How to Manage Interactions with the Homeless

Do you or your utilities employees work in the field?

By the very nature of their duties, field workers sometimes interact with the homeless. Homelessness is a complex social issue that can elicit many emotions, but we recommend that field workers practice using empathy when engaging with the homeless.

When you can’t avoid interactions, follow these practices:

Don’t Judge – You have no idea what this person is dealing with or the conditions that brought them to this situation.

Be Kind – A smile or nod of recognition can set the tone for a better interaction or avoid a negative one altogether.

Remain Aware – Homeless people may interact in unexpected ways, so monitor their distance and movement.

Decline Requests for Help or Money – Decline apologetically and use a short but reasonable excuse for why you won’t comply. Examples include, “I’m sorry, I can’t right now, I have to work,” and “I’m sorry, I don’t have any cash on me today.”

Learn more about interacting with the homeless.

TPOP Offers Workplace Violence E-Learning for Multiple Industries

Would you staff benefit from comprehensive workplace violence E-Learning that can be completed in an hour or less?

Training topics include the Run, Hide, Fight methodology, situational awareness, verbal de-escalation, response to injury, and much more.

Let’s talk about your training needs today.

Benefits of Situational Awareness

 Do you want to train your mind to sense the potential for danger, while still conducting normal activities?

Situational awareness is the act of paying attention to what’s going on around you. Situational awareness could save your life in the event of workplace violence, and here’s how:

Detect danger and act ‒ If you’re situationally aware, you’ll have a much better chance of seeing anomalies escalate or be cognizant of dramatic changes in a coworker’s behavior. Every second is vital in a violent situation, and enhancing situational awareness will enhance preparedness and safety. 

Plan ahead ‒ Part of situational awareness includes understanding your environment’s layout. Where are ingress and egress? You should know the location of at least two exits if you are in a building, or escape routes if your work is field-based. If workplace violence occurred, what would you do? But it’s not only workplaces you should be monitoring; if something occurred in a movie theater, a restaurant, or a retail store, what would you do? Creating an action plan in advance will help you be prepared in the case of a real event.

Visit our website for more benefits of situational awareness!  

Monitor your surroundings with workplace violence training

Enhance safety and preparedness by taking TPOP’s training on workplace violence prevention, verbal de-escalation, and active shooter preparedness. You’ll learn ways to identify signs of violence, practice situational awareness, how to keep your focus, and how to create a plan of action before you need one.

Our course is taught by internationally recognized industry experts from the FBI, DHS, law enforcement, SWAT, EMS, and criminal psychology. TPOP’s co-founder, William F. Flynn, helped to develop and popularize the policy of “If you see something, say something” and the “Run, Hide, Fight” active shooter survival methodology recommended by national security agencies.

If you’re ready to prepare yourself, call us today at 833-723-3893 to discuss your training needs.

What is Situational Awareness?

 Are you aware of your surroundings?

Could you easily detect abnormalities and quickly decide what to do in the event of violence?

Situational awareness is the act of paying attention to what’s going on around you. It sounds simple, but with the many distractions in our lives – phones, earbuds, colleagues, visitors, and more – being aware of your surroundings can be difficult.

How can you improve your situational awareness? Monitor your environment and create a baseline of what’s normal; from then on, you can more easily distinguish what might be out of place at any given time. Scan the environment and be aware of anomalies. These include things like volume of voice, distance between people, open or closed doors, abnormal lighting, people you don’t recognize, and people’s body language. If you see an anomaly, monitor the situation to see if it’s violent or it escalates.

See ways situational awareness can help you in a violent situation.

Monitor your surroundings with workplace violence training

Enhance safety and preparedness by taking TPOP’s training on workplace violence prevention, verbal de-escalation, and active shooter preparedness. You’ll learn ways to identify signs of violence, practice situational awareness, how to keep your focus, and how to create a plan of action before you need one.

Our course is taught by internationally recognized industry experts from the FBI, DHS, law enforcement, SWAT, EMS, and criminal psychology. TPOP’s co-founder, William F. Flynn, helped to develop and popularize the policy of “If you see something, say something” and the “Run, Hide, Fight” active shooter survival methodology recommended by national security agencies.

“This course presents all of the content in easily grasped and remembered ways. I find myself recalling elements months later. Well done.”

If you’re ready to prepare yourself, call us today at 833-723-3893 to discuss your training needs.