I’m walking up to a house where a complaint was made regarding an aggressive dog from this address seen loose often. I carry my catch pole in one hand and my notepad in the other as I make my way up to the front door.
The house appears to be in disrepair. The driveway is littered with broken cars and the front yard covered in forgotten kids toys that have weathered every season. I look down the driveway on the side of the house but see no fence in the backyard. At the front steps I see several piles of dog feces. I knock and hear a dog barking inside the home. I then hear the bark fade to the back and then hear it in the backyard. I anticipate the dog coming down the driveway any minute now. I see a chair and a snow shovel on the porch next to me. The large brown dog comes barreling around the house and to the front door. He stops short and barks until someone opens the door.
I can’t begin to tell you how many calls I’ve responded to where being aware of my surroundings, and anticipating danger, is a given. It has become second nature to read the signs and make a plan. Whether the danger is a dog with teeth or a human with a weapon.
The dog feces at the front steps told me that the dog is large, and that this large dog has access to the front yard. I did not see a fence of any kind, so the dog is free to leave its yard at any moment. The home being in disrepair means door locks may not be working properly, which turns out was the reason the dog continuously got loose. The chair and snow shovel on the porch could have aided as barriers for me had the dog not kept his distance. These are all such simple observations, but missed by many who aren’t in this frame of mind.
Situational Awareness is something taught in every law enforcement class. Honestly, I think it should be taught to the general public. If you’re not familiar with the SA model, allow me to explain.
There are five colors, each representing a level of awareness. Each represents a state of mind you would find yourself in.
White is a ‘daydreaming’ level. Or as I would call it ‘the la la land some people live in’. Your guard is down and you’re going through the day unaware and with your mind on things other than what is around you. I’m sure we all know someone who seems to live in this level of blissful ignorance.
Yellow is known as the ‘aware’ level. Our eyes are fixed on what is in front of us and our brains are comprehending this and responding to the stimuli. We are paying attention and actively engaged with the situation. We notice changes in our environment and respond accordingly.
Orange means there is a ‘possible threat’ to be aware of. This signifies something above regular activity. Our senses are heightened and we are very tuned in to the situation we are facing, almost tuning out distractions, but still being aware of general surroundings. Your mind is pointing out possible scenarios that could happen and making a plan how to respond. You might not be fearing for your life but you are aware of possible danger.
Red is the level of an ‘actual threat’ taking place. You find yourself in this frame of mind during an altercation. We get tunnel vision and block out everything but the immediate threat in front of us. We enter a fight or flight mode.
Black is defined as ‘sleeping/dead’ and self explanatory.
If you think about the different people in your life, it becomes clear who seems to live in what color. You might know someone who would walk down a dark street alone, texting on their phone, unaware of anyone else around or anyone watching them. People who seemingly spend their life living in the white level are then terrified when real danger presents itself and their brains can’t comprehend how to respond. They have never considered the scenario of danger and therefore are defenseless.
I would like to think most of us operate in the yellow level. If I found myself walking down a dark street alone, I would keep my eyes on the surroundings and not a phone. There may not be anyone else around, or any notable danger, but I’m in tune with changes in my immediate area.
Spending time in the orange ‘possible threat’ level is sometimes necessary, but not a level you’d want to spend you whole day in. If I were walking down the dark street and notice some sketchy people around me, I might hold keys between my fingers so sharp points are up. I may hold a phone up to my ear pretending to speak with someone about what I see, loudly describing the sketchy individual and providing my location as a deterrent. If I were carrying a handgun this would be the time my hand is inside the purse, gripping the weapon just in case. Getting ready for a fight but doing everything possible to avoid one.
This mindset could save your life and give you the upper hand, but it could be harmful to someone constantly living in this level. Someone having just returned from a combat zone for example would have had to live at the orange level for an extended period of time. Always being hyper aware of danger, suspecting everyone and never allowing their guard down. Once back in civilian life this person would need to learn to switch that level off, but some are not able to and find themselves with constant anxiety, stress or PTSD.
In my daily job I am always aware of surroundings, people, and a change in environment. Something as simple as walking up to a front door, which I do frequently, has me checking that doors are latched. Often the screen door, or storm door, is not latched and as soon as the person inside opens the main door a dog could charge out and simply push this door open. I always check the latch and if it doesn’t seem secure, I place my foot in front of the door to keep anything from pushing it open. This practice has saved me hundreds of encounters with angry dogs that jump against screen doors. I never count on the owners to be smart or responsible enough to hold their dog when opening that front door.
There are many safety practices that have become habit to me. Even in my personal life I often find myself hyper aware of surroundings and people around me. With the type of jobs my husband and I have, we probably find ourselves in the orange zone more than most people. It may not be necessary, but it is just what our minds have gotten accustomed to after so many years.