Planning for Survival Beneath the Debris of a Fallen Building

Tornadoes, cyclones, earthquakes, and man-made devastations are just a couple of the ways one could wind up entraped underneath rubble from a structure that came down on top of them. What we chose to do just prior to the collapse of that property may well make the difference between life and death. This article deals with what to accomplish so as to be prepared for this kind of an occasion. Later articles will center on what to do during and after the experience.

The first thing we want do when a tornado siren discharges is to go to the basement. In an earthquake we want to run outdoors or stand between a threshold, or tuck away underneath a sturdy and sturdy piece of furniture, such as a desk. When it pertains to a cyclone we want to batton down the hatches and panel up the windows (if we have enough advanced warning) or totally evacuate whenever that is necessitated or advised by emergency services personnel like law enforcement or fire department reps.

But what we WANT to do and what we SHOULD do first are often two different things. In this case, the very first thing we should do in all of these scenarios is keep in mind our emergency preparedness plan. And by know we know it by heart because we rehearsed it time and time again in order to work this in to our minds and bodies. Our emergency preparedness plan spells out precisely what to do in every possble scenario, right? You do have your plan prepared don't you? Terrific!

Our plan undoubtedly advises us the first thing to perform is grab our bug-out-bag and keep it near, particularly if we are uncertain where the current danger is or where it will lead us. However, if we are facing a particular type of disaster, like an approaching tornado, then our strategy has already considered the essential things we require, put them into a sturdy canvas bag or bookbag which has been stored in our emergency shelter location, normally in the basement.

If it is an earthquake, then we are going to locate our bug-out-bag close to the exit so we can grab it on the way out. If we can not make it out the door in time, then we at least know precisely where it is and what it includes so that we can grab it soon after the dust settles, provided we can get to it. It is extremely vital to grab that bag if in any way feasible as you go to cover. You never know what predicament you will find yourself in after it is all over.

In the event of a hurricane, you will probably be evacuating if it is an event of devastating proportions, therefore you will certainly have already stored a bug-our-bag inside your automobile. This is important because you might be stranded with automobile trouble or trapped in a traffic jam so that you must seek nearby shelter. Just remember to grab that bag on your way into the place you choose to hunker down and ride it out.

As we see, it is possible to find ourselves trapped under the debris of a collapsed structure even if we would expect to be on the road headed out of town. Anything can happen! Two PRIMARY things to have in that bug-out-bag for the event of being trapped under debris are water and a solar emergency light with a siren and flashing beacon on it. The water is critical for health reasons relating to dehydration, shock, and renal function. The siren and emergency beacon light are so that we will have a unit to trigger so as to get the attention of prospective rescuers. We will explore more about the bug-out-bag in a future article.