Situational Awareness Training
A. Self and Family Security & Protection
B. Emergency Preparedness & Plan to Evacuate
C. Active Shooter Safety Resources
B. Emergency Preparedness & Plan to Evacuate
C. Active Shooter Safety Resources
A. Self and Family Security & Protection
1. Don’t be predictable. Take a different route to work. Leave a little earlier. Leave a little later. Go to the store on a different day. Go to a different store.
2. Be aware of your surroundings. First, notice your surroundings. When you know your surroundings, you can take better notice of the things that are out of the ordinary. Consider whether you need to tell someone or react. Don’t presume changes in your surroundings are innocent or fine. (In other words, be just a little paranoid.) Just because you are at home, in your world, does not mean you can let your guard down.
3. Play the “what if” game. As you are taking your different route to work, ask yourself, what if that car pulls right out in front of you … where will you go? What if that truck doesn’t stop at its red light, do you have time to stop, someplace to go? What if the driver of the car in front of you slams on his brakes? Do you have time and distance to respond? You probably already do this, it is called defensive driving.
4. Be prepared. Mentally prepare yourself, believe and know that you can protect yourself and your family if you need to. In the training, we saw a video of a man who starts whacking a car that is sitting at a stop light with a large metal pipe. What would you do? Did you leave yourself enough room to maneuver away? Does it matter that the light is red? Would you go through it anyway? What if this was happening to the person in the car next to you? What would you do? By being mentally prepared, you can have the upper hand. Your aggressor will be surprised at your response, take advantage of that. But, if you are taken by surprise your ability to respond appropriately and adequately is limited. This does not mean to be provocative and ask for a confrontation. This is to be prepared and know how to respond if you are confronted.
5. Don’t make yourself vulnerable. Trust your gut. It has been said, your gut feeling is not just a guess, your gut feeling is your body reacting based upon knowledge or experience before your mind can fully process the information it is receiving. If you are out shopping and you notice someone frequently and they appear to be overly observant of or interested in, or acting out of normal (remember, point 4), trust your gut. Maybe he isn’t so innocent. Watch yourself when you would be most vulnerable … down the hall to the bathroom which is tucked way back in the corner or in the parking lot when no one else is around. If you feel vulnerable don’t be afraid to ask for assistance. I recently had a personal experience here. I was going into a store. A man standing a few stores down yelled and asked me for bus money. I told him I didn’t have any. He started yelling at me louder. I went into the store. When I was checking out, I noticed he was now standing in front of the store I had entered. I asked the clerk for someone to escort me out.
6. Be aware of who you are in the electronic world. A lot of information is out there about you. Public officials have records of where you live for tax and property ownership purposes. If you participate in any type of social media, are your settings the most secure they can be? What about your friends? Do they talk with you and then everyone can see? Be careful what you put out there and how much information you put out there about your family.
I did not write this with the intent of making you afraid of everything and discouraging you from leaving your house. But, I want you to be able to protect yourself. But, you must be proactive to do so. You need to be aware of your surroundings, and you need to have an idea of how you will respond if you are faced with a threatening situation.
2. Be aware of your surroundings. First, notice your surroundings. When you know your surroundings, you can take better notice of the things that are out of the ordinary. Consider whether you need to tell someone or react. Don’t presume changes in your surroundings are innocent or fine. (In other words, be just a little paranoid.) Just because you are at home, in your world, does not mean you can let your guard down.
3. Play the “what if” game. As you are taking your different route to work, ask yourself, what if that car pulls right out in front of you … where will you go? What if that truck doesn’t stop at its red light, do you have time to stop, someplace to go? What if the driver of the car in front of you slams on his brakes? Do you have time and distance to respond? You probably already do this, it is called defensive driving.
4. Be prepared. Mentally prepare yourself, believe and know that you can protect yourself and your family if you need to. In the training, we saw a video of a man who starts whacking a car that is sitting at a stop light with a large metal pipe. What would you do? Did you leave yourself enough room to maneuver away? Does it matter that the light is red? Would you go through it anyway? What if this was happening to the person in the car next to you? What would you do? By being mentally prepared, you can have the upper hand. Your aggressor will be surprised at your response, take advantage of that. But, if you are taken by surprise your ability to respond appropriately and adequately is limited. This does not mean to be provocative and ask for a confrontation. This is to be prepared and know how to respond if you are confronted.
5. Don’t make yourself vulnerable. Trust your gut. It has been said, your gut feeling is not just a guess, your gut feeling is your body reacting based upon knowledge or experience before your mind can fully process the information it is receiving. If you are out shopping and you notice someone frequently and they appear to be overly observant of or interested in, or acting out of normal (remember, point 4), trust your gut. Maybe he isn’t so innocent. Watch yourself when you would be most vulnerable … down the hall to the bathroom which is tucked way back in the corner or in the parking lot when no one else is around. If you feel vulnerable don’t be afraid to ask for assistance. I recently had a personal experience here. I was going into a store. A man standing a few stores down yelled and asked me for bus money. I told him I didn’t have any. He started yelling at me louder. I went into the store. When I was checking out, I noticed he was now standing in front of the store I had entered. I asked the clerk for someone to escort me out.
6. Be aware of who you are in the electronic world. A lot of information is out there about you. Public officials have records of where you live for tax and property ownership purposes. If you participate in any type of social media, are your settings the most secure they can be? What about your friends? Do they talk with you and then everyone can see? Be careful what you put out there and how much information you put out there about your family.
I did not write this with the intent of making you afraid of everything and discouraging you from leaving your house. But, I want you to be able to protect yourself. But, you must be proactive to do so. You need to be aware of your surroundings, and you need to have an idea of how you will respond if you are faced with a threatening situation.
B. Emergency Preparedness
- How will I receive emergency alerts and warnings?
- What is my shelter plan?
- What is my evacuation route?
- What is my family/household communication plan?
- Do I need to update my emergency preparedness kit?
- Different ages of members within your household
- Responsibilities for assisting others
- Locations frequented
- Dietary needs
- Medical needs including prescriptions and equipment
- Disabilities or access and functional needs including devices and equipment
- Languages spoken
- Cultural and religious considerations
- Households with school-aged children
Plan to Evacuate
Many kinds of emergencies can cause you to have to evacuate. In some cases, you may have a day or two to prepare while other situations might call for an immediate evacuation. Planning is vital to making sure that you can evacuate quickly and safely no matter what the circumstances.
Before an Evacuation
Before an Evacuation
- Learn the types of disasters that are likely in your community and the local emergency, evacuation and shelter plans for each specific disaster.
- Plan how you will leave and where you will go if you must evacuate.
- Check with local officials about what shelter spaces are available for this year (This may not apply in some countries).
- Identify several places you could go in an emergency such as a friend’s home in another town or a motel. Choose destinations in different directions so that you have options during an emergency.
- Be familiar with alternate routes and other means of transportation out of your area.
- Evacuation routes may be on foot depending on the type of disaster.
- Come up with a family/household plan to stay in touch in case you become separated; have a meeting place and update it depending on the circumstance.
- Assemble supplies that are ready for evacuation. Prepare a “go-bag” you can carry when you evacuate on foot or public transportation and supplies for traveling longer distances if you have a car.
- If you have a car:
- Keep a full tank of gas if an evacuation seems likely. Keep a half tank of gas in it at all times in case of an unexpected need to evacuate. Gas stations may be closed during emergencies and unable to pump gas during power outages. Plan to take one car per family to reduce congestion and delay.
- Make sure you have a portable emergency kit in the car.
- If you do not have a car, plan how you will leave if needed. Decide with family, friends
- Listen to a solar/ battery-powered radio and follow local evacuation instructions.
- Take your emergency supply kit.
- Leave early enough to avoid being trapped by severe weather.
- If time allows:
- Call or email the out-of-state/country contact in your family communications plan. Tell them where you are going.
- Secure your home by closing and locking doors and windows.
- Unplug electrical equipment such as radios, televisions and small appliances. Leave freezers and refrigerators plugged in.
- Wear sturdy shoes and clothing that provides some protection such as long pants, long-sleeved shirts and a hat.
- Check with neighbors who may need a ride.
- Call or email the out-of-state/country contact in your family communications plan. Tell them where you are going.
- If you are returning to disaster-affected areas, after significant events prepare for disruptions to daily activities.
- Let friends and family know before you leave and when you arrive.
- Charge devices and consider getting back-up batteries in case power-outages continue.
- Fill up your gas tank and consider downloading a fuel app to check for outages along your route.
- Bring supplies such as water and non-perishable food for the car ride.
- Avoid downed power or utility lines, they may live with deadly voltage.
- Only use generators outside and away from your home and NEVER run a generator inside a home or garage or connect it to your home's electrical system.
C. Active Shooter Safety Resources
An active shooter is an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area. Being aware of your surroundings is a first defense tool.
1. Evacuate If there is an accessible escape path, attempt to evacuate the premises. Be sure to:
2. Hide out If evacuation is not possible, find a place to hide where the active shooter is less likely to find you. Your hiding place should:
To prevent an active shooter from entering your hiding place:
If the active shooter is nearby:
If evacuation and hiding out are not possible: Remain calm.
3. Take action against the active shooter. As a last resort, and only when your life is in imminent danger, attempt to disrupt and/or incapacitate the active shooter by:
1. Evacuate If there is an accessible escape path, attempt to evacuate the premises. Be sure to:
- Have an escape route and plan in mind.
- Evacuate regardless of whether others agree to follow.
- Leave your belongings behind
- Help others escape, if possible
- Prevent individuals from entering an area where the active shooter may be.
2. Hide out If evacuation is not possible, find a place to hide where the active shooter is less likely to find you. Your hiding place should:
- Be out of the active shooter’s view.
- Provide protection if shots are fired in your direction (i.e., an office with a closed and locked door)
- Not trap you or restrict your options for movement.
To prevent an active shooter from entering your hiding place:
- Lock the door.
- Blockade the door with heavy furniture.
- Use floor to door stopper.
If the active shooter is nearby:
- Lock the door.
- Silence your cell phone and/or pager
- Turn off any source of noise (i.e., radios, televisions)
- Hide behind large items (i.e., cabinets, desks)
- Remain quiet.
If evacuation and hiding out are not possible: Remain calm.
3. Take action against the active shooter. As a last resort, and only when your life is in imminent danger, attempt to disrupt and/or incapacitate the active shooter by:
- Acting as aggressively as possible against him/her
- Throwing items and improvising weapons
- Yelling
- Committing to your actions