CSS WATCH
Volume 7, Issue 7
July 2011
What-if Drills
What is a What-if Drill? It is a scenario based on a possible incident or emergency.
A what-if drill is a training class conducted by the site manager, designated officer, or as a group.
This can be accomplished by incorporating Security Emergency Procedures with facility procedures.
A what-if drill can be a number of scenarios, from a person unlawfully gaining access to the secured
facility to a hostile vendor or employee, or even a terrorist attack. What-if drills are a very important
part of Security. Although you cannot prepare for every emergency or incident that may occur, you can
still give your team the knowledge of what steps to take and get their minds thinking in the right direction. It is a good idea to have your security team come up with a scenario on their own and act it out as a
group. You can even have each officer come up with a different scenario and let them take the lead on it.
The site manager should record their comments and tell them at the end what went well and what needs
improvement. The more what-if drills your teams conduct, the more they will learn, and they’ll be more
prepared in case of an actual emergency.
Another idea is using an actual past event. Have one of your officers explain what happened along with the
actions that were taken during the event. Have them discuss what went well and what did not. What could
the responders to the event have done to create a better outcome. What would the officer do differently?
Most incidents and emergencies happen during the day while there is a lot of activity around the facility.
This is the time that site managers are present. Site managers are there to guide officers through every aspect
of the emergency. Let’s say you are not there during a major incident or emergency. You are not there to
guide them through this. By having your officers conduct a what-if drill individually or as a team effort, it
will help them to be prepared in the event of an actual incident or emergency.
We should never expect that training material alone will prepare everyone for an emergency. Have what-if
drills often. Have a different officer come up with a scenario each time. Be sure that every officer participates. It takes having the participation of the whole team to help prepare for emergencies.
When you find yourself having down time at your post, just think “what if” and then work out the incident
on how to respond. These few minutes could be invaluable during an actual event
whether it is making improvements to the current procedures or covering certain issues you are uncertain about. The time is not wasted and you are better prepared. So
go ahead and “what if.”
Written by: Lisa Thompson (LaPorte, TX)
Covenant wishes
all our guards a
safe and happy
4th of July!
The
President’s
Puzzle
Which is the only mammal
that can’t jump? (Keep in
mind a snake is a reptile,
not a mammal!)
Page 2
CSS WATCH
Covenant
EMT Hero
Are You Getting
Enough Sleep?
Do you feel groggy and fatigue
halfway through your workday?
National Institutes of Health reported that 50 million to 70 million Americans have trouble either
falling asleep or staying awake.
Here is some information about
being well rested. There are considered 5 stages of sleep. Stages 1
and 2 are considered the light
sleep stage, stages 3 and 4 are the
deep sleep stage and stage 5 is the
REM stage, which is when we
dream.
The completed cycle
takes about 90 minutes, and to get
a good night’s rest the average
person needs 5 completed cycles. This means that you should
give yourself 7-8 hours of sleep each night. We need a full
night of sleep to function well on the job, to drive safely, and to
have enough energy to handle our everyday life activities. Short
-term sleep deprivation can cause slower reactions, bad judgment, and poor safety decisions. Long-term sleep deprivation
can cause high blood pressure, an increased risk of heart disease, depression, and obesity. Here are some helpful tips to get
a good night’s sleep: Keep a consistent
sleep schedule, avoid caffeine and cigarettes in the late afternoon, avoid going
to bed full or on an empty stomach, try
eating some power or energy bars in the
middle of the day. Sleep is very important and even though we live busy
lives we need to make sure we manage
our schedule appropriate for your safety
as well as others.
On June 13th, one of our fellow Covenant employee's
became seriously ill while at
work with a life threatening
All winners will receive a Covenant
condition. Rose Harrell, alSafety Kit. Submit your answers to [email protected]
so a Covenant employee,
was the EMT on duty and
Previous Question: In 1996 thanks to her fast response
what overtook Coca-Cola
and knowledge was able to
as being the most well
stabilize the employee until
known brand name in the
the ambulance arrived. Our
world?
fellow Covenant employee
is now in safe condition
A. McDonalds
thanks to the great help from
Rose.
Lisa Thompson (LaPorte, TX); Sheri’ri
Stone (Fresno, TX); Tim Yamrich (Bala
Cynwyd, PA); Saquania Pernetter
(Fresno, TX); Alina Figueroa
(Norristown, PA); Valerie Jones
(Coopersburg, PA);
Stanley Parker (Arroyo Grande, CA);
Steve Hardy (Oceano, CA); Francine
Mesce (Coopersburg, PA); Becky Cornell (Paris, TX); Don Fulmer (Maumelle,
AL); Loring Draper (Ogden, UT); Crystal Chappell (Ferndale, WA); Jeffrey
Viall (Moorestown, NJ); Donna Jennings (Dallas, TX); Tom Rickman
(Haverhill, OH); Mary Daley
(Bartlesville, OK)
Please send questions, comments, and news to: Phone: 877-91-GUARD FAX: 610-521-1609
E-MAIL: [email protected]
www.covenantsecurity.com