Originally published in the Manila Bulletin on 20 February 2005 following the Valentine's Day attack in Makati City and Davao City in the Philippines. This article is dedicated to the victims of the attack.
Authored by Alex Timbol/Maccess Corporation.
Consumers' Post
Ethel Timbol
Personal safety in a terrorist attack
Last Monday's metro bombings in Makati, Davao and General Santos remind us once again that we live in a troubled world.
While we applaud the recent move of the police to place marshalls on public transport, this should have been done a long time ago, not just against terrorists, but also against bus holduppers.
Let's also hope that the police will do some real police work and find real suspects, not merely round up "usual suspects."
In the meantime, it's important for us to realize that personal safety begins with us.
Personal awareness is the most important thing you can do for your own safety.
Be aware of your surroundings and pay more attention to where you are and how you should react in an emergency.
Whether you are at home, in school, at work or in a mall, you should know how to get help, where the emergency exits are, including how to get there.
Train yourself to notice things that are strange or unusual.
If you notice anything strange or unusual, do not confront the situation. Call the attention of security personnel, whether mall guards, or the local barangay police.
When boarding a public bus, make a visual check for unattended packages.
If you see an unattended package, discreetly call the attention of the bus conductor.
Make a mental note of passengers carrying large packages. Politely call their attention if they get up to leave without their packages. They may have just forgotten, but if they ignore you and continue to leave the bus, call the attention of the bus conductor.
Riding in the MRT and LRT is relatively safer with passengers and packages screened for explosives, but remember that the foyer areas are vulnerable and an attractive target with dozens of people lining up for the security check.
Do a quick scan for unattended packages in the foyer area, and if necessary, call the attention of security personnel.
If possible, use another entrance that has fewer people and that will allow you to quickly enter the secured area.
The same is true in malls, while the inside of malls are relatively safer, the queues for the security checks outside the doors are not.
If there is another entrance with a shorter queue, use that instead. As much as possible, don't use a crowded entrance. Malls have multiple entrances, and at least a few others should have shorter queues.
After last week's bombings, mallgoers rushed out of the Glorietta Mall in a panic. Don't!
The inside of a mall is one of the safest places to be. In the Bali Bombing, a small bomb triggered a stampede out into the street where the terrorists exploded an even larger car bomb that killed hundreds.
With all the security precautions mall operators have put in place, any attack will likely be outside the mall, which is exactly where you don't want to be rushing to.
Even if there is an incident within the mall, it is likely to be small and easily contained by the trained security personnel, so it is better to remain inside the mall.
Every mall has well marked safety areas: Emergency exits, holding areas, etc.
Some malls have emergency phone numbers. If you regularly visit a mall, make sure these emergency numbers are stored in your cellphone.
When visiting a mall, make a mental note of the mall?s features: Emergency exits, information counters, uncrowded areas, etc. Mentally draw escape routes to these areas from your current location.
Think about where you can go during any of the following emergencies: Terror Attack, Earthquake, Fire, or even Air Crash.
Avoid crowds, but if you must go to a crowded areas or to an event such as a concert, pay close attention to your surroundings. If possible, go with a group and stay with your group.
Identify and make a note of the locations of exits and security personnel. Try to stay along the edge of the crowd and avoid the middle where you could have trouble exiting.
Most importantly, if you suddenly feel uncomfortable, follow your intuition and just leave for a safer place.
For parents with children in school, ask if your school has an emergency plan and who are the persons in charge of it.
Find out the school's emergency contact information: Telephone numbers, email addresses, Instant Messaging addresses, and, if possible, the cellphone numbers of emergency coordinators.
Make sure the school has your updated contact information.
Go over the school's emergency plan with your children and make sure that they are familiar with it. Do they know where the school's emergency exits are? Where the holding areas (usually a basketball court or large gym) are?
Do they know how to contact you in an emergency and how to go to a pre-agreed meeting place in the school if you have to fetch them?
In your neighborhood, familiarize yourself with the people living near you. Get to know your barangay officials and the barangay police patrol.
If you know the people in your neighborhood, it will be easier to spot suspicious persons loitering in your area.
Make sure that the cellphones of your family members have the emergency numbers of your area: This means the barangay office, your local police and fire departments, and nearby hospitals. Post these numbers in a conspicuous place at home.
Preparedness is the best way to deal with the threat of terrorism. By being prepared, we blunt the effectivity of the terrorists and minimize the threat to our personal safety and that of our loved ones.
