On France’s equivalent of Independence Day, a large truck plowed
through a large crowd in the southern city of Nice and engaged in a gunfight
with police. Bystanders noted that the truck appeared to accelerate into the
festive throng, killing dozens and injuring much more.
It seems that you can’t read the news without a report of a
terror event somewhere, and it’s clear that there will be more to come.
Although we don’t know the exact circumstances at this early stage, I believe
that this is just part and parcel of what I’ve called the New Normal in recent articles.
I’ve mentioned the concept of “situational awareness” as a way to decrease your
chances of becoming a victim of future terror attacks. In these days of Pokemon
Go and other smartphone distractions, you’re seeing more and more people not
paying attention to their surroundings. In the past, this might get you a bump
on the head for walking into a lamppost. In today’s world, however, it could
cost you your life.
Situation awareness involves understanding what’s going on in
your immediate vicinity that might be hazardous to your health. I don’t mean
second-hand smoke here; I’m talking about knowing what dangers may exist that
you can avoid or abolish with your actions. Especially important for soldiers
in a combat zone, it’s now become just as important for the average citizen in
any large crowd.
In an area at risk (anyplace where multitudes of people gather),
simple things might save your life. Things like not having your hoodie up,
which can be like blinders on a horse. Things like making a mental note of the
nearest exit at the mall. Things like looking around for people who are nervous
or, perhaps, dressed too warm for the weather. The situationally aware person
will have the best chance to plan an escape when an attack occurs.
In Nice, France, the terrorists waited for the crowd to be
distracted by fireworks. Spectators who had their eyes glued to the sky
wouldn’t have time to react, and this greatly increased the casualty count. The
situationally aware person would always be looking around for possible threats,
and these days in France, the threats are everywhere.
In such a crowd, it would pay to be on the fringes and not in
the middle. Having a wall to your back would eliminate a danger that might come
at you from behind. Indoors, for example, in a movie theater, you want a view
of the exits as well as the screen. If someone is behaving strangely, move
away from them. If someone is screaming at the employee at the local burger
joint (I said NO CHEESE!), maybe you should leave and order a pizza instead.
It’s difficult to instill
a culture of situational awareness in a population, but it can be done if you
start early. When you’re out with the kids, tell them to pay attention to
what’s going on where you are. Once the family has left the area, ask them how
many people were there, what they were wearing, or other details. Ask them what
they would have done if there was an attack. Do this often enough, and they may
begin to pay less attention to their smartphones and more to their
surroundings.
All this attention to detail may seem paranoid
to you, but it’s time to realize that these are dangerous times.
Incorporate situational awareness into a calm, observant mindset and
you’ll gain those extra seconds that could have meant the difference between
life and death for so many in Nice.
