Life Saving Life Skills Training at Paul Davis

One of the many ways Paul Davis supports its corporate team members is through a variety of educational classes designed to provide employees with important life skills. Last year 18 team members participated in CPR training led by First Coast CPR.  

Last month, the team came together to learn a different kind of safety training — self-defense. This class, open to everyone, covered criminal and defensive mindsets, situational awareness and strategies to reduce risks.

No one expects to become a victim of a physical attack, but knowing how to defend yourself could mean the difference between life and death. According to the Office of Justice Programs, as many as three out of four people will become victims of a completed or attempted assault in their lifetime. Even worse, two in five will be victims of this crime at least twice. It’s important for all of us to understand what to do – or not do – if you become one of these statistics.

“I invited my daughter to join us. She is 23 and has traveled many places in Europe and the US in the last four years. I wanted us both to feel confident in the fact that if we were in an uneasy situation, we would have the knowledge to get us out of that circumstance. I loved the simple explanation of ways to use our own abilities to distract an assailant,” said Dawn Carter, executive assistance to CRO.

During the self-defense training led by Adrenaline Self Defense, participants learned how to disorient an assailant or free themselves from an assailant’s grasp through fundamental defensive tactics and reaction drills.

At Paul Davis, life skills trainings are coordinated by Chief of Staff Stephanie Rosenstein who chooses topics based on feedback and interest from team members. “I heard it said many times before taking this class that the things learned are of little importance or help when you are put into a situation of danger,” said Stephanie. “I tested that theory by practicing what I had learned at home. The technique used to remove yourself from strangulation worked each time I practiced it. I believe this is one of the most important techniques as there are over 20,000 strangulations reported each year. This form of violence is used to exert power, fear and control over the victim and those victims are normally women. I am happy to know that I have a defensive technique for this going forward.”

What’s next? Active shooter training is in the planning stages for this summer.