Kezako? Amok

 

Amok, noun. a state of murderous frenzy, originally observed among Malays

The word ‘amok’ derives from the Malay word amuk, which means furiously enraged.

Police use the term AMOK to designate a direct or immediate threat from one or more individuals with weapons who have injured or killed third parties and are still active and not under control.

As terrorist attacks affect transport, places of entertainment and, more generally, any place where people gather, companies are also targeted. The Columbine massacre in the USA in 1999 led police forces to adopt new emergency responses to such situations. More recently, since 2015, there have been a number of terrorist attacks affecting France, and these responses require review.

If there is currently no formal directive as to what to do in the event of an AMOK event, the instructions and behaviour to adopt are:

• escape
• protect / hide
• alarm
• manage and wait for help

In all cases, there is only one number to dial: 117.

The Alarm Commitment and Coordination Center (CECAL) is the entry point responsible for relaying the alert. Preventively, any report can also be sent to 117 as part of an AMOK watch.