Qui Custodes

Another RANT ON!

It's Veteran's Day, 2009.  A day precious to me. A day to remember lost friends and absent companions.  So I like to go to synagogue & say a prayer for the dead.  I'm Jewish.  It takes a minyan (10 adults over the age of 13).  Now my synagogue for some reason doesn't regularly schedule this on Veteran's Day.  But every year I ask them to.  You'd think they'd learn.  NOPE. 

I could call them in September & ask them to schedule it and they would be happy to accommodate me.  Note that this doesn't mean I could get 10 adults there.  Just that they'd schedule it.  But that's another rant for another day.

Anyway, sort of a consolation prize I was asked to talk to the Religious School kids for 2-3 minutes tonight.  I can't decide.  What can I possibly say in 2-3 minutes max that will explain to these kids, ages 10-13, why this is important, why they should be respectful and grateful.  Keep in mind that their parents care so little that there is no organized Veterans' Day activity.  I have absolutely no idea what I could possibly say that would mean something to them.  Worse, if I do go, doesn't that make me complicit in saying that the synagogue is doing enough?

Rant ON!

OK.  I'm just sick and tired of listening to various pundits, medicos and general apologists for Maj. Hasan Nidal and hs so-called PRE-traumatic stress disorder.  WTF?  Sorry about the language but to argue that this guy suffered before anything ever happened to him makes fools of the psychiatry profession, demeans our soldiers who actually have PTSD and gives hopes to every malingering SOB out there.  Would you people get a grip?

I don't know what motivated him to do what he did.  Rumors are flying.  But if he actually did cry out to God before pulling his pistols and firing, HE injected his religion into this issue.  Not me, not the Army, and not some weird wack-job bigot.  So for Pete's sake, use some common sense--not that you even have it.

First aid

Every permanent employee you have should be trained in basic first aid.  I recommend having them take a CPR course too.  You never know--the life they save might be your own.

Back to designing your office for safety

OK.  Now let's get back to business:  designing your office for safety.  In the reception area, consider having the receptionist's desk behind a 4 foot wall.  People can look over it easily and she can duck under her desk easily for concealment and safety. If you cannot bring yourself to build a wall, at least get the receptionist's desk a "privacy shield" so there's a small space under the desk where s/he can huddle in an emergency.  Don't forget to put a panic button there too.

When the shooting starts

Drop & Roll into a corner.  keep rolling.  Don't stay still.  Modern handguns are powerful enough to plow through wooden desks, chairs, sofas, etc.  Get concealed, roll (or crawl) into a protected area like a corner. But be aware:  drywall can be punched through.  A bullet will go through drywall like tissue paper. 

After you get concealed or against a wall, search for a way out.  Then get out if it is safe.  According to what I just read about Ft. Hood, several people saw the shooter stop to reload and *then* ran out the door to get away.  That's best. Nice thinking people.  No panic, just careful planning on no notice.

Damn! So much to talk about

OK.  I've been in trial and haven't had time to post lately. But between the shooting in the office in Orlando and the massacre at Ft. Hood, I have to post some more. 

First off, hats off to all the soldiers at Ft. Hood. Brave under fire, helped each other, helped and evacuated the wounded. and went after the shooter.  Well done all!

Holloween tip

Actaully saw a good tip at a bank yesterday.  They had a sign up which said (more or less) "So we can all have a safe Holloween, masks are not allowed in the bank. Please take your mask off before you enter."

Brilliant!  What dingdong wears a mask into a bank?  Apparently a lot of people and not just kids either.  So ...

You should not allow masks in your office either. Costumes?  No problem.  I love Holloween.  Face paint?  Great!  But absolutely NO masks. 

Reception Area tip 3

Tell your receptionist to alert you to people who appear agitated while they are waiting.  Keep in mind this one fact:  your instincts and the instincts of your employees have evolved over millions of years to identify danger.  Listen you them, take them seriously. 

Reception Area tip 2

Chairs and furniture should be large, over-stuffed and/or fastened down so they can't be picked up and used as a weapon.  Seems simple but family lawyers know how stressed out people can be.  Personally, I like very low (extra low actually) overstuffed chairs for people to sit in.  It's hard to jump quickly out of low, overstuffed chairs and they're heavy so they are hard to pick up.  Magazine racks etc. should be bolted down or to the walls.  Ditto wall decorations and tables etc. 

Reception area tip 1

Your receptionist should have a concealed panic button.  The button should connect to your office and set off a buzzer or flashing light or *something* that will immediately attract your attention.  Then you can decide what to do.

Where should the panic button be located?  1 option is to give it to the receptionist to put on her belt like a cell phone.  Alternatively, place it under the desk or next to the keyboard are locations I like.  I don't like putting the panic button on the floor because a) it's either too easy to set it off by accident or not easy to set off if you need to; b) all the movies have the button on the floor so everyone knows to look for it there; and c) sometimes the receptionist walks away from the desk.  These panic buttons aren't very expensive, you just have to test the batteries once in a while.