EDC SEMINAR FOR PAGCOR SECURITY

MY CONTINUING ADVOCACY regarding the introduction, the spreading of information, the development or the carrying of the Everyday Carry (or EDC) Kit to all persons, regardless of their social status or profession, begun its full swing when I conducted an EDC for Security Guards in an Urban Survival Situation Seminar at Sky Rise 1 and Sky Rise 2 on November 24, 2012. Both buildings are located at Asiatown IT Park, Cebu City.

Previously, those who benefited from this very specialized instructions were participants of the yearly Philippine Independence Bushcraft Camp (PIBC). The PIBC is held every June after it started in 2011. PIBC is an outdoors gathering vis-a-vis seminar that introduce people about bushcraft and survival where EDC is one of the subjects taught.

Generally speaking, the idea about EDC is limited to those who have embraced prepping as a serious hobby. Most of them are based in Metro Manila and they converge and discuss about it in social networking sites like Facebook. In Cebu, however, bushcraft and survival is our pastime and we are just few and all belonged to the Camp Red Bushcraft & Survival Guild. Bushcraft – also known as wilderness skills – is an interest not yet fully grasped by the greater populace; not even by mainstream outdoor clubs.

EDC, on the other hand, is some kind of kit that you would carry or bring everyday from home to office (or to a pre-defined destination/environment) and vice versa. This is, in itself, a more generous version of the very limited survival kit. The ideal EDC Kit is something that which could provide you first aid treatment, instant replenishment, immediate survival and even a field expedient repair of broken equipment whenever the “saucer” hits the fan.

Actually, selecting items which would become part of your EDC Kit is an experiment in itself, a trial-and-error undertaking, which, ultimately, decide the best combination for your kit. The contents of an EDC Kit need not be expensive and all you need is resourcefulness and lots and lots of imagination. I would erase the misconception that the carrying of the EDC Kit are confined only to middle class preppers and the well-educated hobbyists.

It is by this notion that had emboldened me to introduce the habit of starting, maintaining and carrying an EDC Kit to anyone, be he rich or pauper. Of course, after the the successful experiment with the bushmen of Camp Red, I proceed to expand this specialty to private security workers.

It needs a lot of skill and intrepidity should you steer to involve the common man in a classroom environment especially teaching a very complex subject like the EDC. The terms or the whole handout itself if translated in its Cebuano equivalent are simply daunting and you have to improvise and it lengthens the discussion a bit. But, as they say, the first time is the hardest time.

On February 4, 2013, I am again engaged in another EDC seminar for security professionals assigned with the Philippine Amusement Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) and, this time, it is held at the Casino Filipino Theatre, Waterfront International Hotel and Casino, Cebu City. Twenty-six male and female private security agency guards attended this indoors lecture and demo. A representative of PAGCOR Security Department joined his subordinates for this occasion.

This lecture is not just about the EDC Kit but it is also a venue to teach simple items such as the garrison belt and the lanyard into useful tools; converting the flashlight and handcuffs into effective tactical weapons; increasing the effective range of the baton and the stun gun; the proper way to stop bleeding; improving their present first-aid kit; and the importance of a triangular handkerchief.

Furthermore, the participants are enlightened about certain items which sometimes are part of an EDC Kit but, actually, are either lethal weapons or forbidden gadgets that are made to look like harmless things. These questionable items are designed to fool security and are mixed with attractive things to make it look ordinary. To be an effective security personnel, you must constantly watch out for these things and it is where this seminar is very relevant.

Document done in LibreOffice 3.3 Writer