Explosions
Explosive materials may be placed in every location, using vehicles or even people as a meaning of transport. These materials may be easily detonated remotely or by suicide bombers. There are steps to make to prepare for this kind of threats.
Before
Here are the things you can do to protect yourself, your family and your property in case of a bombing:
• Design a Family emergency plan
• Find out how to behave in case of bombing threat or receiving suspected packages and letters
Bombing threats:
If you receive a phone information about a bomb threat:
• Get as many pieces of information from a caller as possible. Ask questions like:
o When will the bomb explode?
o Where is the bomber, right now?
o How does the load look like?
o What kind of bomb is this?
o What will cause the explosion?
o Where has the bomb been placed?
• Keep the caller on the line and record everything that has been said
• Contact the police immediately by calling the 112 number. Then contact the owners of your location
Suspected packages and letters:
Some typical characteristics that has been detected by postal inspectors over the years and should rise the suspicion, include parcels that are:
• They are unexpected or come from someone you don’t know
• There’s no return address, the package is addressed in an unusual way or the postmark is missing
• The packages are also marked with restrictive recommendations such as “Personal”, “Confidential” or “Don’t over-check”
• Aluminum wires or foil stick out; strange smells or stains appear
• They aren’t addressed to a particular person
Take extra steps against biological and chemical factors:
• Don’t smell suspected packages
• Put the envelopes or boxes into the plastic bag or another container to prevent the leakage
• Leave the room and close the door or section to enable the entrance to others
• Wash your hands with the soap and water to prevent powder from spreading to your face
• If you’re at work, report the incident to a building security officer or supervisor who should immediately notify the police and other authorities
• List all people who have been in contact with the package, provide a copy of this list to law enforcement agencies for further investigation and advice
• If you’re at home, report the incident to the police
Durning
• Get under a solid table or desk, as shrapnel and structural elements can fall around you. When they stop falling, get out quickly, look for possible weakened floor and stair structures
• Don’t use lifts
• Stay low if there’s smoke. Don’t stop to retrieve personal belongings or make phone calls
• Check for fire and other hazards
• When you go outside, don’t stand in front of windows, glass doors or other potentially dangerous areas
• If you’re trapped in debris, use a flashlight, whistle or tap on the pipes to signal your location to the rescuers
• Shout only if necessary, to avoid inhaling dangerous dust
• Cover your nose and mouth with everything you have
After
• There may be a significant number of victims or damage to buildings and infrastructure
• Intense involvement of law enforcement agencies – listen carefully to the instructions of the services
• Medical assistance can be overloaded to the limit
• Locally, workplaces and schools may be closed and restrictions on domestic and international travel may apply
• You may need to evacuate the area you live in; use the family evacuation plan
• During the evacuation, let each of you take your emergency backpack, it will allow you to survive 3 days without an external help
• It can take many months to clean up the area after the explosion