Can you define "safety and security" and what they mean to you, your family, and your business?

If you can't... you'll never really be secure

If I ask 100 people if they are concerned about safety and security, their own, their kids, family’s, and employees, it’s safe to assume that all 100 would answer in the affirmative. The question is “can you define what that really means"?” Not by the official definitions, but what they means to you, your family, and your business or organization. If you can’t define it then how will you know if or when you achieve it? How will we formulate a plan to get to “achievement”?

First, understand that you can’t “achieve safety and security”.

Achieving safety and security would indicate that you are there and have nothing more to worry about. That, is impossible when it comes to safety and security.

So, what can you do?

You can achieve ultimate states of preparedness and the ability to prevent, avoid, react, and respond quickly and appropriately under high stress circumstances. You can significantly enhance your ability to see potential trouble, recognize signs of violence, and de-escalate - all things that require elevated levels of expertise; all things that take understanding, knowledge, and even some work.

Do you know the difference between “safety” and “security”?

Safety: Safety is the condition of being protected from harm or other non-desirable outcomes, caused by non-intentional failure.

Security: Security is the condition of being protected from harm or other non-desirable outcomes caused by intentional human actions or human behavior.

Now, the question becomes, what do each of them mean to you? You likely spend a ton of time with your kids, families, and employees teaching them about “safety”, but little and maybe even no time, on security. Why? Because safety, the dangers that are non-human related, are easier to talk about. We have a hard-time with the security aspects because we don’t want to scare our kids, employees, or clients or we don’t want them to know that there are bad people and things that would intentionally want to hurt them. But…there are! 

Security is something that we should be teaching our kids starting from the time they are old enough to understand anything at all; not when they are getting ready to go off to college. 

Do you, and/or your kids know how to perform CPR? Use an AED device? Stop the Bleed? By far the majority do not. If you own a business you certainly teach your employees these critical things so, why not your kids and family! Are they less important than your employees? Assuredly, not. In fact, we should be teaching our kids these things in school! And if the schools won’t do it, then do it yourselves. Seek out and find these skill development training courses. It may save their lives, or they may save someone else’s life, someday!