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PURPOSE: To be prepared when a member or guest exhibits threatening behavior. We are so good at creating a friendly welcoming environment that sometimes we are taken off-guard when a member or guest displays hostile and possibly frightening behavior. 

Most of the time, an angry person just wants to be heard, and you may need to give them time to vent. As they do so, remain calm and use techniques such as paraphrasing what they are saying until they are ready to have a civil conversation. If you encounter a situation with an irate person remember the following steps:

Watch for signals that may be associated with impending violence:

• Evaluate each situation for potential violence when a member or guest first enters the club.
• Verbally expressed anger and frustration
• Body language such as tightening of face muscles, flared nostrils, and threatening gestures
• Signs of drug or alcohol use
• Presence of a weapon 

Maintain behavior that helps diffuse anger:

• Present a calm, caring attitude. 
• Don’t match the threats.
• Don’t give orders or say “calm down”
• Practice active listening and acknowledge the person’s feelings (for example, “I know you are frustrated”).
• Avoid any behavior that may be interpreted as aggressive (for example, moving rapidly, getting too close, touching, or speaking loudly). 

Take these steps if you can’t defuse the situation quickly:

• Remove yourself from the situation.
• Call security or 9-1-1 for help.
• If your location has a burglar alarm, activate it as soon as possible.
• Report any behavior, situations or other circumstances that might have resulted in a violent incident.

If you are robbed:

• Stay calm and speak to the robber in a cooperative tone.  Do not argue or fight with the robber and offer no resistance whatsoever.  Your life is more important than any valuable.
• Always move slowly and explain each move to the robber before you make them.
• Make no attempt to follow or chase the robber.
• Stay where you are until you are certain the robber has left the immediate area call the police immediately.  
• Do not touch anything the robber has handled;
• Write down everything you remember about the robbery while you wait for the police to arrive;

After an incident:

• Complete a report on incident tracker
• If the incident involved a member, note their account and speak with district management about whether the membership needs to be suspended or revoked.
•  Review and save video footage to submit to Home Office and potentially police officers.

In the event of a critical event contact immediately by phone: 9-1-1, General Manager, District Manager, District Maintenance Coordinator, Regional Director of Operations, Facility Maintenance Director, Director of Risk & Compliance.  One of these persons will outline the situation by email or text to all the above and: Human Resources, Marketing, Member Services, VPO, COO, and CAO.

Role Play De-escalating Aggressive Behavior

Step 1: Read the monthly safety topic for December: De-escalating Aggressive Behavior

Step 2: Review the monthly safety topic from June: Incident Reporting

Step 3: Role Play

1. At least 2 participants are required. Find a quiet and private place to do this activity (ie: Kids Club or Team Training room during non-operating hours, managers office, etc.)
2. Participants #1: 1-2 employees notice a guest at the front desk acting erratically as if they are on drugs
3. Participant #2: Act erratically when entering the area (aggressively demand something unreasonable, say inappropriate things (within reason) to other members walking by be creative with things you have seen).
4. Participant/s #1: How do you initially react to the behavior of Participant #2?
5. Participant #2: Get upset with the initial reaction of Participant #1.
6. Participant/s #1: Using things you have learned from the safety topic, take steps to de-escalate the behavior.
7. Participant #2:
   1. Depending on the situation you may choose to calm down, storm out of the club, or continue behavior until authorities/security guard arrives to escort you out.
   2. If you stay demand a copy of the incident report.
8. All Participants: What are next steps that need to be taken? Act out these steps:
   1. Reduce the impact other members/guests/staff.
   2. Who do you need to tell first/second/third about the incident?
   3. With management, review footage & save for Home Office.
9. Using the Incident Reporting Monthly Safety Topic as a guide, every participant must create a report into Incident Tracker using your name as the creator and the members name as Test Test (first name is Test and last name is Test)

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