Situational awareness is “knowing where I am, what’s around me, what’s going on in my surroundings and my place in them.”
-Dan Schilling
It quite simply means that – especially during holiday shopping – I need to be aware of my surroundings and any potential risks.
Here are some tips and tricks to stay situationally aware this holiday season!
Know Before You Go – Check your mall’s social media pages and even local news channels before heading out to your favorite destination. Make certain everything is as it should be so you’re not unknowingly putting yourself in a situation where your safety could be in jeopardy.
Shop with a Friend – Shopping with a friend isn’t just more fun; it’s safer too. Criminals are less likely to target a group of people. There is always safety in numbers.
Purse Protection – When possible wear a cross body purse that can’t be easily pulled off your shoulder or out of your hands. But in addition to that, keep your purse organized. Having to dig through your purse looking for an item puts you in a vulnerable situation where your head is down and your focus is elsewhere.
Park Smart – Park in well lit areas & have your keys in hand as you walk to your car. Take a photo of where you parked, so you don’t find yourself wandering the parking lot. Don’t ever hesitate to ask for an escort to your car. Most malls happily provide this service.
Get the App – Some malls have apps that can be used for coupons or savings, but in addition to that, it’s also a mass notification tool. You can also use this to have access to the mall’s security or simply save the security office’s phone number in your contacts.
Cards not Cash – Thieves love cash, so the less you carry on your person the better. Additionally, cards are quicker to pay with. It can be a good idea to have a photo of the front and back of your credit card, and really everything in your wallet, in the unfortunate event that it is stolen. Keep those images in a safe at home or on secure cloud storage.
Just Say No to Earbuds – it’s just not a good idea. It’s virtually impossible to be situationally aware when you can’t hear what’s going on around you. This simply means your attention is elsewhere and dulling one of your senses.
Pay Attention to Digital Signs – Digital Signage can be bright and flashy and in malls is typically used for advertising, but in an emergency Status Solutions turns those signs into a mass notification tool. Pay attention to them as you walk by.
See Something Say Something Do Something – We all know the adage of “If you see something, say something,” but people are still hesitant to report suspicious behavior for fear of being wrong or they assume someone else will do so. We have to quit fearing being wrong. It’s worth the risk when it could save lives, and that life could be your own. Additionally, you must be willing to Do Something. In the event of an emergency, be willing to Run, Hide, Fight. Do whatever it takes to get yourself to safety.
The sooner you can detect something isn’t right, the sooner you can react and get to safety.
