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Be prepared

Many survivors of the Paris attacks have said that they mistook the first gunshots for fireworks. This is typical, says John Leach, survival psychologist and military survival instructor.

People who are not expecting gunshots will assume that they are something else because it does not fit in with their expectations. "We respond to the model in our head and we don't respond directly to the environment and that is what makes us vulnerable," he says.


AFP/Getty Images
Fans at the Eagles of Death Metal gig did not expect to hear gunfire

The time it can take to understand what is happening can be lethal. But if someone has already thought through a few worst-case scenarios then this process will be quicker. "All you need to ask is - if anything goes wrong, what is my first response going to be?" explains Leach.

It's easy to sit in a restaurant or cinema without paying any attention to the emergency exits. But knowing where they are can save lives. In the attack on the Bataclan concert hall on Friday, a security guard led a group of people to safety through the fire exit on the left of the stage.

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Make yourself a smaller target

"Where there's cover from sight, there's cover from fire," advises Ian Reed, a former British soldier, military instructor and chief executive of the Formative Group security firm. The first thing is to try to get out of the way and make yourself a smaller target. This can involve simply dropping to the ground but ideally means getting behind some sort of cover.

Hard cover such as a concrete wall is the best option. "Obviously, Hollywood has portrayed cars as being bulletproof but that's not necessarily the case," says Reed. Despite this, even a car is better than nothing at all.

When an attack happens in a tightly packed space, a single bullet can end up injuring several people. Keeping out of sight reduces the risk that you can be targeted deliberately and also the chances of being hit by someone simply spraying the room with fire.

Philonenko Gregoire says his prosthetic leg "fooled" the gunman who was checking people on the ground for movement

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Fighting back

Rushing a gunman has worked in some situations. In August, a train attack was foiled in France after passengers overpowered the lone gunman. But of the four passengers involved in subduing him, one was in the Air Force and another in the National Guard. The men only made the attempt after the shooter's weapon jammed.


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Three American men confronted a gunman on a train in France

Reed says that it's not a good idea to take on an assailant without training. "It's just risking your life," he adds. It's important to remember that many attackers will be working in teams. Some will be wearing body armour and others could be carrying explosives.

Adel Termos is thought to have saved dozens of lives in Beirut last week after he tackled a bomber from behind. But the suicide vest exploded and both Termos and the bomber died in the blast.

Despite the dangers, some people argue that it's important to be ready to fight if necessary. Members of the Islamic State group are not motivated by taking hostages, says James Alvarez, psychologist and hostage negotiator. "There's nobody to negotiate with. Your value lies in you being dead. If I know that I'm going to be shot, I'd like to think that I'm not going to go down quietly."


Le Monde
One man helped a pregnant woman who hung from a window

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Help each other


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The chances of being caught up in a major attack are still low. But if it does happen, co-operating with others can increase people's chance of survival, says Chris Cocking, social psychologist and expert in crowd behaviour.

After the 7/7 London attacks, Cocking helped interview dozens of people involved and concluded that the quickest and most efficient way for a group to evacuate is for people to work together.

This is the only way to avoid situations such as a crowd getting jammed at a fire escape. Cocking says that most people are likely to try to help each other even in extreme situations. "There's an assumption that it's everybody for themselves but that just doesn't happen," he says.

BBC Magazine

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