Living in Charlotte N.C., this is especially relevant to me. Unfortunately, Charlotte doesn't have the market cornered on unruly protests, mob mentality, and riots. Small towns like Ferguson MO, medium sized cities like Harrisburg VA, or large urban metropolises like New York, Los Angeles, and Milwaukee, have all experienced protests that spun up into riots that lasted several days.
Regardless of the incident that sparked these protests, or the motivations that spun them out of control, you and your family could be caught up in them inadvertently. No one who isn't rioting plans to get caught in a riot. You, however, need to plan and be prepared to get OUT of one.
There's generally two types of people who have a legitimate reason to be in an area when civil unrest happens. People who live there, and people who don't. I know that sounds kind of silly and very obvious, but think about it anyways. How you would avoid, or escape civil unrest depends on which one of those two types of people you are at that given moment. Someone who lives in NY would have completely different indicators that shit was about to go down, than someone who was a tourist and visiting Time Square. It gets even more complicated if you're in another country and trouble starts.
In Charlotte during the riots last year, groups of protesters would block traffic on major thoroughfares and at one point they blocked traffic on an interstate. If motorists tried to proceed through the blockade, the protesters would throw things at their windows, hit and kick the cars, and several times tried to pull drivers from their cars. One at least three occasions, protesters were on overpasses throwing rocks at cars driving under them.
If you're a local:
Avoid the trouble spots at all costs. Avoid choke points into and out of the area. do not go 'check it out for yourself'. Do not let curiosity kill the cat. Try to establish a communication link to first responders. I have a police scanner and also used an app on my phone called Scanner Radio. Its a free app and you can listen to many metropolitan area first responders, It will also alert me if there is an unusual amount of listeners for a particular feed. So if suddenly three times the normal number of listeners begin to listen to police calls in Dallas for example...I can do a quick google search for Dallas news and see whats going on.
You should already be prepared to bug in at this point. Get water, lock your doors, lock your car doors and stay out of sight. Keep everyone in the house. Don't open your doors for anyone. Partially open a window that is not obvious from the front of your house and routinely listen for changes in the environment around you. Smell the air around you. Sirens, gun shots, and smoke are bad signs. If this happens begin to harden your home by blocking doors and windows with heavy furniture. This is your home, be prepared to fight for it if you have to. However, always leave yourself an escape route.
If you're visiting:
If you're visiting the area and can safely leave, then leave. If for whatever reasons you can't leave, then bug in to wherever you are. Back your car into its parking space, and lock the doors when you get out. Gather as many supplies as you can into a back pack and keep the back pack with you. Water will be very important, keep some on you.
Harden your improvised bug in area as much as possible. Lock all the doors and windows. Barricade the and windows as much as possible. Clear a path to an exit point so you can leave in a hurry without causing yourself any injury. Turn off any lights that are not absolutely essential.
Get prepared to move locations if you have to. Keep your car keys and back pack (if you have one) on you at all times. If you're moving in unfamiliar territory you have as good a chance of running into trouble as you have of trouble finding you. If the cell network is still up and functional, use your mapping apps to plot a course away from where you are. Look and listen before you move.
If you have to move, move quickly and quietly. Stay out of site, stay out of lit areas if possible. Look and listen before you move.
Social unrest is a scary thing. All of the rules you follow and rely on others following have just gone out the window. Keep your wits about you. Trust your instincts, develop a plan and stick to it.
Regardless of the incident that sparked these protests, or the motivations that spun them out of control, you and your family could be caught up in them inadvertently. No one who isn't rioting plans to get caught in a riot. You, however, need to plan and be prepared to get OUT of one.
There's generally two types of people who have a legitimate reason to be in an area when civil unrest happens. People who live there, and people who don't. I know that sounds kind of silly and very obvious, but think about it anyways. How you would avoid, or escape civil unrest depends on which one of those two types of people you are at that given moment. Someone who lives in NY would have completely different indicators that shit was about to go down, than someone who was a tourist and visiting Time Square. It gets even more complicated if you're in another country and trouble starts.
In Charlotte during the riots last year, groups of protesters would block traffic on major thoroughfares and at one point they blocked traffic on an interstate. If motorists tried to proceed through the blockade, the protesters would throw things at their windows, hit and kick the cars, and several times tried to pull drivers from their cars. One at least three occasions, protesters were on overpasses throwing rocks at cars driving under them.
Avoid the trouble spots at all costs. Avoid choke points into and out of the area. do not go 'check it out for yourself'. Do not let curiosity kill the cat. Try to establish a communication link to first responders. I have a police scanner and also used an app on my phone called Scanner Radio. Its a free app and you can listen to many metropolitan area first responders, It will also alert me if there is an unusual amount of listeners for a particular feed. So if suddenly three times the normal number of listeners begin to listen to police calls in Dallas for example...I can do a quick google search for Dallas news and see whats going on.
You should already be prepared to bug in at this point. Get water, lock your doors, lock your car doors and stay out of sight. Keep everyone in the house. Don't open your doors for anyone. Partially open a window that is not obvious from the front of your house and routinely listen for changes in the environment around you. Smell the air around you. Sirens, gun shots, and smoke are bad signs. If this happens begin to harden your home by blocking doors and windows with heavy furniture. This is your home, be prepared to fight for it if you have to. However, always leave yourself an escape route.
If you're visiting:
If you're visiting the area and can safely leave, then leave. If for whatever reasons you can't leave, then bug in to wherever you are. Back your car into its parking space, and lock the doors when you get out. Gather as many supplies as you can into a back pack and keep the back pack with you. Water will be very important, keep some on you.
Harden your improvised bug in area as much as possible. Lock all the doors and windows. Barricade the and windows as much as possible. Clear a path to an exit point so you can leave in a hurry without causing yourself any injury. Turn off any lights that are not absolutely essential.
Get prepared to move locations if you have to. Keep your car keys and back pack (if you have one) on you at all times. If you're moving in unfamiliar territory you have as good a chance of running into trouble as you have of trouble finding you. If the cell network is still up and functional, use your mapping apps to plot a course away from where you are. Look and listen before you move.
If you have to move, move quickly and quietly. Stay out of site, stay out of lit areas if possible. Look and listen before you move.
Social unrest is a scary thing. All of the rules you follow and rely on others following have just gone out the window. Keep your wits about you. Trust your instincts, develop a plan and stick to it.
Remember I'm not an expert, and I don't play one on the Internet. My opinions are exactly that....my opinions. Thank you all for reading. As always, comments, suggestions, topics are always welcome....criticism not so much :)
No comments:
Post a Comment