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Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff from How Stuff Works. Hey, brain Stuff,

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Speaker 1: Christian Sager here. Not that long ago, soft target was

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Speaker 1: just a term used by military, federal or police operations,

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Speaker 1: but it's sadly entered everyday terminology. We're talking about a mall,

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Speaker 1: a church, or a nightclub. These soft targets are considered

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Speaker 1: any public place where security is limited and are potentially

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Speaker 1: populated by a high number of victims. Active shooter is

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Speaker 1: another headshaker in today's lexicon. It's definition is someone with

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Speaker 1: a gun or guns trying to kill as many people

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Speaker 1: as possible, basically a mass shooting, and these shootings seem

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Speaker 1: to be happening more often in the US and in

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Speaker 1: places that are considered safe a movie theater, a sporting event,

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Speaker 1: a music festival. The chances of dying in a mass

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Speaker 1: shooting this is a shooting where four or more people

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Speaker 1: are killed at once. They're low, just one in fifteen thousand,

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Speaker 1: three hundred and twenty five people, according to a data

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Speaker 1: analysis by Business Insider. But staying vigilant when visiting these

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Speaker 1: so called soft targets, especially if the unthinkable happens, could

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Speaker 1: save your life. In today's episode, we're sharing some tips

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Speaker 1: from Paul Merit, owner of Fortress Consulting, which specializes in

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Speaker 1: helping businesses guard themselves against active shooter situations. First of all,

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Speaker 1: it's important to be prepared. Not paranoid and not terrified,

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Speaker 1: but be prepared. This is actually the important first step

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Speaker 1: in maintaining your safety. Once you come to grips with

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Speaker 1: the idea that you might one day find yourself in

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Speaker 1: an active shooter situation, you take precautions. Next, always be

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Speaker 1: situationally aware. When you fly on a plane, for instance,

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Speaker 1: flight attendants tell you where the exits are located. Do

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Speaker 1: the same when you're at the mall or the movie theater.

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Speaker 1: Look around as you shop or before the movie begins,

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Speaker 1: where the exits? Where did you come in? Having an

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Speaker 1: idea of your location will come in handy if a

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Speaker 1: worst case scenario unfolds. You should also try to deny

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Speaker 1: your denial. A common response from people when they hear

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Speaker 1: gunfire is to assume it's fireworks. But if you think

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Speaker 1: about it, there are very few places in which you

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Speaker 1: will encounter fireworks. A crowded soft target is not one

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Speaker 1: of them, So assume it's gunfire and make your next decision.

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Speaker 1: In most shootings, people have room to run or hide. First,

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Speaker 1: note where the gunfire is coming from, and move as

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Speaker 1: quickly as possible in the opposite direction toward the nearest

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Speaker 1: exit that you previously noticed. Do not lie down if

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Speaker 1: at all possible, and if you cannot move quickly, find

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Speaker 1: the nearest hiding place and silence your cell phone. Text

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Speaker 1: people instead to let them know your location and whether

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Speaker 1: you need help getting to safety. Finally, once you've removed

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Speaker 1: yourself from danger, run and don't stop going. Call nine

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Speaker 1: one one, but keep moving until you are completely out

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Speaker 1: of the area. If you can help others without endangering yourself,

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Speaker 1: do so. If you can't leave and are stuck in

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Speaker 1: a hiding place that is safe, stay there until authorities arrive.

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Speaker 1: This could take minutes or hours, but stay hidden. Here's

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Speaker 1: another tip. Learn how to use a tourniquet. You never

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Speaker 1: know when you'll be called upon to use this skill.

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Speaker 1: Stories have emerged from shootings in which proper application of

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Speaker 1: a tourniquet stopped or slowed of victims bleeding, and it

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Speaker 1: saved someone's life. Merit says he keeps one tourniquet in

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Speaker 1: his car and one at home. Today's episode was written

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Speaker 1: by Jamie Allen, produced by Tristan McNeil and For more

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Speaker 1: on this and other topics, please visit us at how

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Speaker 1: stuff Works dot com m