Chamber speaker discusses the importance of being prepared

When faced with a critical situation, humans typically don't rise to the occasion–they sink to their training.

And when it comes to reacting to workplace violence, that training could mean the difference between life and death.

That was the heavy message Carol Dodgen presented to the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce Tuesday at the monthly luncheon.

Dodgen is the owner of Trussville-based Dodgen Security Consulting, a firm that started as a way to help businesses secure assets against robbery and other risks. Although, she said, much of what she does now is prepare businesses for traumatic workplace events.

The U.S. Department of Labor reports that each year, over two million American workers report being the victim of workplace violence. And while much of that doesn't make headlines, Dodgen said, it only takes once.

"My goal is always: 'What can we learn from these cases?'" she said. "'What have we missed?'"

Dodgen walked the audience through multiple cases, including the origins of the phrase "going postal,"–the mass shootings by U.S. Post Office employees in the 1980s–and more recent events, such as the Amy Bishop case in Huntsville.

Bishop, after being denied tenure by the University of Alabama at Huntsville, shot six fellow faculty members at a meeting, killing three.

Dodgen showed a video interview with one of the survivors of Bishop's attack, who explained her actions and the importance of being able to know what to do in such a situation.

That's where Dodgen explained the mantra of "People don't rise to the occasion, they sink to their training."

In a crisis situation, each individual is faced with the "Three D's" of processing what's going on: Denial, deliberation and decision. When faced with a violent event, Dodgen said, many experience the denial stage as a delay–they don't realize what is happening, often until it is too late. With deliberation, speed and relying on muscle memory is critical, because there is never time to mull over a decision, the final stage.

That muscle memory, and the ability to survive violent situations–whether they be caused by a disgruntled employee, a domestic dispute spilling over into the workplace or the business simply being at risk due to its nature–lies with preparation.

"We're very reactive," Dodgen said, but emphasized that the key is preparing for situations before they occur.

That can take the form of protocols and drills, but it can also be training employees and managers the signs to look for that indicate a violent situation could be looming.

"Crime is going to happen. Violence is going to happen," she said. "But my goal is to try to do everything I can to equip companies, businesses and individuals and give them the tools to try to prevent it from happening in the workplace."

Dodgen urged those at the meeting to make sure they have a plan in place, and to provide that training for their employees.

For more information about Dodgen, visit dodgensecurity.com, and for more information about workplace violence and prevention programs, visit osha.gov/SLTC/workplaceviolence/.