Communication

       In any stressful situation communication can be the one thing that can pull you through. Whether you’re in a bad situation and need to bug out or you’ve walked into a confrontation with an unscheduled opponent, communication could be your safety net. Communication is important to anybody no matter their life situation. We use it daily at work and interacting with people around us. It is only through communication that ideas are passes, problems solved and lives saved. Training will help, initiative is great but nothing will get done if there isn’t some sort of initial communication.

       As a newly appointed Watch Commander in charge of a 35 man security team I learned quickly the importance of communication. I was not the typical, hard-nosed, TV-style commander you see running a police force. I was approachable and willing to go the extra mile for the men and women on my team. We worked relatively independent from my supervisors and for that reason alone I needed my guys to tell me what was going on.

       We rarely encountered incidents that required back-up but when they did I knew that I could have my dispatcher quickly call up the nearest team and they could report to the scene to help. We knew which team was closest because they checked in regularly. I knew which patrolmen were on a break or using the restrooms at any given time. All of this was due to our radios and the willingness of our team to communicate. When bad things happened, we were fast to respond. I’m proud to say that our response times and performance was better than the other teams and I would attribute it to the ability to communicate.

Standing Post, 2010

       It was a different situation when people didn’t communicate. There was a time where we had to take on a situation requiring a second set of patrolmen and a supervisor on the scene. I was already en route to the situation but my dispatcher was having trouble getting the nearest team on the radio. I sent my Patrol Supervisor to find them and we found another set of patrolmen to join me at the scene. Luckily the missing patrolmen were nearby their last check in point. We found out that one of the patrolmen had forgot to check his battery and it expired while his partner had mistakenly turned the volume down on his radio. We were able to fix the situation but it could have been bad for those two lone patrolmen waiting on back-up.

       Communication in any form is good but it’s also extremely important to communicate clearly. Our radio communications held strict to a set pattern making it easy to identify the person calling, the intended recipient and the purpose of the call. All of this occurred quickly and clearly. Following some of the confusion that occurred between various law enforcement and rescue crews during September 11^th, 2001 there was a push to halt the use of “10 Codes”. It was a previous system of radio communications, typically utilized by law enforcement to clearly communicate the intent of the call utilizing a code. The actual code was preceded by the number 10 leading to the term “10 codes”.

       Instead of utilizing a standard set of 10 codes set forth by some government branch the push was to use clear speech during radio communications. My opinion was that the 10 Code system was effective but it lacked the breadth required to make it efficient. All law enforcement and rescue crews should have merely adapted to the same system so that any branch, service or crew could listen in and know exactly what was being said. Despite my supervisors encouragement I refused to alter our radio process and continued utilizing the 10 Codes because they minimized radio chatter and the meaning was clear.

       Clarity of speech is important not only to the patrolman or fireman but to the average guy who walks into a bad situation. Misunderstandings can often be quickly and clearly discussed to remove any doubt of nefarious intent. I have avoided a number of fights in my lifetime due to a quick explanation why my opponent shouldn’t fight me. Usually it was a complete misunderstanding. I believe that whether you’re talking with your spouse or running for your life communication not only should be regular but clear and understandable.

       When things hit the fan you’ll want the sound assurance that you know how and when to communicate with your family. Communication often and clearly is the best way to avoid mistakes and escape from trouble when you can’t avoid them.

Winter is Coming

With fall rolling in at full force and winter soon on the horizon you can expect certain environmental changes to occur. The Most obvious changes are temperature drops, leaves falling and the usual rain and snow that accompanies the season. What most people don’t expect are the possibility of flooding, fire or wind, rain and thunder storms. Mother Nature never stops and so it’s good to remember that Preparation shouldn't stop either. Here are a few quick tips to get your winter preparation underway.

1. Food storage – This is something that really applies traditionally to winter time but is something to even think about throughout the year. Ensuring you have enough water and food to last you in case any of the public works fails is essential. The last thing you need is to be in a situation where you've become dependent on them to supply you what you need. We call this a “single point of failure” in the military and it’s a bad situation to be in. Having enough food and water for at least 72 hours is a must and enough for two weeks is ideal. Most public works issues are limited to under two weeks but it couldn't hurt to be more prepared.

2. Heating – Knowing how best to heat your home is essential. A significant chunk of money is spent annually on heating your home and there are a few tips out there that can help lower the cost. If you have a fireplace then having sufficient firewood is always important since this is very easy to find for free on sites like Craigslist.com. Look into high efficient portable heaters to place in the rooms you occupy most. There isn't a huge need to heat the whole house when you spent most of your time in only part of it. Look into homemade/DIY style heaters like my favorite “terracotta pot” heater (instructions for this can be found just by doing a web search). Also ensure that you have curtains that help hold in the heat. Check the attic to ensure you have proper and sufficient insulation. Renew your weather stripping around doors and windows if needed. Sealing up the house might take most of an afternoon but saves you on so many energy costs that makes it plenty worth it.

Terracotta Pot Heater

3. Contingency Planning – Most people think of the first two items but they forget that there are many other things they need plans for. Flooding and fire can occur frequently during fall as the seasons change and precautions should be taken. Have evacuation plans and thoughts of a secondary location if you need to leave for an extended period of time. Inventorying your valuables is one that most people forget. This is not only good in case of burglary but also for insurance purposes. Have a plan for every possible disaster. Most of these plans will look exactly the same but it’s good to consider them each individually.

4. Know your neighbors – I've found great value in knowing your neighbors and I encourage everyone to get to know theirs. There are some people that might live in areas where it’s a little frightening to become close to them. Each situation will be different but knowing who they are, what they do and their willingness level to assist you if you need it is paramount to a complete contingency plan. With a lot of people taking time off to travel during the holidays a good neighbor can help keep an eye on things while you’re gone.

5. Learn – Don’t be afraid to go out and do some research. I don’t believe that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. I think that there is so much that can be learned and so little time to learn it. YouTube.com has become one of my favorite sites to learn about new and innovative ways of taking care of home issues. There are thousands of quick fix and DIY videos on a wide range of topics. Go to the library and pick up some books about any survival and preparation topics.

Being prepared is the best way to have peace of mind over the things you can’t control. By expecting a wide range of possible occurrences you’re diminishing the potential danger to yourself and family. Please comment below about your own winter preparation preferences and what you plan to do this fall before the cold comes.