Posted on 11/15/2015 2:22:19 PM PST by conservativejoy
In light of Friday's terrorist attacks, it seems only a matter of time before similar incidents occur in the U.S. The question many people are asking is "What would I do if suddenly in a situation like Paris??" To help answer that concern, Bearing Arms will offer a list of ten things you can do to avoid becoming a casualty in the "War on Terror."
1.Realize it WILL happen here : This isn't a paranoid statement: it is a simple unpleasant fact based upon intelligence gathering efforts, expert opinion, and common sense. At some point, it is likely there will be a coordinated, Paris type attack in the U.S. on schools, shopping malls, sporting events, or other mass gathering areas. And, don't think it would happen only in New York, Chicago or Los Angeles because what would be better to create fear (the ultimate goal of terrorist action) than by killing dozens or hundreds of people at a school in rural Mississippi or a shopping mall in Montana?
2.Always carry a concealed firearm where legal : Carrying a firearm is a lifestyle habit, not something you should do only occasionally or when you feel it is likely there will be trouble. Odds are, you won't correctly guess the date, time and place of life threatening violence. A concealed firearm in the hands of a responsible and trained individual is statistically one of the best tools available to stop mass killings.
3.Improvised weapons are within reach : If you cannot or choose not to carry a firearm, there are always effective weapons within your immediate area so learn to use them. Whenever unarmed in a public area, make it a habit (or game) to choose three nearby items that would make a good weapon if things turn dire.
4.Know where exits are located : Many people die during all types of emergencies because they don't know where exits are located. This should be the first thing you do, above all else, whenever situated in a public place.
5.Act decisively : The "immediate action drill" during an attack is either fight or flee. Don't mill around, waiting for instruction or to gain a better idea of what is happening. Flee the area when you have an opportunity or instantly attack a threat if one presents itself. The old chestnut is still true: "To Ponder is to Perish."
6.Be alert to people and unusual circumstances : Most folks wouldn't see a large pink gorilla wandering down the hallway and certainly won't see a suspicious individual fiddling with wires under a long trench coat on a hot day. You don't have to glare at every passerby but simply maintain a loose focus for unusual patterns of activity within your surroundings. This is also known as "Maintaining Condition Yellow."
7."If you see something, say something." : Cops everywhere have stories of witnesses who said after a crime, 'I wasn't sure what was going on and I didn't want to make a big deal out of it.' If you see people or objects that look suspicious, notify the authorities immediately. There is no punishment for being mistaken but there are huge consequences to being correct but not sharing the information.
8.There is one more bomb/attack/assailant: Experience has shown that attackers are increasingly planning not only their initially assault, but follow up actions such as secondary or even tertiary explosives and attackers. Such actions not only increase the "shock and awe" of the incident but cause additional carnage and damage the emergency response system.
9.Have a basic understanding of trauma medical care: in the aftermath of a bombing or shooting incident, many people will be bleeding to death and you have two or three minutes to save lives. This means you need to understand mass-casualty triage principals and some basic tactical combat casualty care (TCCC) techniques. Be ready to provide aid such as tourniquets, spinal immobilization and safe patient evacuation from threatening circumstances. (See related article: Stop the Bleed)
10.Trust your intuition : If something 'feels' dangerous or simply makes you uneasy, trust your inner voices. This inner dialog might be wrong, but then again, you may have subconsciously picked up subtle environmental clues that you "can't quite put your finger on," but are real nonetheless. At the very least, move to a safer position or relocate to where you can more easily escape a potential kill zone.
It is not hyperbole to state that we are all now terrorism responders because the avowed goal of Daesh and other such groups is to bring death and destruction to Mainstreet U.S.A. However, with planning and preparation individual citizens can sometimes prevent, often shorten and effectively respond to mass killing incidents.
The "Tango's" are ready and merely waiting. Are you likewise?
“Most people have their heads up their butts. They have PC slogans running through their empty head; heads full of mush. They could see a pink gorilla, armed to the nines, and see a moppets character.”
They would not want to shoot the poor armed pink gorilla either, that would be cruelty to animals! /s;)
My immediate action drill in a potential terrorist situation is to immediately leave the area. A concealed weapon with only 7 or 8 rounds stands up very poorly to a 30 round military grade rifle.
The next step is to get at least a block away to get outside a potential terrorist exterior security ring.
The final step is to call the local police. I learned almost two generations ago in Vietnam that a person wearing a uniform isn’t necessarily who the uniform says he is (something our deployed soldiers are learning again today).
Lesson to be learned...watch out for pink gorillas!
Already did, hence my reference to another “thing.”
I could not agree more but I would go further. Without good footwear, the individual is at a serious disadvantage for both the flight or fight options. Some will no doubt make bad decisions because they are looking at style issues with shoes but as for me, I now wear a very good set of light Kevlar hiking boots just about all the time. I can run just about as fast I could in running shoes, they have a good protective sole for sharp things, they grip well (important for slippery floors or in winter or mud), they protect you from going over on an ankle. And they are just tough enough that you can kick like a mule with them.
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Always carry a sharp object like a pen... in close quarters, a pen in the eye will neutralize an attacker as good as anything can. But make sure that it is a ‘special pen’. Something that you can truly grip and it won’t just break. Also, if you can take your belt off without your pants falling off, you can put the belt back through the loop to put a throttle on the terrorist he cannot get out of.
Ten **ALTERNATIVE** Ways to Avoid Being Killed In A Terrorist Attack (reduce terrorism, etc.)
#1: Of course be armed. If it isn’t practical or legal to carry a firearm (1st pref!), change your belt+buckle. 6’ of 1/8” metal cable looped in half makes a shiny belt and a heckofa weapon when unbuckled & swung.
#2: body armor. It’s extraordinarily cheap now. From Bulletproofme.com to Alibabab.com, various flavors of kevlar can be purchased raw and new, or used and pre-made into useful garments. $50 for Class IIIA vests: http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Ballistic-Vest-UD-fabric_60211609776.html?spm=a2700.7724838.4.6.LQIXEz&s=p
#3: car armor. El cheapo is stuffing your door panels (behind leather) and trunk with telephone books. Next step up is stuffing them with used ballistic vests or raw ballistic PET/UD fabric (see #2 above).
Bulletproof film to laminate/tint your car windows is also dirt cheap: http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Effective-security-film-Ballistic-Film-Bullet_60255314260.html?spm=a2700.7724838.30.1.4KAmFa
#4: escape & evasion. If you haven’t taken an Executive escape & evasion driving course, now is the time. You’ll learn how to defeat the “Pit Maneuver” and other tricks that imobilize most other drivers/vehicles.
#5: an extension of #4 above are caltrops; mildly useful when fleeing on foot or in a car to deny your path to your pursuer. The ones sold on eBay and Amazon fit 10 to a tiny box that easily fits inside your pocket, if needed.
#6: GoTenna. These devices give your cell phones each a 4 mile range to each other WHEN THE CELL PHONE NETWORK IS DOWN, overloaded, or out of range. Text. Talk. You’ll have communications when an entire stadium of panicked fans is trying to call out from an emergency. They use their own power and software...they do not depend on any part of any external infrastructure such as a telco’s cell phone network.
Be modern. Be smart. You and your wife, friends, and co-workers undoubtedly have and use your cell phones regularly. GoTennas let you continue using them when the network isn’t there anymore, and that’s what you are used to using.
#7: An extension on #6 above is to remember to record video & take photos of anything unusual. Your friends/network might be able to give you useful info from your pics in realtime, and such pics/video might also help “the good guys” to retaliate if you don’t make it. Your cell phone has this capability built in...so use it. If not, upgrade. Be modern. Be smart.
#8: whenever possible, travel with a decent guard dog with a quick-release collar. It isn’t about the dog winning a fight. Forget that nonsense. A dog can disrupt an enemy operation momentarily, buying you a distraction and a few precious moments of time.
#9: small handheld marine flares. These are self-contained. They can illuminate a dark area, alert everyone nearby to an emergency, or even double as a mild weapon/distraction: http://www.westmarine.com/buy/orion—handheld-red-locator-flares-four-pack—8665770
If you own even the smallest canoe/boat, they are legal for you just about everywhere around the world, too.
#10: If caught in a crowd, work your way to the outside. Follow someone, even a Tango, if you have to, but don’t remain inside a crowd. Find the edge, get there, then leave altogether.
If you carry a dummy wallet to distract or fool muggers, toss those twenty $1 bills into the air if needed for the crowd (presuming that you are acting before the crowd goes into “panic mode”).
Bonus:
#11: modern tech is so cool that now fully biological/chemical *respirators* are both cheap & can be folded to store inside your dummy wallet.
Terrorists have used Sarin, anthrax, and tear gas already.
For two Dollars you can have a respirator in your own pocket! http://www.amazon.com/3M-9211-Folding-Respirator-pack/dp/B000VN8XT6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1447645578&sr=8-1&keywords=foldable+n95+respirator
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Bonus points if you install an automatic fire extinguisher in the engine compartment of your car.
These can run $250, but have value in accidents and fire-bombings (molotov cocktail tossed as you drive near/thru a crowd).
At least buy a manual handheld extinguisher for $12 or so for inside your cockpit (ya cheapos!).
#12: anti-laser goggles. I carry these in my cars+aircraft, but you might consider carrying 1 red and 1 blue anti-laser goggles if you are going to a large crowd event such as in a stadium.
Battlefield anti-personnel lasers are showing up in the Middle-East. This isn’t Star Wars...the lasers are designed to blind you (if you have no protective eye cover).
At some point, terrorists will attempt to blind a crowd just before they engage in a stampede attempt. Creates maximum panic.
If you don’t have the goggles during a laser blinding attack, jury rig a pirate-style patch over 1 eye so that they can’t fully blind you in a single hit.
Back in1994 I flew from Indianapolis to Israel with a similar item.
Forgot I had it till a search at the Wailing Wall when a guard pulled it out and asked about it.
I just kind of stuttered an the guard just put it back in my backpack and waved me in.
Flew back ten days later sweating the whole way.
It’s one of those 3 sided spikes.
Still have it ,but I Empty my travel gear
Completely nowfor a good search.
i've seen them, he knew you were no threat and it was for self defense, still though, max pucker factor...
It is time for Americans to think seriously about who we want in charge in time of war. The Presidential election is not a popularity contest and could literally mean the difference between life and death for us individually, and as a nation.
I am keeping a close eye on both Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz.
Kevlar hiking boots sound great. They’d be good for just about any dire situation one could imagine, and they don’t look too different from an everyday kind of shoe/boot.
Great idea!
other than the banana part, is that real?
I take mine to work (UPS). They allow NO weapons of any kind, well, so they think ! Go through metal detector everyday. It’ll be a cold day in hell before I go ANYWHERE without some form of protection. I’m too old for that fightin’ chit. Even when you win, it still hurts !
I have one of the later models w/half-serrated edge. Pretty sweet “poker”. Compact .45 in da car in parking lot. Just about a 75 yrd. walk to my real weapon. Especially needed in this URBAN N.C. city with the “feral” youts acting up from time to time.
good man... i bought ten of them ~30years ago for next to nothing at a gun show, gave half away, lost one, but still have a couple three left and like you, i don't go ANYWHERE without a lil-somthing
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