The SIRS Safety Structure: Roles, Protocols, and Practical Boundaries
The SIRS framework is the backbone of survivor safety in high-risk, high-control environments. Think of it as your team’s emergency protocol, your map for trust, boundaries, and knowing who has your back. Every safe network needs a structure—SIRS is how you build one that works under pressure.
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What Is SIRS?
SIRS stands for: • Sentinel (Watcher/Protector) • Integrator (Grounder/Anchor) • Runner (Evader/Connector) • Scribe (Recorder/Signal-Booster)
Every survivor group, chosen family, or underground corridor should know who fills each role. Sometimes, one person covers more than one role. The point isn’t perfection—it’s knowing your strengths, where you default under stress, and who you can trust to do what when it counts.
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SIRS Roles Explained • Sentinel: Watches the field, monitors for danger, runs perimeter checks, flags red flags, and keeps an eye on group health. Your safety net when your own sensors are off. • Integrator: Brings people together, grounds panic, mediates conflict, keeps the team stable. Usually the “glue” or voice of reason. • Runner: Handles escape plans, diversion tactics, and logistics. Knows all the exits, real and virtual, and keeps backup routes live. • Scribe: Takes notes, encodes field updates, and makes sure nothing critical gets lost. Tracks code words, protocol changes, and music memory cues for later recall.
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Building Your SIRS • Assign roles out loud, even if it feels awkward. Use code names or aliases as needed. • If your team is just you, practice switching hats. Know when you need to call in outside help for any role you can’t cover. • Update your SIRS every time the group changes, when stress spikes, or after a crisis. Trust evolves—so should your protocols.
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Example Quick Reference
Role Function Sample Alias Backup? Sentinel Perimeter Watch Rosie Megan Integrator Grounding Anchor Katie Anna Runner Escape/Signals Cassie Leah Scribe Records/Codes Talandra Nala
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Why SIRS Matters
Survivor teams fall apart when roles blur or boundaries slip. The SIRS system keeps you aligned—protecting the network, clarifying who does what, and giving everyone a chance to step back if they’re overloaded. This is what trust looks like, coded for the real world.
(Next up: Alias Safety & The Music Memory Code—your keys to covert identity and emotional grounding.)
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