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.

First Hour After the Outbreak

Time frame: 0 to 1 hour after Outbreak
Phase: Containment

I've divided up the Zombie Outbreak Protocol into different phases, the first one being Containment. In terms of an outbreak, the catalyst would be the loss of containment, meaning the protocol begins at the point where things go out of control. The Containment Phase is focused on establishing containment, not of the entire situation or population, but of a subset of the previously contained area which is considered safe.

Let's assume that you have no prior knowledge of this outbreak and are taking action on-the-fly (no prior preparations). Of course, after reading through the Protocol, you may proactively take steps to expedite steps later on and gain a higher chance of survival.

Know what you're dealing with:
Since zombie outbreaks come in all shapes and sizes, it is key to find out as much as you can, as quickly as you can. If news reports indicate that it might be a zombie outbreak, assume it really is a zombie outbreak. Take note of how it is spread (bite vs. airborne) and what weaknesses the infected are exhibiting (adversity to light, decapitation, etc). This information may not be readily available, but keep an ear open while moving on to the next task.

Arm yourself:
Because you don't know where the outbreak started, you have to assume that the risk of attack is imminent and can come from any direction. Quickly grab the nearest close-range weapon within arms reach: knife, scissors, or even umbrella. Scan the nearby area and locate a mid-range swinging blunt object: bat, stick, or pipe. You may have to rely on this for the time being as firearms are probably not readily accessible (unless you live in Texas, or Newark, NJ).

Have others initiate the protocol:
After the first hour, the situation may be in utter chaos (depending on the particular infection you are dealing with), making communication rather difficult. Remember to always keep your cell phones/mobile devices fully charged. You don't know when you will have the luxury of charging it. Contact your closest family members, friends, and lieutenants and tell them to "Initiate the Protocol". The more people that can effectively follow the protocol in the event of an outbreak, the greater chance of survival of the human race.