REDUCE YOUR EXPOSURE TO DANGER.

BY SEAN CURTIS

Without a doubt, the most crucial security skill is awareness. Keeping this ability “turned on” will help you avoid most situations in the first place. Nevertheless, it’s not 100 percent effective, so you must plan for contingencies.

Having a systemized approach to security will better prepare you for any number of scenarios. Things can change drastically, depending on your location. Resources, escape routes and other important factors might become scarcer the farther you are from work or home. By using a more standardized guideline, you can set yourself up for success-no matter what your situation or location.

There are always variables and elements you won’t be able to control, so stacking the odds in your favor in advance of the unknown is the best practice you can adopt. Your security plan should consist of redundant layers and a plan to run through preestablished responses when a threat arises.

1.0 AWARENESS

Awareness is, without a doubt, one of the most important skill sets you can employ in your security. This applies to many different threats, and the information you glean through awareness can come from varied sources. Awareness is so crucial because it often increases your options and your reaction time.