The risk of coming under fire

Types of fire

You can be exposed to rifle and machine gun fire, mortars, rockets, bombs and missiles from land, air or sea. Fire can be more or less targeted, ranging from a sniper or helicopter in good visibility to directed mortars or artillery barrage. It can also be of the saturation variety, intended to ‘pulverise’ an entire area.

The more targeted the fire is, the less risk you run - as long as the fire is not directed at you, the general area you are in or a neighbouring area. In such cases the risk diminishes if you can withdraw. In any event, remember that if you come under fire, it will be difficult to know whether you are being targeted or not. Establishing this is not a priority, as we shall see below.

Taking precautions: Reducing your vulnerability to fire

1. Avoid dangerous places

In combat or terrorist action zones, avoid being based, having an office or remaining for long near a possible target of attack, such as a garrison or telecommunications installation. The same applies to strategic areas such as approaches to and exits from urban areas, airports or vantage points controlling the surrounding area.

2. Find adequate protection from attack

Glass flying from nearby windows is one of the main causes of injury. Boarding up windows or covering them with adhesive tape can reduce the risk of this happening. In case of attack, move away from windows and seek immediate protection on the floor, under a table or preferably in a central room with thick walls, or, even better, in a basement.

Sandbags can sometimes be useful, but only if other buildings are equipped with them too - otherwise you risk attracting unnecessary attention.

If there is nothing else available, the floor or any depression in the ground can offer at least partial protection.

A simple brick wall or car door will not protect you from rifle or heavier weapons fire. Shelling and rockets can kill at ranges up to several kilometres, so that you don’t need to be very close to where the fighting is to be hit

Bomb or mortar explosions can damage your ears: Cover them with both hands and open your mouth partially.

Obvious identification of your headquarters, location or vehicles can be useful, but be aware that this only applies where attackers usually respect your work. If this is not the case, you will be exposing yourselves unnecessarily. If you wish to identify yourselves, do so with a flag or colours and signals on walls and roofs (if there is a risk of air attack).

3. Travelling in vehicles

If you are in a vehicle that is being fired on directly, you can try to evaluate the situation, but making an accurate assessment in this situation is very difficult. In general, it is useful to assume that the vehicle is or will be a target, and that the correct thing to do, therefore, is to get out and seek cover immediately. A vehicle is a clear target. It is vulnerable, and exposes you to injuries from flying glass or exploding fuel tanks, in addition to direct fire. If the fire is not too close, try to continue travelling in the vehicle until you can take cover somewhere close at hand.