Prevention and Awareness
Prevention is the best way to avoid problems in your community. There are several different strategies we can use to prevent bad things from happening to you and your community.
To prevent disasters and be aware of them, you must maintain vigilance.
Vigilance: Situational awareness. Being alert for a situation before it happens.
Awareness
One of the most powerful tools you can have in preventing issues before they arise is to be aware. Look for suspicious situations.
Examples of suspicious activities that should be reported. The examples below have been linked to terrorist activities
- People acting strangely or out of the ordinary events.
- People taking flying lessons who do not care about learning how to land or take off.
- Excessive purchases of fertilizer by non-farmers. This could suggest a bomb factory.
- Purchasing or requesting laboratory equipment for individuals who are lacking proper credentials to obtain such materials.
Other examples of suspicious activities that should be reported
- Threatening messages on social media platforms.
- Viewing or sharing inappropriate or sinister content on social media.
- Stockpiling weaponry.
- High volume of traffic going to or coming from a residence on a daily basis, or at unusual hours.
- An individual loitering around schools or public areas, or driving repeatedly on the same stretch of road.
- Multiple people acting in the same suspicious manner.
Avoidance
When you notice something suspicious, avoid it and alert authorities to the issue.
For example, if you see a suspicious package, do not pick it up, open it, or shake it. If you see someone who is acting strangely or deranged, do not approach them, and alert authorities promptly.
Be well
Wellness is more than just a trendy concept – it is essential to your ability to be resilient in the face of adversity.
Did you know?
Forty percent of deaths to firefighters at the scene of a fire are not caused by burns or smoke inhalation; they are caused by heart attacks on the scene.
To be resilient, you need to strive to be as physically fit as possible and to maintain that level of fitness.
To achieve a high level of fitness, we need to understand the form and function of the body. See our course “Ask Dr. Rob: Form and Function” to learn more about the different bodily systems, and how you can utilize this information to become resilient.
Tip List
Awareness and avoidance are the simplest things that facilitate prevention. Sometimes you cannot avoid being in the midst of a disastrous situation. Plan on how to deal with those situations. Having a definite plan, therefore, is key to resiliency.
Some of these tips are simplistic and common sense, and you are probably aware of many of them. However, when disaster strikes, you may not act as you want in the moment due to high stress levels, adrenaline, and confusion.
- Get smart about your body. Learn what you need to in order to get fit and stay in shape, then pursue it aggressively and stay in shape.
- Eliminate inequalities in your community. The greater the sense of kinship that your community has generated in ordinary times, the less of a challenge it will face in difficult situations.
- Be aware of health and safety risks that you may face.
- Be aware of escape routes in your place of work, your place of worship, and any building/facility where you regularly spend time. If you are vacationing in a hotel, glance over the fire exit diagram. It only takes a moment, and it is a smart and conscientious thing to do so.