Zombie Guard of the United States

Recent bipartisan discussions about potentially reorganizing or eliminating the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) highlight uncertainty about centralized emergency management (Government Executive, 2025). Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s recent remarks on FEMA’s possible elimination, combined with legislative proposals to significantly restructure it, underscore the need for sustainable alternatives at the community level.

These developments affirm the rationale behind organizations like the Zombie Guard of the United States (ZGUS). Founded in 2011, ZGUS operates independently from government agencies. It receives no governmental authorization, oversight, or funding. Instead, ZGUS is entirely volunteer-based, driven by community members dedicated to building local resilience, enhancing leadership capacities, and improving emergency response.

Currently, ZGUS is in the early stages of strategically pivoting to become the fully operational organization originally envisioned. Although not yet prepared to deliver large-scale emergency management capabilities, ZGUS is actively engaged in initial planning, organizational restructuring, volunteer training strategies, and capacity-building initiatives. Our goal is to evolve into an agile, highly effective, volunteer-driven organization capable of independent emergency preparedness and leadership at the local level.

ZGUS’s guiding philosophy emphasizes the importance of community-driven preparedness, particularly when centralized federal responses face bureaucratic delays or political uncertainty. Recent discussions surrounding FEMA highlight exactly why grassroots organizations like ZGUS must exist. Community preparedness must be flexible, adaptable, and reliable, irrespective of changes at the federal level.

Volunteerism remains central to the future success of ZGUS. We are developing structured training programs, educational resources, and community engagement activities to prepare our volunteers thoroughly. Over time, ZGUS aims to equip local leaders and citizens with practical skills and tools necessary for effective crisis management.

The current FEMA restructuring debate validates the ZGUS approach. It also motivates our ongoing efforts to grow into an effective, community-centered emergency response organization. As we continue this journey, we remain committed to fostering local leadership and empowering communities to respond effectively, independently, and confidently in the face of crisis.

Reference:

Government Executive. (2025, March). FEMA set for elimination, Noem says, amid bipartisan House reform proposal. Retrieved from Government Executive

When the sirens fade and the lights go dark,
When the strong must rise, when the weak embark,
A call goes out through the silent air—
Stand with the Guard, be ready, beware.

Not a fantasy, nor a fleeting game,
Not a fiction wrapped in blood and flame.
But a lesson carved in history’s stone—
When the world goes cold, you stand alone.

The Guard was born from a simple creed:
Prepare today for tomorrow’s need.
Not just for monsters that stalk the night,
But storms and fires, the loss of light.

A neighbor’s hand, a watchful eye,
A shelter built beneath the sky.
Not just weapons, not just might,
But wisdom’s torch to pierce the night.

We train, we plan, we learn, we grow,
Through trial’s fire, through ice and snow.
Not to conquer, not for war,
But to stand when others can no more.

A farmer’s field, a blacksmith’s trade,
A healer’s touch, a barricade.
We guard the town, we guard the land,
We guard the future, hand in hand.

So when the tide begins to rise,
When fear takes hold in weary eyes,
Remember well—no fate is sealed,
With strength of heart and sword of shield.

For the Zombie Guard still stands today,
A light that will not fade away.
A call to all, both strong and true—
The Guard is here. Will you stand too?

Zombie Guard of the United States

EMA’s Uncertain Future Reinforces the Need for Volunteer-Led Community Preparedness

The Zombie Guard of the United States