After events this past week it’s difficult to imagine that one can prepare for wanton acts of violence like we saw in Paris, innocent music fans and restaurant goers mowed down by some evil and twisted people.

Unfortunately the fact remains that you never quite know if and when you might find yourself in a similar situation, which is why it’s worth listening to the experts and any advice they have to offer.

These pointers below come from the BBC:

Be prepared

People who are not expecting gunshots will assume that they are something else because it does not fit in with their expectations…But if someone has already thought through a few worst-case scenarios then this process will be quicker. “All you need to ask is – if anything goes wrong, what is my first response going to be?” explains [military survival instructor John] Leach.

React quickly

The vast majority of people will be too confused to do anything during an attack. Leach has looked at life-threatening situations around the world and has found that only 15% of people will respond in a way that helps them survive…Acting decisively might make survival more likely [even though] it’s also human nature to wait for other people to act first.

Make yourself a smaller target

The first thing is to try to get out of the way and make yourself a smaller target. This can involve simply dropping to the ground but ideally means getting behind some sort of cover…

When an attack happens in a tightly packed space, a single bullet can end up injuring several people. Keeping out of sight reduces the risk that you can be targeted deliberately and also the chances of being hit by someone simply spraying the room with fire.

Fighting back

[Military instructor Ian] Reed says that it’s not a good idea to take on an assailant without training. “It’s just risking your life,” he adds. It’s important to remember that many attackers will be working in teams. Some will be wearing body armour and others could be carrying explosives…

Despite the dangers, some people argue that it’s important to be ready to fight if necessary. Members of the Islamic State group are not motivated by taking hostages, says James Alvarez, psychologist and hostage negotiator. “There’s nobody to negotiate with. Your value lies in you being dead. If I know that I’m going to be shot, I’d like to think that I’m not going to go down quietly.”

After the escape

Once someone has managed to escape the situation it’s important for them to remain vigilant. “Get as far away as possible, behind as much hard cover as possible and go to the nearest authority figures for help,” says Reed.

It can be dangerous to join big groups nearby and to take public transport. “Always assume that there’s going to be a secondary device or action,” adds Reed. The key is to take advice from police officers or other officials, as they may have better knowledge of the situation.

Help each other

The chances of being caught up in a major attack are still low. But if it does happen, co-operating with others can increase people’s chance of survival, says Chris Cocking, social psychologist and expert in crowd behaviour…

Cocking says that most people are likely to try to help each other even in extreme situations. “There’s an assumption that it’s everybody for themselves but that just doesn’t happen,” he says.

I guess we can only hope that you will never have to put any of the above into action, although it never hurts to be prepared for any worst-case scenarios.

[source:bbc]