Preamble:
Sir Robert Peel, (5 February 1788 – 2 July 1850) said; “The police are the community, and the community are the police” (Paraphrase). Though we do not wear a physical uniform, we are all responsible for our own safety, and for the safety of those around us within our community. We are our brothers, and sisters keepers, and we can all be good Samaritans, if we only take courage, know what our options are, and act on them within a standard basic level of comfort.
Within our society our reality mandates we prepare for divergent events, which may take place at any given moment. We often take cursory (brief/superficial) steps around emergency planning, or incident/event actions. Where we often fail is to understand this planning must be practiced, and second nature; when an incident or event take’s place, we must know our options.
Options:
1. Become proactive about your own safety; learn all you can about what you can do, (if you won’t take the time to keep yourself safe, why should anyone else?).
*”Tip” – This list of options is a great start!
2. Look and Listen – Every few minutes (lift your head, look around and listen to what is going on). If you are working in the library, walking through the quad, meeting at the café, or on a pathway, getting in or out of your home, car or space, make a deliberate effort to “safety check”. We can get lost in what we are doing running errands, keeping our schedule, or simply being absent minded,
*”Tip” – Set your watch or cellular to ring every (8/11/or17) eight, eleven or seventeen minutes, get in the habit of a “Self-Safety Check”.
3. Carry a whistle
A whistle allows you to draw attention to you, your location, or your situation; giving you a greater “voice”, when/where your natural voice may be unheard.
4. Carry a light source, a small light source allows for you to be seen/located in the dark, permits signaling, and gives visibility, when unexpectedly required.
(Last year 2010 – a cruise ship lost all power. Having limited flashlights this left passengers in the dark – to eat – moving intership – and yes even to use the restrooms.
5. Have a cell phone, (Be prepared to call 911 for help).
6. Walking and talking on the cellular phone – This can be a distraction from natural hazards in the pedestrian environment, (Cars, buses, cyclist, etc) as a distraction this can be unsafe for the user.
An unaware cell phone user places themselves at significant risk to attack and the other fore-mentioned hazards.
It is however a secondary option, and may deter individuals from attacking a person on the cell phone aware of their surrounding.
7. Know where you are. What part of the street/Campus/building/venue are you at. (Know these answers so first responders can get to you if you need help.
8. Carry a map of your location in your purse or back pack, refer to it when you need to
9. Be aware of landmarks, and reference points in your area. *geo/campus-tagging may help. (QR Codes and PDA may be assets to this)
10. Use Pda’s, email etc to broadcast/receive alerts
11. Be aware of community (safety) alerts, via news letters, bulletins, email or pda alerts, and public address announcements. See – Tipsoft www.smscrimetips.com
12. Know different entrances, and exits from your present location. If your main entrance or exit is blocked what others exist. Think doors, windows, pathways, fence breaks, causeways, think out of the norm (Box).
13. In an emergency where (you feel/believe) your safety is at risk know your options… Break windows to escape injury or harm (Be prepared to back up why you did what you did, if your safety was at risk (Colour of right type thinking prevails), if this does not exist in your environment you should be asking administrators and authorities why not! Each of us are responsible for our actions, and may subsequently be required to defend them in a court of law.
*Meaning – Colour of Right:
“The legal concept in some Commonwealth nations of an accused’s permission to use or convert an asset in the possession of another”.
14. Know when it is acceptable to call 911, know when you should be calling, 411/311, in your community
911 is called for emergencies, if you feel unsafe where you are, (if you or someone around you, need’s help, are lost, disoriented, are ill, if you witness a crime, or suspicious act) you MAY call 911
311 is called if you need Information about your CITY or environment where available, call 311 for non-emergencies. (Call 311 if you are lost but still feel safe where you are)
411 is called for Business’, or People contact information, call 411 for non-emergencies
15. Incorporate Crime Stoppers, and other tip lines into your environment
16. Be familiar with the operation and use of emergency equipment in your operational theater, (your school, office, mall, condo, Apartment complex, environment) Fire extinguishers – Pull stations – First Aid kits – Defibrillators – Fire Blankets
17. Know how your public address system works, and the various emergency Alerts used by your environment
18. Learn CPR and First-Aid, (Courses are available around the city)
19. Be familiar with (Be aware of) security/police liaisons/faculty advisors resident don’s
Personnel - Procedures
Services (such as escorts, mobile patrols, residence, in-class/on premise response(s)/mediation options/complaint procedures
Safety plans
Event Wardens and Marshalls
Safe zones
Contact numbers
20. Know where Safe zone, and Duress alarm locations are (This could save your life)
21. Know who your go to person is for various on site issues
22. Know where your local police, and fire stations are, and if there is a community station on campus
23. *”TIP” – When you go to any environment (School/Shopping Mall/Community center/etc) have their emergency contact “queued” in your recent numbers on your cell phone. (Dial and cancel the call when you get to different environments)
24. Use a buddy program when you travel – Meet up with (2/3) two or three, friends when you travel
25. *Make a safe call before and after you leave and arrive at a destination point
*Make a safe text
26. Have (Help/Emergency) words for friends ie. (Can you feed the Dog/Goldfish/Hamster), or another phrase or word you pre-plan with two or three separate friends
*(Make sure they understand they are part of your safe plan – practice responses once a week)
*”Tip” Redundancy is important, make sure you can call more than one friend, just in case the first friend doesn’t answer their phone
27. Give an idea to your location. You might say something like, “Can you feed the fish, I’m on my way home from the quad”. (keep this between yourself and your friend only)
Hopefully, your friend will understand (Because you pre-planned your help word(s), you are traveling in a direction towards your home, from the quad area, and you need help, as you don’t own a goldfish This will allow your friend to call 911 for you (If you can’t call 911 yourself) and give limited information to first responders
28. Use Close circuit television to your advantage – know where your cameras are, walk by cameras if you are being followed get the person following you on camera. Use your environment to your advantage.
*”Tip” ATMs, banks, convenience stores, and various office, school environments maintain camera systems, find others in your local community environment.
29. Have attend, daily, weekly, monthly safety meetings address issues become a contributor of ideas.
*”Tip” – Come to meetings informed of the agenda and current best practices, as not to make the meeting unnecessarily long or monotonous.
30. Develop a community safe plan committee, (*Blue42 Community “on campus” Taskforce
Dress Code:
31. Have a “Go bag” - Your bag should have simple things in it, a pair of comfortable shoes (Runners recommended) remember the socks! – One light jacket – bus/cab fare - $20-40 – back up Identification (photocopies)
More tips to come… suggest your tips to Blue42Global here.
Sean Semper-Whyte.
Community Advocate
