Ginni Thomas

Police Trooper Breaks Down Strategies On Surviving Terrorist Attacks, Disasters [VIDEO]

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Ginni Thomas Contributor
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If an unthinkable emergency — whether it be a terrorist attack, active shooter, fire or even a car crash — happened, would you have a plan to stay alive before the police arrive to help?

Maryland State Trooper Stephen Hallman was a second grade teacher for five years before he was accepted to the Maryland State Police Academy. Today, he spends the bulk of his time preparing civilians with highly popular trainings to be resilient and equipped if they face unexpected threats, such as an active shooter.

His training comes from the Texas-based Advance Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) program for Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE).

Referencing a highly-readable book he uses in his trainings, “The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes and Why” by Time’s Amanda Ripley, Hallman says having a plan that considers various risks ahead of time is critical to possessing the needed resilience to stay alive.

In this exclusive 31-minute video interview for The Daily Caller News Foundation, he describes the three phases we go through when an emergency happens — denial, deliberation and decision.

Ordinary civilians can save themselves and others if they consider the information in his trainings, some websites and learn the basic “Avoid, Deny, Defend” approach. Carrying some extra items, like a flashlight or tourniquet, also lend help when disaster happens.

Recalling how cell phones were unusable in New York for 9/11, Trooper Hallman suggests people make plans with loved ones assuming technology is not available.

In this video, he offers tips for raising our situational awareness in movie theatres, restaurants, malls, hotels and other public settings where a crisis can happen. Knowledge and preparation help diminish fear and the delay in considering options for living through an emergency, he says.

Hallman also notes in the video how Americans can show appreciation for law enforcement and build closer ties to these local heroes.

For more information on CRASE, go to www.alerrt.org or consider the “Unthinkable” book by Amanda Ripley and similar resources.

Mrs. Thomas does not necessarily support or endorse the products, services or positions promoted in any advertisement contained herein, and does not have control over or receive compensation from any advertiser.

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