There is an old axiom that goes, “When seconds count, the police are just minutes away.” Today, this is an understatement. Law enforcement departments across the nation are understaffed and underfunded at unprecedented levels, leaving responding officers overwhelmed, physically overtaxed and overstressed, and exiting the profession at astonishing rates of attrition. So, what does this have to do with frontline utility employees? Well, everything.
Even in circumstances where violent assaults and active shooter incidents occur at locations with known fixed addresses, the action is usually over before police arrive. Now, think about getting responders to a location without a fixed address or to an address unfamiliar to the requestor. What if it’s a lone worker confronted by hostile action without immediate backup or support? What about worksites with multiple crews working in tandem on a trimming job or on a road-widening or reconductoring project? Do you see the dilemma?
The point is that regardless of the circumstances, to stay safe, utility professionals need practical security skill sets that they can draw upon to recognize and respond to potentially violent encounters before harm is inflicted. And like any good skill, security skills are gained through intentional effort.
It is vitally important that every frontline utility professional understands the basics of situational/threat awareness, conflict de-escalation and effective critical incident/violence response; a fourth skill is how to make critical decisions in tense situations.
I always recommend that the first skill to acquire is situational awareness, and more specifically, threat awareness. Situational awareness is a crucial safety element for utility workers; it has a slightly different meaning from a security perspective.
So, what is situational awareness as a security skill? Situational awareness is the active perception of environmental elements and events and the ability to comprehend their meaning and intent and then predict future actions based on this perception. Which is a long-winded way of saying, it’s knowing what is going on around you.
Effective awareness can neutralize a threat actor’s first-strike advantage over their intended target. Without going too deep into the subject, the problem arises from the fact that at 5 feet or less, a person can strike another person in less than half a second, while the average startled response time is over two seconds. Effective awareness techniques and skills can help overcome this time deficit.
Threat awareness is an element of situational awareness. It is the ability to identify and assess genuine threats from bluster and hyperbole. This skill is critically important in staying safe during hostile encounters. This also leads to the next skill: conflict de-escalation.
Conflict de-escalation is one of the most valuable skills that anyone can possess. Dealing with hostile and aggressive people is seldom at the top of anyone’s list of favorite things. However, we are often called upon to do just that. Effective de-escalation skills can keep tense situations from spiraling into violent encounters. For utility professionals in the field, hostile situations are made worse by the fact that utility professionals are often at a disadvantage due to location and resource availability. We’re often in the other person’s neighborhood or on their property, which gives them a significant advantage.
The good news is that if you have solid awareness and de-escalation skills, you will likely never need to utilize the third skill set: critical event response. However, there is no guarantee of this. Therefore, you must have a basic understanding of how to survive and escape hostile action. I often use the seat-belt analogy when discussing the need for response skills. Like a seat belt, we’ll likely never need to call upon them to save our lives, but if we do, engaging them after the fact will have the same result as clicking a seat belt after an accident. So, training and preparation before the need arises is essential.
What about the fourth skill? If you have ever listened to one of my presentations, you’ve undoubtedly heard me discuss these three critical security skills that every utility professional should possess. Well, it turns out there is a fourth skill that every frontline worker needs in their security skill set: critical decision-making.
Previously, I would discuss critical thinking and decision-making as an embedded element of the other three skills. But experience has shown that most of us are woefully lacking in critical thinking and decision-making skills. The ability to think clearly and decisively when stressed and scared is essential. So, I now champion critical decision-making as a distinct security skill. This change in viewpoint is also a good example of how my views on security have evolved.
The one constant thing about the vocation of security is its fluidity; it is constantly changing and in a state of flux. As a profession, the fundamental goal of security is to counter the negative impacts of malevolent behavior and circumvent the evil we perpetrate on each other. But the situation we face is continually evolving. This persistent change is why I stress the need for continual learning and skills enhancement. I include myself in this, and it’s why I take advantage of opportunities to sharpen and refresh my skills and learn new techniques and strategies.
About the Author: Jim Willis is president of InDev Tactical, a security training and consulting firm. He is a utility engineer, industry professional, credentialed homeland security specialist and anti-terrorism expert. If you want to discuss utility-focused security training or consulting assistance, you can reach Jim at 703-623-6819 or jim.willis@indevtactical.net.
