Data or information is critical for survival. Knowledge is power.
Processing information for future use can make the difference between life and death. Knowing how to respond to a security situation depends largely on what we know about the contributing factors.
I always make mental notes about things like exit and fire extinguisher locations, parking lot access, side roads, directions to the local hospitals and police stations etc.
Consider your environment to be like your bubble, concern yourself with what you can influence and more importantly, what might effect you inside the bubble. As you move to a new environment be it a room, a parking lot, a sports arena whatever it is regardless of size, you need to recalibrate the bubble. Now the exits may be one hundred yards away instead of five. Know the difference and plan for them. In Vietnam the veterans called it the thousand yard stare.
Moreover I pay attention to people that pay attention to me. Nothing and I mean nothing should stand out more to you then strangers that take an interest. When I was doing plain clothes loss prevention work, I would train new staff to pay attention to people that watched you. Only two types of people will ever pay attention to the security professional, another security professional or a perp. Lets face it, some folk stand out to certain types if you know what to look for. This is what you are looking for, the people that stand out to you. People that make you their agenda. Almost everybody has an agenda, they go about their business with their mind on what they are doing and little else unless something obvious breaks the bubble and forces us to take notice. My shopping habits should not interest you, so why would you be watching me? Is this person sizing me up? Am I being selected? Is it beyond my ability to effect change? Being caught flat footed is not a healthy feeling. We are vulnerable.
We call this living in the white.
On a "color" scale of awareness the levels are:
White.........Oblivious, single minded......Victim.
Yellow........Receptive to outside distraction.
Orange.......Guarded and aware, able to adjust to stimuli, "paying attention".
Red............Full alert, fight or flight reflex initiated, and you are ready to react.
Black......... I'm sorry, You didn't make it, we will send flowers.
So without much explanation we know we don't want to be White or Black. The most you should ever let down your guard will be to the Yellow level. With practice and a sharpened mind set you can achieve Orange without it being obvious to others or rising your blood pressure.
Its like driving on a crowded freeway, we should be relaxed but have complete situational awareness. New drivers are scared and it shows in their body language that is transferred through the car. We can tell they are nervous long before we pull along side and see the student driver decal. Learn to pay attention.....force yourself. A very wise man once told me that anything I forced myself to do every day for a month would be with me for the rest of my life.
Very True.
Gather Intel, don't be surprised by the situation and prepare to react. These are the standards of situational awareness.
Learn Orange awareness, become comfortable there and make it your daily standard. When we are safe at home, with all the doors locked and the safety systems in place, then and only then may you slip into a White mind set.
Watch your six
RJ
