How to Stay Safe In a Hostage Situation

The chances you will become a hostage are remote.

On the other hand, if a café in Sydney can become the site of a hostage crisis that’s watched by the world so could a coffee shop in Topeka, Kansas or a library in Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin.

Zealots of all stripes and what law-enforcement officers call “lone wolf terrorists” may decide to seek attention for their causes anywhere, at any time. Bank robbers and other criminals confronted by police may think they can bargain their way to freedom if they hold the innocents around them at gunpoint. Emotional disorders may lead others to commit similar acts. As CNN Security Analyst Juliette Kayyem put it this morning, “There’s no shortage of sociopaths and no shortage of soft targets.”

Here are some thoughts on how to react if you are taken hostage.

• Stay calm. That’s tough to do in any crisis but absolutely essential if you become the target of someone with a gun and a grudge. The first ten to thirty minutes of a hostage taking are often the most panicked. “Remember to breathe,” says a friend at the CIA. “Inhale to a slow count of ten. Pause. Exhale to a count of ten. Repeat as long as it takes to slow your heart rate and bring back your ability to focus.” Calm is contagious. If those around you see you keeping cool, it will help them maintain their composure.
• Fast moves may get you killed. But if you see a clear chance to escape during the first moments, take it. You’ll give yourself more opportunities if you routinely practice awareness of your surroundings. Any time you enter a public space make it a priority to find the exits and decide how you’ll reach them if there is an emergency.
• Even as the threat develops, stay alert. Continue to focus on your surroundings. What’s the physical layout of the room you’re in? Is there just one bad guy or more? What do they look like? How do they behave? How are they dressed? Are they wearing body armor? How are they armed (pistols or long guns like rifles or shotguns)?
•   Keep in mind the hostage-taker may be just as scared as you are.  Move slowly. If you are told to produce identification or valuables comply but act with deliberation. Speak only when spoken to and then speak softly and do not make aggressive statements. Tough talkers are often the first to be killed because hostage-takers view them as threatening and unpredictable.
• Don’t try to be a hero. Considering escape is one thing. Trying to rush or overpower an armed individual, unless you have been specifically trained to do so (police, military, covert operations) seldom turns out as well as it does on TV. As former FBI hostage negotiator Clint Van Zandt puts it, “It’s better to be a live hostage than a dead victim.”      
• If you have a health condition or require medication, state your needs politely but firmly at the first opportunity. If you have a safe opportunity to engage the hostage taker in conversation, be respectful. Listen carefully to what he says, and the tone. Don’t discuss politics or religion. Talk about your life or family.
•  If you think you are about to be killed, act decisively. Use the escape plan you’ve been considering or use any weapon you can find and do so with as much noise and violence as you can muster. Fight without stopping until the threat is neutralized.
• If rescue begins, hit the floor and stay there. Standing up suddenly as police or other tactical responders come through the door may get you shot.

Staying alert is the key to staying safe. Learn more ways to protect yourself by reading my new book, Escaping the O-Zone: Intuition, Situational Awareness and Staying Safe.  It’s available on Kindle and wherever eBooks are sold:  http://ow.ly/FVB8S

Be Careful How You Lock Your Car . . . and One Other Thing

Deputy Chief Harry Cork of the Wisaka Police Department (and protagonist of the novel EASY EVIL) has graciously agreed to stop by the blog occasionally to discuss personal safety and crime prevention. Our topic for this session is vehicle security.

DOUG: Given all the electronic countermeasures car manufacturers have devised, do we even have to worry about keeping our vehicles secure anymore? Once we lock the doors, that is…

HARRY: “Actually Doug, thieves have come up with counter-countermeasures to what car manufacturers have invented. For example, how do you lock your car when you’re going into a store?”

I generally just hit the “lock” button on my key.

“Exactly. That sends a radio signal over the air to the car’s electronic locking system. Very convenient, right? Problem is, those radio signals aren’t secure. Anyone who’s nearby with a device capable of capturing that code can then retransmit it to your car once you’ve walked away. The bad guys know you’ll be gone for at least a few minutes, and that gives them time to open the doors and steal your stuff.”

So what should I do instead?

“Use the lock button that’s inside your car instead of the one on your key. That doesn’t require a radio signal so it can’t be read remotely.”

Then I’m safe, right?

“In most cases, yes. If you have a luxury car, you could face a different problem. Some police departments in our area have reported luxury cars stolen by thieves using cloned keys.”

They copy them the same way?

“No, actually cloning the key to be able to start the car requires higher-end software usually only available to car dealers. What we’ve discovered is that thieves are either obtaining the software illegally or by working with colleagues at car dealerships outside the area where the cars have been stolen. It’s a significant problem and, as of yet, I’m not aware of any solution by the manufacturers.”

So if I own a luxury car, I’m screwed?

“Talk to your dealership. But, remember The Club? It’s a solid steel bar that can be locked in place across your steering wheel. It won’t stop thieves with the capability to tow your car but it may slow down the others, even those with cloned keys. One more thing. Park your car inside a secure garage at night. That’s always a good idea, no matter what make or model of vehicle you own.”

You can find more safety tips on my website, www.dougmcummingsauthor.com or in my new book, Escaping the Ozone: Intuition, Situational Awareness and Staying Safe available from Amazon or any eBook retailer.

Ride along with Harry Cork in Easy Evil, in paperback or eBook (http://ow.ly/Fhxfo)