Safety Unplugged

Safety Unplugged
By Dan Ronin

One of the greatest concerns parents face today is the challenge of keeping children safe in a fast moving and ever
changing world. The world we live in today is not the same as the one we grew up in. We grew up in a much smaller and slower
moving world than that of today’s youth.

When I was growing up, I played outside from morning until the streetlights came on with little-to-no adult supervision and in relative safety. The streetlights indicated dinner time, which was a cherished family gathering around the dinner table. We enjoyed our meal together and conversation of the day’s events. This was our time to connect. Television was a part of life, but not the main focus. We had a telephone on the wall, and when someone was talking on it, the rest of the family was quiet and respectful. With no cell phones, Dad was only summoned at work if the house was on fire or an equally important emergency! We learned to problem solve because we had to.

Another important factor, which was much different than today, was that we lived in the “now” reality. While actually
doing something without a cell phone or computer at hand, we were forced to focus on our activity. Creativity flourished,
delayed gratification was a developed by the natural wait for things, and it was not so easy to be distracted from any negative consequence of actions that may not have been in our best interest! Today we do not live in the now, we live in the “screen,” and such fixation can be a sure impediment to learning necessary life lessons. Often, children make choices not by a set of family values but by what others are doing. They are all too quickly aware of and informed in the advent of this “selfie” society, where good examples are hard to come by and even harder to filter. If we want our children to grow up and live in a safe world, we need to teach them to make good choices. When it comes to self-defense, children and young people are often at a disadvantage. They are smaller, weaker and more easily influenced than most adults. However, this is also the precise time period when the most important form of self-defense self awareness, can be developed. This is when the mindset can be formed and if we teach good safety habits when our children are at a young age we have a head start!

Train your children to be aware. Awareness is lacking more now than at anytime in the past. Most situations can be avoided by simply being aware of the world around you. Teach your children that they need to pay attention to what is happening in their environment. They won’t learn this on TV. Let your children make their own decisions, guided, of course, by your sound judgment. By allowing your child to seemingly make their own age- appropriate decisions as soon and as often
as possible, they build their insight, ability and confidence in making sound choices. When children are allowed to make their own decisions, they learn by their own successes and mistakes which path of judgment is best. When we learn, we grow our minds, and our ability to problem solve increases. The more problems solved on their own the better, and the better equipped they will be in life.

Additionally, if children are respected for their good decisions, they will treat others with respect as well as be able to
recognize “disrespect.” This is an important factor in developing healthy personal boundaries. This will translate to a day to day skill set, making the on screen challenges seem more like the fiction it is. Your child will be able to recognize real warning signs in the real world, and will be able to avoid tangible potential problems unlike the drama scenarios they see on TV. Remember, the key here is age- appropriate decisions with your guidance.

Remember to connect with your children on a daily basis. Find a ritual and stick to it. Dinner can be difficult with kids
on the go, but it is very important to do your best to make that work. On the nights where it does not, have a plan B for connecting. Don’t let a day go by.

In a world where people are endlessly challenged to make safety decisions, make sure your children learn well how to interpret information and do what they think is best. Hopefully, they will grow to be the person who can teach their children the same!
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-Dan Ronin

Dan Ronin has trained in the martial arts for over 30 years. He is a combat veteran who served as a Military Police Investigator in the Army for 8 1/2 years. Dan offers classes in Counter-Attack self defense for open hands and weaponry, as well as disaster/emergency preparedness. Contact Dan at dan@roninproducts.com or 602-373-9630

Hands On- Think Before you Click

Hands on Preparedness
Youth Safety-Think Before you Click
By Tim Ralston

It is our natural instinct as parents to protect our children and keep them safe at all times. If it were up to us, we would shield them from all of the negativity that takes place in this world in the hopes of keeping them innocent as long as possible. As much as we would like this to be true, it is unrealistic to believe that we can be the sole protectors of our kids. This is evident in the fact that we are not together with them 24/7; they attend school, they have social lives, they explore virtual worlds… meaning
they are guaranteed to have experiences for which we cannot control.

While certain issues of safety may seem uncomfortable to talk about, you will only do your child a disservice by not doing so. In fact, by providing them with the knowledge and tools of how to avoid danger, along with what to do if they come across it, you will help transform their fears into empowerment during the times they need it most.

Online World
The Internet has been both a blessing as well as a curse for us as parents. When used properly, it has opened up doors for our children with its endless possibilities of educational value.Unfortunately though, it is also a gateway into the evil side of
humanity. There are those in our society who hide behind their screens to embark upon immoral acts, such as bullying and sexual inappropriateness. No matter how sheltered you try to keep your child, the second they turn on the screen, they are exposed.

Some parents take action by monitoring social media pages, putting time limits on Internet usage, or even installing specialized computer programs. These are all excellent ways to protect your child online. Ask yourself though, are they really
enough? This generation of kids is tech-savvy beyond belief, and if there is a will, there is a way. Especially if you take these security measures without informing your child of your reasoning, it will only heighten the chances of defiance. I recommend opening up a conversation with your child about the grim realities of the Internet. They should be made aware that you cannot be trusting of all that you read, nor all that you see. In particular, address predators on the chat sites. This is an extremely serious issue, which each year leads to numerous crimes against adolescents. Speak frankly; speak
graphically, whatever it takes to make them realize that Internet communication with strangers is not a game.

Another area I would focus on is the type of material they select to share online. How well do they grasp the fact that what they do and say is forever in print? Talk about how a future career might be affected, or the day they have children. Inform them that it is in their power to control how positive or negatively they are represented. It is all about choices. The main goal is to have your child choose proper Internet behavior not because you say so, but because they understand the importance in doing so. Help them achieve this by giving them ideas for self-protection, such as passwords and who can view their social media pages. Lastly, encourage non technological activities! There is nothing more rewarding in childhood than experiencing it in “real life.”

The Real Real World
Most emergency situations are unpredictable. From natural disasters to acts of violence, there is no telling when a catastrophe could occur. As adults, we are usually the ones who prepare our households for these types of events. Yet, it is just as crucial that your child be prepared as well. I would recommend beginning the conversation with your child by asking questions. (What would you do if the lights were to go out? What items do you think would be helpful?) Make it a game of sorts, praising them for their answers. Kids become very engaged when they are having fun, and also thrive with positive feedback.

Read more of the article on PG.18-19
-Tim Ralston

Author Tim Ralston is an international spokesman and recurringfeatured survival expert on National Geographic’s #1 rated program DOOMSDAY PREPPERS. Tim owns the survival brand
Gear Up, exclusive manufacturer and provider of cutting-edge survival gear and apparel. Contact Tim on Twitter:@gearupguy-tim
Gear Up Center: (480) 306-4945

Emergency Preparedness-The Series-Part II-The Low Down on Lock Downs

Emergency Preparedness-The Series-Part II

The Low Down on Lock Downs

In the aftermath of well publicized school shootings, it only makes sense to address the possibility of any threat on school grounds whether it be trespassing, or an armed suspect.There is no longer room the “simple threat” attitude, the cost of the potential problem is just too great.

Although most schools will never experience a threat as horrific as a school shooting, there is no down side to expecting the best and being prepared for the worst.

To that end, here are how Arizona schools are prepping to handle the worst case scenario of a potential school shooting on their grounds. This information has been gleaned from the AZ Department of Education and the AZ Republic website. Also, be sure to visit the Mindset Self-Defense You Tube account at: XXX for video’s on school preparedness, sourced from the Department of Homeland Security. Click on our School Safety
playlist.

Valley schools typically announce lockdowns whenever a potential threat is identified and the situations run the gamut and are not distance sensitive. For example; a bomb threat, a suspicious person who appears to have a weapon or suspect on the run, even if several blocks away. What prompts a lockdown is anything that presents a danger to children — not just criminal. When a lockdown is announced, teachers sweep the area, bring in adults and students to the nearest classroom, lock the doors,remain quiet and turn off the lights. If the school has a resource officer, they are notified and police agencies might send officers to schools to guard the perimeters.

Five Chandler schools were placed on lockdown for about four hours this year when a man was spotted reportedly carrying either a rifle or shotgun near Chandler High School. A Tempe middle school went into lockdown last school year after two students reported another student showed them a handgun in a backpack. The weapon turned out to be a pellet gun. A Mesa high school in 2013 was placed on lockdown when a student called in a bomb threat.

Usually, it is the police’s call to lock down a school, but district administrators work with police agencies to learn how and when to implement lockdowns.

Similar to other districts, Mesa schools conduct at least one lockdown drill a semester, Mesa schools
spokeswoman Helen Hollands said.

Lockdowns are stress producing for parents. Most parents find out about them through either district administration communications, posts on district websites, email alerts or at times letters home if a situation warrants it. Often times the children themselves contact parents through social media, which at times are the quickest way parents received information. It is important for parents to know that the information they received via their children may be prompted by a false alarm and not to panic until the
information has been verified.

Here are some common questions that many parents would like answers to:

How are school lockdowns handled?
The specifics of each plan differ, as do the responses, based on the specifics of a situation. In general, each plan involves the designation of an emergency-response team; development of evacuation, shelter-in-place and lockdown procedures; preparation of a portable emergency response kit that contains key information and supplies; designation of one or more appropriate evacuation sites; provisions for training personnel and updating the plan; checklists for dealing with specific types of incidents; and resources for help before, during and after an incident.