Disaster Survival Skills for the Urban Environment

Arlington County ACS-RACES

Operator Type III
Annual Recertification
Unit 1

Disaster Survival Skills

for the Urban

Environment

OBJECTIVES

Why teach “survival” in the city?
Catastrophes vs. disasters
- This is about your SURVIVAL, not volunteering
Priorities for human survival
Break-out sessions:
- Shelter construction
- Fire making
- Signaling
Equipment and supplies
Social implications of disasters
- Personal security concerns

“Disaster ” versus “Catastrophe”

Disasters are short term

“Make do for 3-4 days until help arrives…”

Catastrophic events are long term

Katrina-scale hurricane, tsunami, earthquake
Major terror attack, nuclear detonation, dirty bomb
No help is coming soon, “you are on your own”

Why?

Complete loss of civil infrastructure
Minimal or no police, fire or EMS response
No electricity, municipal water, communications
Transport of fuel / food is severely impaired
Public safety agencies will be overwhelmed
Recovery is long term (over 30 days)

What the military survival schools teach:

Seven Priorities For Survival:
“Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst”

Positive mental attitude
First Aid / Sanitation
Shelter
Signaling
Fire
Water
Food

http://www.equipped.com/fm21-76.htm

Positive Mental Attitude
Situational awareness, basic knowledge and a “survivor’s mindset” enable you to cope effectively

STOP
- Calm down, and size up your situation…
THINK
- Anticipate which hazards are most likely
- Take stock of materials and resources around you
OBSERVE
- Orient yourself to your surroundings
PLAN
- Select equipment and supplies appropriately
ACT!
- Execute the plan, evaluate progress, adjust, go on.

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

Have an evacuation kit ready at all times

Don't presume that a disaster will be short-term
Pack essentials first, then consider comfort items
In real emergences, forget last-minute purchases
Plan for more supplies than you “think” you may need
Inspect / renew your supplies each spring and fall
Provide entertainment for young children.

WHEN “IT” HITS THE FAN”

Use these six steps in problem solving

Size Up ...your Situation
Determine... Objectives (stay or evacuate?)
Identify ...Resources (either stored supplies or salvaged materials from your surroundings)
Evaluate …Options (use the safest way)
Build ...an action Plan (use your head)
Take ...Action
- re-evaluate your action plan, adapt, improvise and overcome!

FIRST AID AND SANITATION

Maintain personal and family health
- Prompt treatment reduces infection risk
- Sanitation reduces risk of disease vectors
  - Water borne illnesses, diarrhea

Major cause of dehydration

Increases your survivability!

Disaster Injury Risk Factors

Tool / equipment hazards, risk of hand, eye, head injuries, electric shock, chemical burns
Human factors, stress / fatigue
Structural instability
- Trauma risk, falls, building collapse potential
Terrain, loose rock, fallen limbs, wet or insecure footing, risk of falls, puncture wounds and lacerations from debris.

Disaster Contamination

Stagnant surface water
- Mosquito harborage
Contaminated flood waters
- Sewage treatment system overflow
- Petroleum, industrial, agricultural chemical contamination
Airborne contaminants
- Smoke, dust, toxic plume, or radioactive fallout.

SHELTER

Protection from the elements
Wind and rain resistant
Insulation from cold

The “Stay or Evacuate” Decision
If evacuation is not mandatory, the same safety rules for entering a structure apply to using your home as shelter

DO NOT OCCUPY IF:

There is structural damage (6 sides of the “box” are not plumb)
Utilities cannot be controlled
Structure was damaged in a fire

DO NOT occupy a floor that has been flooded, mold grows fast!

EVACUATION PLANNING

It’s usually best to relocate with friends or relatives who live outside of the affected area
Don't rely on government-run shelters
- They are an “option of last resort” for those unable to evacuate
Evacuation route selection is important
Make sure your vehicle can carry essentials
- A huge “bug-out” vehicle is a handicap on crowded roads
- It uses more fuel, which may be expensive / scarce in an emergency.
Don't plan on fuel being available en route
- Once warned of potential event, keep your gas tank at least ¾ full
- Carry extra fuel containers outside the vehicle

Evacuate or Stay Decision?

Conclusion from FEMA Urban-Rural Evacuation State Planners Workshop Sept. 2006

Given

â— Population of the DC Metro area

â— Propensity to self-evacuate, overwhelmingly

by automobile

â— Wide distribution of evacuation destinations,

â— Perceived vulnerability to terror attack,

and anticipation of multiple attacks

Result:

â— A large-scale, chaotic mass self-evacuation should be anticipated.

Sheltering at Home During an Emergency
For using a building without working utilities as shelter

Exhaust – candles, camp stoves, lanterns, generators, heaters, charcoal grills, all generate carbon monoxide and must not be used indoors!
Open flame – above ignition sources must never be left unattended!
Fuel – most of the above require flammable fuels to operate, which must be stored outdoors.
- Use Fire Marshall approved fuel containers

Generator Safety Tips
From the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Carbon monoxide hazard!
- Never use indoors or in attached garages!
- Set up OUTDOORS in well ventilated, dry area
- Away from open windows or HVAC air intakes
- Under a canopy, open shed or carport
Electrocution Hazard!
- Ground both the generator and equipment!
- Plug only individual devices into generator
  - DO NOT connect into household AC!
- UL-rated cords of gage adequate for load
Explosion / fire hazard!
- Fuel vapors traveling along the ground can be ignited by switching equipment or appliance pilot lights!

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/portgen.pdf

Improvised Emergency Shelters

As in all real estate, most important is location:

Avoid low spots with poor drainage
Seek a gently sloped area so that surface water drains away
Sheltered from prevailing winds
Away from bodies of water (attracts insects and animals)
Insulated from direct contact with ground, rock, or concrete, which conducts away body heat.

Avoid as shelter

Areas around downed utility lines
In or near culverts
Within the “collapse zone” of a damaged building
- (maintain 2:1 ratio of distance away to building height)

Improvised Shelters

Sheds
Tents
Tarps
Vehicles

Emergency Shelter Materials
Salvage building materials from debris or from damaged structures only when it can be done safely

TYVEK building wrap
Plastic sheeting
Roofing paper and shingles
Siding, plywood
Chain link fence
Lumber
Carpeting
Wire, rope, and fasteners

Build Your Shelter In Layers

Structural framing, lumber, plywood, fencing, metal
Fasteners, reinforce structural connections with nails, wire or rope ties, wooden spikes
Water and wind proofing, TYVEK, plastic sheeting, tarp, shingles, roofing paper
Insulation, drywall, leaves, tree branches, carpeting, (may also be used as ballast to hold water/wind proofing layer in place)

SIGNALLING

Day
- Mirror flashes – best daylight signal device
- Smoke
- Brightly colored cloth flag / panel (VS-17)
- ICAO surface-to-air signals
Night
- Flashing strobe light
- Fire
- Signal flares
Sound
- Whistle, vehicle horn

V Require assistance

X Need medical

assistance

Y Yes - affirmative

N No - negative

→ I am proceeding

in this direction

↓

Signal Mirror

Simple, inexpensive, effective
Doesn’t rely on batteries or pyrotechnics
Visible from 5 to 10 miles in daylight

FIRE

Maintains body temperature
Great morale booster
Deters wild animals and insects
Boils water
Cooks food
Used as day (smoke)
or night (light) signal

Fire making methods

Matches or lighter
Flint and steel
- Use cotton ball and petroleum jelly as tinder
Battery and steel wool
Burning lens

http://www.ehow.com/how_18193_make-fire-starters.html

WATER

Minimum for drinking
- 1 gallon per person, per day
More water is needed for
- Cooking and food preparation
- Personal hygiene, sanitation and decontamination
Store a two week supply as minimum
- Food grade containers with screw caps
- Away from direct sunlight

Emergency Water Sources

Captive water in household hot water tank and interior plumbing is OK
Filter cloudy water to remove particulates, using an EPA-rated filter with a pore size ≤ 1 micron, then:
Disinfect with Clorox (6% sodium hypochlorite) add 8 drops of bleach per gallon if clear, 16 drops if cloudy, let water stand 15 minutes before use
Or boil vigorously for 15 minutes
Store potable water in clean containers.

All surface water is contaminated!

All natural sources (from springs, ponds, rivers or streams) must be boiled or chemically disinfected.
Chemical disinfection or boiling
- Kills bacteria and viruses
- Doesn’t remove particulates or chemical pollutants
Filtration
- Coffee filters, etc. remove gross particulates only
- EPA-rated filters (pore size is smaller than 1 micron) are needed to remove bacteria, viruses and Giardia cysts, but don’t remove chemical pollutants.
Distillation is the most effective method.

FOOD

Lowest of the seven survival priorities
Need is mostly mental, because we are used to eating regularly
Healthy people will do OK without food for a week or more, if they are well hydrated
Balanced nutrition is a more important health factor for elderly and infants.

Shelf life of foods stored in the home

Food in a refrigerator is safe for a day after the power goes off, either use it in 24 hours or throw it away
Frozen food is safe if there are still ice crystals, once thawed, cook and consume it within 24 hours
Next use non-perishables and dry staples
Canned foods are best for long term storage (up to 4 years) but are heavy to transport and bulky to store
Dry packaged foods are easiest to transport
Choose foods requiring minimal preparation
Eat at least one balanced meal daily
Include nutritional supplements in supplies
Drink enough water.

Emergency Food supplies

MREs, or Heater Meals®
Prepared survival rations
Primitive survival methods:
- Fishing
- Hunting
- Trapping
- Foraging

TOOLS and EQUIPMENT

Folding utility knife or multi-tool
- Scout type, Leatherman®, Swiss Army or Mil-K-818
Manual can opener
Sturdy fixed blade
- For chopping, digging, or as pry bar
Shovel
Hand saw
Axe

↓

OTHER SUPPLIES
Each person should have their own backpack of personal essentials

Flashlight
Portable radio
Extra batteries
First Aid Kit, (containing a first aid manual)
Personal medications and sanitation supplies
Cooking and eating utensils
Wool blanket or sleeping bag for each person
Sturdy shoes and extra socks
Rain gear
Change of warm clothing and underwear
Items for special needs, care of infants

DISASTER FINANCIAL PLANNING

Electronic transactions, account verifications may be impossible
Evacuate with enough cash for at least two weeks of essentials
Carry account numbers, contact addresses and telephone numbers for all important persons and institutions
Helping one's unprepared friends and neighbors may prove expensive!

http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/beprepared/FinRecovery/FinPlan/

SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF DISASTERS
Cumulative psychological effects upon survivors

Warn friends not to invite others to come evacuate with them
Never allow family members to be separated, even if it means waiting for later rescue and/or evacuation
The well prepared may be threatened by those who weren't
- Make suitable provisions for ensuring your personal security and protection
- If you keep firearms in the home, keep them well secured and take a safety course
When help arrives, you may get it “whether you want it or not”
Don't believe that all rescuers will respect your property
Relief workers from other States often don't know local laws
Relief organizations have their own bureaucratic requirements that may conflict with your needs
Expect frustration over lack of communication and empathy by rescuers and local/State government.

Sources for further information

Acknowledgements

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department
Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Doug Ritter
Derek Rowan
University of Florida IFAS Extension
Virginia Cooperative Extension Service
Virginia Department of Emergency Management
Virginia Department of Health
Virginia RACES, Incorporated
Virginia Task Force One