Your Guide to Situational Awareness, Threat Assessment and Response

It takes many steps to deal with a lethal encounter. It happens so quickly that you may not be aware of it. Three elements are necessary to survive a threat. First, you must be aware of the threat. This is also known as situational awareness. The second step is to assess the threat. Finally, you need to decide on and implement the right response.

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Situational Awareness

You must be aware of all elements and keep your mind alert to be able identify a threat. The best gun and the most powerful ammunition will not be of any use if you don’t have awareness. You will not be able to react if you are unaware of your surroundings. This is a recipe for the perpetrator to win. If you are aware of your surroundings, a “surprise attack” may not surprise you.

Are you aware of your surroundings as you walk from the store to your vehicle? Did you spot the person hiding behind the tree? Before you entered your car, did you inspect the interior? Did you check the mirrors in the corners before you entered an elevator? This is a model for situation awareness that will help you maintain the right level.

Color codes for awareness

There are many levels of awareness. The Colonel Jeff Cooper developed the color codes of awareness to help you categorize different levels of awareness and actions. It is helpful to understand the levels not only as a definition, but also as mental models of which levels of situational awareness are appropriate in different situations. These are the color codes:

White: Going about your business in an uninformed daze. You are not aware of the signs and symptoms of violence so you are unable to react. Condition White: Completely unaware of their surroundings. Yellow: Relaxed alertness. You should not be anxious or tense, but you should maintain situational awareness of your surroundings as well as the possible intent of others. Alertness to the real world environment would include listening for confrontations, looking at elements, noticing people as you walk down the street, and knowing the lanes of escape in each location. Orange: The perception of potential threats but of an unknown nature. Glass breaking could be an indicator of a burglary or accidental damage. Your body will react to this increased alert state. Your heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing will increase. Prepare your weapons and immediately note concealment, cover, and lanes for egress. Red: You perceive immediate danger. If you are confronted with a direct threat, immediately run for cover and draw your weapon. Make sure to control the lane of escape and get out as soon as possible. The fight is on.

Situational awareness includes looking for potential attackers, knowing where cover and concealment is, finding exits, and seeking lanes to egress.

Three benefits can be gained from being aware of your surroundings and situation:

Avoiding dangerous situations can help you escape from them. Avoid dangerous situations by simply avoiding them. If the assailant is aware of your presence and may be prepared for an encounter with you, he might choose a more suitable victim. They are looking for an opponent they can easily beat. They’d rather take $10 from a simple victim than fight with someone worth more than $50. Street thugs often targeted hippies in the 1960s to attack them, as they would give up their valuables without a fight and not report the crime.

The same old story continues today: criminals seek victims who are unaware or unprepared. They are looking for those who live in Condition White. Natives of New York City call people who look up at the skyscrapers “tourists”–criminals call them “victims.”

Living in Condition Yellow

Condition White is a dangerous place for many people. This is also known as “ignorant bliss”. It is important to be aware of your surroundings at any time. Keep an eye on the situation and remain alert. You can live your whole life in Condition Yellow with no psychological harm.

Criminals are looking for those who are unaware or unprepared. Do not fall for Condition White. When you’re out walking, keep your phone away.

Condition Yellow informs the stalking criminal you are aware and likely aware of his presence. The stalker will sense that you aren’t the easy victim he wants.

Being alert does not necessarily mean you are paranoid. Be aware of others wherever you may be. You can spot signs of their intentions. Are they just walking to their car or looking into every car they pass?

Widen your vision. Focus on what you see, but also look around you. Consider hiding and covering. What would you do if someone suddenly started shooting? What would you do? How would you escape? What would you do to stop this attack?

Assess the Threat

Before you can decide how to respond to a perceived threat, it is important that you understand the severity of the situation. The most difficult element of survival is threat assessment. Both because the attacker may hide his true intentions and because it may not be obvious how severe the potential harm might be.

An assailant may threaten you with severe bodily harm, but point a water gun at you. A mugger might say that he won’t hurt your wallet if you give it over, but then stab you when you reach for it.

“Be aware of others wherever you are.” Look out for signs of their intentions.

It may be difficult to determine the threat level, but your response must be appropriate. You could end up in jail if you react too quickly. You could be 6 feet below if you don’t react, or you under-react. You must first determine if the danger is a direct threat. Your response will vary depending on the circumstances.

If you are threatened with gunfire, run, grab your weapon, and fire back if necessary. If you hear a gunshot but are not in immediate danger, get cover and then leave the area.

Remember that drawing a gun in such a situation could put you in grave danger. A concerned citizen or law enforcement officer may see you holding a gun and assume you are a criminal. Remember that the firearm’s purpose is to get you out from trouble, not into it.

Find the appropriate response

If you assume that you are under direct threat, then the question is, “Is it a lethal threat?” Is the perpetrator going to punch you or beat your head with a baseball bat to death? To use lethal force, you must be under imminent danger of serious bodily harm or death. The law generally allows equal force. You can only use the force that is most likely to harm you.

Is the threat imminent and does the perpetrator have the capability to carry it out? Is the attacker threatening you with a knife as you walk along a busy street? Or are they just 20 feet away and closing in on you?

A knife threat at 50 feet is not considered a deadly threat. However, a threat made with a gun from the same distance could be considered a deadly threat. Is the threat made with a gun drawn or is it not feasible because the perpetrator doesn’t have the gun?

Is the threat verbally or physically? If the threat is merely a way to intimidate, you don’t have the right use lethal force. This is because you’re not in immediate danger of losing your life or causing serious bodily harm. It is essential to understand the justification for force.

How to Respond

Most shooters I have ever met are more concerned with the caliber and cartridge they choose than their tactics. The type of ammunition and gun you use are not important in reality. It is more important to know how to use what you have.

The key elements of a response are: proper tactics, skill using a defensive weapon and the right weapon choice. It is important to know the order of importance. The most important thing is your tactic (what you do).

Tactical awareness also means being aware of your surroundings and knowing the skills you should use. Tactical understanding also includes knowing where you are relative to cover and how you can get to the nearest door.

This means knowing how to navigate a doorway and how you can flank your opponent. If you can’t hit the 10 ring on a paper target, it doesn’t matter if you die before you can get your gun back.

Avoiding a situation where you perceive a threat is another tactic. If you see a threat in the street ahead of you, why don’t you just cross the road to keep yourself from harm? It is better to avoid trouble than to deal after it has begun.

The key to survival is proper skill application

After you have mastered the tactics, the next important element is skill in using your weapon (shooting in case of firearms). Although I don’t like repeating clichés, there are some that are true. For example, “A hit with 9mm is better then a miss with the.45” or “A slow hit beats a fast miss.”

Simply put, shot placement is more important than caliber or gun.

Many people forget that the most important element of survival is the choice of ammunition and guns. A skilled, aware person will have the ability to use the smallest gun to defend themselves.

Situational awareness is the most important element of survival. If you are able to survive an attack, then you will be able to use tactics. The attack should be stopped by a series of well-placed rounds.

This article was originally published in the spring 2017 issue of “Personal & Home Defense.” To order a copy and subscribe, visit outdoorgroupstore.com.
The post Your Guide to Situational Awareness, Threat Assessment & Response appeared originally on Personal Defense World.

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