*Connecting the Dots Blog*

Bias, we all make bias-based decisions. The definition of bias is having a prejudice in favor of or against one thing, a person, or a group, usually in a way considered to be unfair. Bias-based decisions can also be described as blind certainty and closed-minded. Bias-based decisions can cost lives, futures, reputations, bottom lines, safety, and more.   Some common biases include: Confirmation bias which involves relying too heavily on information consistent with pre-existing beliefs. Verification bias which involves searching for information that aligns with preconceived notions of a situation and neglecting to thoroughly investigate other existing sources of information and facts that could challenge yourRead More →

First Preventers believe: Safety is different than Security Pre-Incident Prevention is far safer than Incident Response In connecting dots/silos before tragedies rather than after tragedies Silos are the most common and dangerous cause of failed pre-incident preventions Security solutions do not solve dangerous, common silos problems/failures The current state of things – status quo – is not good enough or safe enough Children shouldn’t graduate from school/college with PTSD Teachers/Faculty shouldn’t retire from school/college with PTSD Return on Prevention is a life-time of returns, much better than Return on Regret In the Butterfly Effect, one small thing can lead to saving lives, futures, and moreRead More →

Dangerous SILOS and other barriers are old, long-term, recurring, and expensive problems in need of a new and different category of solutions to prevent more incidents before they occur and to deliver better safety as violence hits record levels. At Awareity, our mission is moving people, organizations, and communities beyond security to a different and safer future by utilizing a different category of solutions. FAILED PREVENTIONS are responsible for thousands of innocent lives being lost, futures being ruined, millions of dollars in knee-jerk product acquisitions (that are not prevention focused), and millions of dollars in liabilities, lawsuits, and settlements. Research and post-incident reports expose mostRead More →

For the last 20+ years since Columbine and 9-11 and thousands of other incidents and tragedies, billions of dollars have been invested into security solutions, response drills, and emergency training. For the last 20+ years incidents and tragedies have been increasing, some to record levels, so are the billions of dollars in investments delivering the ROI (return on investment) people want and need for their SAFETY? Data and legal settlements reveal costs, liabilities, and consequences with school shootings, workplace violence, and community violence as well as other incidents (suicides, overdoses, sexual abuse, trafficking, bullying, etc.) are also increasing.  So, unless you prefer being in responseRead More →

After most incidents (shootings, violence, hate crimes, abuse, suicides, bullying, etc.) the reports from US Secret Service, FBI, NTAC, news articles, and many others find the following: There were pre-incident indicators (warning signs, red flags, leakage, etc.) There were multiple community sources of indicators and information There were multiple community resources in place that could have been utilized to intervene Over and over again we see these findings with shootings, violence, abuse, suicides, trafficking, bullying and other incidents too.  In fact, one NTAC report found 100% (ALL) of the 173 mass attacks in public spaces had pre-incident indicators, community sources, and community resources… but noneRead More →

The new SB 553 bill requires an employer to “establish, implement, and maintain, at all times in all work areas, an effective workplace violence prevention plan containing specified information”. The new SB 553 bill also authorizes “a collective bargaining representative of an employee, as described, to seek a temporary restraining order and an order after hearing on behalf of the employee and other employees at the workplace, as described”. You will see a lot of checklists for the SB 553 requirements, and you will see a lot of vendors positioning their assessments, policy reviews, and training to check off those requirement boxes. These are theRead More →

The Columbine Massacre in 1999 and the 9-11 Terrorist Attacks in 2001 were two significant tragedies that set into motion an era of enormous investments in responding faster and in First Responders including laws, grants, planning, trainings, tools, equipment, and much more. Now, more than two decades later, we are seeing the urgent and critical need for a NEW ERA that involves First Responders AND First Preventers focused on pre-incident prevention. As shootings (school, workplace, public spaces, etc.), acts of violence, political unrest, hate crimes, terrorism/lone wolf attacks, and numerous other challenges are hitting record levels, it is becoming increasingly clear that a more intenseRead More →

$4B – Corporate defense spending on class action lawsuits increased to nearly $4 billion in 2023, with labor and employment claims the main driver of these lawsuits, according to Carlton Fields’ annual class action survey. https://riskandinsurance.com/corporate-class-action-defense-spending-hits-4b-in-2023/ What can be done to reduce legal costs and the soaring costs of settlements?  First, organizations must utilize “Pre-Incident Indicators” more effectively to successfully prevent more incidents before they occur. Awareity’s client transformations are impressive. Second, organizations must replace expensive and inefficient manual efforts with advanced, data-driven, and proven tools that empower collecting, sharing, assessing, and connecting Pre-Incident Indicators with appropriate internal and external/community resources so they can help,Read More →