 Indoors
DO
 Drop, Cover, and Hold On
Take
cover under a piece of heavy furniture or in a corner or against
an inside wall and hold on.
Stay
away from falling objects.
If
you are in bed when an earthquake happens, remain there. Rolling out of bed may lead to
being injured by debris on the floor next to the bed. If you have done a good job of earthquake
mitigation (that is, removing pictures or mirrors that could fall on a bed; anchoring tall bedroom
furniture to wall studs, and the like), then you are safer to stay in bed rather than roll out of it
during the shaking of an earthquake..
Stay
inside!
DO NOT
Do not try to move (that is, escape) during the shaking of an earthquake. The more and the longer distance that someone tries to move, the more likely they
are to become injured by falling or flying debris, or by tripping, falling, or getting cut by damaged
floors, walls, and items in the path of escape.
Do not use a doorway for earthquake protection. The problem is that many doorways are not built into the structural integrity
of a building, and may not offer protection. Also, doorways are not suitable for more
than one person at a time.
Do
not leave the building! The most dangerous thing to do during the shaking
of an earthquake is to try to leave the building because objects can fall
on you. Also you will be going from a known situation into an unknown situation.
TRIANGLE OF LIFE
An email from titled "Triangle of
Life," is making its rounds on the Internet. It contains a message from Mr. Doug Copp, the Rescue
Chief and Disaster Manager of American Rescue Team International (a private company not
affiliated with the U.S. Government or other agency.) These recommendations are inaccurate for application in the United States and inconsistent with
information developed through earthquake research.
Mr. Copp's assertion that everyone is always
crushed if they get under something is incorrect. Identifying potential "void areas" and planning on using them for earthquake protection as suggested by the "Triangle of Life" may be the
best thing to teach in countries where the risk of building collapse, even in moderate
earthquakes, is great.
Read more about the Triangle of Life here. |
