disaster 5th 1108_5th ed 2011 - Homeland Security and Emergency ...

Stick it out - If you are lucky enough to be near the surface, try to stick out
an arm or a leg so that rescuers can find you.
Don’t panic - Keep your breathing steady to help preserve your air space
and help your body conserve energy.
Listen for rescuers - Since snow is a good insulator, rescuers probably
won’t even hear you until they are practically on top of you, so don’t start
yelling until you hear them. (This conserves your precious air.)
If you see SOMEONE ELSE caught in the avalanche...
Watch - Keep watching the victim(s) as they are carried downhill, paying
particular attention to the last point you saw them.
DO NOT go for help! - Sounds crazy but the victim only has a few minutes
to breathe under the snow, so every second counts. Spend 30 minutes to an
hour searching before going for help.
Be aware - Assess the situation and dangers... in many cases it is safe to go
in after the avalanche settles but proceed with caution.
Look for clues - Look for signs on the surface (like poles, a hand or foot,
etc.) where victim was last seen. Equipment and clothing can be ripped off
during the avalanche but can help determine the direction they were carried.
Switch to “receive” - Turn all transceivers to “receive” to try to locate
victim’s signal (in the event victim is wearing one and has it set correctly.)
Mark the spot - If you lost sight of the victim or can’t find any visible clues
on the surface, mark the spot where victim was last seen.
Probe in a line - When searching with probes, stand shoulder to shoulder in
a line across the slope and repeatedly insert probes moving down the slope.
Listen - Make sure you listen for any muffled sounds as you search.
Find them...dig ‘em out! - If you find the victim, dig them out as quickly as
possible. Survival chances reduce the longer they are buried.
Now we’ll briefly cover LANDSLIDES and MUDFLOWS. Realize many
types of disasters like earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, rain and wind
erosion can cause land, rocks and mud to shift and move, sometimes at
rapid speeds. Compound that with gravity and these earth movements can
become extremely destructive.
www.itsadisaster.net or call 1-888-999-4325
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