Personal safety and security tips are essential. People must understand that tragedy can befall anyone. Therefore, it is up to each of us to enhance our personal security posture as much as possible. In so doing, we will be less likely to experience problems, as in the case of Kevin Hamby of Lancing, TN.

While the situation with Kevin Hamby is not known, what is known is that people who take their personal security seriously tend to fare better than those who don't.

Personal Safety and Security Tips When Out Alone

What habits can we develop to increase our own personal security when we venture out alone, perhaps in dark, remote areas?

Whenever possible, the best personal safety and security tip is to avoid going too dark, remote areas on your own. Whether you encounter bad guys or have an accident, your chances are better when you're not alone.

When you are alone, you reduce your potential courses of action should you have an accident. After all, it's not like you can send yourself to get help if you break a leg while hiking, right? So, do yourself and your personal security a favor, don't go solo.

Also, when you are with others, you become a less likely target for bad guys. Their ability to harm someone diminishes as more people come into the equation.

If you can't find someone to go with you, consider taking your dog. A dog will often alert you ahead of a dangerous situation. Plus, if your dog is a decent size, they may intimidate knuckleheads looking to cause you trouble.

If you can't find anyone, consider rescheduling until you do.

GOTWA

When you go somewhere, even if it is to the store, tell family, trusted friends, etc., what your plans are.

The five-point contingency plan is an excellent way to remember what information to give someone when you tell them you're going somewhere.  Another name for the five-point contingency plan is GOTWA.

GOTWA stands for:

G – Where I’m Going

O – Others I’m taking with me

T – Time of my return

W – What to do if I don’t return

A – Actions to take if something happens while I’m gone

Personal Safety and Security Tips for Situational Awareness

The skills for maintaining proper situational awareness are all great personal safety and security tips.  The number one way to maintain your situational awareness is to pay attention.

In other words, keep your head up and out of the phone. Notice what is going on around you. Beware of blind corners, turns, and unknown danger areas.

Trust your instincts

Our instincts don't lie and are nature's way of helping our personal security. When something is wrong, our gut may give us a funny feeling, the hairs on our neck may stand up, or we may get goosebumps. All of those and others are nature's way of helping us to survive. That is called instinct, and it's good to listen to. A great book to read on this topic is The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker.

Plan Ahead

Thinking through possible scenarios helps us to be more resilient when things go wrong. Playing out "what if" scenarios in our minds or talking them through with others helps improve the quality and speed of our reactions.

Perform a Self-Assessment

You mustn’t overestimate your abilities. When you do, you can negatively impact your personal security. Therefore you need to perform a realistic self-assessment. If you aren't 21 anymore, don't plan as if you are.

Be honest with yourself. Normalcy bias also affects preppers. Preppers suffer from normalcy bias when we aren't realistic about our capabilities.

Flight or Fight

Flight first. It's always best for your personal security to avoid an altercation whenever possible. When people fight, the potential for all involved to be injured or worse exists.

No matter how awesome you think you are,