Assignment Two:

Dillon Foreman
Creator
dforema2@uncc.edu
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
November 2, 2015

Assignment Two
Introduction
Imagine yourself in the not so distance future in the post apocalyptic nation of what was
formally the United States of America. The economy collapsed, there is no government, the land
has a distinct silence around it now. Everything you used to know is gone, many of the people
you once knew and loved are dead, or so you thought. The next thing you knew that same loved
one you thought had died became a completely different person, or were they even a person
anymore? They start trying to attack you but not in a normal way, they try to bite and claw you.
These people as you once knew them are not human anymore, they are zombies! You manage
to escape from these monsters in your vehicle only to drive down the road in complete horror as
you witness dozens of these creatures ripping of limbs off of innocent people and dinning on
their very flesh. Now flash forward a little bit further, imagine seeing thousands of these
creatures, armies of them and they are all hungry. Welcome to the new United States of America,
land of the free and home of the undead.
Thankfully that is not the case with the world today, however research suggest it very
well may be a possibility. Knight explains that the parasite known as Toxoplasma gondii has
been known to to display zombie like characteristics in its rodent and insect host. By
systematically taking over the behavior of the host, the parasite forces the host to find its
respective predators so it will be eaten and therefore further spreading the virus (2013). In the
last decade alone the public interest in the fictional zombie apocalypse has skyrocketed due to
more and more media coverage on the subject. There are dozens of zombie movies and the most
watched television show in historyThe Walking Deadis about this very scenario. Ultimately
survival is the main concept when dealing with any apocalyptic figured world. Everything from

weapons, food, shelter, and sustaining human contact are all important points when planning for
the worst. Considering the most up to date regulation that the government would implement in
the case of a disaster, I would like inform the audience how all of that could change with
Walkers in the mix. I will cover operation and situated awareness with weapons, scavenging
for food and making your own, and finally well built and fortifiable shelter. Finally, I would like
to show the audience how it could be a problem in todays society accomplishing some of the
logistical functions such as obtaining guns and mass amounts of ammunition.
As I take you through the journey of preparing yourself against the undead menace I
would like to inform you of my personal position concerning the topic. The first zombie movie I
saw was the remake of Dawn of the Dead (Snyder, 2004). It literally terrified me, but it also
intrigued me. At a very young age I thought the idea of a zombie apocalypse was something that
we should all take seriously! From there my interest with the subject continued to grow from
video games to watching the pilot episode of The Walking Dead (Darabont, 2010) which I have
been following for five years now. As someone who loves camping, shooting, and the military,
preparing for the zombie apocalypse was a cool hobby I had invested some time in as a kid.
More specifically, this paper will examine other government plans on disasters and theoretical
disease outbreaks and how you as an audience can learn from these plans and use them as a
blueprint for preparing for something fictitious but would have a much more devastating effect
on the world if it became a reality.
Literature Review
The Field Guide to the Apocalypse (Marco, 2005) and The Zombie Survival Guide:
Complete Protection from the Living Dead (Brooks, 2003) raise a very interesting point
concerning the world surrounding the zombie apocalypse after it occurs. Vehicles, makeshift

weapons, and finding an apocalyptic shelter are on the top priority list in these two works. Since
zombies will not be the only thing that survivors will need to avoid as people will begin to revert
to a more barbaric state when all normal life as we once knew it collapses (Marco, 2005).
Marcos work is different in the sense that it focuses more on a survivors new habitat than
fighting off whatever beast may be lurking in the shadows. Brooks book however does deal with
the zombie ordeal and how to defend yourself immediately after encountering them by using
firearms, and melee weapons (Brooks, 2003). In my own opinion, some things that survivors of
the apocalypse would want to consider avoiding would be renegade people and dangerous
groups. In any end of the world scenario, as society collapses people themselves will begin to
loose the civilized part about what it means to be human. Groups will be battling against one
another for any resource available to them.
Mark Memmott and Scott Hensley from NPR consulted their audience with tips about the
early stages of the zombie apocalypse. The first source by Memmott talks about a mathematical
equation that a handful of researchers at the University level have proposed for taking care of the
zombie apocalypse. How certain mathematics play into an apocalypse I cant say is a promising
solution (2009). To sum it up the researchers concluded that the infected undead need to be dealt
with in a very time efficient manner before it has time to spread dramatically. (Hensley, 2011)
The second source by Hensley informs the audience that the CDC published a blog on their
homepage containing tips for handling the zombie apocalypse. This was a way for the
government run organization to spread the word about being prepared for a disaster, not
specifically the zombie apocalypse. They knew though that people would be more intrigued by
the title and would take the time to read the information. The number of hits the blog received
was enough to shut down the CDCs blogging servers for a short while (Hensley, 2011).

When discussing the topic of where a zombie originates, one would be sure to find the
answer in by watching the Discovery Channels Zombie Apocalypse Preppers special, as well as
A&Es Zombies: A Living History. Both of these sources tackle the obstacle of uncovering the
first mentionings of a zombie in history since knowing your enemy is half of the battle. Davis
and A&E take the audience through time stopping along major points in zombie history. The
documentary travels to Scandinavia in 700 A.D. and to California in 1876 where a group of
pioneers resorted to eating one another for survival. (2011) Zombies have been around for
hundreds of years and their outbreak seems more that likely than ever with diseases and drugs
such as H1N1 or Bath Salts (A&E). The Discovery Channel special (2012) includes an interview
with a doctor from Harvard Medical School who very plainly warns the audience to be on the
lookout since diseases can adapt and change overtime.
I also made a contribution as a source, my previous work Assignment One focused on
The Walking Dead (Darabont, 2010) and its specific functions with zombies. My observations
ended up following the beginnings of the show so we could see just how well the government
would handle a national zombie outbreak. They failed miserably. The government ended up
collapsing and only pockets of survivors remain to live off of the land in what used to be
Georgia. (2015) I would like to also compare a legit government plan to no plan as shown in my
observations. David Strutt and Todd Nordstorm published an article that is had received an
unclassified copy of a government plan to handle a zombie apocalypse. (Strutt, Nordstorm, 2014)
CONPLAN 8888-11 gives the military flexible forty-day period to handle to situation before
POTUSPresident of The United Statesgives the order to detonate nuclear warheads on
American soil. In reference to The Walking Dead, Rick also makes a plan once he has found
his family and retrieved the ammunition bag, and that is to get toironically enoughthe CDC

in Atlanta. Once they get to the CDC it is surrounded by dead military personal and vehicles. The
plan is similar in the sense that the CDC is the first place the government is going to consult
about a possible outbreak. In The Walking Dead it is very obvious that there was some sort of
an attempt by the military in order to gain control of the situation and keep the CDC up and
running (Darabont, 2010).

Entering The Conversation

Due to recent spike in the interest of the zombie apocalypse it has influenced many to
battle the task of preparing for the seemingly imminent end of the world, especially in the United
States of America. However, this is not just some stupid hobby as I feel many people would like
to perceive it as. Preparing for the zombie apocalypse gives these zombie fanatics one advantage
over the average population, they are preparedor are preparingfor an upcoming apocalypse!
This means that this group of people will have plenty of food, water, weapons, and any other
survival supplies that they have deemed necessary to include throughout their preparation. So
regardless if zombies actually start ripping apart your neighbor piece by piece, if a hurricane,
earthquake, or even if Yellowstone erupted, the ones who took the times to set aside a plan B for
a major catastrophe would be in better shape than a family rushing to Walmart to pick up
supplies on the day of.
These preppers might seem to have a bit of paranoia stocking up firearms and months
worth of dehydrated food along with emergency water. For those who have that set of mindset
just take into account the horrible natural disasters that have happened in recent years that is a
direct example of the true reason people take up this hobby. Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was a bad
time for Americans in general. It was even worse for the people of New Orleans who were

traumatically devastated by the effects of Katrina from great loss of life, to major flooding, and
those who survived went through a living hell waiting for the U.S. Government to send aid. This
was failure of both the governments part and the peoples for preparing for a natural disaster. No
one could have ever predicted New Orleans would have been hit as hard as they were, but if the
proper precautions went taken it could have prevented such loss of life, and suffering of civilians
in general.
What Katrina taught us, was that both the government and the public was unprepared to
deal with a crisis of that magnitude at the time. Imagine if Katrina was a flesh eating disease that
caused people to reanimate and that had a rampant growth rate which was spreading to more and
more states by the day. If the government took as long to react as they did with Katrina, we
would be taken over with little resistance. Given the right knowledge and tools, you can not only
survive a natural disaster but you can prepare for something much more devastating that an
earthquake or larger hurricane. I will suggest ways that you can better yourself as a prepper and
or survivalist in hopes to give you a better understanding on how to keep yourself and your loved
ones alive and safe.
I would like to present to you the three main topics that are seen as the most important
when dealing with a catastrophic survival situation, and how that will be altered when that
situation includes zombies. By taking my main topics into account, I feel that they will give you
a better understanding of just how important these things are. Without them even now you will
surely die, but in a world where society has crashed, you will have bigger things to worry about
like getting your flesh torn apart by blood thirsty monsters.
The first absolute thing you are going to need is food. The most realistic survival food
item that is on the market and can be bought in bulk are U.S. Military MREsMeal Ready to

Eat. These rations come in airtight packages and have years of shelf life. However, the only
down side to these is that you can only carry so many. As you find a snug place to hunker down
and wait out the zombie apocalypse you may not be able to find a lot of these around. This will
eventually lead up to you and you groupassuming you have oneto learn how to farm simple
vegetables and fruits. You will need to base them on the season of course, such as pea plants in
the winter, tomatoes in summer, and carrots in the spring and fall. Someone such as myself
would hate to live off of only vegetables and fruit for an unknown time slot, so hunting will also
play a huge part in your food situation. Many animals can be found in the North American
continent almost anywhere, these range from whitetail deer, the common squirrel, an
arrangement of birdsquail, doves, and turkeys, and even big game like caribou or bears.
See *Figure B for visualThese animals will satisfy your meat cravings but you must also be
wary, you are not the only ones hunting these animals. The zombies will make every attempt to
harvest these animals and you if they get the chance!
The next important topic is firearms. Most citizens do not have access or the legal means
for getting class three weaponsautomatic military firearms and explosives also, I will only
review the style of weapons that most civilians would have readily available to them which for
the most part does not include automatic firearms There are essentially three categories of
firearms majorly available to the public here in the United States. See *Figure A for visual
chartThese are handguns, shotguns, and rifles. Handguns are short range weapons and unless
you are a world class shooter you wont be firing any further than 25 yards. Handguns come in a
variety of calibers but the most common are .45 ACP, 9mm, .38 special, .357 magnum, and .40
caliber. These should be mainly your backup weapons in case things get a little to close for
comfort with the undead. Shotguns come in mainly 12 and 20 gauge chambers. You wouldnt

want to shoot much father than 50 yards due to the power decreasing significantly from there on.
These weapons harness the ultimate destruction power in close quarters combat. At 50 yards you
should have no problem taking out at least two zombies in a close group with one shot. The final
class of weapon would be the rifle. Attached with a scope a rifle can be effective in the hands of
a trained shooter to as far as 200 yards. Another type of rifle would be the assault rifle. Many
semi-automatic civilian counterparts can be picked up at a local gun store for 500-1000 dollars.
These types of weapons can be very deadly with a disciplined trigger finger and a clear line of
sight. When using firearms always make sure the situation calls for it. Noise always attracts
zombies and gunshots can be heard from miles away. Ammunition will also end up being scarce
in the post apocalyptic world so make sure you make those shots count. Weapons are normally
used to fend off against burglars and looters in a disaster situation, but with zombies in the
picture they will become a way of life and ultimately will be worth more than gold. I would also
like to express a logistical concern that may want to be noted. Because of recent gun laws being
strengthened ammunition is becoming harder and harder to get in stores. However online
websites still allow buyers to purchase ammunition in bulk for a higher price. If it comes down to
it, you will be glad you spent the extra money. If you identify as someone who has never fired a
weapon or learned how to properly load, aim, clean, and field strip you should begin to
familiarize yourself with types mentioned above or take a class at a local gun range. Weapons
vary in all different shapes and sizessome more unique than othersso it would be in your
best interest to keep this in the back of your mind.
Shelter without a doubt is the most important means of survival in a sticky situation. But
in a zombie situation, it is either life or death. You can have plenty of food, water, and firearms,
but if you have no way of storing all of that you will not last long. When considering shelter, you

want something with strongvery strongwalls. Reinforced steal preferred. Also if you can,
find something completely surrounded by water, zombies probably cannot swim due to the
damage caused to their brain during reanimation. However, in reality most survival groups wont
have access to these sort of ideal fortresses. One needs to first, stay away from any large city.
Cities are packed full of people and the level of noise and activity preformed by a large number
of people is sure to draw in a sizeable pack of zombies. Secondly, having a secure shelter is the
basis for protecting not only you but your loved ones as well. You dont know how long you may
be held up in your shelter, it could be only for a few weeks, or it could be for a few months. This
will be where all of your weapons, food, and any other essential belongings will be stored so
make sure it can hold up a few thousand dead people beating up against it. Another thing to
consider when seeking out shelter is space. Everybody always wants more space now in the
world as it is, but come time for the zombie apocalypse, people will be killing one another for it.
If you find yourself lucky enough to have a fortified shelter with a lot of square footage, make
sure you have the man power to keep a close eye of the perimeter. Zombies are partially brain
dead but in some instances and be tricky, you wouldnt want all of your hard work to go to waste
because two or three Walkers got their foot in the door.
When considering how I want to put my information out to the public I would like to
have a website dedicated to prepping. I feel as if videos and blogs about the points I have just
presented would make a substantial contribution to the prepper community. For video wise, I
would like to have a firearm safety, maintenance, and usage playlist. This could go over the types
of weapons I talked about and how to use them to the audiences benefit. Also having blog
contributors show how to guides for planting crops and building a shelter in the wildernessif

it came to thatwould also be very helpful for those who are more hands on or have no idea
how to begin this process.

Conclusion
The topic of this paper was to express the key concept of survival in a zombie situation.
My goal here was to improve your knowledge on what sort of firearms that could be at your
disposal, what food for be in your best interest to try and store/hunt, and to put an idea of what a
zombie proof shelter would look like. My contribution to this paper was to include the
aforementioned things above that I felt would be most helpful in an apocalyptic situation.
Hunting certain types of animals and learning what ranges to use certain firearmsgiven the
abilitywere main points I wanted to hit on. Also, I included some farming tips for when you
and your group manage to secure a shelter.
This contribution matters due to the fact that not everyone has a knowledge of even the
simple things concerning the zombie apocalypse. These tips could plant small seeds in your head
for you to remember if you ever find yourself in a survival situation. The zombie situation, is a
very important area of research for one to consider. If one was to prepare for this situation they
would have also marked many things off on most other natural disaster checklist. This also
includes being prepared for the event of a complete government shutdown. In the event of a
disaster situation, those who prepare and the ones who make the best of the ordeal, and
ultimately, the ones who survive. Stocking food, weapons, and ammunition is always a smart
idea.
In order to conclude this paper, I would like to propose a few questions of my own for
possibly further research on this subject. What would be further precautions a group would have

to take while on the run? If close to a city, how can a someone effectively prepare if one does
not have an adequate place or legalfirearmsmeans to store supplies? If a close group
member is bitten, what would be the humane way to deal with the situation? Are there different
types of zombies that could alter any preparation methods? Are there any scientists who
specifically study diseases that mimic zombie plagues? If so, what would they recommend to
further preparation? Is the general public informed enough about disease to make a connection
between zombie like characteristics and how to handle those situations?

References
Brooks, Max. 2003. The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead.
New York: Three Rivers Press.
Darabont, Frank. 2010. The Walking Dead. AMC
Davis, Nick 2011. Zombies: A Living History. A&E Television Networks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGdb0TtfmIM
Discovery Channel. 2012. Zombie Apocalypse Preppers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=CYRHAz2YCz4 (December 18)
Foreman, Dillon 2015. Assignment One Observation Notes
Hensley, Scott. 2011 CDC Has Tips For Zombie Apocalypse And Other Disasters. NPR,
Health
Knight, K. (2013). How pernicious parasites turn victims into zombies. The Journal of
experimental biology, 216(1), I-IV.
Marco, Meghann. 2005. Field Guide to the Apocalypse: Movie Survival Skills for the End of the
World. New York: Simon Spotlight Entertainment.
Memmott, Mark. 2009 Researchers: When Zombies Attack, Hit them Hard & Fast- Or Else!
NPR, The Two Way

Sacchetto, Rob. 2009. The Zombie Handbook: How to Identify the Living Dead and Survive the
Coming Zombie Apocalypse. Berkeley, CA: Ulysses Press.
Sturt, David, and Todd Nordstorm. 2014. A U.S. Government Zombie Plan. Forbes
Magazine.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidsturt/2014/05/29/a-u-s-government-zombie-plan/
Snyder, Zack. 2004. Dawn of the Dead. Universal Studios

Appendix
Figure A

Figure B

Style

Effective Range

Combat usage

Handgun
Shotgun
Rifle

Maximum:25 Yards
Maximum: 50 Yards
Maximum: 200 Yards

Close Quarters
Close/Medium
Long Range

(From left to write: Caribou, Squirrel, Quail, and the Whitetail Deer.)