Nighttime Emergencies, How do You Respond?

When I worked in a firehouse, we always kept our turns outs (bunker gear) right by our beds.  With everything always in the same place, we could be dressed and on our to way to slide down the pole in a matter of seconds.  Later when I was on the arson unit, we often were called out at night.  Over the years, I have built up the habit of always setting my clothes and shoes in the same place so that I can respond to nighttime emergencies.

Placing my clothing in the same place allows me to find them in the dark, in case the lights fail to come on.  The items that I carry everyday such as keys are in right pockets, so all I have to do is dress, no searching for anything.  In addition, I have flashlights clipped to the side of the nightstands on both sides of the bed.  These flashlights are also easy to locate, just remember to check the batteries occasionally.

The same time applies to any weapons that you keep by your bed for self-defense.  They should always be in the same place and in the same configurations.  The other thing that I check is to make sure that I do not leave trip hazards around the bed.

Habits free up our brains to handle issues that are more complicated.  You don’t have to stop and analyze the simple act of tying your boots or turning a light switch on.  These are things that you do every day without conscious thought.

Being woke from a sound sleep and reacting quickly to nighttime emergencies is the result of training, practice and habits.  Have someone wake you from a sound sleep and see how you react.  Can you find your flashlight or weapons easily?  As you can tell I am a creature of habit, but over the years, this has served me well.

Howard

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