop reading here. The next chapter deals with the philosophy of urban survival.

Chapter 1: The Philosophy Of Urban Survival

Swiss Re is a global reassurance company. They made a list of 616 cities prone to natural disasters in the coming years. This analogy, submitted in 2014, gives one reason to believe the world will soon come to a point where only the fittest and smartest of all will survive. Which city do you live in? Is it prone to any natural disasters? Are you ready in the case of the occurrence of a crisis?

Los Angeles is one of the major cities prone to earthquakes because it lies right above the San Andreas Fault. According to a documentary made by the BBC in 2006, New York and North Carolina can expect to be hit by tsunamis in the coming years. The New York City subway is threatened along with many homes if a tsunami hits the city. Chicago is said to be at risk from a blizzard which could strand millions of motorists. New Orleans has already been hit by hurricane Katrina in the past, but lies in danger of facing further similar natural disasters in the future while Boulder, Colorado is plagued by flash floods.

Do any of you remember studying about the events of the holocaust? Adolf Hitler ordered the capture, torture and killings of 11 million people out of which 6 million were Jews. It all started with a riot. A riot because of the nonsensical beliefs and convincing abilities of one man. Riots can come up anywhere at any time. Someone being rejected from a school can cause a mini riot or shootout. The most widespread of diseases happen through water or food epidemics. Power blackouts cause life support systems in hospitals to go off. Are you sure we have back up plans for any or all of this?

Urban survivalists are the preppers who are always preparing for such emergencies. These emergencies may be in any form, from natural disasters to social disasters. Disasters like oil spills and contaminated water, medical epidemic outbreaks, serial killers and rapists are less predictable but happen in great numbers all the same. Can you really afford to sit hand on hand and believe that nothing bad can ever happen to you or your loved ones? NO! You are survivors. Your motto should be to be ready.

The emergencies you should be preparing yourselves for are:

Natural disasters like floods, earthquakes and storms.

Anthropogenic disasters like oil or chemical spills, nuclear war and radioactive outbreak.

Collapse of society in the form of unavailability of food, water, electricity and shelter.

The collapse of all social order to cause riots and the like.

Man-made disasters like terrorism.

The philosophy of urban survival is pretty simple—know how to act and act when you know. This, simply put, means when any situation arises you might not have the time to think, only to react. You can react well when you know what is to be done. Less chaos, less confusion means apt actions and zero wastage of precious time. Do not let anything take you by surprise. Being ready for what is to come makes the only path to survival. Learn from the past, practice in the present and be ready for the future.

So, keeping our philosophy in mind, let me show you how to survive in the city.

Chapter 2: The Need To Be Prepared

The more you fight the longer you will live. The war is won by the strongest, fittest but by far the smartest of all. There are four basic arguments on why you must be prepared to survive even though at this point you live the lifestyle of a man at the epitome of every luxury.

Disasters happen. According to statistics, every single person on the face of Earth faces at least one disaster. Yes, they are that common. They happen every day. They happen everywhere. Different disasters, different magnitudes.

Disasters cause physical damage. They cause damage to both property as well as human beings. While property is easy to rebuild or replace, human life is not. Are you prepared for survival or are you prepared for the loss of a dear one?

You need to take responsibility. Almost all government facilities will be down when a disaster strikes. Phone lines and electricity cuts are the very first result of any disaster. Having internet is never going to be an option. Hospitals will be fuller than their capacity. It will be your responsibility to have answers to survive.

Time is always critical. When a disaster hits, you will never have the time to sit and ponder over what is to be done. It is the time to act. And to act foolishly is stupider than to not act at all.

Disasters have this weird way of turning up rather unannounced. It is your responsibility to be prepared to save your life and that of your loved ones. There are two basic things which you need to be prepared to face any disaster head on. One is the availability of medicine and equipment which may be required and the second is your life saving first aid skills.

But before we get into the how of things, let’s study what are the likely occasions on which you might need to use your kit and wit. As discussed earlier, the emergencies that may arise are:

Natural Disasters

There are many different types of natural disasters. Most of them are more deadly than any other kind of disaster you can possibly face. They are highly destructive and always cause damage to property. Most of them affect the lives of large numbers of human beings. Hurricane Katrina killed 12,000 people, which is only one eighth of the total number of people affected. Natural disasters include floods, cyclones, landslides, hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, avalanches, blizzards and more.

Floods affect large areas in one go. Their onset is generally very fast and the time of prediction is very short. Floods can be the leading cause of the outbreak of diseases spread through water contamination, electrical disasters and isolation from the rest of the world.

Cyclones, tornadoes and hurricanes have a longer predictable time period but leave a path of destruction in their wake. Loss of property is inevitable and external injuries are the main concern due to accidents with flying objects.

Landslides are generally restricted to small areas but have no predictability time. Not only do they damage property but the debris that they cause can stop movement, hence, stranding you. Getting stuck under the debris can require a human being to opt for immediate medical attention.

Tsunamis are sudden and fast and come with few warnings. They completely destroy property and wipe out entire cities and their facilities. The original wave is generally fatal and the left over water causes the same problems as floods. The magnitude of a tsunami is so big that it affects more than one country at any given point of occurrence.

Earthquakes generally have a large scale and the magnitude can be as small as not being able to feel it or big enough to destroy cities into non existence. Earthquakes lead to other disasters, of which a tsunami is the most common.

Volcanic eruptions are generally predictable, as the active volcanoes left are few and far between and the ones present have a score of scientists doing their homework at all times, around them. Volcanoes can destroy all cities surrounding them. Drinking water is made unavailable as all water bodies heat up to the point of killing you instantly. The pollutants in the air can cause medical problems such as asthma and the heat can cause skin diseases or heat strokes.        

Anthropogenic and Man-made Disasters

Due to the advancement of technology, man-made disasters are becoming more dangerous by the hour. Man-made disasters can cause more injuries internally and diseases that show over time, sometimes even over generations, than minor external injuries. These make the cities a danger zone to live in. Anthropogenic disasters include nuclear and radioactive disasters, chemical and oil leaks and biological disasters.

1. Nuclear and Radioactive disasters are the worst kind of disasters known to the human race. They can wipe out cities, countries and even the entire race. They say if World War III ever happened, Earth would become a barren planet. The Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings still affect today's generation. The DNA make up of the next generation was also affected by the fume intake of the survivors of these events, causing disabilities.

Another horrible nuclear disaster to have hit the world was the 1986 nuclear plant accident in Chernobyl, Ukraine. An explosion and fire let a lot of radioactive elements into the air. It was the worst nuclear disaster humans had ever seen, causing the death of 31 people and cancer and deformities for generations to come.

A recent nuclear disaster took place in 2011 in Fukushima, Japan, due to a nuclear plant being hit by a tsunami triggered by the Tohoku earthquake. This caused all the water around to be contaminated with radioactive elements and will take decades to clean up.

2. Chemical and oil leaks happen due to some of the worst industrial accidents by man. The danger to human life is huge in the case of such an occurrence. Seizures, sudden death and fume inhalation, leading to complications, are the instant results. These leaks may also be the cause of fires and explosions.

3. Biological disasters are the leading reason behind Anthrax, cardiac arrests, seizures and all kinds of other ailments.

Collapse of Social Order

A riot is a civil disorder which mainly arises in the case of a collapse in social order. Riots can be triggered by the smallest of things. They can happen when living conditions are not too great, when people think the government is overcharging with taxation, when there is a conflict between several ethnic groups or when there is a conflict with religion.

Though most riots only result in vandalism and destruction of property, it can escalate to citizens and innocent people also getting hurt. An example of a great riot which affected a lot of people is the 1992 Los Angeles riots which injured over 2000 people. The riot, also known as Rodney King Riot, was initiated after the outbreak of a video depicting police brutality. Arson, vandalism and looting were their main activities.

Riots are conducted by people who are generally in a very angry state. Reasoning and logical thinking are obviously not their strongest suits at that point. In such a situation, brutality is common and anyone can get hurt, without even being involved.

Collapse of Societal System

The collapse of the societal system simply means that the facilities provided by a city can collapse. Drinking water, food, shelter and electricity can be unavailable for a period of time, due to various reasons. These are the four basic requirements as of today.

1. Water can be unfit for drinking for various reasons. Contamination of water can happen when left still and uncovered for some time. Mosquitoes and other bacteria and viruses tend to reproduce in water. Drinking this water and even being in close proximity can cause life threatening diseases like Malaria, Dengue, E. Coli and many more. Water can be contaminated in the USA due to old pipes, outdated treatment and pollution. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, 19 major cities in the USA show signs of unsafe drinking tap water.

Most delivery systems of water are dated to pre World War 1. Old pipes can break in places to allow contaminants into the water. Other reasons for water contamination also include run off sewage system in a bad storm, pesticides and fertilizers. Contamination can also occur if there is mining activity nearby; it can lead to lead and arsenic in the water, which can cause cancer and reproductive issues in human beings. Statistics show that 80% of all diseases in the world are in some way or another related to water.

2. Food can also be contaminated. Food poisoning is a fairly common problem that everyone faces multiple times in their lives. But that is the least of your problems. Food can get contaminated for a variety of reasons. Contamination is more common in leafy vegetables and non vegetarian food that almost all of us love. The spread of the rabbit illness is a good example. Rabbit illness, if not treated immediately, has proved to be fatal.

Food can become contaminated because of various reasons including hygiene issues, cross contamination, wrong cooking temperatures or even contamination through animal waste. Common diseases caused through food contamination are Staphylococcus, Escherichia Coli and Salmonella to name a few.

3. Shelter means a safe place to call home, where you can go at the end of the day to clean up, detoxify and get into a comfortable bed. Lack of shelter can actually be one of the most dangerous situations one can face. Lack of shelter automatically means lack of proper sanitation and lack of a clean water supply. This means the chances of a human being suffering from diseases is ten times more when he lives in a situation where shelter is not an option.

Just having a decent place to call home is not going to solve all problems. Hygiene and everyday sanitation of the place you live in is also of utmost importance. Something as simple as not having clean sheets to sleep on can cause an endless number of viruses and bacteria. And, surprise surprise, doctors have not yet found cures to most viruses out there.

4. Electricity cuts and power line failures can cause losses in millions if they hit any city. Generally the first few hours of any power cut do not affect us so much as it is seen as a temporary situation. If it goes on for hours, the city can face various problems. Within hours, the city will become a site for looting activities, if it is a crime ridden city. The longer the power stays out, the worse social disorder becomes causing an outbreak of riots and what not. The city comes to a halt. Heat systems going off in the winters can cause contraction of hypothermia and the like which can be fatal if not treated. Freezing and frostbites or heat waves can take away precious lives. Hospitals may have generators but even these are for short duration. No medical equipment dependent on electricity can work, including life support systems.

Water treatment plants will be turned off, bringing in contaminated water into the city pipelines. Power cuts can lead to almost all food getting spoilt due to non-working fridges and can lead to food contamination and shortage.

Out of all of these disasters, you are more likely to be faced with the problem of a collapse in societal order in your city. So these four basic requirements are discussed in more detail further in the book.

Chapter 3: Essential SOS Kit For Everyone

What is an SOS kit? How extensive is this? Are you supposed to carry it around everywhere with you?

When a disaster strikes, you have one of only two options. Either you can stay and defend your house or you can run to the hills. The first situation generally occurs when there is a problem of immovability. This can mean either that someone is hurt or the disaster is foreseen to be solved within hours. Running to the hills is not a tail between the legs move, it is generally the smarter option.

In either case, you must have with you the correct equipment to ensure safety. This is where an SOS kit comes in, a kit that comes in handy when the situation shows up. You do not need to carry it everywhere in the world with you because, let’s face it, it’s a little too big to fit in your purse. The best option is to keep it in the car or any get-away vehicle you own or even just have it ready at your house. Though carrying a first aid kit at all times in that purse is always a great idea.

Water storage to food, first aid medical help to multi-use safety gear, light sticks or fire starters to emergency blankets and radio as well as flashlights are the things that will comprise your SOS kit. A safety kit equips you to fight to survive most urban disasters.

First Aid Medical Kit

When a disaster occurs, it brings along a lot of complications, of which the biggest is your health and safety. You would never want a small infection to be the reason for your untimely demise. So, always know what is needed to be done, and always have the correct equipment to do it. A decent first aid kit should have the following:

2 absorbent compress dressings (5 x 9 inches)

25 adhesive bandages

1 adhesive cloth tape (10 yards x 1 inch)

5 antibiotic ointment packets

5 antiseptic wipe packets

2 packets of aspirin

1 breathing barrier

1 instant cold compress

2 pairs of non-latex gloves

2 hydrocortisone ointment packets

Scissors

2 roller bandages

5 sterile gauze pads

5 sterile gauze pads (4 x 4 inches)

Oral thermometer (non-mercury / non-glass)

2 triangular bandages

Tweezers

A booklet for emergencies

Turn to the medical section to learn how and when to use all of these things.

Water and Food

These are the basic necessities for survival not only in the case of a disaster, but also generally in the daily lives of everyone. You have to have an ample amount of both at all times. As a matter of fact, carrying a little more than the ample amount will always leave you the victor, because in emergency situations, you can never know who needs what and you might be using the same drinking water to wash wounds and hands as well. So, before you complicate the situation even more and start recollecting that phone number that you think can save you, carry food with you and make sure that you never run out of water. A man always plans better when he is well fed and well rested.

Emergency Blanket

Though this might not technically be called survival gear it certainly works as a catalyst in the whole process. It can save you from hypothermia or even burns. A woollen blanket is always the smarter choice. And when it’s about survival every little thing counts. Also remember, you plan better when you’re well slept. So never ignore the basic necessities like sleep, because when there’s a lot that has to be done you can’t afford to be mentally tired.

Emergency Lighting/ Signaling Stores

In the times of such crisis, light and fire could be the answer to a lot of problems. Thus, light sticks or fire starters are the 'must haves' in your survival kit. Even when there is no emergency. Safety from animal attacks, creating heat in winters and a source of light just as our ancestors all the way back from early man period have always used and believed in. After all, how can you trust only technology when electricity was the first thing to leave and every switch or outlet has the danger of electrocuting you? So, always carry one, you never know when you will need it.

Safety Gear

Safety gear is a must have. You can’t carry guns, or your entire household for that matter, to ensure safety. But what can be a must have is a Swiss Army knife or contraption with you. From treating wounds to making your way through places, this is the first thing you need. I am sure all of you have seen enough movies to know how this contraption can be useful to you.

Radio and Flashlight

Who would have thought of these? Now that you’ve put together a safe kit that is needed for immediate action upon the rise of a disaster, let us not forget that we can only do so much. Once you have made a TEMPORARY immediate solution to ensure your survival, your work is not done. Radios and flashlights are what come in handy now. Contact with the authorities and hospitals are just as important. Radios help you contact paramedics and other forms of authority/assistance, whereas the flashlights are used as a signal to show your presence to emergency aircraft and the likes when you are stranded.    

Batteries/Chargers

These are almost as important as any item that you will need for survival. Extra charged phone batteries, batteries for the flashlight, a battery charger can be useful if the disaster is not resolved within hours. When the power goes out, we tend to get cut off from the world. Getting cut off is a dangerous situation to be in. Extra batteries can always help avoid that from happening.

Once you have put together your SOS kit, the next step is learning what to do with it. Knowledge is just as important as the equipment, which leads into the next part of my book.

Chapter 4: Medical Knowledge

As we have read time and time again, any kind of medical problem can occur during a disaster. These medical conditions can warrant immediate action. This chapter deals with what problems can occur and how to deal with them.

If a person collapses, starts shuddering, white foam comes out of his mouth or he clutches his chest or throat, he generally is in need of immediate medical attention. In a case of something like this happening, the first rule is to be cautious. Ensure that the area in which that person is in is safe to approach. Call 911, if possible, immediately before you act. Find out exactly what the patient is going through before taking any action.

ABCDE of Medical Emergency

First, conduct the ABCDE of medical emergency before you do anything else. This ABCDE is:

Airway

To ensure that the airway of a person is clear is the most important and primary step. If it is not, employ CPR (explained how later) to clear any blockages.

Breathing

The next step is to make sure that the patient is breathing by listening carefully. Respiratory arrest can lead to cardiac arrest due to lack of oxygen and, hence, death.

Circulation

You need to check if there is any circulation in the body of the patient. The way to do this is by watching for signs of movement, breathing or coughing.

Disability

Before moving the patient in any way, find out if he has any head, neck or back injuries. Movement can lead to internal complication in the case of serious injuries.

Exposure

Ask everyone not to crowd the patient and make sure he is getting fresh air and is covered from the elements of the environment.

Once you have checked the ABCDE, it is time to start tackling the medical emergencies. This part of the chapter deals with the basic procedures you can do and how you can do them.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)

CPR is a life-saving procedure performed on people whose hearts or respiration has stopped for some reason. The primary aim of CPR is to ensure that blood and oxygen reach the brain and heart. A person’s heart can stop functioning due to heart failure, accident, shock, drowning or choking. CPR, in this condition, helps the blood and oxygen to reach the brain to keep the brain cells from dying and hence, the patient from dying.

There are three processes of CPR. These are Chest Compression, Airway Opening and Rescue Breathing. Another important thing that you need to remember is that CPR is not needed in case the patient is conscious and choking. Only when he is unconscious, you need to perform CPR.

A. Chest Compression: This is done when the heart stops. It ensures the pumping of oxygen throughout the body. The steps for this are:

Step1: Keep the heel of your hand on the center of the patient's chest and keep the heel of the other hand over it.

Step 2: Make sure that your hands are straight and locked.

Step 3: Apply firm compressions onto the chest.

Step 4: Make hard and rapid compressions to keep the blood flowing.

B. Airway Opening: This is done to discover if the airway of a patient is blocked. First of all make sure that head and body of the patient is set straight to allow easy passage of air.

Step 1: Place the patient on a hard surface with the face facing upwards.

Step 2: Lift the chin of the person with one hand while the other hand pushes the forehead down in order to align the airway for unobstructed breathing.

C. Rescue Breathing: This is when the patient is unable to breathe on his own. The lungs must be filled with air. There are three different ways you can do this.

Way 1: Mouth to Mouth Breathing- This is the most commonly used technique. Open the airway of the patient by tilting his head back. Cover his mouth with yours. Pinch the nose of the patient shut. Inhale normally and exhale into his mouth. The chest will rise when the air goes in and you will know if you are doing it right.

Way 2: CPR Face Mask- If you are carrying your first aid kit, on the off chance that it has the mask, you can use it. The mask needs to be placed tightly over the patient's nose and mouth. Exhale through the one way valve of the mask making sure that the airway remains open while you do so.

Way 3: CPR Face Shield- Place the shield on the patient's mouth with the air tube between his lips. Hold the head tilted up to keep the airway open, pinch the nose and start blowing into the shield through the tube to send air into the person's lungs.

Common Medical Problems Likely to be Encountered

That brings us to the end of how to perform CPR. Now, here is a list of common health issues and injuries that may occur during a disaster, their symptoms and what to do.

Diarrhea: The symptoms of diarrhea are mild to severe loose and runny stools. This problem generally occurs in the case of food poisoning or contaminated water. If this happens, do not give the patient anything to eat. Make sure that he drinks a lot of re-hydrating drinks like OHS. Imodium is a good medicine to give him from your medical kit.

Dysentery: The symptoms of dysentery are frequent stools in the form of fluid. These stools would also contain mucus and blood. The patient is fatigued and might vomit. In this case do not give the patient Imodium. Only re-hydrating drinks like OHS are necessary.

Dehydration: The symptoms of dehydration are diarrhea, vomiting, fatigue, dry mouth, sunken eyes and reduced urine. In case of this make sure the patient takes re-hydrating drinks in small sips and avoids solid food.

Earache: The symptoms of earache are redness and swelling behind the ear as well as loss of hearing and pain. Place a mildly warm washcloth over the ear and hold it there till the pain subsides.

Fainting: In the case somebody faints, lay the patient on a flat surface with his face facing upwards. Raise his legs to increase blood circulation to the head.

Fever: In the case of high fever, give the patient re-hydrating drinks. Acetaminophen or ibuprofen are good medicines.

Chest Pain: The best way to treat chest pain is to provide the patient with nitroglycerin to stop the pain and resort to CPR if the patient collapses.

Heart Attack: The symptoms of heart attacks start with a heaviness and pain in the chest. After this the patient may claim pain or numbness in his left arm. The final symptoms are difficulty in breathing and profuse sweating. The first step to deal with this is giving the patient an Aspirin. Call 911 and perform CPR if he collapses before help comes.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: The symptoms of this type of poisoning are nausea, headache, vomiting and fatigue. The patient may appear confused. Take the patient to an open place with fresh air. Do not give him any medication.

Hyperventilation: The symptoms of hyperventilation are a tingling sensation or numbness around the mouth, hands and feet. In case of this, try to relax the patient by putting his head between his knees.

Smoke Inhalation: This can lead to headache, vomiting, shortness of breath and coughing. In case it becomes unbearable for the victim, provide him oxygen through CPR.

Seizure: Sudden jerking and shuddering of body, elevated or dropping heart rates and collapse are the symptoms of a seizure. All you can do in such a case is prevent body injuries from jerking, loosen the victim’s clothing and keep talking to him. Call 911 ASAP.

Blow to the Abdomen: In the case that a patient has taken a blow to his abdomen and is showing signs of blood in his urine and stool, you must make sure that the patient lies down and elevates his legs after loosening his clothes. Seek medical assistance if possible.

Deep Open Wounds (due to bullet, knife or sharp tools): In case the victim has been shot or hit by a sharp object, the very first thing to do is to save their energy by ensuring they lie down. Restore the patient's normal breathing to relax the body. Do not try to push protruding parts inside or try to take out the knife if it is wedged into the body of the patient. This may lead to sudden and severe bleeding that will be uncontrollable. Secure the wound with a large sterile dressing from your first aid kit.

Spinal Cord Injury: There is nothing you can do in this situation except call for help. Do not let the patient move at all till the help comes. Numbness in the legs and loss of bladder and bowel control is common in this case.

Bleeding Management: The best treatment for crazy amounts of bleeding is to apply direct pressure to the wound with a clean dressing to control and stop the bleeding. After you do this, raise the bleeding part above the rest of the body to reduce blood supply to that area. Keep applying pressure to the dressing with gauze padding if the bleeding doesn’t stop by reducing the circulation.

Blisters: A blister is irritated red skin with fluid trapped inside. It generally looks more swollen than normal skin. Do not burst the blister to drain the fluid. Simply apply a cover to the area with a hole for the blister. If the blister bursts, apply antibiotic ointment to it immediately. The burst can be painful.

Mild or Severe Burns: Wash the burnt area with cold running water and apply aloe vera gel or skin moisturizer to it. Give the patient acetaminophen or ibuprofen for relief from the pain. Do not remove clothing that is sticking to the skin as it might pull out the skin with it. Apply a non-sticky sterile dressing over the rest of the area. Never ever apply any petroleum based jelly.

Chemical Burn: The treatment for chemical burns is similar to any other burns. Wash the burnt area with cold running water and apply aloe vera gel or skin moisturizer to it. Give the patient acetaminophen or ibuprofen for relief from the pain. Brush off the chemical powder or liquid that caused the burn if it is still present on the skin after washing the wound.

Electrical Burn: This might cause severe pain all the way down to the tissues. Shock or loss of consciousness is a common reaction amongst the victims. Give CPR immediately and call for help.

Blow to the Chest: This can cause shortage of breath or difficulty in breathing. In this case lay the person down, loosen his clothing and cover him with a blanket. In case he stops breathing completely, perform CPR. If there is an open wound, apply pressure to the wound with a sterilized bandage and pads. Dress the wound and keep changing the dressing every half hour if the wound is severe to avoid infection.

Rib Fractures: This can lead to external bleeding, severe pain and difficulty in breathing. There is nothing you can really do in this situation. Get the person into a comfortable position and call for medical help if possible.

Fractures: A swelling and loss of mobility of the limb or part of the body at a very fast rate generally suggests a fracture. In case of suspected spinal fracture, do not move the patient. Immobilize the part that is fractured. Treat for shock, bleeding control and restore normal breathing if necessary. There are some immobilization techniques. These are:

Remove the clothing and accessories like rings, bracelets etc. as soon as possible before the swelling sets in.

Tape any stiff object to the fractured body part like a tree branch or a board.

In case of fractured fingers, tape an unaffected finger along with the fractured finger.

In the case of joints, ensure that the bone above and below the joint is immobilized too.

Employ an improvised triangular arm sling for shoulder and arm fractures.

Dislocations: Treat dislocations the same as fractures. Do not attempt to put the dislocated part back in its place on your own. Dislocation generally happens in the shoulder area as it is the stiffest area in our body.

Concussion: Concussions occur when a patient hits his head. This can happen at any time and due to the mildest of hits he might take. To make sure you avoid all possibilities of slipping into a coma make sure the patient stays awake for the next 12 hours. The symptoms generally include momentary loss of consciousness and headache. In case you think it may be a concussion, calm the patient down and watch closely for 12 hours till you can get medical help.

Frostbite: The symptoms of frostbite are redness in the affected area followed by white coloration of the affected part. Numbness, pale skin and hardening of the area are observed as time passes. If not treated correctly, frostbite can lead to the loss of that body part completely. It happens in the cold and can also almost definitely lead to hypothermia. Staying in the snow for over 20 minutes without any cover on hands or legs can lead to being frostbitten. Do not rub the part. Loosen the victim’s clothing for better circulation of blood. Re warm the area with the help of extra clothing. Immerse in warm (not hot) water if it is a bad case. Give the patient warm drinks but not alcohol.

These cover the most common medical conditions that can occur during a disaster. Practice CPR beforehand and take help from a professional to make sure you are ready to do it perfectly when it is required.

Chapter 5: Food And Water

One of the biggest weapons that Genghis Khan had in his arsenal, to conquer the major cities of his time, was making a city deprived of the basic necessities including food and water. And how did he do it? Simple, he just cut off all the food and water supplies of his conquests.

Today, there are no such conquerors left and we all live in a democracy, but are we safe and secure? Is the water that our governments provide us drinkable, at all times? Is the ‘processed’ food that takes the maximum amount of space inside your refrigerator completely safe?

In a modern city, there’s always scarcity. Thanks to our ever-increasing population, the demand always overwhelms the supply. The companies that produce packaged food promise the best quality. And in the process, your parameter for quality becomes the money that you spend. The higher the price, the better the quality.

But how do you really decide what is safe for you and what is not?

The good news is that you don’t have to get into all of this jazz. Just know the basics. Take precautionary measures accordingly and that will be enough. It is only your alertness and knowledge that will keep you safe every day as well as in the times of any crisis.

Food supplies are likely to go down in times of crisis. Due to breakdowns in the transportation, it will be very hard to get any food delivery. Almost all food delivery comes from outside the city. It is best to store food beforehand in the case of such an occurrence.

Always have a supply of 2 months at the very least in your house. Tins, preserved food like chips and any other thing you can get which can be stored is great. Avoid buying anything which needs to stay frozen to be stored as it might spoil in the case of a power outage which almost always happens in times of disaster.

A shortage of food or water leads people to become selfish with their portion and store and hide their food when the situation arises. This leads to depletion of all supplies in the city. If you can, head out of the city the first chance you get because the chances of getting food, even wild, un-poisonous berries, is far greater in the countryside.

Here is a list of great foods that can be stored in case a disastrous event takes place:

Salt

Sugar

Honey

Alcohol

Wheat

Oats

Beans

Pasta

White rice

Canned Tuna

Canned meats

Peanut butter

Coffee

Tea

Ramen noodles

Candy

Powdered milk

Water, amongst all the other basic necessities, is of utmost importance for all life forms. You might stay without food for 2 to 3 weeks, but without water it’s only a matter of 2 to 3 days before you will find yourself in a life-threatening situation. So always make sure that you have an ample supply of water for the days to come and the water that you drink is safe.

100 degrees Celsius means 100 % safe

Since the time when humans understood the importance of safe drinking water, the boiling point has always been the marker of healthy drinking water. The technique is fairly effective in eliminating most microbes that cause intestine related diseases. Though you get all sorts of water purifiers on the market, in the times of crisis it is only the basic techniques that help you the most.

Water can be stored in the same way as food. Make sure that any water you store is first treated or at least boiled. Change your stored water every 6 months to make sure it does not get contaminated.

Chapter 6: Weapons For Your Safety

What are the weapons that you can carry on you to stay safe in the city? Most American states do not allow any rights to carry a gun. Criminals have guns illegally, without a license; citizens legally don’t. It is no longer seen as a tool of self-defence but as a tool that kills. As statistics show, cities with more riot threats are cities with less firearms and stronger rules against them. Is it fair?

Let’s think of it this way. Yes, guns can be used to save yourself and your family but, at the same time, legalizing weapons also means an even easier task for criminals and bad guys to get their hands on them. Are we ready to add that risk to our ever growing list? Hell to the NO people! So, what are your other options?

Other weapons that you can carry are:

Swiss Army Knife - Swiss army knives are the most important thing a human being can possibly have on them. They act as a weapon alright, but they also have so many more functions and features added to them that they can be used in almost all situations.

Pepper Spray - Pepper spray is a great alternative to a gun. Firstly, because it is legal. Second, because it is small, easy to carry and use and third, it causes a lot of damage, at the minimum giving you time to escape or call for help. It will incapacitate an attacker within a second and certainly make it a painful experience for them to remember.

A regular but sharp knife - Knifes are useful for obvious reasons. In the worst-case situation, when an attack is mid way, you may have to actually stab someone to protect yourself or your family. Do it. It is almost as easy as it looks. But make sure your knife is sharp and big like a butcher’s knife.

A guard dog - The guard dog is always a welcome addition to the family. While it helps you defend your house, it is also great company for kids and adults alike. Good breed guard dogs cost a lot of money but they are worth the investment. They sleep light and will bark as soon as they sense something wrong, whether it’s a natural disaster or an intruder. Make sure you sleep within earshot. If the dog barks, don't consider it an annoyance, consider it an intrusion.

A hunting rifle - Guns are not allowed, but so what? If you are one of those lucky ones who own an ancestral gun or even a hunting rifle, the time to fill her up has come. Keep her ready in case of an emergency and hope you never have to use it. If you never have to use it, no one will ever know!

A stun gun - Stun guns can be useful for disabling an attacker in close proximity. You can purchase high-voltage stun guns that will quickly take out anybody from even a good distance away. Stun guns are so useful and they are great because, if it is a high voltage attack, it can make any intruder unconscious for some time.

Major cities seem to be heading more towards violence than peace. Crime rates of all kinds are increasing everywhere. Make sure of your safety. Carry at least one of the above at all times. A pepper spray generally works wonders and so does a stun gun. The Swiss army knife can be used for much more than just bloodshed. You are going to need to use some force to defend your house and your loved ones.

Defending your home is an important element of your stay-in-the-city plan. Make your house your fortress. Learn from our ancestors. Build higher walls around your house to dissuade possible intruders. Top your walls with glass or barb wire which makes it difficult for them to climb in. Have multiple door locks and use the best quality to make your main doors to avoid them from being broken down easily. Check your locks every night before you sleep. Check your windows. Keep one of your weapons handy by your bedside. Make yourself safe and get over that fear of not being able to use any weapons.

Chapter 7: Lock Picking

Now why would you need to know the art of lock picking to survive in cities in case of a disaster? The answer is simple. Someone might be stuck in a building or house and to get to them you need to go through a lock. Or you might have escaped from the city but can only find a few buildings on the lock down in the outskirts away from the disaster. To seek shelter you might have to go through locks.

In America, most houses, buildings and commercial institutes have the mechanical pin-tumble lock system. The basic design idea behind these locks is that the perfect key according to lock design is required to open them. It is very hard to open the lock without the correct key, but it isn’t impossible. So, the first parameter to open any lock is the possible unique keys which cover all probability of opening the lock through exhaustive search. This can lead to you trying and owning over several thousand million key combinations. This can prove to be a very difficult task for someone who is not in the habit of opening locks left and right. Hope you fall into that category too.

The pin tumbler lock design is actually very simple. It consists of a rotatable cylinder tube, called the plug. The plug operates the mechanism of the lock. Around this plug is what we call the shell. This shell is what attaches it to doors. Rotation of the inside the shell opens or closes the lock. When locked, the plug cannot move because of the set of movable pin stacks that come out of holes at the top of the opening in the shell. Eat pin stack is cut in different unique places which will later be able to fit a unique key only to turn it. Most tradesmen use a particular code for deciding these ups and downs. The key for a five pin lock is generally denoted with the code “12143” which is the height of every cut in the key. One manufacturer has similar codes for all his locks. Sample keys or locks from that manufacturer will generally help in opening the door.

Locks can be opened in many ways. These locks over time have become more difficult for casual intruders who mean no harm and have no experience. Your best bet is trying to get keys by the same manufacturers. What can help are neighbors or people living in the same building? All houses of an apartment building will have the same manufacturer of locks if the resident hasn’t gotten it changed personally, which is rarely the case. Another option could be finding out if the repairman or building official is anywhere nearby as they generally own duplicate keys to housing apartments. The third and probably the most commonly used is brute force. Sheer brute force is the best way in an emergency due to time constraints. Lock picking is time consuming and generally a very hard task as the days of decreased security are long gone.

Look for windows you can break in through. Before you do so, wrap a cloth around your hand to hit through the window. This is to simply make sure no glass shards get under your skin. Another suggestion is to be prepared. Give your duplicate keys to your neighbors or trusted friends who live nearby and vice versa to avoid situations where it is nearly impossible to get into the house. Another simple thing you can practice is keeping duplicate keys of all the rooms in the house with you in case you are in the house but someone is stuck in one of the rooms. It is a smart move, that one.

Chapter 8: Sourcing Essentials

So, you could not put your SOS kit together? Or for some reason, you lost yours or could not pick it up in the first place? Don’t have a panic attack yet. During disasters, there are a lot of places you can pick up your supply from. Here is a list of those supplies and where you can scrounge them from.

First Aid Medical Kit

The first aid medical kit can be put together with the help of any chemist shop you have near you. Most hotels or inns will also have their own medical kit. In an emergency situation, ask around as most places or even houses will have some form of medicines that you may require. Government facilities, hospitals and even bars will own a kit. If nothing is available nearby, break into cars or ask people around you as most people should own a kit they keep near them.

Water and Food

In the case that you do not have any water storage and an emergency strikes, avoid still water areas like lakes. Rivers are a great source for water. The water may be contaminated so, before using it, it is best to boil it if you can. The chances of river water contamination are much less as the water is moving. Any tap water near rivers is safe too. Wells and tube wells are a great source of water. Any water you can dig up from the ground is safe. This is easy to do in forest areas but most places the water bed is too far down to dig up easily.

Other than this, both food and water are available almost everywhere, in hotels, restaurants, superstores, smaller grocery stores or deli’s. If you head towards the countryside pick up only things you know for sure are edible, like apples. There are many poisonous fruits like certain types of berries which grow in the wild which could be fatal. Do not pick just anything. Stick to canned food as much as you can. If you are in the middle of the woods and see a hut, most huts have their own supply of canned food people store for when they visit. Check expiry dates and eat away.

Emergency Blanket

An emergency blanket can be bought at almost any shop. They can even be bought from some homeless guy, though you should probably avoid that till the situation is critical and someone is dying of the cold. Emergency blankets will be available at any hotel, inn, bar or even at a security station.

Emergency Lighting/Signalling Stores

Though matches have become outdated, you can find them almost everywhere. The countryside is full of wood for fires. If in the city, use furniture. Torches will be available in shops en route to anywhere you are running to. Grocery stores will always have some cheap version. When you buy these during a disaster, stock up, try to procure more.

Batteries/Chargers

These are almost as important as any item that you will need for survival. Extra charged phone batteries, batteries for the flashlight, a battery charger can be useful if the disaster is not resolved within hours. You can buy these at almost any superstore. Heading slightly onto higher ground or farther from the city, the probability of finding a perfectly working power supply is more. Most good hotels and restaurants run on power back-up, so head to those. In case of an emergency, when nothing is available nearby, use your car’s battery as a power source.

As you have realized, you can find everything even after the disaster hits but it is never a smart move to wait for that time to arise. Put together your SOS kit and have it placed at a very accessible point so that you don’t have to go scrounging.

Chapter 9: Safest Cities Of America

Though, as we have spoken about so far, nothing or no place in the world is completely safe from disaster, having said that, here is a list of the safest cities in the United States of America.

There are certain places termed as sanctuaries in the United States from natural disasters. There are no cities that can be prone to all natural disasters at the same time but also there are a few which are not prone to any. Though not fool proof, these cities are less at risk from hurricanes, tsunamis, tornadoes, earthquakes and flash floods.

On the basis of natural disasters, the ten safest cities or townships in America are:

Dayton, Ohio - Though hit by the worst flood in 1913, Dayton is the safest city. The city is a major flood control district established after 1913. It has been safe from flooding over 1500 times since.

Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, Michigan - These are located near Detroit in Michigan. They are deemed safe from natural disasters but they are definitely not safe from financial disasters.

Denver - Though Colorado is known for wildfires and flash floods, Denver has never had either. It is definitely deemed safe from all natural disasters.

Chicago - Only faced by blizzards every few years, Chicago is one of the safest cities in the States. A blizzard generally ends with stranded motorists and an off day from work, at the very most.

Allentown, PA - Close to Philadelphia, this city is braced to be hit by a hurricane but has never seen any damage in the past.

Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, Md - Located near Washington D.C., though not far from the ocean, this city is comparatively safe from both hurricanes and tsunamis.

Buffalo, New York - The city is on the edge of a lake and receives crazy amounts of snow but is safe from the biggest disaster, i.e. floods.

Akron, Ohio - Last hit by a tornado in 1943, this city has not faced any disaster since. It is deemed very safe.

Cleveland - Only hit by minor storms here and there and, when I say storms, I mean a little rain storm which causes no destruction.

Syracuse, New York - There is little or no flooding, no hurricanes, no tornadoes, no earthquakes and no wildfires. This is definitely the safest there is.

Natural disaster or no natural disaster, there are only a few cities which do not see the crimes made by man. Here is a list of 10 cities deemed safest because of low man-made disasters and crimes:

Franklin, Massachusetts - This is listed as the safest city in the United States of America. The chance of being the victim of a crime in Franklin is 1 in 2,678.

Bergenfield, New Jersey - 1 in 1,425 to be a victim is very good statistics for this town.

Parma, Ohio - Ohio is really turning out to be one of the safest states in the country. In Parma there is only a 1 in 1,446 chance of being a victim to a violent crime.

Greenwich, Connecticut - Being a victim in a violent crime stands at only 1 in 2,693 here.

Rancho Santa Margarita, California - Violent crimes are down to 1 in 1,816.

Johns Creek, Georgia - This is a small city with a crime rate of 1 in 1,861 and is one of the safest towns in the States.

Lexington, Massachusetts - The violent crime rate in Lexington is a minimum 1 in 2,462.

Sammamish, Washington - The crime rate here is a whooping 1 in 2,947 only.

Ballwin, Missouri - Violent crimes are far and wide here. The chance of you facing a violent crime is only 1 in 1,692.

Shrewsbury, Massachusetts - This is the safest township in all of the United States of America. The violent crime rate is not even comparable to the others at a fantastic 1 in 6,008.

Conclusion

Anybody can be faced by nature’s wrath or a man-made mistake at any time, without warning. This was a guide to be able to survive either while living in the city. You have a lot of facilities that make your lives easier day to day when you choose a city life. But everything has its pros and cons. These were a list of the cons. Being prepared is always the smarter choice as you have found out.

Do not wait for the day when you are faced with a problem to think about how to solve it. Be ready to face the furies life has to offer. Be responsible for not only yours but the lives of those around you. As Prana said, “Never stop moving till you stop breathing, this is the secret of winning.” Keep your mantra to be a winner. Good preparations lead to survivors of disasters, especially in this world, the world of the fittest.

You are lucky because the resources and technology today allow you to have the best possible knowledge and make the best possible decisions. Live for tomorrow as much as you live for today.

All the best to all the readers who have taken the efforts to acquaint themselves with the dangers of urban survival and taken the preparations for such eventualities seriously. We sincerely hope that this book provides a clear insight into urban survival in today’s realm.

About Author

Josh McCoy is survival expert who has spent many years studying the art of minimal living and mastering his survival techniques. He spent seven years in the military as an US army ranger and currently teaches basic survival protocols.

He spent his entire life in the Pacific Northwest. As a young boy, he always had a deep respect for nature and loved spending his time outdoors. He learned to hunt and fish at as a child and continues to use those skills to this day. He relies on Mother Nature for the essentials and lives off the land.

In his spare time he loves traveling the world, trying new foods and experiencing different cultures. This taught him valuable lessons in survival techniques and helps him become well rounded. He also has a passion for reading and sharing his ideas through writing. He continues to live in the Pacific Northwest with this wife and three young boys.

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