The face of terrorism has changed radically in the last few years.  Attacks are no longer planned years in advance and identifiable to law enforcement through chatter and trends, they are now carried out by lone wolves that give no precursors to the sinister events they are planning.

In the wake of the terrorist attack in Edmonton, here are a few tips to protect yourself and your loved one in the face of a similar attack:

1.   Protect your Family

Remember the fire drills and the lockdowns we did as kids in school?  Families have similar drills, just in case.  What would you do and where would you meet up if you found yourself in the middle of an active shooter scenario?  It’s scary, but it’s the reality your children are living in and they need to be prepared.  Talk it through in advance and answer all questions they may have. 

The best way to prepare kids for any terrorist attack is to utilize the LOOK AND LISTEN technique.  Teach your children to be aware of their surroundings by looking and listening, if something sounds different or looks out of place, that is their warning sign that something is wrong.  Practice with them on every day activities by asking them questions about what they are seeing and hearing, it will develop their sense of observation and fine tune their awareness instincts.

2. Invent a code word and shout it to help find your family members

Sit around the table with your family and choose a word that is unique, remember, in an attack, everyone will be shouting words such as names, mom, dad etc.  In the event of an attack, shout the word numerous time to find your loved one in the chaotic aftermath.

3  Always protect your senses

When you go out to events or just around the city in your normal daily activities, don’t wear sunglasses that obstruct your full view of your surroundings, or that compromise your depth perception.  Avoid wearing earphones blasting music so loud that you can’t hear the siren of a fire truck as you are crossing the street, or the screams of pedestrians who spot a moving vehicle barreling your way.  Always keep your senses sharp, they are after all your mechanism of identifying danger and let’s be honest, a second or two of warning can make the difference between life and death.

4.  Protect your access to escape

Note when you are in public, besides the front door, where are the emergency exits?  Like the flight attendants advise onboard a plane, sometimes, your closest exit is behind you.  This includes stairways and alleyways if you are outside.  If you are in a group, designate someone in your group to remain alert to activity in and around the exit routes.

5.  Read People

When we were kids, we were told to not look at people that were displaying odd behaviours, keep our heads down and keep walking fast.  That was the way we were taught to avoid conflict and any threat.  Today, reading people might be the best way to assess threats around us.  The experts say “If a terrorist is about to carry out an attack, they will be acting strangely.  They will be frightened and scared and sweating”.

Keep your eye out for little things, like if it’s a hot summer’s day and someone in the crowd has a thick jumper on, that should raise your concerns.

In the case of a vehicular terrorist attack, follow the next steps to stay safe.

6.  Face traffic when walking along the street

Vehicle attacks like the one that happened in Edmonton and the UK are not easily preventable.  Your best bet for survival is to see the attack coming as soon as possible and take evasive action.  If you are walking along the sidewalk with your back facing traffic, you can be run down very quickly from behind without much warning.  It’s better to face oncoming traffic.  That way, if a car hops the curb and starts barreling towards you,  there may be enough time to avoid it or run inside a building for protection.

7.  If you have a choice, always walk on the side of the street where there are parked cars or vehicle blockades

Some areas have vehicle blockages to prevent cars from driving onto the sidewalks.  Whenever possible, walk on the sidewalk that has those protective features.  If those aren’t available, use the next best thing, parked cars.  A street lined with parked vehicles will make it hard for a terrorist to get up on the sidewalk with his vehicle.

Always remember the following:

THINK:  Plan ahead and discuss strategy

ASSESS: Immediate options

ACT: Decisively: Take chances early

AWARE: Be aware of exit points and cover, of your surroundings and of people around you.

Our world is changing fast and we need to adapt to the new threats we are facing in a proactive manner and not solely in a reactive one.

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