11 Important Ways You Can Be Prepared In The Event Of A Hostage Siege

While the hostage siege was taking place in Sydney, Australia, over the past 24 hours, a question that perhaps was on many people's mind was what they would do if such a situation happened to them. I asked myself this question while in bed last night, and throughout the day as the updates of the story were coming in through my Twitter account. 

The question is a very serious one. We are living in a time of unpredictability, political tension, socio-religious hostility, and an overall dis-ease with our world. 

An underlying assumption of this blog is that insurance is all about preparing for the unknown through which one seeks to mitigate risk. Vehicle insurance is one way of preparing for the unknown, as is house insurance, etc. 

However, there is a broader sense that is just as important for us to be aware of: how we can be prepared for as many situations as possible, even those that seem to be far-fetched or highly implausible. 

What if it were you in the Lindt Cafe in Sydney when the gunman (whom we now know as Man Haron Monis) entered and took you and your fellow patrons hostage? Considering this as a scenario, here's what NATO recommends in its document Hostage Survival for CF Personnel (which you can download for yourself):

1. Regain and maintain composure: The key here is to do whatever you can to calm yourself down: pray, meditate, body-relaxation exercises--whatever. As well, if possible try to calm those around you down. In the early stage of a take-over, there is a great deal of fear (on both sides), intensity, and unpredictability. Hostages who draw attention to themselves through panic are hard for captors to control, and thus may be in danger.

2. Keep a low-key, unprovocative posture: When the intensity is high, you want to show that you are not going to cause any problems. Try to stay under the radar. Don't draw attention to yourself, and refrain from making eye contact. Studies show that in the early stages, people in military uniform and those who are confrontational are usually the first to be killed or injured. In most instances where a hostage has been killed, they have somehow provoked or confronted the captor.

3. Show that you're human: Captors perceive hostages as collateral, not humans. They are using people in exchange for something else--as mere commodities. It's important that they see you as a human being. You can achieve this by fostering communication on non-threatening topics, such as family, etc. Avoid talking about political and social issues--or anything, for that matter, that would offend a captor.

4. Follow the rules given by captors: It is important, in most cases, to follow the rules given by the captors--to show that you are willing to cooperate. Many claim that it is counterproductive to resist the captor--unless of course the demands are personally degrading or violate security. There may be rules that you need to violate, such as not communicating to others--but you will need to do so very carefully. You must be deceptive and very cautious, balancing the payoffs of the decision with the possible consequences.

5.  Say as little as possible if questioned: Short, to-the-point answers are better than long-winded ones. And avoid making suggestions.

6. Win your captor's respect: Remain stoic and under control in the face of the chaos and danger. Live your values, don't talk about them. Avoid open displays of cowardice and fear. Find out what the captor values, if possible, and use that information in dealing with them.

7. Set goals: Some hostage survivors claim that they had to see a loved one again--somehow--which kept them going. It's important that you keep focused on how you are going to survive the situation.

8. Maintain some control of environment: Some survivors note that they kept small morsels of food for those other captors who may have needed it, which not only helped them bond with others, but also find a level of control over their surroundings. Keeping your mind active is also critical, such as being aware of your surroundings and finding patterns. This will prevent you from slipping into listlessness and despair.

9. Be non-judgmental with yourself and other hostages: Being a hostage is something that many of us have never experienced before; it is extremely stressful, and can emotionally and physically wipe out even the toughest soldier. To survive, you have to have grace and patience with yourself and your fellow captives. This will help you be open to possibilities for survival and collaboration.

10. Keep hope alive: This may seem like a cliche, but under such trauma, people with the greatest hope have a better chance of overcoming the situation than those who don't. If you read Victor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning, you'll see that this was the case with Holocaust survivors as well. 

11. Actively maintain stress management: You have to keep your mind active, pray, meditate--whatever you need to do to keep the stress down so that you can stay nimble in your responses, and be prepared for whatever is thrown at you. 

These are only a handful of what's in the NATO document. I recommend that you read it and familiarize yourself with the options. 

Again, this may seem sensational or even offensive to some readers. It may also seem like some kind of broad-stroke, superficial 'how to' for something highly unpredictable and traumatic. However, by reading this, you will be more prepared for such a situation than if you hadn't. Again, it's all about mitigating risk through preparedness.