EFFECTIVE PERSONAL SECURITY AND YOUR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND THE COLOR CODES

I was motivated to write this post due to the resurgence of insecurity, insurgency and terrorism in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and indeed all states of the Nigeria Federation. We saw how double bomb blast rocked two locations in Abuja, Nigeria after 15 months of virtual sense of security and calm in the nation's capital. It calls to mind the need to reappraise our personal and public security strategies. When you are in public, how do you evaluate your personal security? How aware of your environment are you and their situational safety and security challenges. Most people get killed during public security breach or chaos because they are oblivious of their environment's situational changes.

Today, I shall expose you to insights from security experts on how to enhance your personal security through situational awareness and color coding. You may be surprised to hear of color coding? Yes! this is the representation of your level of environmental security awareness with colors. When you walk into a motor park, public eatery or church, how do you assess the area in terms of potential threat to your safety or security? Whatever mood or level of alertness you find yourself, there is a color representation. This coding was first used by the United States of America's Military and their Intelligence Experts. Today, the world replicates the color coding in the study and appraisal of security in their environment.

The color coding is not only used to represent personal mood on security awareness, it also describes the degree of safety of an environment. Now let us proceed with color codes.

Security Awareness Color Codes: White

The White color condition describes people in a state of total oblivious to their environment. The people in this category are called the "Unawares". The largest percentage of people at any point in time are found in this category. They are seen in people who are deeply lost in thoughts, largely overwhelmed by fun or activities or deeply engrossed in a particular activity which makes them unaware of changes in their environment. When bad things happen or are about to happen, they are caught unawares and are mostly affected. You may have found yourself in this white color security awareness condition several times but I tell you, this is condition that mostly exposes you to danger.

Security Awareness Color Codes: Yellow

This security color code is best described as a state of "Relaxed Alertness". Security experts advocates that people should try to remain in this color code always. A person might be engaged in an activity but at the same time takes careful notice of changes in his immediate environment. This situational level of awareness is most healthy, retains your activity productivity and still keeps you in a state of maximum personal security.

Imagine having lunch in a roadside restaurant but takes time to notice when the door opens or closes and who comes in or goes out. Despite your relaxed mood, no changes within your environment occur without your notice, assessment and digest. Have you ever been in a public place, say a commercial bus, minding your business but blissfully aware of all activities going on in the bus? Your level of awareness could tell you when the front seat passenger discusses with the bus driver, the back seat passenger adjusts his position, such alertness is Yellow-coded and termed a state of relaxed alertness.

Security Awareness Color Codes: Orange

Assuming you have been relaxed but alert, a state of Yellow, and all of a sudden some peculiar captures your attention which you immediately judged to be a potential security threat, you have just crossed into the Orange color code border line. This condition is called a state of "Focused Alertness". This condition brings to center focus the presence of a potential threat to your safety or security. Remember that such threat is not yet a real threat but could degenerate to a real threat if you fail to take the appropriate actions. Such an appropriate steps or action that could nullify the potential security threat launches you into the fourth situational awareness color code - Red. But before then, let me explain some appropriate actions to take in order to evaluate the potentiality of any security threat in focus during condition Yellow.

Create a Mental Trigger and Formulate a Tactical Plan

Have you ever had the feeling that you are being trailed or followed? You suddenly notice a figure walking behind you and fear grips you. "What if that man is following me?, I may have to find a way to loose his trail". That moment of decision has become your mental trigger. Your mental trigger helps you to develop a counter security threat incase the potential status of such threat becomes real.

Afterwards, A tactical plan becomes due. This entails putting your decided mental trigger into a well calculated action.

Like a case of trail, you may decide to take a surprise turn or keep going round in order to confuse your trailer. If he continues turning every corner same as you, then you can confirm that you are really been trailed. A more extreme tactical plan could also involve calling out for help, increasing your pace to disappear from his sight or outrightly facing your demon if you can - stopping to challenge your adversary if you can comfortably defend yourself.

Security Awareness Color Codes: Red

The very moment you have decided on what actions to take having confirmed the reality of the security threat, you are in condition Red. This means that you are Locked and Ready to discharge. Prior to this state, all mental calculations have been made and all your energy and mind now geared towards a "flight or fight" condition. You are in Red. Your ability to dictate abnormalities, judge rightly and take well-calculated actions is a mark of a great situational awareness and superb personal security.

Friends, let us share more ideas on how we can strengthen our public and personal security especially as it concerns Nigeria. I welcome your comments and ideas and urge you to share this post on the social media.