Introduction
Over the past decades, the notion of terrorism has become a constant aspect of everyday news. Despite a steady decrease in terrorist attack incidence worldwide, acts of terrorism still tend to impact the civil population on a regular basis (Institute for Economics & Peace, 2021). In order to combat this issue, the US Homeland Security tends to strengthen international defense against mass terrorism, less largescale local terrorist attacks affect the US community. As a result, the local patterns of security and preventive health interventions lack proper preparedness for the attack, even in such common locations as subways or large shopping malls. For this reason, the primary responsibility for reacting to a terrorist attack lies within the scope of civilians’ knowledge of first aid provision and immediate assessment of the environment.
Main body
Prior to explicit action, the first thing to do in such a situation is to assess the environment depending on the location of terrorists and the type of attack and to outline the civilians that require help more than others. However, it is of paramount importance to realize that one’s personal safety and well-being in an emergency case are more important than the willingness to help others. If terrorist victims themselves cannot function properly, there is little chance they will be able to help others to the extent required by the circumstance.
Hence, once it becomes evident that a person is able to perform assistance, one of the methods of assessment is to conduct a so-called ABCDE evaluation. According to Peate and Brent (2021), this approach stands for the assessment of one’s airway, breathing, circulation, disability, and environment. Hence, if a civilian has a blocked airway, the first thing to do is to make sure a person has access to air. In order to open the airway, it is necessary to lean one’s head back slightly while lifting the tip of the chin in order to move the tongue from the back of the throat (NHS, 2018). Once this access is established, it is vital to check the respiratory patterns and see if the person is able to breathe with an open airway. If the casualty’s breathing is not responsive, it is necessary to perform resuscitation. This process stands for compressing one’s chest for thirty seconds and then giving two mouth breaths to the casualty while covering their nose (National Counter Terrorism Security Office, 2021). The procedure should be repeated until emergency services take over the patient.
However, while the performance of these operations does not necessarily require additional equipment, there are several types of injuries that can only be addressed with the help of a first-aid toolkit. Undeniably, it is necessary to check whether the location of a terrorist attack has such a tool kit prior to creating improvised tools. Considering the fact that such a coincidence is highly unlikely, Loftus et al. (2018) conducted empirical research on the potential improvised alternatives to a first aid kit. Thus, for example, when dealing with major bleeding, a precedent that should be addressed immediately, a person should create a tool to put pressure on the trauma and stop bleeding.
According to Loftus et al. (2018), hemorrhage can be stopped with the help of a tourniquet with a windlass. While there are many cases where people use fabric solely to cover the wound tightly, the windlass is of paramount importance to create pressure that would exceed internal blood pressure (Loftus et al., 2018). Depending on the location of a terrorist attack, a windlass may be improvised out of a piece of wood, chopsticks, or stationary. A tourniquet may be created out of any piece of fabric long enough to create a firm band. In most cases, it is a piece of one’s clothing.
Fabric can also be used in such emergency situations as burns and fractures. Thus, when a casualty is suffering from burns, it is of paramount importance to sterilize the area and apply something in order for the dressing not to stick to the wound. According to Loftus et al. (2018), burns should be cooled with water and then covered with a cling film. However, if no cling film is accessible, it is necessary to apply something, such as honey, to the burn’s surface before covering it with non-fluffy fabric. When speaking of spine injuries and fractures, heavy or long fabric goes a long way, as it is necessary to maintain one’s fractured bones and spine as still as possible in order to avoid internal traumas and further fracture deterioration. In the case of open fracture, it is vital to cover the wound with sterile fabric in order to prevent infection and sepsis. The pressure to stop bleeding should be put around the wound and by means of the fractured bone.
When speaking of less severe injuries, fabric, cling film, and personal hygiene items such as tampons and diapers go a long way in stopping bleeding and covering wounds. The last important thing to be used during first aid is the tape that helps to keep the improvised constructions together. If there is no duct tape around, the alternatives may include zip ties, repair wrap, or Velcro straps. Hence, it may be concluded that it is possible to provide first aid during a terrorist attack only if a person understands the processes that should be taking place.
However, while physical assistance during a terrorist attack is vital, it is crucial not to overlook the psychological implications of such a precedent. When in shock, a person tends to suffer from severe health complications, as this defense mechanism can block some of the vital functions of human life, such as breathing and movement. To deal with shock, a person should lay the casualty down and slightly elevate their legs and, if necessary, perform resuscitation. If the person’s shock has no physical manifestations, but they are still severely psychologically distressed, it is necessary to secure on-scene crisis interventions. These interventions may include providing support, talking to the person, and discussing a possible action plan for them to calm down.
Conclusion
It can be mentioned in the conclusion that dealing with a terrorist attack is an extremely complex endeavor that requires physical and psychological preparedness. While it has been established that some items of daily use may serve as an essential tool in emergency help during a terrorist attack, there should be an extensive civilian educational intervention for them to understand the processes that need to be performed, as well as the prioritization of these processes. Moreover, the governmental response to this issue should be better, as there is currently a demand for first-aid kits in places of potential terrorist attacks. While this response is not secured, more practical studies and workshops on the matter should be introduced.
References
Institute for Economics & Peace. (2021). 2020 global terrorism index briefing: Measuring the impact of terrorism [PDF document]. Web.
Loftus, A., Pynn, H., & Parker, P. (2018). Improvised first aid techniques for terrorist attacks. Emergency Medicine Journal, 35, 516-521. Web.
National Counter Terrorism Security Office. (2021). Counter-terror First Aid awareness. Web.
NHS. (2018). After an accident. Web.
Peate, I., & Brent, D. (2021). Using the ABCDE approach for all critically unwell patients. British Journal of Healthcare Assistants, 15(2), 84-89. Web.