Third to Sixth Hour After the Outbreak

Time frame: 3 to 6 hours after Outbreak
Phase: Containment

By now, you should have made your way to your selected location to establish Containment, picking up whatever supplies and weapons you could on your way. You should also have picked a back-up location in case your initial choice is infested. As you arrive, quickly assess the situation. If people are running out of the building screaming, it's probably infested by zombies so you should make your way towards your backup location. If they are simply walking about of the building, they may be just evacuating. If you see no one, the building is either overrun or is simply deserted, in which case you'll have to investigate further. Your best bet is if there are people, particularly those who have also initiated the Protocol, waiting in the lobby.

It is important to try to save as many people as is feasibly possible. Remember that the fate of humankind may lie in your hands, as well as other survivors. Population geneticists theorize that the minimum viable population to give the human race a chance for survival is around 500 to 1000 people. A smaller group may not be enough because the population would be susceptible to natural disasters and/or genetic degradation due to inbreeding (lack of genetic randomness). However, it wouldn't be practical to have all 500 people housed in your base during the Containment phase. The group would just run through available resources too quickly. During this phase, try to form a group of up to 50 people and just hope that 10-20 other people throughout the world follow the Protocol and form outposts as well. [Take a moment to forward the Protocol to someone to be prepared for a zombie outbreak: http://zombie-protocol.blogger.com]

Gather the group and do an inventory of available supplies and personnel. Any injured people should be quarantined immediately. Keep an eye out particularly for weapons, flashlights, and communication devices (cell phones, walkie talkies, etc). Divide the group in half: Group A and Group B. Then, divide Group B in half: Group C and Group D. Group A will be in charge barricading all ground level and lower entry points, except for the Main Entrance, which can be closed, but isn't barricaded in case the building needs to be evacuated quickly. Once all entry points have been secured and barricaded, Group A will defend the Main Entrance. Group C will perform a floor by floor search of the building, working from the bottom to the top, barricading entry points, such as windows, and eventually to the roof. One person in Group C will be appointed the "Runner" to warn the rest of the group at the first sign of zombies. Group D will perform reconnaissance of the surrounding area, identifying nearby supplies, potential sources of zombies, and tactical weaknesses of the base. A "Runner" will also have to be appointed for Group D. Unfortunately, if you are alone, or too small of a group, performing these tasks concurrently will be difficult, so perform the tasks in the following order: Task A - secure ground level entry points, Task C - make sure the building isn't infested, and Task D - perform reconnaissance of the surrounding area.