Burlington/Seattle. New York. New Jersey. Minnesota. Orlando. San Bernardino. Chicago… and on and on.
How do communities, states, and nations stop mounting violence?
It requires leadership across organizations, communities, states, and nations to actually make changes.
Leaders from all levels of government (and organizations too) have been “talking about preventing violence” and “talking about changes” for years, but in reality people are creatures of habit and rarely change until the pains get so bad they have to go from talking about changes to making changes.
How much more pain will you and your community allow and endure before you start making changes?
What Changes Need to Be Made?
Currently we rely on law enforcement to stop violence, but law enforcement personnel are First Responders. Their primary responsibilities are to respond to crimes and violence, minimize the damages and apprehend those evil individuals that have committed a crime or a violent attack. Law enforcement has done a good job responding and apprehending, but First Responders are not First Preventers.
Making changes starts with these three changes:
First Change: Leaders from organizations, communities, states, and nations must immediately realize First Responders are very different from First Preventers.
Second Change: Leaders from organizations, communities, states, and nations must make (not talk about) immediate changes to establish First Preventers and equip First Preventers to stop and prevent violence BEFORE evil and radicalized individuals escalate and execute their plans of violence.
Third Change: Leaders from organizations, communities, states, and nations need to realize stopping and preventing violence is not about politics or religion or race… it is about intervening and preventing evil doers from killing and ruining the lives of innocent children and adults.
What Is the Difference Between “First Responders and First Preventers”?
It is football season so let’s use a football team analogy. First Preventers and First Responders are similar to Offensive Coordinators and Defensive Coordinators on football teams. To be successful, football teams need both Offensive and Defensive Coordinators. Football teams that invest almost 100% of their budget into a Defensive Coordinator and Defensive Players (First Responders) and their training and tools would clearly not be very successful in winning their games. Based on evidence from post-event reports and based on the number of daily headlines involving violence, most organizations and communities are not successfully preventing mounting violence and they are constantly in “defense” mode EVEN THOUGH almost all incidents and tragedies were found to be preventable. The bottom line is this, it is nearly impossible for a “team” to win their “war or game” if their primary option depends on Defensive Coordinators and Defensive Players who, like First Responders, are constantly reacting and responding to the “other side”.
Why “First Preventers” Make Sense?
Emotionally – 99.9% of people prefer Preventing, yet most organizations and communities do not have First Preventers who are trained and properly equipped to prevent.
Financially – The costs associated with Preventing are a fraction of the costs of Responding. AND the costs associated with First Preventers and First Preventer tools are a fraction of the costs of First Responders and First Responder tools and equipment.
Evidentially – Evidence overwhelmingly reveals most incidents/tragedies were Preventable because the “pre-incident indicators and pieces of the puzzle” existed BEFORE the incident/tragedy. However, without First Preventers and First Preventer tools, the indicators and pieces of the puzzle were not collected, and not assessed and the dots were not connected BEFORE the incident/tragedy.
Download FREE First Preventers vs. First Responders infographic.
“Making Changes” Will Stop Violence and Change the World
My plea to Mayors, Police Chiefs, Governors, and Leaders of Organizations is this, please take time to understand the difference between First Responders and First Preventers and contact me immediately to discuss how you can take immediate action. Your First Responders are good at what they do, so now you need a Prevention Specialist like me help your organization or community implement a proven First Preventer game plan and proven First Preventer tools to immediately start stopping and preventing violence in your community or your organization.
Violence is already bad, and getting worse every day… evidence from prevention failures and prevention successes is overwhelming and clear that preventing violence is possible. Don’t wait until violence gets so bad that it impacts you and impacts the lives of innocent people. And don’t let evil doers and violence change our world, because together we can make changes and change the world in a good way.
Evidence reveals violence will not be stopped with more talk and more First Responders… stop and prevent violence with First Preventers who are trained, and equipped, and ready to PREVENT.