SEAL Survival Guide (16 page)

DANGER CROSSINGS

Even when places have numerous objects that afford cover or concealment, your escape route will often have open spaces, like hallways, that must be crossed. These junctions, while you are still in the line of
fire, are called “danger crossings.” If you come upon a danger crossing, take a moment to discern a pattern in the shooting and try to move when there is a pause in the gunfire. This will generally happen when the weapon is being reloaded, and it will give you a few seconds to move without taking fire. While preparing your body to make this move, use the combat breathing technique we discussed earlier. You can do this—now you have the skills!

MOVING IN A SHOOTING ENVIRONMENT

You have cleared the kill zone, but there is still a good chance that you’ll be shot at. Maintain a lower profile (slightly hunched over, with your weight over the balls of your feet). Continue to move from cover to cover. Utilize shadows or “dead space” areas that are obstructed from view. The
sniper walk
is a good technique when stealth while moving from the X is required. This is done by staying in a crouched position with the body kept low and using heel-to-toe steps.

Once you have successfully cleared the kill zone, you need to quickly decide the best way to either gain the greatest distance from the shooter or ultimately exit the building. Now, remember where you saw the main exits. Fire-exit doors in many public buildings are required by law to be at the rear of the building, or at the back of each store in malls.

Continue to move, but take no chances because the shooter could be following you. Put as many obstacles between you and danger as you can—for example, close doors as you go or tumble merchandise to the ground, making it harder for the shooter to trail you if that is their intention.

If, and only if, you feel that you are at a location of relative, short-term safety, gather yourself. When you are in a defensive position that is well hidden and away from the site of the shooting, take a moment to calm yourself and keep your mind alert. Now is the time for the next phase of survival.

Step 2: Regroup and Regain Focus

You’ll naturally think, “What the hell just happened?” But don’t ponder this. It will not be of immediate help to wonder about the assailant’s motives. Regain focus through your combat breathing. Recall the image you made as your trigger and focus. The calmer you are, the better equipped you’ll be to outthink your assailant.

Step 3: Self-Assessment

Once you’ve regained your clarity, now is the time for a secondary type of situational awareness: the self-assessment. First check yourself for wounds. If you have made it this far, you are probably not critically injured. Existent breathing and a heartbeat rule out serious injuries, but many times, in great stress, people will be injured and not know it. Do a quick head-to-toe self-assessment, paying particular attention to bleeding and fractures, and treat yourself, if required. If you can, take a quick drink of water.

Next take an inventory of the resources that you still have at hand that could help you further. Is there anything that can break a window,
for example, or something to act as a portable shield? Is there a vending machine or a water cooler nearby so you can get some nourishment? You have just been through strenuous physical activity and could require significantly more effort until you are safe. Things to consider:

• Clothing: Remove excess or brightly colored clothing, and accessories you don’t need (coat, purse, shiny jewelry, etc.).

• Equipment: Look around for anything that could . . . 

– help you escape

– help transport the injured (see
Part Four
, “Survival Medicine,”
page 305
)

– serve as a weapon (see “Improvised Weapons,”
page 301
)

Step 4: Develop a Game Plan

Success in warfare often comes down to the side that knows their battlefield better. If a mall or school turns into a battlefield, knowledge of the environment will be a great advantage. If you are in a familiar environment, such as the office building where you work, where your previously acquired situational awareness provides knowledge of the exits, this is the time to figure out where you are. During your time getting off the X, you may find yourself in a place somewhat different than expected yet still familiar in general. Most buildings and stores use repetitive construction, such as repeating floor plans. You can make a representation of your logistics on the floor in front of you by using items to diagram the area. If you are in an unfamiliar place, like a mall, and your smart phone still works, get a map from the website, or use evacuation placards or signs posted on walls to get your bearings.

MAKE A DECISION USING THE RULE OF THREE

Make a decision as to the next course of action, choosing the best of the three plans you can conceive. There isn’t time to second-guess yourself or for debate. Pick what seems like the best of the three options and then act decisively.

In the case of an active shooter, for example, your three options might be:

1. Head to the nearest exit.

2. Run to the highest level and attempt rescue from the roof.

3. Set an ambush, recover a weapon, and shoot your way out.

If you’re able to, call 911. Give police as much
HUMINT (human intelligence)
as possible, including: who you are, what’s happening and where, how many shooters and their physical description, which types of weapons are being used, and any special gear, such as body armor, that you observed. Describe the shooter’s skill level, ethnicity, language, accent, body movements—anything that may be helpful.

As mentioned above regarding police response, don’t wait for help.
You might be dead before the cavalry gets there. In making your decision to evacuate, choose the most discreet way out and the one most likely to limit your chances of meeting the shooter again. Your goal now is evacuation. However, remember that the safest evacuation route may not be the most direct. The best exit may not be the closest one.