Boston Bombing

On February 14, 2006, Michael Chertoff, then Secretary of Homeland Security made the following statement:  “In a free and open society, we simply cannot protect every person against every risk at every moment in every place.  There is no perfect security…in order to protect our country and defend our freedoms; we must continue to focus our resources on the areas that pose the greatest risk.”  Democratic governments, regardless of their political ideology, will generally take steps to protect their citizens.  However, the law enforcement/security forces simply cannot be everywhere at every moment.  Terrorists and criminals know this and continued to use it their advantage.

Terrorists will carry out their attacks at locations that offer the best likelihood of success.  Of late, these have increasingly been soft targets such as restaurants, hotels and public transportation systems.  Hence, each and every person has a responsibility to provide to a degree, for their own protection and that of their loved ones.  Situational awareness, while no panacea, can make the difference between becoming a victim or being a survivor. Every citizen has the responsibility for being aware of what is taking place around them; this is how we can protect our communities, our neighbors, loved ones and ourselves.

Report suspicious behavior. Report un-attended back packs, packages or containers or things that just seem to be out of place. 

Reports are that this “bomb” was in a black nylon backpack that was placed in a waste can; a waste can at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Did anyone see this take place? One wonders how with that many people in the area; someone did not see this take place. 

Situational awareness is by its nature, a subtle art.  It is practiced primarily with one’s eyes, scanning as one moves through the day the surroundings and the brain analyzing the visual input.  It does not mean one should become paranoid of an attack at every street corner, behind every tree or building. At the same time it does not mean unusual events are dismissed outright.  Situational awareness can and should be applied to all manner of threats, as we can never know when we will be attacked.  It provides you, the citizen, with the opportunity to detect abnormal behavior or unusual activity that does not fit within the familiar environment.