General – countermeasures

• Human beings have nervous systems, which react according to our genetic programming. We are just built that way. That means that we have automatic and natural functions that we cannot control. We breathe, sweat and shiver when the body decides that conditions are right. When we are scared, we are genetically programmed to prepare for ‘fight or flight’, to fight the threat that has scared us or to run away from it. That means that when we are scared, the body automatically prepares itself for one of those actions. That fight or flight preparation is automatic. Our heart rate rises and adrenaline is squirted into our systems making us more alert, which also makes us visibly more nervous and apprehensive.
• A suicide bomber will probably be nervous. Unless they are tranquillised, and you would probably be able to see that in their behaviour anyway. You will probably be able to see that somebody is on edge, hyped up and ready for action.
• If a person was hyped up and nervous while waiting for a job interview, or about to run a race. you would expect that, but you wouldn’t expect somebody walking into your government office to be like that. Anyone who is hyped up and nervous just walking into a government office should raise suspicions. If the bomber is that close, it is probably too late to stop an attack, but it shows that there are potential clues that somebody could pick up.
• If a suicide bomber is carrying a bag containing a device, they will almost certainly be taking unusual care of that bag. Home-made explosives are often unstable, so they will probably be treating the bag as though it was filled with fresh eggs, not the usual way rucksacks, sports bags and briefcases are casually tossed around. Treating a bag that carefully is cause for suspicion!
• If the suicide bomber isn’t carrying a bag or case, they have to strap the device to their body. If they do that they would have to hide the bulk of the explosives and the wires and trigger device from general view, so they would probably be wearing a coat, bulky or loose garment. If it is a hot day, they may be sweating. Add that to the unusual clothing and acting nervously and on edge and you have cause for suspicion.
• Look at the bag. Does it look unusually heavy or light for its apparent size? Are there any stains on the bag, wires coming out of the bag, any visible switches, etc.?
• Is somebody stopping to prime a device, that is to switch it from ‘safe’ carrying and delivery mode to active mode, so that it can be exploded either by a timer, tilt switch or direct detonation?
• Suicide bombers are single-minded. Once they set off on their mission they have increasingly tunnel vision and can only see their goal. This means that they can appear to be rude, pushing and shoving to get to that office door. They might push to get to the front of the queue, then pause a moment before purposefully striding in to kill and be killed.
• A person who pauses when he sees uniformed security staff, or turns away when he sees that visitors have to go through a metal detector, has to be suspicious. A visitor who is nervous and appears to be hanging back or waiting for something unknown, may be waiting for a bigger crowd to gather in reception or might be waiting for the chairman of the company to arrive.
• Even simple clues are available. A person who does not have a company pass, or doesn’t know that staff use the right-hand access gate and only visitors use the left-hand gate. Somebody who just doesn’t fit into the normal scene should be watched. Somebody who hesitates at the door not realising that it is an automatic door, or somebody who once through the door has to stop and look around to see which direction to take. All simple clues that a person is either new, preoccupied, lost or doesn’t belong in that place! They need further investigation.
• When driving a vehicle a suicide bomber has the same tunnel vision. Approaching their target they will only see that office door or the entrance to the underground car park. They may wait, illegally parked and ignoring car horns and insults, so that they can follow somebody through the entrance barrier, or they may be preparing to ram though it. They might cut through traffic and appear to be oblivious to it, or to the rules of driving as they concentrate on getting the vehicle to the target.
• Be aware of what is happening around you. Terrorists do not wear a uniform or carry membership cards. You could for example be suspicious of a lot of late-night activity in a lock-up store, or different people constantly coming and going at odd hours from a flat across the road. By being aware of it and reporting it to the authorities you could save the life of a lot of innocent people if the activity you reported is a terrorist cell preparing to make an attack.
• Make a note of the UK anti-terrorist hotline: 0800 798 321.
• If you have any suspicions, make some notes. These will help you by reinforcing your suspicions and give you something concrete to report. By making some notes you will see if that suspicious late-night activity boils down to a group of students going out and coming in drunk every Friday and Saturday night, or if it really is a random pattern any night of the week. By making notes of numbers, descriptions and vehicles, you could talk to the police and give them those details.
• If people regularly come and go and you don’t know their names, it makes it difficult for you to refer to them. For the purpose of your notes, identify individuals and make a name up for them. For example, ‘Harry is the “30 something man” drives white transit A123BCD, short blond hair, always drives the white van and walks with a limp because of something wrong with his left leg’. You may also for example have identified ‘Male “Big Nose” comes on foot and has sometimes left with Harry in his white van. Big Nose has dark hair that is trimmed very short, he smokes small cigars’. In this way you will simplify your notes on the activities, and can say that on Tuesday at 2am Harry arrived took heavy box into flat from van, left at 6am with Big Nose. With that the police could do some discreet checks. They may find that you live opposite a brothel, or that the people who live there run a night express courier service. If that is the case then nobody is hurt, but if there is a more sinister reason for the activity, the sooner the authorities know about it the better. If you do make notes:
  • Don’t let the suspects see you watching and making notes.
  • Never try to get closer or take photographs or go up and look through the windows of the house or any vehicle. If they are terrorists you could quickly end up dead. Your information will be more valuable to the police if the bad guys don’t know that they are being watched.
  • As soon as it looks to you like something is going on, talk to the police. Don’t wait until you see somebody deliver dynamite to the house. Report it and then step back (well back).
  • If you do report something that turns out to be significant, the police may want to ask if they can use your spare room to keep an eye on what is going on. Be ready to answer them.
• If there is a report of a threat to a passenger aircraft, or American business interests, keep that in mind. When you go about your daily life you might not want to avoid buying a burger, but you could postpone your plans to fly to New York for an anniversary weekend with your wife.
• If you keep your office and site clean and tidy, it will be easier to spot things that are out of place. A device could be missed among the clutter in an untidy office, so that is a lethal risk. If the office is tidy, a strange bag, case or package that suddenly appears on the otherwise clear area in reception or in the public waiting lounge will be clear for all to see.
• Keeping the office and premises tidy will make it easier to perform a search of the premises.
• Encourage all staff to read security bulletins so that they know what is happening.
• Encourage all staff to report anything that they feel is in any way suspicious. For example, if the dustman seems to be putting a package into one of the bins, or a courier driver stopped in the main car park and ‘may’ have put something near or under one of the cars.
• If you report anything, make a note of and report as much detail as you can. Reporting a driver doing something funny in the car park is of little immediate use. Reporting that the driver seemed to have a shoebox-sized package that he seems to have left near or under the blue Ford or the red Volvo in the second row of the car park near the cycle rack, is a great help. Especially if you can also report the name of the courier company, give a registration number, and provide a description of the driver and his vehicle.

At home – countermeasures

• Keep up to date with the news, so that you pick up any information available on terrorist threats, plans and trends. If they announce on the news that terrorists are thought to be targeting an airport, and you live next to an airport, you should be more vigilant.
• If you work in a government building or work for any ‘capitalist’ or other official organisation, be aware that you personally are more likely to be selected as a target than Mrs Biggins’ who works as a cleaner at the local supermarket.
  • Familiarise yourself with the alert states in your organisation, so that you know when the risk level is rising. (Most organisations have a system to show the threat level. For example, Green means there is no real threat, Amber means threat levels have increased, and Red means a significant threat exists.)
  • You will know if you are in a role or position or part of an organisation that is a potential target. If you are, check with your security people and familiarise yourself with and take the security advice they offer. For example, they could teach you how to check your car for any suspicious devices attached to it or placed around the house and garden.
  • Get used to checking around your home for potential or suspicious devices and packages. Terrorists have been known to set explosives under items in the garden of a target individual. For example, they may rig a shed door with explosives or arrange for a device to explode if the garden hose is moved.
  • Prepare an evacuation plan in case you have to leave your home in a hurry. For example, you may make arrangements to stay with a nearby relative until allowed back in your home, or perhaps your employer has accommodation you could use.
  • Familiarise yourself with emergency evacuation or terrorist alert procedures relating to your building – and adopt some of those principles to evacuate you and your family from your house if you need to.
  • Be particularly aware of potential devices such as unattended bags, cases and vehicles.
• If you or your employer are potential targets you should take additional precautions.
  • Keep a low profile in everything you do. As far as your job allows, avoid publicity. Don’t make it easy for anyone to link you to your rank, regiment, company or job.
  • As far as possible be unpredictable in everything you do. Take a different route to work each day. Do the weekly shop in different places. The less predictable you are, the more difficult it would be to target you.
  • Be ever vigilant about people asking you questions, or asking questions about you. Don’t give your plans away when people speak to you. For example, avoid talking about your family, friends and private life. If neighbours say there was somebody asking about you and your family, report it through your organisation. (You should cultivate links with your neighbours to collect this sort of information.)
  • When using the phone be extra careful in what you say. Never answer with name, job title or grade, or rank or for that matter your phone number. They may have dialled a random number so don’t confirm the number for them. For example, by answering your home phone with ‘345 675 Colonel Biggins’ or ‘876 459 Chief Scientist Carol Smith’ you are putting your security at risk. (With a name and phone number anyone can look up your address in the phone book, unless you are ex-directory.)
  • Get to know your home and area so you can spot things that are out of place. If you do that you will be more able to spot unusual and suspicious activity. For example, you will be able to spot strange or unusual vehicles, parcels or devices.
  • If you spot unusual vehicles in your home area, without being seen yourself, study them. You will be able to identify the usual council and delivery vehicles. Take a closer look at anything else. For example, a car or van with two men in, sitting at the end of the road watching people come and go may be a council traffic census, but it may be something more sinister. Make notes of vehicle make, number colour, description of people, etc.. and report it through your organisation or to the local police.
  • Without becoming paranoid, or distracting you and causing a car accident, keep one eye open for people who may be following you, especially if they are following you from the office or near it towards your home address. Your house may be a softer target than the government office or military base where you work. If you are being followed, contact your organisation or go to a police station
  • Make it a rule that your children never accept any deliveries, or try to open letters or parcels that have been delivered. Be aware that chemicals and infectious agents have been used in postal attacks.
  • Check your suspect-mail handling procedures. (See At work below.) Be aware of the threat of letter or package bombs Check your security procedures to establish how to spot and deal with them.
  • Make sure that your children are well aware of the need to avoid strangers, not give out information, think security, be home when they say they will, never go anywhere without your knowledge and approval, etc.
  • Don’t accept unknown deliveries. If you find a parcel left at your door, take a close look without moving it. Look for the signs of letter bombs and any evidence that the parcel may be suspect. If in doubt, contact your organisation or the police.
  • Be cautious with strangers. Use your door viewer and door chain, and find out who they are and what they want before opening your door. Be ready to retreat to a safe area in the house if they are in any way hostile.
  • The Home Security Handbook discusses keys. You have even more need to strictly control who has keys to your house, car, office, etc. Don’t give keys to builders or plumbers etc. Only let them in when you have checked their references and then only let them in when you are there to supervise.
  • When out and about, blend in with everyone else. Don’t wear any uniform, company security passes, name/rank/job title name badges, etc. Don’t leave anything in your car or throw anything out in your rubbish that will identify you and your position. Don’t have a company car with the company name painted on the side.
  • Don’t cluster – that is, avoid places where a group of you can be targeted. For example, a bar, restaurant or club that has become known as the place where all the scientists or all the army guys go. If there is such a place, stop using it and warn your organisation that it is a potential target. (Maybe the organisation will take steps to secure it so that there is somewhere its people can go to relax).

Sample Bomb Threat Phone Call Form

Date call received:

Time call received:

Time call terminated:

Exact words used by caller:

THE BOMB – IMPORTANT DETAILS – GET AS MUCH AS YOU CAN

Where is it EXACTLY?

What does it look like?

When is it set to go off?

What will trigger it (timer, movement, etc.)?

What sort of explosives have been used?

FURTHER DETAIL IF YOU CAN GET IT

Did you put it there?

Why did you do it?

Are you part of a group? If so, which group?

What is your name?

What is your address?

What is your phone number?

FURTHER INFORMATION FROM PERSON TAKING THE CALL

WHEN THE CALL IS ENDED DIAL 1471 TO SEE IF YOU CAN GET THE CALLER NUMBER. IF SO, FILL IT IN HERE

IMMEDIATELY

that has been done, call taker to fill in the rest of the form, while somebody else reports this to your management and dials 999 to report the call and the details above to the police.

Call taker should then have completed the form and be ready to give the details below to the police and to answer further questions about the call.

Name of person filling in this form:

Company name:

Telephone number on which call received:

What did caller sound like (circle appropriate or fill in different description)?

Male    Female    Old    Young    Child

Other:

Any accent detected:

Caller nationality (stated or assumed – please say)

Other comments on how the caller sounded (drunk, excited, scared, stammer, etc.):

Do you think you know the caller (e.g. Bill from accounts who was fired last week)?

Any other people with the caller, and background conversations heard or names used:

Any background noises – indicating where the caller may be (clocks chiming, railway station announcements, supermarket PA announcement, etc.):

Travelling – countermeasures

• Be aware of any unattended bag, case or package wherever you see it. They have been left on seats, in luggage stores, under seats, in luggage racks, on platforms or on concourses. If you do see something unattended, report it to a uniformed member of staff. Make sure that they know exactly what it is and where it is, then move away. It is probably just an innocent bag that someone has forgotten, but it might be something more sinister.
• During a high alert, if you see an unattended bag on a train or bus and you are between stops, I would loudly ask who owns the bag. If the owner stands up to claim it – no problem. If everyone denies all knowledge I would ask again. If it’s still not claimed I would consider voicing my suspicions and suggest that everybody move away as far as possible from the bag. I would then report it to a member of the crew immediately, again making sure to say exactly what it is and where it is. Describing a ‘red rucksack with the word HIKERW sewn in large blue letters on the top, left on the rack above the third row of seats on the platform side of the train’ is a lot better than reporting ‘a suspicious bag’.
• When flying, where possible book yourself onto direct flights.
  • Because airports are a potential terrorist target.
  • Direct flights will reduce your exposure to risks at and around airports.
  • Direct flights mean that you take maximum advantage of British airport security. If you have to wait for hours in a remote third-world airport and then fly on one of their aircraft, there may be no security protecting you.
  • Flying direct takes you to where you want to be, so your security enquiries are not complicated by potential trouble at stopover locations.
• Avoid going to, stopping at or transferring to different aircraft and carriers at high-risk destinations as defined by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
• When at any airport get away from the potentially risky public area of an airport as soon as you can. Check in, book your luggage in and then go through to the departures lounge. Strict controls and security procedures in force there mean that the departure lounge should be one of the safest places for an ordinary citizen in any country in the world,
• When you arrive at your destination, try to leave the airport as soon as you can. The airport is a potential terrorist target and therefore a high-risk area, so you should leave it without delay.

Travelling abroad – countermeasures

• Seek advice from your travel agent and/or airline. They should be aware of problems in your destination town or country.
• Seek advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to find out if there are any travel advisory notices or warnings. See the website atwww.fco.gov.uk and click on Travel Advice and Travellers’ Tips.
• Watch the news reports for developments in your destination country or city.
• On arrival, seek advice from local holiday representatives.
• Try not to stand out.
  • Don’t dress in skimpy or revealing clothes.
  • Beware of nude sunbathing – it often offends older locals.
  • Avoid engaging in ‘amorous’ activity in public.
  • Show respect to local people and traditions.
  • Don’t flaunt wealth.
  • Keep your opinions to yourself.
  • Keep your plans to yourself.
  • Don’t get drunk.
  • If you see a disturbance, make it your business to be somewhere else as soon as you can.
  • If there is any sort of civil disturbance, make your way to your hotel or the British embassy or consulate.
• Seek advice from people who have been in the location for a while.
• Ask for a daily update if you have any doubts about the situation.
• Avoid places that could be considered targets, for example the American embassy or the local offices of American or British international business interests.
• Avoid travelling to remote areas. Stay in the tourist areas where local governments usually provide a level of protection.
• When at your destination, keep a low profile, remain aware of your surroundings and avoid any trouble.
• If in doubt, quietly move away from people, places or situations that concern you.
• If advised by the consulate or in news broadcasts, leave the country.

High-risk areas – countermeasures

• Talk it over with family and friends, and make sure that they know what you would do in an emergency. If there is a problem and everyone says you will curl up in a ball and wait for rescue or you will head north to the border, rescue services know what you are likely to do! That will make it easier to help you.
• When you arrive, contact the British embassy or consulate so that they know you are there and know what your plans are. More importantly, they know how to contact you if they need to update you about changes to the threat level or send you home if the situation has become critical
• Adopt a friendly but cautious attitude with everyone you meet. Stay non-controversial at all times, and don’t get drawn into arguments or discussions about politics, religion, America, world-trade, etc.
• Never talk about the reason for your visit or discuss your schedule and plans.
• Never leave personal or business papers in your hotel room. There is no point in not talking about things if you leave it all on your bed for anyone to read.
• Be aware of your surroundings, and look out for people who seem to be following you or hanging around watching what you do, people who are out of place.
• Find out where official buildings are in your area. In a crisis you should be able to go to one of them for safety. Places such as an embassy, consulate, police station, government office, major hotel or hospital are the best (though in a riot you may want to avoid government buildings and police stations).
• Make sure that you have left a copy of your travel and meeting plans with somebody at home, and if you change those plans let that person know. If you go missing, the authorities can at least follow your schedule to see how far you got before you vanished, and that will give them a starting point as to where to look for you.
• The higher the risk factor in an area, the more you should avoid adopting habits. For example, if a terrorist knows that you go to the cafe opposite your hotel for a coffee at 08:30 every morning, they could plan to attack or kidnap you there. With no observable pattern to your activities it will be that much harder to reach you.
• If you use a taxi, make it a habit to use different pick-up points, or a terrorist could warn off genuine drivers and be the only ‘taxi’ on the rank when you come out of your hotel in the morning.
• When you use a taxi, most countries have a licensing system. Before you get in, check the driver against his licence – especially if it is a photo-licence. If the face and photo match, you can at least be sure that the driver in the taxi is a licensed taxi driver. If the face isn’t the same he may have killed the real taxi driver, just to get hold of the taxi to attack you. If the driver and licence don’t match, don’t get in the car. You just have to hope that your legitimate taxi driver isn’t also a terrorist!
• Where possible, travel in a group. A single person is an easier target than a group.
• Never invite people back to your hotel room, and don’t let people into your hotel room if they come to the door. All contact with people should be in a public area.
• If anyone delivers or tries to hand you a package, do not accept it unless you are expecting it. A bomb that looks like anything larger than a well-filled standard envelope can easily kill!
• Plan your days so that you are in control of your schedule. Get local business contacts to come to you if possible. If you are winning a contract, you can claim that you are hosting the meeting as a courtesy. If they want something from you, you can just insist that they play by your rules.
• Set a plan of action, saying what you will do in the event of an escalation in the threat in the country/town/area, as well as what you will do if there is any attack against you. A copy of that plan should also be left with the person at home who is holding a copy of your proposed schedule. For example, if there is a bomb explosion or an assassination, you could say you will go to the British embassy, or maybe phone the consulate to seek advice as to where to go.
• When using any vehicle have a walk around before you touch it, open doors or get in. You don’t have to make it obvious, but an overall visual inspection could disclose threats or cause for alarm. Start your inspection from a long way off because that allows you to see underneath the car. When you are closer you can stoop down to tie your shoelace then take a look to see if there is anything suspicious. Your visual inspection could disclose cut break pipes, a device attached to the underside or packages pushed up to the back wheel or balanced on the front suspension arm, etc. You might see a trailing wire that seems to run around the corner. In the past terrorist bombs have been set off by a command wire. The terrorist sets the bomb then stands around the corner with a switch on a long wire and detonates the bomb when he sees you get in the car.
• Make sure that you have a quality vehicle. If you need to escape you might have to drive at high speed, or even push past (not crash into) a car blocking the road. A rusty old car with a suspect engine might not get you to your meeting, and it certainly won’t get you away from a terrorist attack. (If you are a very high-risk individual, consider taking defensive driving training from the organisations that exist.)
• Get a car with air conditioning if at all possible. That will make it more comfortable when you are driving safely with the windows all shut. An open car window is a temptation for somebody on foot or on a motorcycle to drop a bomb or hand grenade in through the window. Car windows are surprisingly tough. If somebody throws a grenade at a car window sometimes it will break the window and come in. but it could bounce off a side window and fall into the street. Devices will certainly bounce off the front and rear screens.
• If you are at the scene of or involved in a shooting, if you can do it safely, get away round the corner and run.
• If you are too near the action or are not sure you could reach that corner safely, or if there is another gunman around the corner, get down on the ground if at all possible behind something really solid.
• Stay down until you are sure it has all finished.
• Don’t pick up a fallen gun thinking you will protect yourself, because with a gun in your hand you become a target for the local police or army when they turn up.
• When you hit the ground, stay there. As you lay there with bullets whizzing around it may start to look safer over the road under that concrete wall, but getting there could get you killed! If you absolutely have to move – for example if the car you are hiding behind has caught fire – crawl along the ground and use any cover you can. Even a kerbstone offers some protection so crawl along the gutter. Take a quick look to see which way to go – away from the shooters is a good idea, but make sure that you take the safest and shortest path to the next available solid and safe shelter.
• Avoid laying on the floor or near walls if you can, because ricochet gunfire tends to hug walls and floors.
• Despite the fact that on the television and in the movies everyone hides behind a car when the shooting starts, try not to. Bullets will pass straight through car doors, seats, glass and into you. A car offers little protection from bullets. If you have to, the engine offers best protection.
• Under certain conditions, bullets and shotgun blasts will bounce off the bonnet or roof of a car and hit a target above and beyond the car.
• Finally, remember cars are full of petrol, and you don’t want to be there if the petrol tank catches fire.
• If you are shot, clamp a hand over the wound to stop any blood flow. If necessary stick your finger in the hole to stop the blood flow. When it all goes quiet and you know you are safe, call for help.
• In grenade attacks, if you have the chance and a choice, dive for the nearest cover, putting it between you and the grenade.
• If no shelter is available, dive flat on the ground with your feet nearest the grenade and head furthest away. In that way your head, chest and vital organs are protected by the meat and bone in your feet, legs, ankles and bum,
• If possible consider holding your arms crossed over your chest to protect vital organs from stray shrapnel.

Hijack or hostage – countermeasures

• We have already covered passport details. You should review what details you have in your passport. You should be aware that in a hijacking or hostage situation terrorists have been known to check passports and use passport details to select people to threaten or kill. Lord Biggins Cabinet Minister is more likely to be selected than Fred Biggins who is a librarian! You have to choose what details you put in your passport.
• Remember that the terrorists are probably looking for somebody to use as an example. You may have already changed your passport to protect yourself, but make sure that you do nothing that will make you stand out. In the absence of anything else, they may select the noisy hostage, or the one who continually complains.
• Governments do not like making concessions to terrorists. If they do, there will be more hijackings and hostages taken in future because the terrorists know that that government will meet their demands Some governments are willing to negotiate, but the government in whose territory the incident has occurred will make decisions on how the incident is ended.
• The highest risk in a hostage situation or hijacking is at the start when the terrorists are excited, everything is confused and nobody is really in control. There is another peak in risk at the end, however it ends, whether by negotiation, special forces rescue attempt or terrorist bombs going off.
• Do not resist or make any sudden movements that could be seen as a threat.
• Generally speaking you should not try to escape, unless you are absolutely sure that you can do it. At the same time you have to consider that if you escape the terrorists might take retribution against remaining hostages.
• Try to sit back and relax. You may be in for a long wait. Some hostages are held for months, and hijacks have been known to last several days.
• Don’t drink alcohol because it could lead you to do something foolish. Eat a little food, and drink enough water to keep you fit. Apparently that leaves you ready for anything, not too fat to move, and not always wanting to go to the toilet (which would make you stand out from the crowd).
• Aim to be passive and co-operative. Don’t complain, or demand anything. Never use the ‘Do you know who I am?’ line – that will get their attention immediately. Don’t resist anything, but don’t appear to be humouring them either. Do everything that they ask you to do but stay alert.
• If they start talking to you, answer their questions but don’t volunteer information. For example, if asked if anyone has a mobile phone, say yes or no. Never volunteer anything extra, for example ‘His Lordship High Court Judge Biggins in seat 5A will probably have one.’ Aim to be invisible
• Even if you are a 3rd dan black belt in karate or some other martial art, NEVER try to be a hero. You might think you can disarm both of the terrorists, but do you know if there is a number three with his finger on the bomb switch? Be invisible, and leave the rescue to the professionals.

The following points are valid if you are a single hostage. However, if you are in a group I suspect that these activities could make you stand out from the crowd and that is something you want to avoid!

• The experts say you should maintain a level of dignity, and as time goes on you should gently begin to ask your kidnappers for more personal comforts.
• If the hostage or hijack situation goes on for more than a week, you should try to build a relationship with the kidnappers. Avoid political and religious discussions, and talk about any non-controversial matters. The longer you are with them you have become a bit of a friend so they are less likely to harm you.
• While you are a hostage you need to keep fit and be alert, if nothing else so that you are ready to react when the rescue squad comes through the door. Try to establish a daily routine, which will help you to maintain a level of dignity and control. It will also allow you to work with the terrorists and build that relationship.
• By establishing a routine, any rescuers observing you will know for example that at ten o’clock each day you will be taking a shower. That helps the rescuers, because they can raid the premises and know that you are in the shower so the guys in the basement bedroom or living room are terrorists. If you want medicine or a book to read or a pen and paper, ask for it. They may refuse, they may not – you really have nothing to lose.
• You should at least try to eat whatever they give you. Later you can ask for more fruit or tell them that you don’t like pork, but at first you have to be invisible and go with it. You will lose your appetite, and you will therefore lose weight but that is normal.
• Always look on the bright side. It will be hard not to despair. Whatever you can use to get through, use it. If it is religion, the thought of hugging your partner, or a desire to get home and have a whole tub of chocolate mint ice cream, keep that in mind and use that as a psychological prop when you get low.
• The last thing is to remember that they took you as a hostage and you will be of no use at all if you are dead. That means they want you to be alive and healthy – so you have something in common at least.

After an attack – countermeasures

If you insist on offering assistance, some actions are priorities.

• Somebody has to make sure that a report has been submitted. If you are not sure that the incident has been reported, contact the emergency services and calmly explain what has happened, for example if there has been an explosion (it may be a gas leak – don’t assume it was a bomb unless you know it was).
  • Call 999 (or the local equivalent) and explain what has happened. For example, ‘There has been an explosion in The Whisky Bar, in Bogtown High Street, on the junction with Lower Road.’
  • Now give details. For example The Whisky Bar has been destroyed, the building has collapsed and is on fire.
  • Tell the operator how many casualties you can see so that they know if they have to call one ambulance or invoke the emergency medical response in the surrounding towns. You should also try to indicate the type and number of injuries. For example, ‘I can see five people who I think are dead. There are another fifteen with serious injuries, one man has lost both legs, there are a lot of burns and facial cuts, several broken arms and legs. Looking around there are at least another twenty people who are bleeding from smaller injuries.’
  • If you know the area, you may be able to help the emergency services by telling them if there is an obstruction that will prevent them using an approach. For example, lower Road is blocked because the end wall of the bar fell on a lorry which is completely blocking that road.’
  • You may be the only coherent point of contact at the incident. The emergency service operators may want to keep you on the line to ask further questions. Ask if they want you to stay on the line. If they do not, they may want to call back to check to see if you have any more information.
  • Protect the scene. Send somebody to the end of the street to direct traffic away from the incident and try to keep it clear for ambulance, police and fire engines. Where possible send two people, the first to do the job and the second to come back and tell you it is being done. When you get the report that traffic is being stopped you can cross one problem off your list, and send the second person back to help the first unless you have another job for them. Use common sense in where you stop traffic. If you stop it halfway down the road, it will have nowhere to go. If you stop traffic at the junction at the end, any vehicles can turn around or turn left and right so traffic will continue to move away from the area.
  • With a major incident there may be a gas leak or petrol spillage. Smoking can cause further injuries so insist that people do not smoke – shout at them if you have to. When you give any instructions or advice to people for the rest of the incident tell them nobody is allowed to smoke, no matter how much they claim it will calm their nerves, Tell them they will blow everything up because of gas or petrol leaks and do anything you can to make them understand.
  • When in shock, casualties may wander off. They should be collected together so that they can be watched as they wait to be treated. Usually by this stage people are beginning to want to help, but often they are not sure what to do. Remember that you are also in a potential crime scene. If it was a bomb, you are at the scene of at least five murders because you can see five dead people. Anyone around may be a witness. If they are not injured, get them to stay and help or at least wait to be questioned, then they will be available to talk to the police when they arrive.
  • Keep your ears open and listen to what is being said. If anyone seems to know what happened, insist that they stay with you to talk to the police when they arrive. Try not to let anyone who knows anything go. Keep them around you or at least insist that they give you their contact details.
  • A major incident is entirely outside the experience of most people. They are lost and do not know what to do. Many want to help but are in shock. Most people will take sensible orders from somebody who seems to be calm and seems to know what to do. To start with you may be the only person at the scene who can organise assistance for the casualties.
  • With a major incident, normal first-aid skills and abilities are usually overwhelmed. The average first-aid-trained person will not know what to do with an amputation, serious burns or crush victims. Don’t try to be clever. The one part of basic first-aid training that works in a major incident is that the noisy ones can usually look after themselves. Stop to look at them, staunch bleeding, reassure them and offer them support, tell them that they will be OK but move on to the more serious injuries. Stop bleeding as best you can. If somebody is not breathing, clear the airway and if necessary give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. If at all possible, instruct somebody to carry on with it while you do something else. People in shock can follow orders but may be in no fit state to decide what to do on their own.
  • Look for anyone who is trapped, or at risk from fire or further collapse. Make best efforts to rescue them without putting anyone else at risk and without causing additional injuries to the casualty.
  • After the first shock, more people should be arriving to help. I would direct them to moving the walking wounded to a safe area, where paramedics and ambulance staff will have the space to set up and treat them. A supermarket car park would be ideal for this. You will be updating the emergency services all the time, so you should have told them that 25 walking wounded are now sitting on the wall outside Biggins supermarket waiting for treatment. Get the new helpers to stay with the walking wounded to reassure and support them.
  • If you have any time left, you should go back to check on the seriously injured, make sure that their helpers are still with them, and make sure that the two key actions are being done – keep them breathing and stop them bleeding.
  • When the emergency services turn up, go and talk to them. You possibly know more about what has happened than everyone else at the scene. Update them, then hand over to them so that they can do their job. Each emergency service will have its own incident control for a major incident, so there will be a senior police officer, senior fire officer and senior ambulance officer.
  • Though any explosion and fire should be self evident, point them out to the police and fire brigade. Explain what you know about fires, gas and petrol escapes, dangerous walls and other dangers and leave them to it. If you are still in telephone contact, tell the emergency operator that the fire brigade (or whoever) has arrived and pass on other similar details as long as they want you on the line.
  • Tell the paramedics where what you consider to be the serious casualties are, and if you have any idea explain which you think should be the priority cases. Point out where you have sent the walking wounded. Explain that you picked that area because it has vehicular access, plenty of space for turning and parking, with direct access back out onto the main road (if you are lucky enough to have that nearby). Tell the emergency operator that the ambulances have arrived, including how many ambulances if you are still on the phone.
  • When the police arrive, if you are still in touch with the emergency operator update them and hand the phone over to the police officer. He or she can tell them what their name and call sign is, because they will now take over from you as command and contact point for the incident.
  • If you have any witnesses make sure that you point them out to the police officer. The emergency services are under stress too, so make sure that they realise that this person or these people are potential witnesses and have vital information. If any witnesses did leave the scene, pass on their details to the police so that they can be tracked down and questioned before evidence is lost or forgotten.
  • If you did all of that, congratulate yourself. Whether you get one or not, you earned a knighthood today for your bravery and clear thinking. You undoubtedly saved lives, prevented further injury, protected the scene and maybe collected vital witnesses.
  • When the emergency services are at the incident, stand back and let them do what they are trained to do. By all means offer assistance, but don’t get in the way.
  • When you are no longer required, or are ordered to go, seek medical care for any injuries you may have then leave the area.