Situational awareness

In a world where every second counts and every decision can mean the difference between life and death, understanding your environment is essential. For frontline workers in the safety and hospitality sectors, this is a daily reality. But how well do we truly understand our surroundings? And more importantly, how can we improve our situational awareness to respond more effectively to unexpected situations? This book aims to answer these questions and guide you to a deeper understanding of situational awareness.

We promise not only to provide insight into the fundamentals of situational awareness but also to offer practical strategies and exercises to enhance the skills of you and your team. With games and thought exercises, we challenge you to sharpen your observations and reduce your reaction time, preparing you better for potential threats in your environment. Whether you are a hotel receptionist responsible for the safety of guests, a firefighter needing to respond quickly to emergencies, or a security officer on patrol in a museum or a port site, the principles of situational awareness are universally applicable. With the right training and practice, we can work on prevention and safety in our surroundings.

Kim Covent is a consultant with the Ghent local police and has over 14 years of experience in communication and policy at the local level. As an international speaker, she gives lectures and training on observation techniques, non-verbal communication, and proactive security. She focuses on gamification and action learning in spotting and understanding deviant behavior and preparing for a criminal attack.

Wesley De Smet, CPP, is the head of Facility Management at the Ghent Museum of Fine Arts. He is an expert in museum security and crisis management and has previously worked as a consultant for safety & well-being, a prevention advisor, and an emergency planning officer at various government agencies.