The Basics of Situational Awareness and De-Escalation

In light of the most recent Supreme Court rulings, Big Daddy Unlimited wants to remind our members and the surrounding Second Amendment community to remain vigilant. We affirm that we do not condone political violence or support inflammatory language that supports any derogatory actions towards any community. Despite several groups calling for violence, we should do everything in our power to prevent it.

We are in turbulent times which requires all of us to remain steadfast in our efforts to keep us, our families, and our communities safe. The use of any physical force should be reserved as a worst case scenario and should only be when you are in fear of your life or to prevent a threat to others near you. To that end, we recommend you use enhanced situational awareness and de-escalation techniques. 

Use this guide to improve your situational awareness:

1. Assess Every Angle: Don’t just think about what is in your line of vision, consider what’s behind you and what others are seeing.
2. Focus on your Gut Reaction: While it is typically best to consider how your gut reaction affects your situational response, also understand the subconscious bias that could cloud your judgment.
3. Communication is Key: Be proactive in your approach to communicating location, key details, and descriptions to those around you. Always consider having a pen and paper to strategically make note of important events.
4. Re-evaluate your Position: Situational awareness is a proactive skill that requires constant readjustment of your understanding in any given situation. In scenarios where there are rapid changes, you need a consistent way to reconsider the conditions you are in.

Here are some steps that you should utilize to de-escalate a situation:

1. Respect Personal Space: Do not block anyone’s exits and work to ensure you are remaining 1.5-3 feet from any person for your and their safety.
2. Consider your Body Language and Tone: Relax your body and understand that people are less likely to hear you and more likely to react to your non-verbal responses.
3. Remain Cool, Calm, and Collected: When people become overwhelmed they tend to stop thinking logically and rationally. Do not contribute to someone’s erratic behavior.
4. Focus on People’s Emotions: Along the lines of their rationale, understand they will not respond to any logical or factual argument you provide. They are emotionally-charged and listening to their concerns will aid in calming them down.
5. Choose your Boundaries: Understand your personal feelings and the circumstances that will make you uncomfortable. Recognize other’s boundaries as well and follow them.
6. Understand your Exit Strategy: Engaging with anyone has the potential to escalate a situation. If possible, you should always consider an exit strategy that lowers the threat against you or others.

Our country is facing a threat right now that has not been witnessed or experienced in over a generation.  As such, we all need to be careful and deliberate with our actions to prevent further intensification.

Big Daddy Unlimited advocates strongly for Second Amendment rights because we believe that the right to keep and bear arms exists to protect all of the other God-given rights of American citizens. Become a member today to join our community of freedom-loving Americans, and let’s work together to support and defend our Second Amendment rights.