Office Survival

Good afternoon,

In researching previous posts, I either missed or could not find previous posts on using your office as a starting point on the day it hits the fan. The nearest I have found is perhaps the AWOL Bag or other similar posts stating what one should have in their vehicle. Any thoughts on what to keep in your desk drawer? Your suit pocket? Something stashed in an air vent? How to communicate with a loved one and pre planned rendezvous points, that aren't at your safe house which could be miles away?

I'm thinking in terms of what happened to phone lines when 9/11 occurred and how jammed the net became. I'm sure a flood or Hurricane could easily cause the same issues.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

for the office, keep a bottle of water ( at least 1 quart), a power bar or two, a flash light (the non-battery kind), a space blanket, fire starting kit, and one of the smoke hood things. Now this is all assuming that you can get out of the office. unfortunatly most offices do not have space for a major bug out bag, but you could keep one in your trunk.

for coms, if you get a jump send a text message, it needs less bandwidth and has just a small packet of data.

All in all if you are alone and not needing to get home bunkering in the office may not be a bad idea given a cit.X happens that doesnt require immediate evacuation. I would think that most people would leave the office leaving the entire building to you, and once the power goes out you would not have to worry about magnetic locks. with vending machines you could last for a while, and wait.

I hadn't given it much thaught, but that my thumb nail scetch of what I would do right now in my office if cit X happens.

Text message. That's a good idea. I appreciate your response.

Regarding your thoughts on vending machines, agreed & I'm going to toss a crowbar into my truck today.

I have noticed more people riding bicycles to work and thought about bringing some bolt/chain cutters if one (Bike) was left behind and avail.

My office is lax on security but built like a fortress. I've often thought if people started bugging out. It would make a good uh, fort? Hope that doesn't sound too juvenile. It really does have good defensive points and few blind spots.

Thank you again.

Like I said with most of the new magnetic lock; once the power goes our all of those doors come open, only doors with the old style (good) locks stay locked. What a good fort that becomes...

Also, we are talking about sit X.... I will have a fort.

Hmmm...

Now what would the A-Team be able to build from the contents of your average office?

I'm thinking of welding a bunch of staplers to the mandatory office fire-extinguisher as a dastardly beaurocratic-based weapon-system, and then donning a scale-armour jerkin made out of post-it notes..

now that's my idea of office-survival-of-the-fittest

Okay I am game. Items of some interest in an office:

Network cable. Remove the plugs and outer sheathing and that is 8 flexible copper wires for various uses including snares, lashing material and so on.

Fire Extenguisher. Handy makeshift battering ram for various entry senerios.

Rubber bands. Handy for various uses.

Water Cooler Jugs: Fresh clean water for the taking. Empty ones can be modified for various storage vessels.

Paper pencils pens: Paper for starting easy fires, insulation, nature uses.

Toilet paper: For the intended purpose, also insulation.

First Aid Kit: For first aid

Tape: Masking, cellophane tape is tape and can be useful in various ways. Like homemade bandaids using a papertowel or piece of cloth.

Breakroom: grab them plasic knives, forks and spoons. If fancy enough you might find a roll of aluminum foil grab that too for making a solar cooker. Vending machine items.

Janitor closet: Soap, perhaps a nice toolbox.

IT Manager's office: Tools. some handy, most are too specialised to be useful.

Sissors: Cutting/skinning the hide of your food animals, makeshift knife once the pivot screw has been removed. Should be many pairs laying about in an office.

Luck could be on your side and you find flashlights, batteries, hand crank radio, a pistol with a few rounds, and various other handy items that you would see and decide as you scrounge around.

not to mention that alot of office buildings have propane generators... with proper control you could stretch that out...and be carefull if people see lights they think civilizaion, which is bad for long term survival. Also, if pepole just bug out you may be able to find a few cars and beyond gas cars are a great source for batteries which may not have direct applications but may be able to recharge other smaller batteries.

Bonus points if the office complex comes with helipad. or subterranian tunnels and sky ways to other buildings