How People React in Emergencies

It is important for the crew to be prepared for how the guests react in an emergency. However, it is equally important to be prepared for your own reaction as well as how other crew members may react. Experience shows that you can divide the reactions into these four main groups:

If the crew appears jumpy and without confidence, this behaviour can spread to the guests and thus reduce the potential for an efficient rescue. Confidence in the crew's ability to handle an emergency is therefore essential. This ability is gained and maintained through training and exercises.

Four Common Reactions

We never know how a person or a crowd will react in a stressful situation but there are four common reactions we can prepare for. Keep in mind that most people need several signs that the situation is serious. A mere announcement over the speaker system will not be enough.

The Rational

Some people understand quickly that an emergency has occurred and act decisively to save themselves and/or others. This group is usually not so large, about 10 to 15%. Those who survive an emergency often belong to this group, simply because they recognize the danger quickly and act before the situation worsens.

The Passive

For many people, it takes time to accept that an emergency situation exists. The great mass of 70% to 80%, react at first with passivity. The people which react with passivity may depend on several factors, such as: 

• Difficulty understanding how serious an unprecedented situation actually is. The signs of danger can be difficult to recognize at first. It is perhaps just a little smoke or a slight heel.
• Difficulty understanding the ship's alarms or announcements over the speaker system since they have no experience of what these mean. They do not understand the language or do not hear what is being said.
• Denial of danger, for example, hope that the alarm concerns someone else, or that the ship is so large that it is invulnerable. This is a psychological defence mechanism.
• Group influence, for example, acts only if others do it first, so there is less risk of making a mistake and perhaps embarrassing themselves.

Unfortunately, denial is a defence mechanism and it exists to help us cope with stressful situations. It is, therefore, of greatest importance to clear and get the crowd to understand the severity of a situation. Passive people tend to be easier to control. You will quickly get them to move where you want if you are precise and specific. Of course, you must know what you're doing. Otherwise, you quickly lose people’s trust in you and you will no longer be able to lead them.

The Irrational or Paralysed

In order to feel secure, some people become irrational and hide, for example in a confined space. They may even try to get back to their cabins to retrieve some possessions. Others may become totally paralysed. These types of guests can be difficult to deal with during an evacuation and if the ship has to be abandoned. This group is fortunately not so large, around 10% to 15%.

The Panicked

Panic is a strong emotional reaction that can occur in case of a sudden incident that is seen as very horrifying, for example, when life is at risk. When someone is panicking, logical thinking disappears and people try at all costs to escape from the impending danger or to fight it.

Not only individuals but also crowds can suffer from panic and then behave like a rampant herd. Collective panic is not nearly as common as the media often claims but unfortunately, occurs occasionally at major events such as football matches and concerts.

With a number of guests on board, it is nevertheless likely that some people will panic. It would be very difficult for the crew to handle panicked people without good training. Experience shows that only a small percentage panic in an emergency situation.