Geopolitics Magazine November - December 2015 | Page 90
In terms of getting away it is quite simple
what to do. For example, once someone
enters the premises of a public building he
should be aware of the exits and if possible
where he can go in case of danger. This is not
a tactical training, neither a hard one. Hotels,
hospitals or even smaller places like
restaurants and bars have these options
where at some of them, there is also a map to
pin point your location and guide you to exits.
If something bad happens like an attack or
even a natural disaster all you have and can
do is go to the nearest emergency exit and
evacuate, by doing it in a calm manner and by
a fast pace , but not run. Running is usually
the first action we do, however this can lead
to careless stepping and maybe injuries or
worse.
In terms of hiding someone needs to be aware that this is a temporary reaction. You can’t and should
not stay in one place for too long. Chances are, in an attack, that you are not safe, unless your hiding
place is made out of metal and you are able to lock it from inside, like in the case of the freezer used
at Charlie Hebdo attack. Also hiding requires a good knowledge of surrounding area. Someone needs
to know where to step and hide, what each thing is made of and how this will be helpful at first to hide
him from attacker’s vision. For example if you only have a fire extinguisher near you and there is
nothing else, you can use it to spread foam in air and throw the metal tube to the left or right of the
attacker to distract his attention and evade to nearest exit.
Also many people try to hide behind
tables (Paris), behind cars or glass
doors (Boston) since they are not
aware that the sonic wave of an
explosion or shots fired by an assault
rifle can easily go through these
things and do damage. However
since persons are not visible are not
easy targets and maybe they will
avoid getting shot like this. Long
chance but still a chance.
So hiding is a good reaction but is a
,one too many, additional step to
take before you try to get away from
the scene. In simple terms, you look
somewhere to hide only if you can’t
get away. A simple example of this,
is School attacks where you have no alternative exit. The smart move there is to hide and do it
preferably in the basements of buildings where there is a janitor room or some kind of storage where
doors lock from the inside.
Purpose of hiding is not to stay in a safe spot indefinitely (as already explained this is very rare in a
building), but to stay out of sight and if attacker is far away to hurt you, then to get out of the danger
area.
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