Terrorist attacks in France or school shootings in the good old USA are sadly nothing new.
There have been some since the 16th century (Catholic attacks, at the time), and over the last century and a half, there have been many…
The authors and the reasons are diverse: anarchists, Algerian separatists (like the FLN, national liberation front), ISIS and extreme rightists (like the OAS, Jeune Nation or the Charles-Martel group), Palestinian groups, Basque separatists ( ETA) – Corsicans (FLNC) – Bretons (FLB), far-left third-globalist (like the International Brigades), Marxists (FARL), communists (Direct Action)…
More recently, the world has been marked by a series of mainly Islamist attacks (ISIS, DAECH, Al Qaeda and others).
These attacks particularly marked the general public because they targeted passers-by, anonymous people (you/me), and not buildings or symbols of power or of a particular institution.
The risk is therefore very real.
If we zoom out a bit: between September 11, 2001, and December 31, 2016, there were 190,000 deaths from terrorism in the world.
In France, since 2000, more than 280 have dead and 1075 injured.
The risk, therefore, remains to be put into perspective but, in good preppers, I can only strongly recommend that you prepare for it, and therefore know the actions that save you.
How to anticipate and avoid places of potential attacks?
If you can, the first step is usually to avoid areas and times of risk.
It’s obviously easier said than done, as much as planning for the unexpected… but here are some general rules.
What are the risk areas?
Would we have defined a theatre or a bar terrace as a risk zone a few years ago?
Probably not.
However, even today, being on the terrace in a bar in a small town in the centre of Auvergne obviously does not expose you in the same way as a bar at the Trocadero, in the heart of Paris.
In other words, there are many areas, places, and specific geographical locations, which expose you to a higher percentage of risk than others.
It would take too long to list them and I, therefore, suggest that you use common sense instead:
- Some countries are more affected than others,
- Big cities are generally riskier than small towns…and some big cities are riskier than others,
- Tourist areas are generally riskier than headquartered suburbs (except in some countries where it will be the opposite… you will have more risks in the bush than in a safe city centre),
- Etc.
Once again: be logical!
More generally, be attentive to your environment:
- Keep an eye on your surroundings, especially when you’re in a crowd,
- Know where the emergency exits are,
- The more you are in a risky environment, the more you must be constantly on the lookout.
When are the times when the risk of attacks is highest?
This is obviously not a concept of seasonality, but there is still a way to find out about the risk over a given period.
How to react in the event of an attack or shooting?
We have just seen it: if we can try to limit the risks, we can all potentially be confronted with a terrorist attack.
So you have to know how to react.
And for that, there are four unique rules:
- Run
- Warn others
- Hide
- Beat you
… and that’s all!
Remember ONLY that, and you will drastically increase your chances of survival.
1 – Run
Now is not the time to play the hero and put your life (and probably the lives of others) in danger.
If you are faced with an attack situation, and if you can, leave the scene.
Abandon your personal belongings and don’t be persuaded to hide in a closet or a public bathroom.
Run.
Like always, the best defence technique is flight.
2 – Warn others
In your flight, if other people wish to remain in hiding, try to take them with you.
On the road, warn as many people as possible to turn around and flee in turn.
Once safe, call the emergency services.
3 – Hide
If you can’t escape to safety, then hide.
Stay quiet, keep your cool, lock the doors, and put your phone on silent.
4 – Fight
If you have no other solution (to flee or to hide) and you are cornered or directly facing the terrorist… then, fight!
Have no doubt about the assailant’s objective and don’t imagine that pleading with him will change his mind.
So be decisive, firm, and very aggressive and don’t give him a chance.
Arm yourself with what you can (extinguisher, metal bar, chair, stapler, knife…) and strike first.
What to do next to help?
The first thing to do is not to interfere with the emergency services if they are on site.
If you have first aid knowledge offer your help… or if help has not yet arrived, provide it.
