General “Mad Dog” Mattis once said, “Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet.” He was a war-time general; as civilians, NRA women don’t need to go that far, but it’s good advice to a certain extent. When you’re out and about, you should have a general plan of action or at least some options to improve your personal safety. You can’t just strap on a gun and think your safety is taken care of; you need the basics of a simple plan to handle things when it all goes sideways no matter where you are.
A lot of this boils down to just plain old paying attention, or what we often refer to as “situational awareness.” But these safety tips for general life and for what to do when you enter a room or a new space can help you learn what situational awareness really is and how to practice it.
Safety as a General Practice
Adopting these safety guidelines as part of your daily routine and way of life will go a long way to keeping you prepared to handle what comes your way.
Get to know your neighbors: You don’t have to be besties, but knowing your neighbors’ names and maintaining a casual relationship is very helpful. They’ll be more likely to look out for you and get familiar with your routine, notice whose cars park in your driveway regularly, and observe when something is just out of the norm at your place.
Keep up with the news: I’m not a big consumer of news—it’s just so negative—but you should keep a casual eye on your local news to stay aware of what’s going on in your area. It’ll keep you abreast of when and where crime happens in your town or city so you can make informed decisions about where you go.
Know where your local police and fire stations are: You’ve probably heard the common wisdom that if you’re ever driving and feel unsafe, like you might be being followed, you should pull into a local police station. This is a smart tip, so know where the stations are in your town.
Stay in control: You’ll be safer if you remain in a clear frame of mind, which means getting drunk in public, particularly around strangers, is a risky proposition.
Never be afraid to back out of a situation: Listen to your intuition, and if something doesn’t feel right, do not let the fear of embarrassment, social stigma, or anything else make you stay in a situation you’re not comfortable in.
Act like you own it: Confidence can go a long way to making you look like an undesirable victim to a criminal. Walk tall, looking around you. If you are lost somewhere, put on your best fake-confidence face and walk with purpose to a safe, populated space where you can check your phone or ask for directions. Wandering around clearly looking lost, with your face buried in your phone, screams “potential target.”
When You Enter a Room
When you first walk into a new space, whether it’s a restaurant, a doctor’s office, an outdoor music venue or anywhere else, make a habit of checking off the following items. They revolve around gathering information, which can be a serious time-saver if something goes haywire and you need to put a plan into action quickly. Having this information will form the basis of a plan anywhere you are.
Do a lap: When you enter a room, if possible, walk around the space, using a bathroom break or something else as an excuse to cross the room if you need to. This is a simple fact-finding mission to familiarize yourself with the space.
Note the exits and the cover: Make a mental note of where the exits are, including windows and doors to other rooms. Where’s the cover you could use if you needed to protect yourself and couldn’t get out? Where’s the concealment? Remember, they are not the same.
Face the main entrance: You probably already do this as part of your routine, and you might not even understand why. Taking a seat facing the main entrance allows you the greatest chance to notice any threat that walks through the door. Bonus points if the seat also gives you a good view of the entire space.
Do a quick threat scan: Nearly everyone in the room will be going about their business, posing no threat to anyone. You can ignore these ignorables and quickly make note of anyone that’s out of place. Those are potential problems to keep an eye on.
Identify the helpers: When you’re doing that quick assessment of who’s in the space, look for the people who look like they’d be useful or reliable in an emergency. Make a note of the uniformed EMT, the big teddy-bear-looking guy, the woman who looks like she might be carrying concealed. Tip: As you scan, you can make yourself less conspicuous by avoiding eye contact with people and simply looking at their waists instead. That’s where a gun is most likely to be, and it still gives you a good look at them without making it seem like you’re staring.
Think like a criminal: Put yourself in a criminal’s shoes for a moment. If you wanted to rob the place, where would you go first (where’s the money?) If you were a terrorist-type active shooter, where would you enter and in which direction would you start shooting? If you wanted to ambush or isolate someone, where would you try to approach them and where would you try to spirit them off to?
The whole lap, scan and threat assessment will only take you a minute or less every time you enter a new room, but it will give you a wealth of information about the space and the people in it that can form at least the basics of an emergency plan. You’re essentially shortcutting most of the “observe” step out of the OODA loop (observe, orient, decide, act), which puts you ahead of the curve when things go sideways and you’ve got to implement an action plan to stay safe.
