Five-Minute Situational Assessment

Creator's principle

Assessing your environment when you go somewhere is key to protecting yourself, because when you're aware you can see a problem coming and have time to respond.

Gain situational awareness and put a quick safety plan in place during the first five minutes at any location you arrive at.

1. 01

   As soon as you arrive at any location, take the first five minutes to gain your situational awareness and put a quick plan in place.

   Recurring · on your cadenceDone when: You have completed the five-minute assessment at the location you arrived at.

2. 02

   Assess: identify two egress points, preferably on opposite sides of a room.

   Recurring · on your cadenceDone when: Two egress points identified.

3. 03

   Evacuate: map your exit route — how fast can you get there, what obstacles are in your way, and how many people are between you and the way out.

   Recurring · on your cadenceDone when: Exit route mapped.

4. 04

   If you can't evacuate, find cover and harden up: look for anything durable — wood, steel, tile — that could potentially shield you from an attacker.

   Recurring · on your cadenceDone when: Cover identified.

5. 05

   Cover and conceal: identify the places you can hide; be creative and think like a child playing hide-and-seek. If there's no place to hide, be prepared to get low and get out of the attacker's line of sight.

   Recurring · on your cadenceDone when: Hiding places identified.

6. 06

   Fight: as part of your five-minute assessment, look around and see what is nearby that you could use as a weapon if needed.

   Recurring · on your cadenceDone when: Potential improvised weapons noted.