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:
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