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Dealing with Threats and How to Make Better Decisions
Circuit Magazine
October 15, 2022
There’s no denying that security and close protection work is mentally and emotionally demanding. Life-threatening situations, exposure to possible perpetrators, and environmental stressors such on-the-job pressure, unsocial working hours, and being away from home mean you need to be operating at peak levels of resilience. So how do you maintain peak performance so that you can deal with threats and make better decisions?
This week we will cover how operators can make better decisions and are there any frameworks that could actually make a difference for the split second choices facing operators?
Let's dive in to find out!
The Circuit Magazine Podcast
'Risks get realised' and when they do, are they a risk anymore? How can operators make 'better decisions'? What frameworks could actually make a difference for the split second choices facing operators and why would that lead to a career in Security Management?
We are delighted to welcome Dr Gavriel Schneider, CEO and Founder of Risk 2 Solution and ISRM ANZ Chapter Chair to ask:
Why is resilience challenging to 'own'?
Is becoming a specialist a route to a stalled career when trying to get into the corporate world?
Why isn't health and safety a more core role of the EP operator?
What skills would an operator need to 'leave behind' if moving into security management?
Why would building 'risk intelligence' in people actually look like?
What does 'Presilience' mean and how could it enhance the work of EP?
What should international operators know about the Australian environment?
If you enjoy listening to the Circuit Podcast and can spare a minute, please rate/review us. Your rating will help us to rank higher making it easier for others to find the podcast.
The Need to Know
He travelled to the Middle East to work as a contractor, before allegedly being cuffed and taken to a holding cell.
Russian president Vladimir Putin has gradually increased the number of strategic bombers at Olenya air base from none on August 12, to four Tu-160s on August 21, to 11 now.
Most of the deposits were discovered in Karamoja, a parched sprawling area in the country's northeastern corner on the border with Kenya.
The Russian president declared the explosion in Crimea a terrorist attack
Redesignation will bring UK’s official position towards Beijing close to its stance on Russia
US president suggests he will soon take action as aides announce the White House is re-evaluating ties with kingdom.
A number of U.S. airport websites were temporarily taken offline after three pro-Russia cybercrime groups announced a wave of DDoS attacks targeting U.S. critical infrastructure.
For more timely global updates like this, get the Circuit Daily Briefing delivered to your inbox... daily! Get on the list >
From the Pages of the Circuit Magazine
There’s no denying that security and close protection work is mentally and emotionally demanding. Life-threatening situations, exposure to graphic scenes, distressed individuals, violent perpetrators, and occupational stressors such as unsocial working hours and being away from home mean you need to be operating at peak levels of resilience.
You may be familiar with the processes involved in the survival response, but understanding the recovery process is equally important so that you are more likely to regain balance quickly and fully.
The powerful response to a threat needs to subside once that threat is gone so that the body and brain can regain a resilient state.
For this to happen, 3 recovery tasks must be completed. Until these are achieved, many people will experience a reaction that can be unpleasant, disturbing or even potentially overwhelming.
Dr Liz Royle's article, from issue 40 of the Circuit Magazine, details these 3 tasks your brain must achieve to regain this critical balance. Understanding these tasks will not only empower your own potential recovery, but will give you the tools and knowledge to help others.
If you enjoyed this article and want more great content from across the industry then subscribe to the Circuit Magazine >
Latest Issue of the Circuit Magazine
Circuit Magazine - Issue 63 - Get Your Copy
In the latest edition of the Circuit Magazine, we hear how the fear of Artificial Intelligence Impersonating Humans is no longer science fiction. From election rigging to affecting the course of war, it's a real threat being played out on the world stage right now.
"I've been able to complete my CPD for the Security Institute thanks to the magazine articles I’ve written for the Circuit Magazine. I appreciate the opportunity and hope the readers enjoy the content."
- James Bore (Cybersecurity Contributor)
Geopolitical Analysis by RANE
The fallout from the draft will be felt for years, as many of the young Russians who are being deployed to Ukraine or fleeing the country to avoid sharing that fate will never come home.
By Oct. 4, 200,000 people had already been drafted into the armed forces as part of Russia's ''partial mobilization'' to call up 300,000 reservists with previous military experience to deploy to Ukraine. However, approximately 700,000 Russians had left the country in the two weeks since the Sept. 21 announcement of the mobilization as Russia's military difficulties in Ukraine persist.
Russia's mobilization will likely focus on ethnic minorities in rural areas in Russia's economically depressed regions to try to reduce public backlash.
Moscow and St. Petersburg will be disproportionately untouched by the mobilization. As few as 20,000 soldiers will be mobilized in the first wave, well below 1% of the reservists between the two cities. By contrast, rural areas — populated by ethnic minorities in the Caucasus, Urals and Siberia — are seeing comparatively larger mobilizations of 4% or even 5% of their reservists.
Despite the Kremlin's attempts to contain blowback, mobilization will fuel near-term economic challenges.
Russian legislators passed a law freezing loan repayments, including mortgages and consumer loans, for draftees and all others serving in the war. In the event of the death of a participant in the ''special operation'' in Ukraine, his loan obligations and those of his dependents will be terminated, making banks responsible for even more debts, fueling a private debt bubble that has been growing since the invasion of Crimea in 2014.
Looking farther ahead, Russia's mobilization will also worsen its demographic outlook and intensify the country's ''brain drain.''
The growing loss of men who may have otherwise had children and paid into the country's pension system will not only further strain Russia's labor force, but contribute to the country's declining birth rates. This will be exacerbated by the hundreds of thousands of Russians who have fled the country, who are disproportionately younger, better educated and wealthier.
Special Offer for On the Circuit Readers
From the Community
This incident clearly demonstrates the importance of being able to anticipate a threat and then take the appropriate action to nullify it.
In this case, we see...
✅ An understanding of the threat
✅ Anticipation of the threat
✅ A Reaction to the threat
But is this an appropriate and justifiable response?
Ask questions, get advice, and find industry resources from an active and thriving community of professional, working operators:
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Upcoming Events
In association with the BBA, CTGI presents the Eighth Annual Executive Security and CP Technology Forum in London. One of the few 'must-attend' events on the protector's calendar.
Meanwhile...
Threats to Vulnerable Demographics - Body Language as a Deterrent — www-girlswhofight-co.cdn.ampproject.org
Communication researchers estimate that 70-90% of communication is non-verbal. We communicate so much about ourselves through how we move, how we gesture, and the faces we make. These cues tell us if someone is uncomfortable, stressed, confident, sad, insecure, scared, or tired. We make judgments about people based on these cues every day without thinking about it, yet most people have not given any thought to what their own body language says about them.
Body language also plays a clear role in victim selection. Predators are attracted to 'external displays of vulnerability', and use body language to judge whether or not someone is an easy target for an attack. Unfortunately they're very accurate in their predictions.
While nothing is as effective as preventing a threat at its source, vulnerable individuals can reduce the likelihood of being targeted for an attack by learning to project confident body language.
Elsewhere on the Circuit
The unnamed staffer was fired and later took legal action against Tom and the movie's production company, Paramount. They also claimed — reportedly without evidence - that the FBI is investigating the movie's funding. An insider revealed that director Christopher McQuarrie has hired additional security as well out of fear over what the livid former employee might do. The source noted that while 'it's all turned very nasty ... those involved in the films are confident everything is totally fine, he's just an angry ex-staff member.'
Final Thoughts with Denida Grow
Adaptability is probably one of the most significant qualities of an Executive Protection Agent and many fail to understand its value and adopt it properly. No manager, Team Lead or director wants the "Can't be done" guy...They are striving to find the "Can do" guy...One who always sees answers and solutions, not questions and problems.
In a profession where clientele, environment, circumstances, and operational needs change constantly, being able to adapt can easily make you stand out among other professionals as a valuable asset or as an unwanted liability.
The term "Thinking outside the Box" should become a daily mantra that you embrace as you experience unforeseen circumstances, lead your team through the complexities that they might face and solve seemingly impossible issues.
Until next week...
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