Yippee ki-yay! It’s that time of year when old Christmas movies are dear. One movie that can give Home Alone a run for its money is Die Hard. Yep. That movie where a tank top-wearing Bruce Willis fights off a group of terrorists is a Christmas movie. It was set on Christmas Eve plus a recent trailer claimed Die Hard is “the greatest Christmas story ever told.” So there you go. Debate over.
As the Christmas movie showed, terrorists don’t care if you’re celebrating the holiday season or not. They will attack when the world least expects it. That said, everyone should still take terrorism preparedness seriously even if everyone just wants to be happy during the season of giving.
Preparing for A Terrorist Attack
The first step to terrorism preparedness is accepting that it just doesn’t happen on the big screen or boob tube. Ever since the 9/11 attacks, Americans have been more wary of international terrorists. But somehow not everyone knows what to do in case it happens again.
Here on American soil, domestic or home grown terrorism has become more prevalent these days. It seems like you hear of a mass shooting or bombing incident every other week. Some of the well-known domestic terrorist attacks in recent years include the Wisconsin Sikh temple shooting in 2012 in which six members of the faith were shot dead by a white supremacist. In 2013, a bomb detonated during the Boston Marathon claimed three lives while hundreds were injured. The two perpetrators were radicalized by their Islam faith. Forty-nine party goers were killed by a domestic terrorist in an Orlando nightclub back in 2016. A year later, 58 people attending a Las Vegas concert were gunned down by a lone perpetrator. Terrorist group ISIS has since claimed the gunman was one of them though authorities believe the attack was not related to any terrorist group.
Emergency Communication Plan
One important facet of terrorism preparedness is communication. Once an attack occurs, trying to find out if every member of your family is alright is perhaps one of the most distressing moments you can ever feel.
Everyone should have each other’s contact numbers and email addresses including personal, home and work numbers. If you’re still using pagers, make sure everybody else knows how to page you. Your children’s teachers or school reps should also have your contact number.
You can also ask someone, a relative or close friend, to check up on everybody in case of a terrorist attack or natural disaster. Your contact should be from out of town so he or she will not be directly affected by the emergency situation. You should also have your contact’s number.
Another option is to use old methods of communication. In a worst-case scenario, the electric and phone grid may go down. This will keep you from contacting your family with your phone. HAM radios and two-way radios, meanwhile, are not affected by these so you can still talk to your loved ones.
Rendezvous Point
The most logical meeting place is your home, especially if many of you are out of the house for most of the day. However, you should have a separate rendezvous point in case you have to bug out of your home.
Lay out a plan for each member to reach the meeting place from where they usually are. The adults, for example, will likely be coming from the place of work. You should plan out a number of routes you can take. The same goes for your kids who are in school. They must know how to reach the meeting place using the safest and quickest way.
Bug Out Bags
Bug out bags are vital components of terrorism preparedness. Each member of the family should have their own BOB. The grab bag should contain food and water god for at least three days. Pack extra clothes, a poncho, thermal blanket and other stuff you need to warm you up. You should also have some basic survival gear such as a multi-tool, matches, lighter, flashlight, lightsticks, extra batteries, radio, whistle, signal mirror, duct tape, paracord, and others.
Pack items you can use for self defense. You may need them if you come across a terrorist. Such survival gears include pocket knife, pepper spray , stun gun, hatchet, bolo, and firearms. Don’t forget the extra ammunition if you’re packing.
Caught In A Terror Attack
If you happen to be in the same building where a terror attack is taking place, you must stay calm. This is hard considering the circumstances but remaining calm will help you survive the ordeal.
If you’re calm like the dude with a mug of beer during the London Bridge terror attacks, you can think clearly and survey the situation. The United Kingdom has provided their citizens with instructions on what to do in the event of a terror attack – run, hide, and tell. In the United States, meanwhile, the government encourages its people to run, hide and fight.
First, determine where the attack transpired then run the other way. Go to the safest place there is. If the shooter is somewhere near you and there’s nothing to shield you from his bullets, run in a zigzag manner.
If running for the nearest exit is not an option, find the safest place to hide in. In case you’re trapped in a room, barricade yourself inside. Block the door to prevent the shooter from reaching you. Use tables, chairs, bookcases and anything you can find to keep the shooter from baring into your room. Position yourself somewhere the bullets can’t reach you.
Put your phone on silent. During a terrorist attack, people will be likely checking on each other. If you’re phone rings, it may give your position away.
If it’s possible to make a call, do so as discreetly as possible. Call the authorities and tell them of your situation. If calling will give your hiding lace away, send text messages detailing what you know. Any bit of information about the shooter will help authorities take him or her down.
The last thing you want to do is mimic John McClane and duke it out with the baddies. Fighting the shooter should only be an option if all other options have been exhausted.
If there’s nothing to block the door, for example, you may be forced to fight if even the shooter wanders in your room. Get other people in the group to help out. At least one person should make a go for the gun once the shooter enters. Others will restrain him by some grabbing his legs, arms and neck.
Show some love by saying something in the comment section, especially if you have more tips on surviving a terrorist attack that you wish to share with everyone. Visit The Gentleman Pirate for more interesting tidbits about surviving an active shooter scenario as well as other emergency situations.
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