By: Brittany Kyles
Securing the foundations of homes and buildings through retrofitting gives those who reside there have a much greater chance of survival during a large earthquake.
As children we were taught protective measures in school of what to do if an earthquake were to erupt. However, many of these so-called safety precautions prove detrimental and even life threatening during large earthquakes.
Doug Copp, the rescue Chief and Disaster Manager of the American Rescue Team International provided necessary tips and measures to take during an earthquake. Copp has crawled inside 875 collapsed buildings and homes, and has worked on rescue teams in over 60 countries. He witnessed one of the worst earthquakes in Mexico City during 1985, where every child in a school was killed in a sudden earthquake.
In the U.S. and many other countries, students have been informed since childhood that during an earthquake one must crawl under a desk and cover their head. According to Copp, this is one of the least protective measures one can take and many times will result in death.
Copp states that in Mexico, “Every child was under their desk. Every child was crushed to the thickness of their bones. They could have survived by lying down next to their desks in the aisles.” Copp reveals that this devastation could have been avoided if the children were placed in what he calls is the “triangle of life,” yet, he later found out that the children were instructed to crawl under their desks.
The “triangle of life” reveals that during large disasters the space between large objects are the safest places to position oneself because the weight of the objects surrounding such as desks, chairs, beds etc. will hold the falling ceiling and bricks and create a small spot that will be protected from falling ruins.
Furthermore, Copp issued ten tips for earthquake safety, which if followed, can be life saving techniques during an earthquake.
1. “Most everyone who simply ‘ducks and covers’ when buildings collapse are crushed to death” and “people who get under objects, like desks or cars, are crushed.”
2. Animals and babies, when in danger crawl into the fetal position. It is a natural instinct and by doing so during a disaster, you are more likely to survive in a smaller “void.” In the fetal position one should, “Get next to an object, next to a sofa, next to a large bulky object that will compress slightly but leave a void next to it” (Copp).
3. Wooden buildings have proved to be the safest during an earthquake because the wooden structures are flexible and can move with the force of the earthquake.
4. “If you are in bed during the night and an earthquake occurs, simply roll off the bed. A safe void will exist around the bed” (Copp).
5. If during an earthquake you cannot escape out of the structure lie in fetal position near a large object.
6. Standing under a doorway is not a safe place and “Most everyone who gets under a doorway when buildings collapse is killed” (Copp).
7. Never seek safety in a stairwell because, “people who get on stairs before they fail are chopped up by the stair treads and horribly mutilated” (Copp).
8. During an earthquake one should stand near the outer walls of a building or outside the building itself. “The further inside you are from the outside perimeter of the building the greater probability that your escape route will be blocked” (Copp).
9. During an earthquake get out of your vehicle and lie near its side, most people whom remain in their cars are crushed.
10. “Larger voids are found surrounding stacks of paper”(Copp).
By following these ten safety measures during a large earthquake one should be able to seek refuge and survive the disaster with minimal injuries.
Doug Copp, Rescue Chief wants to help spread the word of how to survive these unpredictable natural disasters that for many result in death, devastation or serious injury. By taking the right precautions such as securing one’s home and building foundations, and practicing the right safety measures during an earthquake, such as lying next to a large object, the chances of survival are optimal. It's also important to have your home foundation inspected, and to have any needed earthquake retrofitting or foundation repair done. With the recent devastation in Haiti, we as a society should use all the resources and knowledge we can in order to prevent loss, injury and even death.
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