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Preparing for a venue attack

Posted at 11:42 PM, May 22, 2017
and last updated 2017-05-23 02:45:17-04

At least 22 people were killed Monday and about 50 injured after an explosion at England's Manchester Arena. The Ariana Grande concert had just started to wrap up and fans were leaving the arena when they heard the blast. A blast that may have been a terrorist incident, according to Manchester Police.

RELATED: Ariana grande concert explosion: suicide bombing likely behind blast that killed 22, injured 50

Monday night, 10News talked to experts to learn more about how people can prepare for this kind of situation. If something happens and you need to evacuate quickly- our expert says the middle of a crowd is the worst place to be. If you can, get to the edge of the crowd.

Wayne Spees specializes in threat assessment and training for Workplace Guardians. He's an expert on how to react during an attack similar to that in Manchester.

"Getting trampled or crushed to death is just as big a threat as the attack itself," Spees said. "The best thing is situational awareness, and recognizing when something is wrong and reacting to it, don't just sit there in denial and hope this doesn't happen."

RELATED: Social media captures aftermath of deadly explosion at Ariana Grande concert

Spees said that seconds could make all the difference when it comes to survival.

"We have a few precious moments...to do something and react, so if that's creating distance between you and the threat, you should be doing that," he said.

Spees says it's important to get as far away as possible, but sometimes the only way to do that is to be prepared.

"If you're close to the aisle and something happens, you're going to have access to that aisle more quickly and you're going to get out a lot faster than someone who's seated in the middle," he said.

Once you get out- Spees says to avoid big crowds and stay calm - because you don't know if the attack is over yet.
Another important thing to remember - have a rallying point. Know exactly where you plan to meet if you become separated from friends or family during the chaos.

For many, the impulse to try and call someone is irresistible, but when thousands of people are on their phones - you may not be able to get service. Texting may be a better way to communicate.