Tag: Intro

You can’t run away – Kelee Arrowsmith

You can run, but you can’t get away from crime. Everyone wants to leave South Africa because of crime. Not me.
Everyone tells you what you ALREADY KNOW; that violent crime is UP and that you need to be aware. You tell your kids “be careful”, but what does that mean? You are telling them what they already know. How about telling them HOW to be careful?
That’s the tough part.

Because of the HUGE international problem with drugs, crime is becoming a part of life worldwide. While I was in France last year (presenting a workshop on saving yourself in violent crime situations), a lady was hijacked, yes HIJACKED right outside the army barracks in Rennes (Western France). She was hijacked and raped.

How safe are you? 
How safe is your family? 
What is the cost of keeping them safe?

Let me give you clue about the cost of staying safe. It pales in comparison to the cost of being the victim of violent crime. The cost of crime is not only the total amount you have to spend on replacing the physical items that you loose; a much higher cost is the mental anguish that you and your family will suffer. This emotional distress continues long after the cost of the missing items has faded. The REAL cost of crime cannot be measured in money. 
When it comes to their safety, people fit into 3 main categories:

  1. I can take care of myself. You don’t need to read any further, you’ve got it covered. 
    2. What crime? See number 1. 
    3. I know there is crime but there is so much and it is so varied, I don’t know what to do. Read on.

People often say that they know all about crime. They see it on the TV, in the papers and on the internet. Reading about the various crimes that are perpetrated does help us to prepare against the bad guys to a certain degree and it is very important to stay up to date with the latest criminal trends. 

The problem is that we are mostly learning from the victims about how to protect ourselves, after the crime has happened, and that means that the best we can hope for is that the crime happens to someone else first, so that we can be prepared for it (maybe!). 

It is imperative to understand that the bad guys are constantly developing new ways to separate us from our hard earned money/car, etc., and that they are individuals and as such, there are thousands of new and ingenious schemes developed every day. So trying to play catch-up only makes us feel more helpless. 

HERE’S A WAKE UP CALL: Prevention is the best way, the easiest way, and the least expensive way. By prevention, I don’t mean run away or hide away in a castle. You still have to go to work. You still have to interact with the world. 

Staying safe is not about how expensive your alarm system is or how good the security at work is. You need to make safety a part of your life. Everyday. Everywhere. All the time. Staying safe is an ongoing, iterative project that needs to be planned (together with your family), tested (a plan that is not tested is only a theory) and put into production (made part of your life). 

Think you can make safety a part of your life? In my opinion, you have no choice.

When it doesn’t go as planned Clint Overland

Self-defense starts with hand washing. In that simple
statement lies one of the basic truths of life. If you are not willing
to wash your hands often then you are not really worried or prepared
for life to take a turn for the worse. I am taking a turn from my
normal rants and raves to try and help you be ready for things that
can happen to you in an instant, and sadly most people are not ready
for it. How is this pertinent to Conflict Management you may ask?
Simply put, conflict isn’t always about people at odds with one
another, it can often be about doing what you can to control your
circumstances.

In today’s world there are situations that arise
whether it is political, social or environmental that can cause a
major disruption in day to day existence. From coupe attempts to
hurricanes our system is so dependent on convenience and the
government that the majority of us are not ready to manage our lives
for a few short days without an almost total breakdown of society.
Look at New Orleans after Katrina or the effects of major snow storms
in the Northeast U.S. Power outages, fuel, food, water shortages, are
you ready if something occurs that you have no control over?

If you are not then please read on, is you are then
this may just be a way to see something that you have forgotten or did
not think about. Please feel free to take notes or add to the list of
things that I miss.

Five Gallon buckets are a life saver! What the hell
are you talking about, you may be asking and if you give me a moment I
will explain. You can purchase five gallon buckets at almost any
Walmart or home supply store. They are cheap, versatile and store
easily. I like to buy one or two at a time and the fill them with
necessities. Take the bucket, place in the center a 1 lbs. can of
coffee or box of tea. Around it you can then put a 5 lbs. bag of
beans, rice, cornbread mix, and salt/pepper. beef jerky, peanut
butter, etc. List on the outside of the bucket what is inside and you
now have a readily transportable supply of basic food. Do this with
whatever you think that you will need for seven days without basic
services. Medicine, first aid supplies, cooking implements, water
purifiers, blankets, you will be amazed at what you can store into
five gallon buckets. Just be sure that you can load and unload them in
a vehicle quickly, you don’t want to be trying to evacuate an area
quickly and find out that you can’t load your supplies because they
are too heavy. Don’t forget cleaning and sanitation supplies as well.
Most people in an emergency don’t have time to grab them but to
prevent contamination and disease this is a must. I like simple
bleach, clean rags, hand sanitizer and wet wipes. Don’t forget that
depending on your area you may need to also put bug repellant and
insecticide into the kit as well. I have been using pine sol as a bug
repellent in the back yard this summer and it has been working great,
plus it’s a dual purpose product, so that is a plus.

Remember you are only trying to maintain and control
as much of the situation as possible. It’s not about luxury but
mobility and survival. Have a tool kit already in place in your
vehicle, plus depending on your area and the weather conditions of
your local area place a few heavy work tools in your trunk. A snow
shovel in South Texas may not be the best choice but in Ohio it would.
I carry a shovel, small hand axe, crow bar and a couple of large
hammers in my Suburban just in case I need them for some reason. Plus
several cans of tire inflator and a portable air compressor for flats.
If you take time to set your vehicle up beforehand, then you have
already cut your evacuation rate time down and when every minute
counts seconds matter.

Remember folks this is not by any means a survival
guide, there are hundreds of people teaching survival and emergency
response if you are really interested. If asked my advice about whose
work I would use as my go to source I would recommend fellow
contributor Toby Cowern at Tread Lightly, Dave Canterbury at
Pathfinder Survival, and the Military Field Manuals available online
and at most good gun/survival stores. Also please as a part of you
Conflict training go and get your CPR and basic first aid training at
your local Red Cross, and practice them on a regular basis. Again when
every minute counts, seconds matter.