Work sent around a email saying that all supervisors had to take a workplace harassment training from an internet site. We each individually sign in and no matter how hard I tried I couldn't speed up the five hours that it took to get through the thing. It was all common sense, at least I thought it was common sense.
Let's see. George and Tom were sitting around their desks. George just got a new cell phone and Tom was going to help him figure out all the bells and whistles. Diane walks by and George takes a picture of her buttocks (their words, not mine). But wait. He only pretends to since the phone is not charged. Any problems here?
Yes, five hours of that garbage. I wonder how much our wonderful state has to pay the company that produced this? Plus the cost of each of the 400 or so supervisors to take this nonsense? I figure the state is going to spend about $75,000 in salaries for our supervisors and that's only for one department. Sure, for the state it's a CYA (uh oh, since that is a form of profanity I should be aware that my comments can escalate into harassment if I am not going to properly monitor my personal behavior) but when does common sense come into it? I guess it doesn't. After all, I work for the government and they have lots of your money to spend.
In Aliso Viejo (the first place I ever got a speeding ticket) there's a community emergency preparedness academy that teaches residents what to do in an emergency. Their latest class taught what to do after an earthquake. The following list is good for all kinds of emergencies. I would do the same thing if I came upon a car accident.
When arriving on site, you should follow these basic rules to prepare and understand the situation:
Gather facts
Assess the damage
Consider probabilities (the what ifs)
Assess your situation
Establish priorities
Make a choice
Develop a plan
Take action
Evaluate progress
Take charge in a chaotic situation with a calm voice. Have you ever listened to a 911 recording? Have you noticed that the responder stays very calm? If someone is freaking out, speak to them calmly and give them a simple task to complete. This will calm them down and also put them to good use.
The number one priority on any incident is keeping yourself safe. You are not to put yourself in harm's way unless someone is in imminent danger. If you do, then you may bring chaos to chaos.
Places with high numbers of people will be the first priority during a rescue. Don't forget to consider the time, date, and location of the incident. For example at 10am on a school day many children could be trapped at their school. If it's 10am on Saturday, the school doesn't become a high priority - the mall does! Saving 100 people is better than saving one if you have a choice, and if the one isn't someone you love. OK, that last comment is my completely truthful commentary!
We in the school system have been having this type of training for a while. A school district near here has lost a few high profile harassment lawsuits and our district and county has been keen on the covering yourself idea. We get some of the training every year.
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