BLOG: Preparation is Vital

Oxford Dictionary Prepare: Make (something) ready for use or consideration.

• "Officials are currently preparing advice for consideration by the Government in the very near future."
• "We can talk about responsibility of educating our children and preparing them for a better future."

Prepared: Make (someone) ready or able to do or deal with something.

• "I don't know how I could have expected anything else in the circumstances, but somehow I wasn't prepared for this."
• "We trained really well on Tuesday and we are prepared for whatever they throw at us."

We prepare ourselves everyday for something. Some things take longer preparation time than others, some are more detailed and require more materials or equipment, some are even vital to our health and well-being. Do you have medicine of some type in your home? Maybe some cough medicine for you and your kids. Do you make sure your gas tank in your car has at least a fourth tank of gas? Do you get your coffee ready the night before? Do you get out your clothes for the next day and maybe get your keys, briefcase etc. ready for the next day? Do you have food stores in case of a tornado, flood etc.? Do you stretch before you exercise? the list goes on.

By now you should be able to tell where this is going, we all prepare everyday for something. Why do we do these things? You have medicine in case you or your kids get sick so they can feel better. You make sure you have enough in your vehicle in case you have to evacuate your home or maybe take someone to the emergency room or to just so you won't have to stop to get gas on your way to work. You get your coffee ready and your clothes and briefcase ready to save time in the morning and maybe so you don't forget something. You have food stores in case of a tornado or flood so you can feed your family. You stretch before you exercise so you don't pull a muscle. These are all very basic preparations that people take on an almost daily basis, some vary but in general, this is what we do because we don't want to be caught short. These are all risk mitigation measures that we take daily.

So my questions to you follow, as it is of great concern to me as a security and training professional.

1. If you prepare yourself everyday for something, to include the most minor things, why are you not preparing for an incident as dangerous as an active attacker (shooter)?
2. Why are you hesitant to face reality and learn skills that could save your life and possibly the lives of others?
3. Why are you not preparing yourself and family in the event you become a victim of a home invasion?
4. Why are you not seeking security and training professionals to receive training that could save the lives of your staff, management and patrons?
5. Why are you not seeking someone to conduct exercises to test and evaluate your preparedness from insider violence to other emergencies?

There are also the insurance benefits for home owners, business owners and churches depending upon your provider. There are many insurance providers that offer discounts to their clients for taking a proactive (prepared), approach to their safety and security to protect their people, places and assets.

With the constant terrorist attacks and rising crime rates, why are you not taking advantage of the many very well qualified security professionals that have dedicated their lives to training educating and protecting you? We are here for you, to provide you with peace of mind and empowerment. These are very real and very deadly threats that are not going away anytime soon and are growing in frequency and reach.

Unfortunately this has become the new norm, but that does not mean it is safe to ignore it and continue to live in denial. You hold the fate of yourself and others in your hands, you have the power to protect and defend yourself, your loved ones and coworkers, you just have to own it, you have to want it. Protecting those you are charged to care for is one of the most basic instincts but just having the "want", to protect them is not enough, in these violent times you must prepare, get educated, get trained, put your ego aside for the sake of yourself and others.

Too often the, "It doesn't happen here", "It won't happen here", "We don't have a budget for it", "We will call you if we need you", or, "I have my CCW so I am safe" thought process gets in the way of logical thinking and common sense. None of these are logical or common sense answers although they are the most common answers. These are answers are fueled by a misguided and misinformed way of thinking and a false sense of security. This logic just is not acceptable, it doesn't pass the common sense test and it puts you at a great risk of becoming a victim.

If you wait until something happens, it is already too late as the damage has been done, someone has been injured or killed, your business has been damaged and must close for a time, your valuables / assets have been stolen, lives have been changed and some will be scarred for life. Be proactive, be prepared.

Posted by Tim Easton on Aug 22, 2018