Sure – “If you
See Something, Say Something!” Great
advice. BEFORE an event takes
place. But what about after an attack
begins? What about, as the experts say, “right of boom?”
In her excellent
book, The Unthinkable – Who Survives When
Disaster Strikes – and Why, journalist Amanda Ripley makes the excellent
point that the people most likely to survive in a disaster are those who act
instead of waiting for . . . something. But act how? If caught in a terrorist
attack like the one in Manchester, or Paris or Orlando, what should you do?
Here are 10
actions to take.
1.
Get
down. Not all the way to the ground because that makes it hard to get up, and if
you have others with you it might be hard to get them up. Just crouch to down
to reduce your profile.
2. Get
everybody – everybody who is with you. Communicate. Look them in the eyes. Touch
them. Especially children. Tell them what you’re going to do. “We’re going to
go straight down this hall to the next exit and then go out. Keep moving – we will
get away from the building before we stop. Stay with me. Keep your eyes on me.
Don’t look around. Don’t look back.”
3. Get
moving. Hurry but don’t run. Keep everyone together. Look ahead, not back.
4. If
you have to stop, stop against a wall and get down. Stay away from the middle
of the crowd. Stay away from glass. Stay
away from packages or backpacks or people who look suspicious. If they are not
as afraid as you are, they are suspicious. There may be a 2d or 3d attack.
5. Teach
your family: if someone is separated, they should stand with their back to a
hard wall (not glass). It is easier to find a lost child against a wall than in
a crowd. It is easier for a child to see someone looking for them when backed
against a wall.
6. Teach
children: if you are lost and someone offers to help, ask to borrow a cell
phone. If they say they don’t have one,
get away – they are lying.
7. Once
outside, if you see smoke, move upwind. There might be something in it besides
just smoke.
8. Keep
moving – do not stop where there are cars, trucks, or people. Expect another
attack.
9. Leave
– don’t hang around to watch. Responders need the roads. Clear the area.
10. If
you want to notify someone you are OK, text, don’t call. When circuits are
jammed, a text might still go through.
And
if you want to add an item 11 to this list, here it is: Think about the unthinkable before it happens.
