SITUATIONAL AWARENESS - The art of anticipating risks and being ready for them
There’s an old saying that goes “to be forewarned is to be forearmed”. The expression originated as a latin proverb Praemonitus, praemunitus which was translated into English in the 1500s. It was soon put to broader use than its original military applications.
In essence it means knowledge in advance enables one to be prepared.
How many times have you looked back on a situation that went pear shaped for you and thought “ If only I had done it this way” or “I wish I had of listened to so and so”. These are clearly cases of hindsight, the antithesis of Praemonitus, praemunitus.
So, in the context of security, how does one gain knowledge in advance in order to be prepared? The answer (for those struggling to find a crystal ball) is develop your Situational Awareness.
There are several definitions of Situational Awareness but the one I like goes something like this “picking up on cues from the environment, putting those cues together to understand what is going on, and using that understanding to aniticpate what may happen next.”
Those who have had careers where conflict or life endangering situations could be a daily occurrence ( e.g Law Enforcement, Emergency services, Military) will attest to the fact that Situational Awareness was probably one of the most important tools in their kit and those that honed the skill increased their chances of survival in dire situations exponentially.
Of course, the aforementioned occupations also have all the benefits of technology, enhanced communications and even weapons to mitigate the risk.
But what about those of us who do not have access to such things? The good news is that Situational Awareness is a skill that can also be honed by everyday people with everyday lives.
How many of you make it your business to check the weather forecast each day? That’s right we’ve all done it prior to launching the boat or planning the next outing at the beach so why wouldn’t you do your homework to protect yourself, your family, your staff, your business, your customers etc etc.
When it comes to personal safety , it’s well worth taking the time to develop your “S.A”
Here’s some basic tips to get you started;
1. S URROUNDINGS - Be aware of them – before entering and upon entering. Different locations will present different risks. Make a mental assessment of what these might be. The ideal time for that assessment is before you set off to a new destination, who knows, you may prevent yourself from being exposed to a dangerous situation in the first place
2. P EOPLE. Take notice of them – are they behaving in a way that is out of kilter with what else is going on around you. Are they intoxicated, drug impaired, loud, obnoxious? These may be cues to help you plan your next step
3. E XIT POINTS – you should know where your closest exit point is to allow you the quickest means of extricating yourself from danger. Think of the pre flight safety briefings a Flight Attendant would give you prior to take off
4. A NTICIPATE – learn to predict what the worst case scenario could be for your current location
5. R EHEARSE - mentally rehearse how you might want to extricate yourself from the anticipated risk
6. I NSTINCTS – trust them. If something feels wrong then it probably is
7. B E ALERT – if you think your in a potentially vulnerable situation then remain vigilant until the perceived risk is gone
Think of the acronym S.P.E.A.R.I.B !!
Remember, no one expects you to be hyper vigilant 24/7. To do so would drive you nuts but being able to pull your S.A skills out of the tool box when required will greatly enhance your ability to survive tricky situations when they do occur.
Be sure to stay tuned for more insights on how to make your world a little bit safer.
Let’s be careful out there