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In a terror attack, it may not be enough for S’poreans to ‘Run, Hide, Tell’

The Government has repeatedly underscored that Singapore faces a serious terrorist threat and that an attack here is a matter of when, not if.

A three-minute long Facebook video released by the Singapore Police Force on Tuesday (May 10) is teaching people how to respond in “the rare event of a firearms or weapons attack”.  Photo: SPF Facebook

A three-minute long Facebook video released by the Singapore Police Force on Tuesday (May 10) is teaching people how to respond in “the rare event of a firearms or weapons attack”. Photo: SPF Facebook

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The Government has repeatedly underscored that Singapore faces a serious terrorist threat and that an attack here is a matter of when, not if.

In response, the Government has launched a new national security programme, SG Secure. Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam said that SG Secure is to “sensitise, organise, train, and exercise Singaporeans, so that we can better protect ourselves from attacks”, stressing that it is not just a public awareness campaign, but a call to action.

Within the next two years, about 1,500 operationally ready National Servicemen (NSmen) and more than 200 full time National Servicemen (NSF) will be trained and deployed as police community engagement officers to educate and spread the message to Singapore residents.

More can be done. Last month, the Orlando shooting showed how a lone wolf attack can result in mass casualties. In Singapore, we urgently need to prepare our people to respond swiftly and successfully to terrorist threats.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has created an informative advisory regarding what to do in the event of a firearms or weapons attack. The advisory highlights the three steps of “Run, Hide, Tell”. In the face of a shooting, we are advised firstly to “Run” away from danger, not to surrender or attempt to negotiate with the attacker or attackers. If escape is not possible, then we should “Hide” by finding cover and staying out of sight. We are urged to be very quiet and switch the phone to silent mode. When it is safe to do so, “Tell” by calling 999 or sms 71999, providing details of the location and the attackers.

The “Run, Hide, Tell” approach can work if there are viable avenues for escape but it has its limitations, especially against shooters who are out to kill as many victims as possible.

The “Run, Hide, Tell” approach may not work if victims are trapped and the shooter is about to shoot them.

During the Orlando shooting, a number of people who went to hide were discovered and shot by the killer. Rather than being passive victims waiting to be discovered and killed, there is an alternative approach.

When cornered, with nowhere to run or hide, and there is an imminent death threat, the victims can band together by taking a “Respond and Take down” approach as a final resort.

Although the shooter may be better armed, civilians and NSmen at the scene can work together to take advantage of any opportunity to incapacitate the terrorist to reduce overall casualties and death. This can also be done with improvised weapons, such as chairs, fire extinguishers or potential tools. The aim is to “take down” the shooter.

A recent example is the train incident in Europe last August when some passengers took down a gunman armed with an assault weapon, a pistol and a bladed weapon. They prevented a potentially deadly attack on the packed high-speed train travelling from Amsterdam to Paris.

These brave volunteers responded by assessing the situation, then tackling and tying up the gunman. Initially, a 51-year-old French-American academic, Mr Mark Moogalian, saw the suspect enter the train toilet with a suitcase and stay there a long time. The suspect then came out of the toilet with his rifle. Mr Moogalian dashed forward to disarm the gunman, but he was shot. Another three Americans and a British passenger promptly tackled the gunman and disarmed him. They then tied him up. When the train reached the next stop, the police took over.

Four people were injured but there were no deaths. Three were quickly discharged from hospital. One of the heroes suffered cut wounds. He was discharged from hospital the day after. Mr Moogalian had a pistol shot injury, which he recovered from. On the train, the passengers also rendered first aid to the injured ones.

This takedown approach requires a certain combination of altruism, bravery, care and determination, as well as strength and teamwork. Singaporeans must be prepared to work together to help save lives when they find themselves in such situations. Both the “Run, Hide, Tell” and “Respond and Take Down” approaches have their strengths and limitations. It is important to realise that there is more than one approach.

People should work with the authorities to promote awareness, understanding and knowledge so that when the time comes, we will be able to respond appropriately and effectively.

The American Department of Homeland Security (DHS) advocates “Run, Hide, Fight”, with “Fight” as a last resort. The DHS guide states: “If neither running not hiding is a safe option, when confronted by the shooter, individuals in immediate danger should consider trying to disrupt or incapacitate the shooter by using aggressive force and items in their environment, such as fire extinguishers, chairs etc. Research shows there is strength in numbers ... The potential victims themselves have disrupted 17 out of 51 separate active shooter incidents before law enforcement arrived.”

The DHS has public resources such as video guides to prepare people to take down a shooter.

In Singapore, we have a citizen army, NSFs and NSmen to deal with military and security threats. We should likewise empower, guide and train our people to be proactive and ready to counter local threats. Together, the chances of successfully overcoming the threats are higher.

With a deeper understanding of the different approaches to counter terror threats, we can better prepare our people to safeguard our homeland.

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Edmund Lim is a Singaporean pursuing his PhD with Nanyang Technological University. He researches on history and defence issues. He used to teach social studies and history in the National Institute of Education.

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