What would (could) you do if you were confronted with a real emergency?
Are you prepared to react to an incident that puts your life or life style at risk?
Most people are not. We call the majority of these kinds of people VICTIMS. Oh some will fare well, saved by chance or good luck or most often by a well trained responder. They slip though the cracks and have a great story to tell on the other side. But surviving doesn't make you a survivor, only you can do that.
During the attacks of 911, thousands of people that were no place near the action were displaced, confused, affected by the incident. My Uncle worked not far from the towers and learned the hard way how fast the rules can change. After hearing of the first impact, he tuned the TV to the local news for official information. he got on the phone to touch base with his wife and although concerned, he got back to work. It was a terrible accident but the world goes on. Minutes later the rules changed. It was obvious after the second impact that this was no accident and the day took the first of many turns very few were prepared for.
My Uncle is a stylish business man more at home in a Yves Saint Laurent suit and Italian loafers then what I commonly ware. It is the uniform of the day for the clientele he services in Manhattan. However, for hiking miles out of a combat zone these trappings are less then adequate. I have worked with office staff that couldn't wait to remove their high heels and slip on the sneakers for the long walk across the parking lot to the car. They know that some clothes were meant to be seen in and others are for the real world.
My Uncle's walk up town to escape the incident was met with crowds of scared and desperate people with one thing on their mind....survival! Confusion and fear ran through the streets.
Few were prepared.
Who knows when it will happen? A fire at a mall, a school shooting, the crash of a commercial jet liner, a chemical incident, another terrorist event. These days we control everything and nothing. Man has for his convenience placed himself in his own obstacle course. As long as we follow the course and things stay predictable, we get on just fine. If something upsets that apple cart, few of us know how to respond. We instinctively look for leaders in the crowd. A Shepard to guide the sheep.
Be your own Shepard.
Home and safe, showered and fed, my Uncle followed the news like the rest of us and asked how this could have happened. He was thankful for his retrospective viewpoint. For others the world changed forever and they would never have an opportunity to be analytical or philosophical again.
It is a frightening realization to feel truly vulnerable. The sad thing is, it does not take much to make us less vulnerable yet few of us take those steps. Why? fear of ridicule perhaps, being labeled a paranoid. These names and labels lost all real meaning on the tip of Manhattan on September 11 2001 and in the halls of Columbine High school in 1999 and in the skies over Lockerbie Scotland in 1988.
Do not shirk from these labels, embrace them and teach others to do the same.
Uncle's new rules:
Credit is fine in a atmosphere of cooperation, during times of crisis CARRY CASH!
Think about footwear, you may need to stand / walk for hours, if you can't ware them, at least have a back up pair with you.
Never rely on the sun or office fixtures for light. These fail or can be transient. CARRY A PERSONAL LIGHT on you.
Remember what I always say:
When you are in the dark, the guy with the light makes the rules, BE HIM.
A N95 filter mask or two should be in your desk draw, glove box, rain coat. Fold them flat in a zip lock bag and forget they are there until you need them. Even better are the activated carbon masks that filter out some chemicals as well as dust.
A small blade. That's right, a knife. It is no crime for a gentleman to carry a pen knife in fact growing up every man I knew had a pen knife in his pocket. Being able to cut cord, curtains, seat belt, duct tape, clothing or anything else the situation might call for may be paramount. Check local regulations for styles, type and sizes then put it in your pocket and leave it there, never leave home without it and KEEP IT SHARP. Don't show it off, its a tool not a toy.
I don't know many people that go about their daily business without a cell phone but I would be remiss if I did not add it to our list.
A basic first aide kit in the office or car might mean the difference between okay and down for the count.
If you ware them, an extra pair of eye glasses is always worth having.
Have a plan. Consider how you might remove yourself from an incident if the usual methods of conveyance were gone, elevators out, roads blocked, trains not running, air ports closed. Are you able to walk/run for a bit to gain distance, taxi might work if you flash cash in their face or perhaps support from friends or family.
The point is DON'T WAIT! prepare now, think about it....what if?
Chance favors the prepared mind.
Plan it ! Pack it ! Practise it !
Watch your six
RJ
