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. Geopolitics.com.gr all rights reserved 2015 Page 88