Monday, March 12, 2018

Books On Surviving A Dangerous Event Such As A Terrorist Attack; A Suicidal Attacker, Knife, Kidnap, Poison

Rescue dogs. FEMA. (Fire Emergency rescue service.) Photo from Wikipedis 

The American acronym FEMA is not Fire and Emergency Association, as I imagined, but Federal_Emergency_Management_Agency
.

But, whilst waiting for them to arrive, first things first.

Problem
What do you do in an emergency situation?

In Singapore you see instructions on posters and videos at stations:
Run
Hide
Tell

Advice on action includes preventing others from running into danger.

In Singapore classes are given in First Aid and administering CPR (resuscitation).

Natural disasters and accidents include:
earthquakes:
fires:
floods:
snowed in: (in many countries snow chains and snow tyres are available or obligatory)
tsunamis - generally read the signs, register for alerts and know your way to high ground.
Install lightning conductors and ensure you know the way to the exit in a hotel or other buildings.

At Toastmasters International, the convenor of every meeting is expected to start by pointing out the exits, like the staff on an airplane.

In the UK in March 2018 advice is being given about how to reduce the risk of contamination.

To prevent an attack starting or escalating, suggestions include:
Persuading the attacker to sit down and explain his or her grievances.

Call the attacker's parent or close relative.

Offer / negotiate a reward for a truce or delay - a cigarette, a drink, an order of pizza, a getaway car, money, a chance to speak on TV, a chance to speak to a mother or close relative, a house, a job, an exchange of prisoners, a plea bargain. Ask what the assailant wants. Ask if there's something small you can easily provide (such as the pizza).

In a school send another child (near the door) or another adult for help (to a next door class to warn a teacher - not to race around the school looking for the head teacher).

In a group:
Barricade the door.
Form a team to attack:
Your defence could be:
A pub stool,
A chair - to block or throw
A table - thrown by a pair or group
Knives and forks
A bottle
A pint pot
Cold or hot drinks thrown in somebody's face

You can download apps which connect you with security services and pinpoint your position without your having to speak so that potential attackers do not hear you.
Assaults and Terrorist Attacks

Poisons
Regarding snakes, note the difference between poison and venom. A snake spits a venom. A poison is a harmful substance which causes damage if swallowed.

Advice given out recently was to wash potentially contaminated clothes, wipe other items with baby wipes, and for items needing dry cleaning, to double wrap them in plastic securely tied before disposal.

After a member of my family receiving cancer treatment, we were given advice on using separate towels and so on to avoid contamination and long term effects even after a passage of time.

Useful Websites
SINGAPORE
https://www.police.gov.sg/content/contact-us
UK
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-health-advice-following-salisbury-nerve-agent-incident
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/poisoning/
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5487305/Health-bosses-tell-500-people-wash-possessions.html
Be A Hero: The Essential Guide to Active Shooter Incidents, co-written by John Geddes and Alun Rees.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Be-Hero-Essential-Survival-Active-Shooter/dp/
http://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.co.uk/2017/11/how-would-you-survive-kidnap.html

Author
Angela Lansbury
Travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please share links to your favourite posts.

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