Tourniquet, cold and tampons: an Alpha veteran told how to escape during a terrorist attack

As a result of the terrorist attack on Crocus City Hall, 139 people died from gunshot wounds, a combination of gunshot and stab wounds, exposure to high temperatures and combustion products. 182 people received injuries of varying degrees. Colonel of the FSB of the Russian Federation Vitaly Demidkin, who served in the Alpha group for 26 years and participated in operations to free hostages in Budennovsk, Dubrovka and Beslan, told MK about how to escape during a terrorist attack and increase your chances of survival.

“The terrorists started killing people as they approached the Crocus City Hall building,” says Vitaly Demidkin. “They didn’t take hostages, they didn’t make any demands. They simply shot everyone who got in their way. Of course, many people were paralyzed by fear. They stood there, unable to move. Therefore, first of all, you need to pull yourself together. Every person, when, for example, took exams or made an offer, was worried. And somehow he overcame it. Some people needed to take a few deep breaths, others just needed to count to three. Also, when attacking, using your individual qualities, you need to pull yourself together.

The colonel believes that the instinct of self-preservation should work.

– We need to run away, hide. But situations may be different. In Crocus City Hall, for example, one of the spectators saw how the terrorist ran out of ammunition and began to reload his weapon. The guy understood that in a second the militant would deliver the cartridge, attach the magazine, and bullets would fly at him. And then he jumped on the terrorist and snatched his machine gun. Another man came to his aid. They gave the militant a good beating. At first they thought that they had killed a terrorist, and then he ended up in a hospital bed.

In this case, as the expert says, it was one of the forms of protection.

“It’s a completely different situation when terrorists take hostages in order to solve some of their problems, for example, to free their comrades from prison. Or they put forward some political demands. In this case, you should never run, wave your arms, or somehow attract attention to yourself. We must follow the terrorists’ commands. But, having pulled yourself together, you need to look at how many terrorists there are, what kind of weapons they have.

Vitaly Demidkin says that now we need to remember that military operations are taking place. The country is conducting a special operation.

– If you are going somewhere to a cinema or a concert, take five minutes to walk around this building, see how many floors it has, where the fire escapes are located, where you can jump out. When you go inside the building, do not go straight to the buffet, but look where the emergency exits are located. There is no need to train special forces; before they enter, they think about how to get out. Do the same for you. And then act according to the situation; if necessary, you can, for example, get out of the room by breaking a window on the first floor with a chair.

In a crowd, as our interlocutor says, it is better not to run if possible. They will shoot at the crowd. In a crowd they can be knocked down and trampled.

The Colonel reminds that 80% of victims in a fire die not from fire, but because they suffocate, poisoned by combustion products.

– If there is smoke, you need to tear the sleeve off your shirt, blouse or T-shirt and, if possible, moisten it with water, possibly with urine. And breathe through this wet fabric. Of course, there is no need to climb high, jump or run. With rapid movements, a person breathes rapidly and combustion products enter the body. Move slowly towards the exit. Remember that there is a layer of air about 20-30 centimeters from the floor, where the suffocating gas does not fall. You can even crawl while making your way to the exit. Or, for example, fall, take a breath, take a dozen steps, and lie down again and breathe.

When injured, the expert says, everything must be done to stop the bleeding.

— If you are wounded in the arm or leg, you need to do something in the form of a tourniquet. Again, you can use the same shirt sleeve. A person has about five liters of blood. We must do everything to prevent him from bleeding to death. You can stop a nosebleed by making two swabs. Use a piece of a T-shirt or T-shirt for this. Place the tampons in both nostrils. And if possible, leave the premises.

As the colonel says, cold must be applied to the wounded surface.

— Now you can still find snow or a piece of ice on the street. In general, use a tourniquet, cold, and tampons. And, of course, upon entering the room, immediately think about your escape routes.