How to Escape a Dangerous Situation
No matter how careful you are, you never know when you might find yourself in a dangerous situation. Crimes and accidents happen when you least expect them. Although you never know exactly how you’ll react in a dangerous situation, you can prepare yourself by learning the correct steps to get out of, and survive, the situation. Below find advice for coping in situations we hope never happen to you.
Armed Robbery
If you are on the street, in a parking lot or in the corridor of a building and are confronted by someone with a weapon who wants to rob you, you should:
- NEVER resist. Give the robber anything they ask for.
- Avoid making any sudden moves or reach for anything out of the sight of the robber.
- Never ask the robber to prove he/she has a weapon in their pocket.
- Don’t try to be a hero and attempt to apprehending the criminal.
- If you think your life is in danger, talk about yourself and your family so that the criminal sees you as a real person and not just a victim.
- Get to a safe location as soon as the robber has left and call the police.
Home Fire
If you are home and your detectors are going off, or if you see smoke or fire, here’s an action plan:
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Do not panic.
Get out! Grab your children and pets and yell to other adults to alarm them. Don’t try to gather up your belongings.
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If you were in bed or sitting, roll to the floor and crawl out of the building. Get out as quickly as possible.
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If you need to go through a door, feel it first to see if it is hot. If it is, you need to find another way out. If your only other option is to jump out a window, jump. If you attempt to leave your home through smoke filled rooms, there’s a good chance the smoke will choke you and leave you unconscious in a burning building. Not good.
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Call the fire department as soon as you are safely out of the building.
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If you are in apartment and the building smoke detector did not go off, pull it as you exit and yell “Fire!” to warn others.
Being Followed
If you sense or see that someone is following you on the street or up to your apartment, you should:
- Cross the street and see if the person follows. Always follow your intuition in these types of situations.
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