Former French President, Jacques Chirac once said, “Terrorism has become the systematic weapon of a war that knows no borders or seldom has a face.”
He summed it up perfectly. An act of terror can happen at any place and at any time. The unbelievably violent acts have only increased in number over the years.
From suicide bombers, to terrorists firing into nightclubs, to people driving buses into crowds to stabbing strangers and so many other heinous acts – terrorism is here to stay.
You need to know how to cope with it. This is a very unpredictable type of crisis and you’ll have to react instantly and correctly. This article will give you a few pointers to bear in mind during any type of terrorist attack. Adhere to them as best as you can.
- Escape, hide and report
In almost any situation, this will be the best course of action. It doesn’t matter if it’s a gunman or an insane driver. Your first thought should be to run away from the affected area.
Run as fast as you can without looking back. There is no cowardice in running. Unless you have a firearm and you’re trained with serious skills, going up against terrorists will almost always be a bad idea.
If you get tired, hide. Hide behind reinforced walls or thick concrete. Bullets can go through cars, brick walls and even concrete. So, get low and hide well. Turn off your mobile phone if you’re close to the terrorists.
If you can call in to report the situation to law enforcement, do so. Either way, in attacks like these the police and first responders will usually get many calls and will be on the scene as soon as they can.
- Do not play dead
This is a mistake. Trying to lie flat and act dead is never a good idea. The terrorist may fire a few bullets into you just to be sure. Always flee for your safety.
- Avoid windows
If a bomb goes off on the streets below and you’re in an office in one of the buildings nearby, avoid going to the windows to look outside and see what’s happening. A second blast below could shatter the windows and send shards of glass flying at you. This has happened before, and people have been injured.
Usually, terrorists place two bombs. The first one will be to kill or maim as many civilians as possible. The second one will be remotely detonated when the first responders such as the police and medical crew get to the scene.
This is a common method employed by terrorists to make the attacks more devastating. It’s for this reason that you need to get away from the area and the windows ASAP. The authorities are trained to deal with these types of situations. Most preppers aren’t.
- React instinctively
When gunshots go off, very often people think its fireworks or a car backfiring or something innocent. You need to immediately be on alert and scan your surroundings quickly so that you can make a quick getaway.
- Should you attack the terrorists?
There will be situations where you’re cornered or in a building where there is a gunman. During times like these, if there are already casualties, that means you’ll probably die too if the terrorist finds you.
Find an object that you can use as a weapon and try to surprise the gunman from the side or behind. Always aim for the face or the head. Usually, terrorists will wear bulletproof vests or armor to protect themselves. Their faces will often be exposed. So, that’s one good place to strike.
If you’re afraid that you’ll miss, go for the knees. You must be brutal and keep pounding them until they’re down. If there are a few people taking cover, quickly get the rest to join you and gang up on the attacker. There may be injuries, but everyone’s life is on the line… so you MUST fight!
Follow these tips and you’ll increase your chances of surviving a terrorist attack. Always remember… run first… hide if you can’t get far enough… and only fight when you have no choice. Stay safe.