Everyone’s situation is different. We’re different individuals. We have different households/situations. We live in different places with varying climate, terrain, and possible natural and man-made disasters. Thus, before we begin to ‘prepare’, we must know what we’re preparing for and what we’re working with. Bob Mayer was an instructor and course developer/writer for years at the JFK Special Warfare Center and School which trains Green Berets and also runs the SERE school: Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape.

1. The First Step In
Preparation:
THE AREA STUDY
It Focuses your effort
and saves time &
money.

2. Everyone’s situation is different.
We’re different individuals.
We have different households/situations.
We live in different places with varying
climate, terrain, and possible natural and
man-made disasters.
Thus, before we begin to ‘prepare’, we
must know what we’re preparing for and
what we’re working with.

3. By doing a good Area Study, you save time
and money because you’ve focused on
your priorities.
You need to know your assets and your
threats.
You also have to get the right supplies,
training, and gear for your specific situation.

4. In Special Forces, what made us elite was
our planning and preparation. The first
thing we did when we received a mission
packet was conduct an Area Study of the
Area of Operations (AO).
In the same way, you need to conduct an
Area Study of your home, work, and school
Areas of Operation.

5. First, we’ll learn what an Area Study is and
why we need it. Then there will be
checklists to fill out that will get us started in
the right direction.
This slideshow is only a brief sampling of
the more extensive information in The
Green Beret Preparation and Survival
Guide, which has been updated as of July
2021.

6. Area Studies can have non-
emergency uses, such as if we’re
considering moving to a new place.
An Area Study can provide
valuable decision making data.

7. YOURSELF AND YOUR TEAM
What special skills and background do you have? The
people on your team?
These include medical, construction, problem solving,
military, etc. The key is to know what you can and can’t do,
and what those around you can and can’t do. These skills
include medical, military, gardening, hunting, survival
training and experience, pilot, boat operation, camping,
weapons, cooking, land navigation, swimming,
communication (personal and technical), construction,
problem solving, fire starting, knot tying, the list goes on
and on.
It also includes physical condition of yourself and your
team members.

10. Evaluate your Area of Operations
Think about it. You live in a tsunami zone.
Have you actually driven your evacuation
route? How long does it take? Have you
figured out the quickest escape route on
foot. You work on the 40th floor of a
skyscraper. Do you ever look around and
ask yourself: how do I get out of here if the
normal means of egress are blocked? While
schools run active shooter drills, what about
the work place?

11. How close are you to the nearest
military base? Nearest police
station? Firehouse? Hospital? Do
you know where the closest
emergency room is? How long it
will take to get there? Could you
drive the route in the dark? How
quickly can an ambulance respond
to your location?

12. Where is your closest source of
drinkable water if your drinking
supply is contaminated?
This often occurs during natural
disasters especially floods.
Are you prepared to a base level
with emergency water?

13. You want to examine your environment
for a lot of things. What can harm you?
What can help you? What can hide you?
What are your enabling factors? What are
your disabling factors? What is the terrain
and how can it help you or hamper you in
movement? What are the roads, trails, rail,
etc. What effect does your environment
have on you? What are choke points,
particularly river crossings (bridges and
tunnels)?

14. Then you must must be
concerned with the man-made
and natural events you should
prepare for in order of
likelihood.

16. 80% of natural disasters also include
flooding.
Do you live in a flood zone?
Would you be cut off if your area floods?
You can use the FEMA flood map
search to determine this:
https://msc.fema.gov/portal/search

17. Note that there are many
areas that were not in flood
zones, that are now included.
A new map as of 2020
includes 6 million more homes
than previously mapped.
Check this new MAP

18. There are also man-made disasters.
Here is a partial list: Car accident,
boat/ferry accident, train/subway
accident, tall building evacuation, fire,
power outage, burglary, robbery,
carjacking, civil unrests/riots, terrorist
attack, active shooter, firearms
accidents, nuclear power plant accident,
nuclear weapons, biological weapons
and infectious diseases, chemical
weapons/accident, industrial accident.

19. Are your power lines buried? What
industries are in your area? What are you
downwind, downstream of? What toxic
materials and/or gases would be emitted if
there was an accident? Is there a rail line or
waterway near you? What is transported on
those trains/barges?
Where is the closest nuclear power plant
and/or storage area? Are there labs in your
area that work with dangerous biological
agents? What about the local university?
Are you in the flood zone of a dam
breaking?

21. This is just the basic beginning. But by
answering these questions you can
begin to frame the priority of
preparation.
This will determine your plans and
what supplies and equipment you
need.
Of course there are baseline survival
supplies every household should have,
such as water, first aid kit, emergency
radio, etc. but beyond that, an Area
Study will give focus.

22. More on all of this in The Green
Beret Preparation and Survival Guide
where I walk you through all these
steps with explanations and
checklists.
I hope you find this slideshow useful.
I teach a workshop on doing an Area
Study. If interested, please contact
me at
bob@bobmayer.com

23. More Free Information
I constantly update free, downloadable
slideshows like this on my web site for
preparation and survival and other
topics.
FREE SLIDESHOWS
Also, I conduct Area Study workshops
for those interested in properly
preparing for their specific
circumstances.

24. The guide on the left is the complete preparation and
survival guide. The one on the right is a pocket-size
manual with just the survival portion. Useful in your Grab-
n-Go bag, car and kitchen drawer.
SURVIVAL GUIDES

25. The Book
"The best preparation guide available, bar
none. A must have for anyone concerned
about man-made and natural disasters.
Mayer points out that preparation is key
and he walks the reader through it, each
section building on the one before. From
page one, I felt more prepared. Get it!"
Assembly Magazine.

27. New York Times bestselling author, is a graduate of West
Point and former Green Beret. He’s had over 80 books
published, including the #1 bestselling series Green Berets,
Time Patrol, Area 51, and Atlantis. He’s sold over 5 million
books. He was born in the Bronx and has traveled the world.
He’s lived on an island off the east coast, an island off the
west coast, in the Rocky Mountains, the Smoky Mountains
and other places, including time in East Asia studying martial
arts.
He was an instructor and course developer/writer for years
at the JFK Special Warfare Center and School which trains
Green Berets and also runs the SERE school:
Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape.
www.bobmayer.com

28. The Grab-N-Go Bags You Need
Home/Main Bag
Work/School
Car and Traveling
Emergency Rally Point/Cache