For most foreseeable crisis scenarios – from infrastructure failures to hybrid attacks – the best strategy is to remain in a familiar environment. Your apartment or house is the place where your water storage and food supplies are gathered, which are extremely difficult to transport in sufficient quantities in field conditions.

Statistics show that individuals acting in an integrated local group have a 2.5 times higher chance of survival than so-called 'lone wolves' fleeing into the unknown. Your neighbors, although you may only exchange a cool 'good morning' daily, in a threat situation become a natural support network, where one has a generator, another is a doctor, and yet another can secure the building entrance. By staying in place, you avoid the risk of being treated as a stranger or 'intruder' in new territory, where resources may be rationed only for local residents.

Safety Rules at Home

True survival psychology is based on cool data analysis. As long as your building is intact and access to water and heat is possible thanks to your supplies, fleeing is a logistical error.

There are, however, situations in which staying at home is a death sentence. The first and most important signal for evacuation is an official order from authorities and law enforcement, especially in the immediate frontline zone. Experiences from Donbas teach that those who delayed departure until the last moment often died under artillery fire, trying to flee at the moment the front was already passing through their backyards.

In a crisis, civilization is 'turned off'. The Internet doesn't work, which means no Google Maps or GPS; terminals at gas stations don't respond, so you won't buy fuel unless the station is open and doesn't introduce rationing (e.g., 5 liters per head). Highways and expressways will likely be reserved exclusively for military columns and emergency services.

Layers of Your Evacuation Plan

Before you make any decision about movement, implement the STOP algorithm (Stop, Take a breath, Observe, Proceed).

Regardless of the decision, you must have digitized documents and copies on an encrypted drive. During evacuation, you must be able to prove who you are, that you have custody rights over children, and that the vehicle you are driving belongs to you. Your financial security should be based on a cash supply in three currencies (PLN, USD, EUR) and a small amount of investment gold.

Hiding Variant - CBRN and Medicine

The decision about evacuation vs. hiding is not a one-time choice, but a continuous process. The best way to survive is to have Plan A (staying at home), Plan B (home is threatened, moving locally to a shelter), and Plan C (full evacuation outside the city). Test these variants regularly; every six months, check how quickly your family is able to pack the most important things and go down to the basement.

Do not be fooled by a false sense of security resulting from owning 'survival gadgets'. Your most powerful tool is knowledge, training, and skills (e.g., first aid course) and relationships with people around you. In a crisis, those who are flexible, can use water purification in primitive conditions, and do not panic when sirens wail win. Start building your resilience today by analyzing the topography of your area and locating the nearest 'abisynka' – a free water source that can save your life when pipes run dry.