Situational Awareness and Mental Preparedness

[Shawn.L]

I was speaking with a friend of mine here the other day about situational awareness. I brought up a story of something that happened to me. This came up again as an illustrative example with another friend today, thought I might share it here.

First, some background for those who do not know. I manage a C-store in the city. I have had several violent encounters at the store, several armed robberies, been taken at gunpoint multiple times, and been a bystander in one shoot out. I have taken a few SD classes with handguns, knives, H2H, and retention and disarms.

So one could well imagine at work I am normally quite aware and alert. On the color code I am mostly yellow, but go to orange quite often. In my bussiness suspicious people and actions abound.

I look at the door when I hear it open, I keep an eye on the camera's when I am in back, and I listen and pay attention to whats going on in the store as well as keeping an eye on the parking lot, the action there, and who approaches the store.

One morning it was fairly busy (as it is during "coffee rush") near 6:30AM. There may have been 6 customers in the store, music on low, some in line, some getting coffee, a few cars at the pumps. I have one clerk on the register, Im ringing and keeping up with coffee while generally interacting with my regular customers.

Its a pretty quick pace, pizza's in the oven, coffee is brewing. My clerk at the register shouts over some question or another "What price is the blah blah blah!?"

Customer at the coffee bar spills a cup of coffee EVERYWHERE. Giant mess. I reply to my clerk, assure the customers its OK, I'll get it, happens all the time. Coffee is everywhere, the rag I have handy is soaked, its running into the sugar holders. I run behind the counter to grab a fresh rag. Turn around, and...... There is a figure in a dark hood behind my counter and 4 feet from and closing briskly.

So, In the place where I am normally most aware I was caught distracted. This person made it through the lot, in the doors, through the store, behind the counter and nearly on top of me before I noticed.

And here is the intersection of situational awarness and mental preparedness.

My awareness may fail, can fail, and being human will fail at some time or another. But its all about state of mind.

I may have been caught unaware but I was not suprised.

I thought "here we go." It was just a statement of fact. I began to raise my hands palms forward and I scanned hands and waistbands for a weapon. My first concern is wether or not I am about to be attacked (thank you FIRE Inst. Tactics courses).

Thats when I see it is my other clerk, early for work, hood up with music on headphones, heading to the back room.

and its back to work.

What I take from this is that some of this stuff is sinking in. I was not shocked, or dumbfounded. I was calm. I feel if I had been attacked I was ready to deal with it. If I had been robbed (not a question of if, but when) I was not excited. I was supremely impressed that my first instinct was to visually scan for a weapon and identify the problem.

Take from that what you will.

[JIDinPhilly]

I had a similar experience with a moments lapse of situational awareness. It changed the way I travel in a vehicle with a firearm. http://forum.pafoa.org/lounge-108/51...ed-out-me.html

[dc dalton]

I have never really had any 'formal' training (might take some of Bruce Eimer's classes next year) but I have been robbed twice. First time was at gun point, with several friends in a pot deal that was actually a set up for a robbery (and don't bust my balls about the pot, it was 30+ years ago) and the second time I was mugged in the bathroom at O'hare airport.

Both times my 'spidey senses' tingled and I ignored them ... that never happened again.

[d90king]

Great write up Shawn, I am glad you took the time to put it out there so others can learn from it.

Situational awareness is key, but your response was correct too, it is a good illustration of how just 1% of the time not paying attention can bite ya in the ass. When I say not paying attention it is probably not the right term really, but I cant think of a better terminology. Maybe distracted by a sudden incident, or responding to something out of the ordinary...

The key was also your proper situational assessment after the fact. You identified what exactly was happening by eliminating weapons etc...

Stay safe!

[synergy]

Another great post, Shawn.


I had a situation at work here the other day, kinda like that.

I was keeping a keen eye on my surroundings, watching everything around me, noting who was coming, going, waiting around, etc. I had to turn my back for a second to get something and when I turn around, I see a thugged out dude (baggy graphic hoody, pant's halfway between his waist and knees, puffy beard, flat brimmed baseball hat over a doo-rag with the sticker on it) coming right at me, shoving his hand into the pocket of his hoody. Distance is 10 feet and closing.

Because of my job responsibilities...I stand out as a target.

So I track him, free up both my hands, and start to plan for either going hands on, or drawing on him.

Out comes a cell phone, dude keep on walking by.

My head stopped pivoting for maybe 5-10 seconds, while I did something...and a dude made it well within the golden 21'.

I immediately sized him up and began to plan a response...but if he had been moving faster, or deployed a weapon instead of a phone...I would have been behind the curve, for sure.

[mikey]

.................

[benc4liberty]

Some good information for you guys, from officer.com. Thought you guys in the danger zone might want to take a look.

Good luck and stay safe.

http://www.officer.com/web/online/Operations-and-Tactics/Max-Mental-Simulation-Results/3$48928

[Bruce Eimer]

The point is that you cannot dither when you are confronted with uncertainty--you need to do something that makes sense. You cannot afford to freeze, bit at the same time you cannot afford to go violent either until you know you are being attacked. "Good guys" react to "bad guys" or act in response to confirmed bad guys.

So....we think an attack is imminent but not for sure, we need more information. We can get that information WITHOUT drawing a weapon. Look at the possible BG. Move off the line of the approach. be ready to draw a weapon if it is necessary. Look around for more BG's to break tunnel vision. Focus, focus, focus. Send out a test balloon if your instinct says to as you move unpredictably to disrupt the potential BG's plan and attention. Like...."Hey Bud, watch where you're walking" or "Hey Bud, be careful", or "Hey Bud, look out, over there". Worst thing that can happen is: BG is a GG and will think you weird. Big deal! No harm no foul.

The point is you were ready and your adrenaline was beginning to dump and you know how to manage this state.

Bruce Eimer, Ph.D.
http://DefensiveHandguns.com
http://PersonalDefenseSolutions.net

[Story]

It's all well and good that we have our own varying levels of Situational Awareness, but unless you're a Ninja your skills will never be perfect.

Under the 'no man is an island' theory, helping 1. those you work with or 2. are in your family to raise their levels of S.A. will help fill the gaps.

Again, it won't be perfect but it'll help cover those blind spots when you're concentrating on your breakfast or going to the can.