Wednesday, September 6, 2017

Prepping Challenges 71 Thru 80--Protection

You are responsible for protecting yourself and your family at all times.  While you can call the police for help, they usually don't arrive until after the fact.  And during a disaster, you will be lucky if you can even get through to 911 so it is up to you to develop some basic protection strategies.

#71--You are safety aware at all times.  You pay attention to what is going on around you, you know what is going on in your community, in your country, and around the world, and you always lock your doors behind you.  You are careful of the places you go at night, you don't hang out with troublemakers who are a target all their own, and you don't flash your money around.  Basically you follow all of the basic safety tips that would otherwise be known as common sense.

#72--You take extra steps to make your home and vehicle safe.  At your home you have a fence around your property, safety doors and locks, a home security system, etc.  In your vehicle you have an alarm, a dash cam, etc.

#73--You know how to protect yourself physically if needed.  While hand-to-hand-combat should be the very last thing on your list of ways to protect yourself, you are skilled in martial arts of some sort and keep in good physical condition.

#74--You have determined if you want to use firearms for personal protection and have taken steps to do this in the safest, most effective way possible.  If you choose to use firearms, you understand how to store them safely, you are licensed for concealed carry, you practice with them often, and you have taken advanced classes in things like tactical shooting in order to become an effective shooter.

#75--You have other weapons on hand of varying leathality, and know how to use them.  Some people want to take a step down from firearms yet still keep some sort of weapon on hand to use in an emergency.  Things like a knife, baseball bat, kuboton, pepper spray, bear spray, etc. can be used to protect yourself.  Laws vary by jurisdiction about possession of these types of weapons and while any of these is better than nothing in an emergency, YMMV about their effectiveness.

#76--You take precautions when traveling, avoid unsafe areas, and follow general travel safety rules.  You know where the nearest embassy is, have given your itinerary to a trusted friend or relative, and keep in regular contact with folks back home to the point that they would know if something goes wrong due to your lack of contact.

#77--You try to keep yourself out of situations that can turn dangerous and are aware of steps to take if something like workplace violence, school violence, domestic violence, or terrorist activity happens where you are.

#78--You are careful about who you associate with.  Many crimes--from gang banger shootings to domestic violence murder-suicides to theft or robbery--occur between people who know each other or are otherwise associated.  The door-to-door salesman you let into your house may be casing your place for a future robbery or home invasion, the shifty guys you hang out with may be a target for violence and you could inadvertently end up in the cross-fire, the crazy ex could turn into a stalker or worse.  You can nip may of these problem in the bud by being choosy about who you hang out with or otherwise deal with.

#79--You always opt towards deescalating a situation instead of escalating it.  This is easier said than done when someone cuts you off in traffic, is acting like an aggressive idiot in the gym, or is otherwise asking for a good ass kicking but the potential outcome of escalating the situation to the point of violence (an assault or murder charge, court time, lawsuits, etc) simply isn't worth it.  Take a breath, adjust your attitude, and try to flip the situation to a happier outcome.

#80--You have the relationships, and social skills, to band with others during a disaster.  There is safety in numbers and when TSHTF do you alone want to deal with roving looters or would you rather band with the neighbors to ensure the safety of your home and neighborhood?  Having good social skills, and knowing who you can rely on during an emergency, can make survival situations go much better than being an individual alone.

Find more personal safety tips here, here, and here.

No comments:

Post a Comment