Terrorism as described by the United Nations (UN) is any act “intended to cause death or serious bodily harm to civilians or non-combatants with the purpose of intimidating a population or compelling a government or an international organization to do or abstain from doing any act.”

In any terrorist event, you would need to rely on the police, fire department, and other relevant government authorities for courses of actions to take.

Here are some general guidelines you need to follow in case of terrorist threats:

• Always be aware of your surroundings.

• Move or leave the scene if you sense something does not seem right.

• Take precautions when traveling by being aware of suspicious behavior from nearby people.

• Know where emergency exits are located in buildings or establishments you frequent.

• Report immediately to the police or security personnel any unusual behavior or suspiciously unattended packages or devices from strangers.

• Have a Plan B in the event all communications and utility services are down.

Preparation is always a key component to prevent, mitigate, control, and recover from terrorist attacks, just like in any other emergency.

Responding to these events requires a vast amount of resources, as emergency responders should be trained properly and well-equipped to proactively respond to these types of unlawful events.