What if you were sitting in a restaurant enjoying a meal when two men with guns enter. They begin shooting at random the people in the restaurant. You are a good distance from them at this point. What would you do?
There are three common reactions people have when faced with imminent danger. Fight, Flight or Freeze. Which one would describe you? Fight means you would resist and risk being shot by engaging the shooter. This may be an acceptable choice if you are armed and you can return fire without causing collateral damage by injuring innocent people. It may even be acceptable if you are not armed. If you feel you have absolutely no chance of surviving, then fighting to your death my be your only option.
Your next option is flight or attempt to flee. You can increase your odds of fleeing by remembering a few important techniques to follow. When entering the restaurant or other buildings, scan the area for your nearest exit. Most people will try to leave the same way they entered, even in an emergency when the exit is blocked. Instead look for an alternate way out. Most businesses will have more than one exit. Remember that your only viable exit may be a window. If things are going bad do not hesitate to break a window to escape.
Another key point is to always try to sit where you can see the main entrance. This will help you identify a threat sooner, giving you more time to react. Stay vigilant at all times. Constantly keep your awareness up.
The third possible reaction is to freeze. To freeze makes you a vulnerable target for the gunman. Chance of survival is greatly limited when an individual freezes in the face of danger. You can decrease your chances of freezing by having a plan that you develop before bad things happen. We will address this further in a future article.
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