What Should You Do in a Terrorist Attack?

When I was planning my sabbatical, spending a month in Istanbul was one of my biggest safety worries. My stay was slated for October 2016 and even though ISIS activity was primarily in other regions of Turkey, the Istanbul airport had been attacked twice that year. I thought keeping an eye on the news and state department warnings would be enough to assess my destination’s safety, and if I felt uncomfortable, I could just re-route to avoid the risk of a terrorist attack. Really though, terrorism is a worldwide threat and unexpected or unsafe things can happen anywhere. So it’s best to be prepared. What should you do in a terrorist attack?

Knowledge is power, and the best we can do is treat the threat of terrorism like any other emergency preparedness.

An app like TravelSafe stores emergency numbers for every country, so you don’t have to look that information up in advance and memorize it. This is especially valuable for sabbaticals where you might be visiting several destinations over the course of a few months or even an entire year.

Staying aware of your surroundings, noting emergency exits, and knowing where to find police stations and hospitals are all good preparatory steps. Remember, just like in self-defense, awareness can be a really calm, grounded space — it’s not panic or paranoia.

Most of the information I could find about what to do when in the midst of an actual attack relies on the UK’s protocol: Run, hide, tell.

In the event of an attack, if there’s a safe route out, take it. If not, get behind the most heavily reinforced cover you can find. Once safe, touch base with friends and family, and then go straight to the authorities.

All sounds like common sense, but it’s so easy to lose sight of simple things when you’re panicking in a worst case scenario.

A few more specific points about attacks I hadn’t really thought about before undertaking this mini-research project:

Stay away from windows, especially large plate glass storefronts. Those would be incredibly dangerous in a bomb blast.

If you’re in a crowd, stay on the fringes. One bullet can do a lot more damage when people are packed together.

Save the number of a local transport or hire car company. That way you won’t accidentally jump in a sketchy cab.

Silence your cell phone! I never would have thought of this on my own, but hiding doesn’t do much good if your phone goes off and gives away your location.

Don’t run or make sudden movements when leaving the scene, especially in the event of a bomb. Quick, calm, and orderly is the ticket to keep authorities from treating you with suspicion. On a similar note, keep hands in view at all times.

I’m a big proponent of caution, not paranoia. That’s why no terrorist attack can stop me from seeing the world. But I’ll never say no to seeing it more safely.

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