Personal Security - National Preparedness Month

By Tim Gamble

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September is National Preparedness Month. Monday's article was a deep dive into situational awareness and the OODA-loop (article link). Tuesday's article was a more in-depth look at home security (article link). This article will take a more detailed look at personal security.

The Foundations

The foundation of personal security is situational awareness (link to Monday's article). It is much more than just paying attention to what is going on around you, though that is an important start. It means both knowing what to look for, and how to assess (make decisions about) your surroundings. The end goal for situational awareness is correct action. Monday's article is a deep dive into situational awareness. Please read it if you haven't yet. 

Another foundational aspect of personal security is emotional control. You are not going to do well in any situation if you get overly-emotional, panic, or freeze. Here are five tips to help you retain emotional control:

• Resolve any mental health issues you may have, ASAP. (article link)
• Practice. Practice. Practice. Learn self-defense skills, shooting skills (not just target practice), fire safety skills, first aid skills, and other skills before you need them. This will instill confidence and help you remain calm. The more deeply you learn the skills, the more confident you will be.   
• Know your priorities in emergency situations. (article link)
• Learn the Navy Seal's "Box Breathing" technique. (article link)
• Get right in your relationship with God. (article link)

General Tips

• Survival starts with your physical body. Make taking care of your health and fitness a top daily priority.
• Wear practical shoes and clothing. Something you can easily move in and run while wearing.
• Be wary of people who look out-of-place, are loitering, seem to be paying close attention to you, or who act nervous.
• Keep your phone fully charged. 
• Shop in groups. 
• Park in a highly visible, well-light location near the entrance to minimize chances of ambush and muggings. 
• Before getting out of a car or walking out of a building, look out a window first to identify possible dangers.
• Avoid the dangerous areas of town. Do you even know what sections are dangerous in your area? Find out.   
• Letting people know where you are going and when to expect you back.
• Don't make yourself a target by wearing expensive, flashy clothes & accessories, or driving an expensive car. 
• Don't make yourself a target by appearing easy prey. Wear practical shoes and clothes.  walk confidently, head up.  Don't become engrossed in your phone. Be alert! 
• Paying attention to your surroundings. Don't become distracted by your phone and other electronic devices.
• Consider a personal safety alarm (Amazon link) to carry on your key chain, or in your pocket or purse. 
• Consider your privacy. Don't overshare personal information on social media.
• Don't let your guard down just because you are at home, or in a "safe" neighborhood or store. 
• If you live in or near a mega-city, please consider moving somewhere safer. No area is perfectly safe, but some areas are much less safe than others. 
• If your city is already "dying" (like Detroit is, and there are others), get out now. Things will only get much worse.

Self-Defense

I strongly believe in the unalienable right of self-defense, including the defense of others. It is a biblical concept, guaranteed to us in the Constitution and Bill of Rights, but given to us by God, not government, the courts, or even a majority vote. Therefore, it cannot be legitimately taken away by any government or worldly authority. I strongly urge you to stand firm on our rights of self-defense, and the tools thereof.

Everyone in your family and group  should take a regular self-defense course (you can find age appropriate courses). A good self-defense course won't just cover the physical aspects of self-defense, but also give tips and advice on avoiding dangerous situations in the first place.

Self-defense is also the health, fitness, training, and tactics we need to effectively defend ourselves and others.

Re-read that last line: "Self-defense is also the health, fitness, training, and tactics we need to effectively utilize these tools for self-defense."  This is the key part of self-defense that is so often overlooked. I encourage everyone to take their health and fitness seriously. And please realize that "training and tactics" is more than an occasional Saturday afternoon target shooting at the gun range. Start taking defensive shooting classes, and planning with your family or group how you will handle certain self-defense situations. See the book Retreat Security and Small Unit Tactics (Amazon link) by David Kobler (Southern Prepper 1) and Mark Goodwin for more information regarding group self-defense.

Firearms 

I recommend that most folks own and learn how to use a gun, and to carry on an everyday basis if possible (know and follow the laws in your area). Consult with your local gun dealer - they will be able to help you pick out an appropriate sidearm for you, guide you to a good self-defense firearms training course, and make you aware of applicable gun laws.

New to guns? Check out The Gun Guide for People Who Know Nothing About Firearms (Amazon link). This book is a short, easy-to-understand introduction to firearms.

If there are firearms in the house, every member of that household should take a gun safety course (age appropriate ones are available). Your local gun store should be able to help you with this. The NRA also has a gun safety program for children (check out the NRA website to find the details). Teach your children to respect guns, not fear them.

First Aid

Have a good first aid kit at home, at work, and in your vehicles. The best serious Individual First Aid Kit (IFAK) on the market, in my opinion, is the Bear IFAK (Affiliate link) by Refuge Medical. It's not a boo-boo kit, but a real trauma kit. High-quality, American-made, not cheap China-crap. Lots of other first aid kits and medical supplies are also available at Refuge Medical. All Dystopians (that means you) receive 10% OFF at checkout when using my affiliate links. 

Everyone in your family/group should learn first aid. Please take a first aid course as soon as possible. Places you may be able to find a basic first aid course include your local YMCA, fire department, rescue squad, or community college. You also may be able to organize a course through your church, scouting organization, or a local community or civic club. More advanced courses in first aid and trauma aid can be had through Refuge Training (Affiliate link). 

In need of a first aid handbook? I recommend the ACEP First Aid Manual (Amazon link). It is more up-to-date than the current Red Cross one (2014 vs. 1992). 

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