Crime During Natural Disasters
There is something about collective distress that makes many people act in ways they would usually not act. This is easy to see when earthquakes can devastate cities and people will rob stores that have collapsed entryways or windows.
The same thing happens with floods and hurricanes if there is damage caused to any property. Perhaps it is important to identify the reasons why people would behave in such a way.
The core of the reasons for this type of behavior is simply fear and that is always a powerful motivator. For example, when someone sees that a natural disaster has taken away their ability to provide food and shelter to their family.
When this happens, there is a very distinct feeling of panic and people are likely to commit criminal acts. This is not to say that they would immediately resort to physical violence. The most common thing to see in this type of situation is the act of robbery.
Security during natural disasters
The rules of society are completely distorted when a serious natural disaster hits an area. Any private security for a neighborhood or property is no longer sufficient. It is also very common to see many security staff leaving their job post to search for their families.
It is important to keep in mind that communication issues arise when this happens. This raises the level of anxiety that everyone feels at an individual level. That means that many rules and regulations during a natural disaster are out the window.
If security staff seeks to protect a private property, the level of threat and danger during the disaster will play a major role in the results. When someone has a network of digital solutions for their security, this can be harder to handle.
Power is likely to go out during an emergency and using any generator to power up cameras can be a waste of energy. Many factors will come into play such as any type of requirements that people have at home.
An elderly member of the family may need equipment that uses energy to function, or perhaps you require that energy to light up a specific area of your property. This is the type of thing that can be most relevant to consider.
The job of a security team or individual professional in this situation is to save resources. This needs to be done while still finding a way to provide the best surveillance possible. It is definitely a very challenging situation that can be hard to handle.
When natural disasters occur, every family and individual involved will have different levels of needs. This is going to depend on the level of preparedness that they had prior to the disaster.
For example, a household that has a large number of supplies and a generator with enough stored fuel and resources is less likely to panic in this type of scenario. The problem with natural disasters that leave areas with no water and power is that people become desperate. Once the days start to pass, the level of desperation and anxiety becomes much higher.
If they know that there are locations with supplies, they are likely to want them and this is dangerous. The main issue is that people who want to get supplies for their own needs or for their families could become hostile.
This is probably the scariest scenario for someone who has supplies in their household. The larger the number of people that know this, the higher the danger levels. The best approach is to ensure households with supplies are careful not to let people know about their inventory of items and food.
How can security companies prepare for natural disasters?
We mentioned earlier, the biggest problem with natural disasters is that even security staff is in danger. The situation can be very difficult to handle and lack of communication can be a huge problem.
The best way for a security service to prepare for natural disasters is to understand all possible scenarios. This is important so that they can handle every situation with optimal results.
The unpredictable nature of natural disasters can be a very disorienting thing to handle. Earthquakes can cause all kinds of serious damage within seconds, while hurricanes can have similar effects on different structures.
Floods can be particularly problematic due to the long term effects and the lingering dangers. Those are the three most common natural disasters that can create a large number of difficult scenarios.
Choosing a security company with experience in natural disasters
When you are looking for protection from natural disasters, you need to hire a company that understands how these scenarios play out. This is probably one of the most challenging security jobs. This is mainly the case when the situation turns into something extremely difficult to handle.
A reliable security company is going to contemplate all possible situations and train their staff accordingly. This is the only way for any reliable results to be possible when a situation unfolds.
Given the unpredictability of this kind of disaster, the best approach is to be ready for the worst case scenario. This also means that families should receive proper emergency training.
When families receive training for to understand these situations, their reactions can be very important in the process of lowering the danger levels during natural disasters. This is going to be a very important part of the process of securing a property and the inhabitants.
Final thoughts on natural disasters
There are many different situations that can occur during a natural disaster. The level of preparedness of a specific household is going to have a very specific effect on the outcome. This is the reason why it is important to ensure that you can cover as many of those scenarios.
Now that you have a better idea of the many possible situations that can take place during a natural disaster, you can take proper precautions to avoid increasing the danger.
By Joseph Sordi, Chief Executive Officer
Strategic Security Corp.
