How to Escape a Room Where a Smoke Bomb Has Just Gone Off

Security expert Steve Kardian shared his tips to escape a room filled with dense smoke amid a hail of gunfire.

When an attacker uses a smoke bomb to cause chaos, haze can shroud a room in just seconds, with people not able to see more than a few inches in front of them. 

Survivors of the massacre at Borderline Bar & Grill said the gunman set off at least one smoke bomb before opening fire on the crowd at the popular venue in Thousand Oaks, California, on Wednesday evening.

Inside Edition got a sense of the terror the Borderline victims experienced by going to the Bergen County Fire Academy in New Jersey, where officials set off smoke bombs in a training room.

There, authorities shared their best tips to stay safe if you're facing something similar in a real-life situation. 

"Get down low on your hands and knees, even if you gotta crawl on your belly, if you know where the door is, go straight for the door,” a member of the Bergen County Fire Department told Inside Edition. “If you are not sure where the door is, just crawl to a wall.

"A wall is going to take you to a window or hopefully a door to get out.”

Security expert Steve Kardian echoed that advice, adding that you should try to hide behind a table or a bar inside a venue like the Borderline, staying as low as you can.

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