CPL Renewal Digital Document

The First Responder

Who is a responder? Good Question There are three types of responders--

1. The first responder is the victim or intended victim (the target) 2 . The second responder is the possible witness to the attack 3. The third responder is the professional rescuer /responder. Police and Fire Who is the real First Responder ? You are the real First Responder at the scene of a crime that involves you or your family. What you do in the first minutes can mean the difference between life and death. When the threat of an attack or actual attack occurs; you the victim will be the "first responder" at the scene to protect yourself. What you do next may be critical to your survival or the survival of your loved ones. You must be able to respond properly and effectively to protect yourself. The concept of being prepared to respond properly contains three important parts. In the order of importance, they are: 1 . Mental preparedness and awareness (if you don’t know the attack is coming the other aspects won’t help)

2. Find an escape route, if none is available, create time to respond by (1) creating distance (2) putting an obstacle between you and the attacker.

3. If you cannot escape use a self-defense r esponse; the proper response and use of tactics is important -------- • Select the proper tactics by applying a response that works through proper training and education. • Select the proper self -defense equipment that is legal and effective. • Develop the skill with self defense equipment will allow you to use it to its optimum capability.

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