Fourth Day After the Outbreak

Time frame: 4 Days after Outbreak
Phase: Self-Sufficiency

It's only been 4 days and by now, society as you know it has probably been overrun by zombies (if not sooner). Luckily (relatively speaking), you've followed the Protocol and managed to create a small bubble of safety for yourself and anyone else fortunate enough to have followed you. Now that this whole situation is starting to fully sink in, there are two important points to remember:

1) At this stage, Stealth is key.
The initial onset of the Outbreak means that there are mobs of zombies roaming all around you looking for any people to eat/rip apart/convert. Your current Base of Operations (barricaded building) is not equipped to withstand a full rampage of zombies. At most, your Base of Ops can only deter a handful of curious, scavenging zombies. This is why Stealth is key. You need to make sure that the zombies are unaware that your Base of Ops exists. Otherwise, their single-minded brains will cause them to relentlessly attack your base, drawing even more zombies to your location.

Although highly discouraged, if you absolutely must venture outside of your Base of Ops, you must rely on Stealth and Speed. If you are faster than the average person, you should be able to avoid the standard zombie, though will probably be caught by zombies of the rage-filled variety. Also, remember that zombies DO NOT get tired! They will chase you without rest until they've caught you, they've found easier prey, or they've lost the ability to follow you. Avoid drawing attention to yourself and if a mob does find you, DO NOT run back to your Base of Ops. Find a place to hide though you probably still will be found, but at least your Base of Ops won't be overrun.

2) No one is coming to save you.
Local law enforcement and even the Army is fairly ill-equipped to handle a Zombie Outbreak. The best that you can hope for is that they are trying to Quarantine the area affected by the Outbreak to prevent an extinction-level event (though this rarely works). Heck, they may even be behind the Outbreak in the first place, meaning their objective is to clean up after themselves, rather than save you. This means that no one is coming to your rescue, so you are on your own. Also, if you have access to a radio or some form of communication, DO NOT tell them to come to your Base of Ops. They will only open up potential holes in your security and lead mobs of zombies to your location. If you are able to get in contact with other survivors, tell them to find shelter and establish their own Base of Operations. If possible, relay to them as much of the Zombie Outbreak Protocol as possible.

First to Third Hour After the Outbreak

Time frame: 1 to 3 hours after Outbreak
Phase: Containment

Depending on the speed of the particular strain that you are dealing with determines how much time you have to establish Containment. First, assess the situation. Has mass hysteria taken over yet? By the end of the 3rd hour, local law enforcement and/or the Army has set up some sort of barrier to try and filter people and prevent the infection from spreading. This will undoubtedly cause bottlenecks of crazed people trying to escape. Try to avoid these areas as people who are panicking tend to act stupidly and may cause your inadvertent death before you even come into contact with an actual zombie. Besides, if they decide to close the gates (or blow up the bridges, ala I am Legend) you would have wasted valuable time waiting in line to get to an area where the infection will eventually reach anyways.

At this point, with all the people stuck at these choke points, the streets may be pretty empty. Beware of panicked people and/or looters, and of course, the zombies. There is no good reason why someone would need to run right at you, so if they do, yell things like "Don't come any closer" and be prepared to defend yourself.

You will now have to determine where you will establish containment (a place to hide). If you have the option, pick a building of medium size to establish your home base. Consider the following points when determining the base:

• Avoid areas near triages, as they will attract the zombie hordes with the smell of blood.
  
• Look for buildings that DO NOT have large glass windows in the first 2 floors as this makes defense rather difficult.
  
• Buildings with access to large quantities of general supplies, such as a mall (ala Dawn of the Dead) or a Wal-Mart, are a huge advantage. Home Depots and other home repair stores are also desirable because it makes building defenses easier.
  
• The fewer potential entry points there are, the better.
• Taller buildings will offer better vantage points, but buildings that are too large may take too long to secure.
• Look for a structure that has a relatively clear surrounding area, so that approaching zombies can be seen from far away.
• If there have to be nearby buildings, make sure that zombies cannot gain access to your building from adjacent buildings.
  
• If the city is about to be carpet bombed (a la 28 Weeks Later), find a base that can withstand the blast, or has a bomb shelter.
  

Once you've decided, start making your way towards your new base. Communicate your coordinates (street intersection, gps coordinates, major landmarks) to your family, friends and soldiers and tell them to meet you there. If you can gain access to a truck or SUV, use that to get to your base. However, ONLY do this if the streets are deserted, otherwise you will just get stuck in traffic. Grab any firearms you can find, but try not to take it from local law enforcement because they will probably just shoot you.