Terrorism is a fact of life.

The political causes and effects of it are complex, and the reaction is often used in politically expedient ways. In other words, the default is to use fear to sell an agenda – perhaps for war, security measures, diplomatic pressure.

Regardless, the chances of being caught up in the scene of an attack is very low.

But if you do find yourself in such a situation, here are some strategies to maximize your chances of survival, avoid disaster, fight back or flee and hopefully help other would-be victims get out of the way.

Hone your skills of assessment and situational awareness to make quick life-or-death decisions and avoid at all costs becoming a victim or statistic. Obviously police, SWAT and/or other forces won’t be there until after the fact, once all the victims have been killed or injured. Individuals must do something while they can.

Via Paladin Press:

How to Survive a Shooting Attack: LIVING SAFELY IN DANGEROUS TIMES

If an attacker shows up on scene, your first response should be to get out of his line of vision and avoid the assailants ability to lock eyes with and target you.

If armed, consider the reality of the situation (hopefully from cover) to decide whether or not it is your fight – quickly, but with good judgement. Sometimes it is simply better to walk away, but if you are in a position to stop a shooter and save other lives, then it may be the right decision.

Meanwhile, some police are now being trained to take out active threats…wait for it… without waiting for back-up to arrive. This is a good sign that things are turning back towards common sense, and perhaps our civilization has a chance:

No strategy will be foolproof in every situation, but this kind of training can improve your chances if the worst happens unexpectedly.

Do you have any advice to add?