The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Some tips on being secure

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Tuesday, Dec 09, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Some tips on being secure

R. Sujatha

CHENNAI: Police officials say being cautious and conscious of security could save lives.

“The first thing one should do in case of an attack is to not expose oneself or show heroism. Even police have to study what the attackers are doing and where they are hiding before they begin firing,” says M. Ravi, Deputy Inspector General of Police (Administration). “In railway stations if you are on train when firing occurs, then stay in. You should always give room for the attacker to escape. When an attacker starts shooting on a moving train, the best option is to stop the train.”

S. Jaganathan, Additional Commissioner of Police, Mumbai, offers some tips: Study the area you are in. Make note of entry and exit points and places you can take cover, such as a pillar. It does not help to hide under the table, he says.

“Switch off mobiles and if you are an onlooker do not enter the attacker’s zone as there could be bombs that could be set off on the crowds. In crowded places those at vantage points could direct the fleeing crowd to move to safer locations. Hotels that serve alcohol should store the beverage in a safe place so that the attacker cannot use them to set fire to the hotel,” he says.

Hotel occupants should return to their room and lock up. Placing wet towels, bed sheets in the gaps under the door will prevent smoke from entering the room. Wait for the fire service personnel and exit as soon as possible.

The police should engage terrorists/attackers, giving the civilians an opportunity to escape. Armed patrol vehicle and positioning of two or three commandos in strategic locations across the city would infuse a sense of security, he says.

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