Situational Awareness & Emergencies
Ever wonder how you can practice emergency prep in your everyday life? Here are a few key tips brought up by Emergency Preparedness Expert, Soraya Sutherlin, MPA, CEM®, during our most recent Safety Series live audio conversations on the Peanut app.
Situational awareness: what is it?
Situational awareness is being aware of what is happening around you – it’s knowing the context of where you are, what you are doing and recognizing any that could be a threat to your health or safety.
So…what does that have to do with emergencies?
There are probably many moments when you’re already practicing this skill. Think about:
- Times where you’re out and looking for a bathroom.
- Driving around town with your kids playing I-Spy, calling out the important landmarks you see as you drive around the community like the fire station, the school, a friend’s house.
- Or even looking up alternative roads to travel to familiar spots around town.
All of these activities (observing your surroundings, finding landmarks, familiarizing yourself with alternative routes) help you practice and hone in on this skill and help you navigate your own neighborhood during an emergency or disaster. Most importantly, it can help your kids do the same.
The most important thing to remember:
Phones and headphones can be the biggest hinderesses on practice. When you’re staring down at a screen, you’re not seeing or hearing what is around you.
So next time you're walking or driving around town (alone or with your family), take those small opportunities to engage your kids and encourage them to turn away from the screen and instead look around them.
If you have additional questions, send them our way!
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