HAVE A PEACEFUL, HAPPY and SAFE HOLIDAY SEASON

I must admit that this year I am having some trouble writing this post.  With all the things that are happening in the world today, the plea to have a safe holiday seems more difficult to make than ever before.  I would typically write about the actions you can take around the house to keep things safe.   Yes, they are all still important so I will just quickly mention them here.  First, as the weather starts to cool down (though this year warmth seems to be in vogue for much of the country, it is December 12th as I write this in New Jersey and there are folks jogging outside in summer gear) make sure your fireplace, should you have one, is operational and the chimney clean.  Second, rethink the use of candles please.  If you can eliminate the use of these nice looking,  pleasant scented instruments of destruction then by all accounts do so.   If you can’t, then consider using over-sized candle containment holders to keep the flame within.   Remember flame-less is the way to go.  Third if you are one that keeps a live Christmas tree in your house please make sure it is watered daily and that there are no sources of heat (such as lamps or, of course, candles) that are near it.

Yet with the terrible events in Paris and San Bernardino there seems to be much more that has to be done to keep safe.  I have not seen the general population of this country so fixated on anything so totally since the attacks of 9/11.  Furthermore, people seem to realize that the 911 disaster was one which was focused on specific symbols of the Western World and not on the general day to day activities in which we normally find ourselves.  Paris and San Bernardino have brought the realization that anything at anytime can become a target of those who want to send us a message.  So in response we have to do more to protect our families.  In this blog I frequently talk about management systems.  Most often we think of management systems as defining the way we do things at work, but there is also a sort of management system that helps define our everyday approach to the things we do personally.  This management system is usually not as formal, for example, we typically do not have written procedures for the things we do every day.   Yet there is a pattern to our lives that tends to be repeated when we are in similar situations.  These patterns can be considered our personal management system, some people have highly tuned with many details systems while others seem to just float through a situation without much thought.  The current environment is telling us we all need to bring our personal management systems to a new level of awareness.

Our Homeland Security Agency is asking all of us to become more aware of our surroundings.  As always, there are the usual things that you should always be aware of when in public places, such as, knowing where emergency exits are located and then casually pointing them out to the people who are with you.  There is also the need to be aware of those who are around you especially when in a crowded space and to know when it is best to step aside and let the throngs go by.  But now we are being asked to be more aware of the patterns that we see around us.  Just as we have patterns of behavior for certain activities, the space around us has patterns to.  Traffic, parking, people on the sidewalk, restaurant patrons all have an expected pattern that we are used to seeing and most often don’t even think about.  What Homeland Security is asking is that we watch for something that is unexpected, something that is not within the patterns  we expect to see.  As Homeland Security says, it is when you experience a moment of uncertainty in whatever your are observing, that it usually means instinct is kicking in to say something is wrong.  Something you know should not be be there or someone’s behavior doesn’t quite seem right then it is time to pause and tell the authorities.  If it seems suspicious it very well might be and it is best to be more communicative now and to say something than to be sorry later.

The New York City Police have gone a step further.  They have a tutorial on how to spot suspicious activity.  The NYC Police indicate that there are eight signs of terrorism.  First is surveillance, the police ask us to be alert to those individuals who seem to be doing more than the average person in taking pictures and/or making drawings.  Second is those who would seem too interested in gathering information about your operations.  The third sign of terrorism are attempts to measure reaction times to things like entering restricted areas.  Fourth is funding, that is suspicious money transactions.  Fifth, is acquiring supplies of materials that a person normally would have no business doing so.  Sixth is seeing people in places they should not be.  Seven is noticing people who seem to be performing a dry or trial run. Lastly is the deployment of assets, that is the positioning of people and supplies to commit an act of violence.  If you experience any of these signs then say something to the authorities.

Homeland Security emphasizes that factors such as race, ethnicity, and/or religious affiliation are not suspicious, it is actions and behavior that need to be reported.

Yes, the world has become much more complicated for the average citizen and thus we need to increase our awareness levels to keep us safe.  This stuff can sound so dire and overwhelming, so much so that it might be tempting just to say forget it I will just stay where I am and forget about getting out and about.  There is a risk/benefit calculation each of us must go through for us and our families.  I, for one, will not let those intent on destroying our way of life do so by having us assign a higher risk value because of a few terrible examples of what they can do.

Instead I intent to be doing what I usually do with my family and friends this holiday season with one exception, that of being much more aware of my surroundings.  If we all watch out for each other the risk of something bad happening will be reduced to very reasonable levels.

HAVE A PEACEFUL, HAPPY, SAFE, AND AWARE HOLIDAY SEASON!!!!!!!!!!!!