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This is an interest opinion, Jan, but as somewhat of an expert in disaster

and emergency management and survival, I have to caution everyone about

following some of the methods advertised without doing further research. At

the time of a disaster and emergency situation, each person must make a very

individual and well informed choice. It's bad enough that there will be that

natural panic and adrenalin surge that clouds the mind, even if briefly, but

both sides of this advice should be published. So from Snopes, here's this.

And I'm posting it w/o permission because I consider this a matter of life

and death, and no one grants us permission for either one.

Published in snopes and the snopes.com logo are registered service marks of

snopes.com.

Origins: We can't say that every single point mentioned in the above

article about earthquake safety by controversial " rescue expert " Doug Copp

is wrong or bad advice, but there are some pretty substantial reasons why

readers might want to take the article (particularly its advice that

everyone who uses the " duck and cover " technique in an earthquake ends up

crushed to death) with some very large grains of salt.

1) Disaster preparedness experts with the American Red Cross have disputed

that findings based on earthquake experiences in other countries (e.g.,

Turkey) are applicable to earthquake situations that might occur in the

United States, where building codes are substantially different: We at the

American Red Cross have studied the research on the topic of earthquake

safety for many years. We have benefited from extensive research done by the

California Office of Emergency Services, California Seismic Safety

Commission, professional and academic research organizations, and emergency

management agencies, who have also studied the recommendation to " drop,

cover, and hold on! " during the shaking of an earthquake. Personally, I have

also benefited from those who preceded me in doing earthquake education in

California since the Field Act was passed in 1933. What the claims made by

Mr. Copp of ARTI, Inc., does not seem to distinguish is that the

recommendation to " drop, cover, and hold on! " is a U.S.-based recommendation

based on U.S. Building Codes and construction standards. Much research in

the United States has confirmed that " Drop, Cover, and Hold On! " has saved

lives in the United States. Engineering researchers have demonstrated that

very few buildings collapse or " pancake " in the U.S. as they might do in

other countries. Using a web site to show one picture of one U.S. building

that had a partial collapse after a major quake in an area with thousands of

buildings that did not collapse during the same quake is inappropriate and

misleading.

2) The validity of the research methodology and conclusions expressed in the

article quoted above has been criticized by other disaster preparedness

experts: Copp likes to base his evidence on the Turkish " experiment "

that he was involved with. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to all involved, this

was not an experiment at all, but rather a voluntary organization's search

and rescue exercise. My colleagues in Turkey corroborate that a building

scheduled for demolition was used as a search and rescue training

opportunity. They did decide to put mannequins in different spots to see

what would happen. And indeed they reported finding mannequins unharmed next

to large and heavy objects. What is the problem with this? Simply

this: To collapse the building, they rammed the columns, causing the

building to pancake. They did NOT simulate an earthquake. Earthquakes come

in waves. They cause lateral shaking. They cause a variety of different

kinds of damage. Since this experiment didn't produce anything resembling

shaking it really doesn't tell us anything at all about what would happen

during an earthquake.

3) Doug Copp's claim that he performed rescue work at the World Trade Center

(for which he was paid $650,000 in compensation for injuries he supposedly

sustained there) has been challenged in a series of articles published in

the Albuquerque Journal describing him as a self-serving opportunist rather

than a true rescue expert: Self-proclaimed rescue guru Doug

Copp's mission to ground zero was considered so important that he had

clearance to be flown to New York even though all civilian air traffic in

the United States had been grounded. Once there, he says he assumed a

pivotal role and sustained devastating injuries while wading through the

" toxic soup " in search of survivors and victims, and was awarded nearly

$650,000 for his injuries. But there is little evidence Copp performed real

rescue work, and it is doubtful that he deserves compensation.

Doug Copp was awarded $649,000, tax free, from the fund set up to compensate

victims of 9/11. He says it's not enough. But it's doubtful he deserves

anything. A Journal investigation found little evidence that Copp did real

rescue work in New York. His forays into the rubble were to shoot video,

some of which he tried to sell. His claim of seeking medical care within the

time frame appears false. All typical of Copp's years as a self-proclaimed

rescue guru.

(Other entries in the Albuquerque Journal's series of articles relayed

complaints from numerous people who dealt with Mr. Copp and noted that he

was under investigation by a U.S. Department of Justice fraud unit.)

We'd recommend sticking with safety information prepared by established

earthquake safety experts, such as the American Red Cross, the Federal

Emergency Management Agency, and Earthquake Country Alliance.

Last updated: 24 April 2010

Urban Legends Reference Pages C 1995-2011 by Barbara and P. Mikkelson.

Sources:

Linthicum, . " New Mexican's Claims of Ground Zero Rescue Work

Called Into Question. "

Albuquerque Journal. 11 July 2004.

Linthicum, . " 'Bombero' Arrives at Ground Zero. "

Albuquerque Journal. 12 July 2004.

Linthicum, . " Striking Out at Ground Zero. "

Albuquerque Journal. 13 July 2004.

Linthicum, . " 'Knucklehead' or Hero? "

Albuquerque Journal. 14 July 2004.

Linthicum, . " Widow Tells of Copp Ordeal. "

Albuquerque Journal. 18 July 2004.

Linthicum, . " Feds Investigate 9/11 Injury Claim. "

Albuquerque Journal. 18 July 2004.

From: rd-usa [mailto:rd-usa ] On Behalf Of

Dineright4@...

Sent: Thursday, March 24, 2011 10:15 PM

To: rd-usa

Cc: LEAP_RDs

Subject: What to do if caught in an Earthquake -Non Nutrition, just

life saving

Great info. Makes perfect sense when you think about it. Share with your

family and friends.

Even if not in an earthquake zone, what if you happen to be in one,

traveling, when a big one hits! From CA to St. Louis to NY and countries

beyond.

.. .

Jan Patenaude

What to do if caught in an Earthquake...

EXTRACT FROM DOUG COPP'S ARTICLE ON THE: 'TRIANGLE OF LIFE'

My name is Doug Copp. I am the Rescue Chief and Disaster Manager of the

American Rescue Team International (ARTI), the world's most experienced

rescue team. The information in this article will save lives in an

earthquake.

I have crawled inside 875 collapsed buildings, worked with rescue teams

from 60 countries, founded rescue teams in several countries, and I am a

member of many rescue teams from many countries.

I was the United Nations expert in Disaster Mitigation for two years. I

have worked at every major disaster in the world since 1985, except for

simultaneous disasters.

The first building I ever crawled inside of was a school in Mexico City

during the 1985 earthquake. Every child was under its 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. It was obscene, unnecessary and I

wondered why the children were not in the aisles. I didn't at the time know

that the children were told to hide under something.

Simply stated, when buildings collapse, the weight of the ceilings falling

upon the objects or furniture inside crushes these objects, leaving a

space or void next to them. This space is what I call the 'triangle of

life'.

The larger the object, the stronger, the less it will compact. The less

the object compacts, the larger the void, the greater the probability that

the person who is using this void for safety will not be injured. The next

time you watch collapsed buildings, on television, count the 'triangles' you

see formed. They are everywhere. It is the most common shape, you will see,

in a collapsed building.

TIPS FOR EARTHQUAKE SAFETY

1) Most everyone who simply 'ducks and covers' WHEN BUILDINGS COLLAPSE are

crushed to death. People who get under objects, like desks or cars, are

crushed.

2) Cats, dogs and babies often naturally curl up in the fetal position.

You should too in an earthquake. It is a natural safety/survival instinct.

You can survive in a smaller void(empty space). 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.

3) Wooden buildings are the safest type of construction to be in during an

earthquake. Wood is flexible and moves with the force of the earthquake.

If the wooden building does collapse, large survival voids are created.

Also, the wooden building has less concentrated, crushing weight. Brick

buildings will break into individual bricks. Bricks will cause many injuries

but

less squashed bodies than concrete slabs.

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. Hotels can achieve

a

much greater survival rate in earthquakes, simply by posting a sign on the

back of the door of every room telling occupants to lie down on the floor,

next to the bottom of the bed during an earthquake.

5) If an earthquake happens and you cannot easily escape by getting out

the door or window, then lie down and curl up in the fetal position next to

a

sofa, or large chair.

6) Most everyone who gets under a doorway when buildings collapse is

killed. How? If you stand under a doorway and the doorjamb falls forward or

backward you will be crushed by the ceiling above. If the door jam falls

sideways you will be cut in half by the doorway. In either case, you will be

killed!

7) Never go to the stairs. The stairs have a different 'moment of

frequency' (they swing separately from the main part of the building).

The stairs and remainder of the building continuously bump into each other

until structural failure of the stairs takes place. The people who get on

stairs before they fail are chopped up by the stair treads - horribly

mutilated. Even if the building doesn't collapse, stay away from the stairs.

The stairs are a likely part of the building to be damaged. Even if the

stairs are not collapsed by the earthquake, they may collapse later when

overloaded by fleeing people. They should always be checked for safety, even

when the rest of the building is not damaged.

8) Get Near the Outer Walls Of Buildings Or Outside Of Them If Possible -

It is much better to be near the outside of the building rather than the

interior. The farther inside you are from the outside perimeter of the

building the greater the probability that your escape route will be blocked.

9) People inside of their vehicles are crushed when the road above falls

in an earthquake and crushes their vehicles; which is exactly what happened

with the slabs between the decks of the Nimitz Freeway. The victims of the

San Francisco earthquake all stayed inside of their vehicles. They were all

killed. They could have easily survived by getting out and sitting or

lying next to their vehicles. Everyone killed would have survived if they

had

been able to get out of their cars and sit or lie next to them. All the

crushed cars had voids 3 feet high next to them, except for the cars that

had

columns fall directly across them.

10) I discovered, while crawling inside of collapsed newspaper offices and

other offices with a lot of paper, that paper does not compact. Large

voids are found surrounding stacks of paper.

Spread the word and save someone's life... The Entire world is

experiencing natural calamities so be prepared!

'We are but angels with one wing, it takes two to fly'

In 1996 we made a film, which proved my survival methodology to be

correct. The Turkish Federal Government, City of Istanbul , University of

Istanbul

Case Productions and ARTI cooperated to film this practical, scientific

test. We collapsed a school and a home with 20 mannequins inside. Ten

mannequins did 'duck and cover,' and ten mannequins I used in my 'triangle

of

life' survival method.

After the simulated earthquake collapse we crawled through the rubble and

entered the building to film and document the results. The film, in which I

practiced my survival techniques under directly observable, scientific

conditions, relevant to building collapse, showed there would have been zero

percent survival for those doing duck and cover.

There would likely have been 100 percent survivability for people using my

method of the 'triangle of life.' This film has been seen by millions of

viewers on television in Turkey and the rest of Europe, and it was seen in

the USA, Canada and Latin America on the TV program Real TV.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Guest guest

Guest guest

Posted
Posted

This is an interest opinion, Jan, but as somewhat of an expert in disaster

and emergency management and survival, I have to caution everyone about

following some of the methods advertised without doing further research. At

the time of a disaster and emergency situation, each person must make a very

individual and well informed choice. It's bad enough that there will be that

natural panic and adrenalin surge that clouds the mind, even if briefly, but

both sides of this advice should be published. So from Snopes, here's this.

And I'm posting it w/o permission because I consider this a matter of life

and death, and no one grants us permission for either one.

Published in snopes and the snopes.com logo are registered service marks of

snopes.com.

Origins: We can't say that every single point mentioned in the above

article about earthquake safety by controversial " rescue expert " Doug Copp

is wrong or bad advice, but there are some pretty substantial reasons why

readers might want to take the article (particularly its advice that

everyone who uses the " duck and cover " technique in an earthquake ends up

crushed to death) with some very large grains of salt.

1) Disaster preparedness experts with the American Red Cross have disputed

that findings based on earthquake experiences in other countries (e.g.,

Turkey) are applicable to earthquake situations that might occur in the

United States, where building codes are substantially different: We at the

American Red Cross have studied the research on the topic of earthquake

safety for many years. We have benefited from extensive research done by the

California Office of Emergency Services, California Seismic Safety

Commission, professional and academic research organizations, and emergency

management agencies, who have also studied the recommendation to " drop,

cover, and hold on! " during the shaking of an earthquake. Personally, I have

also benefited from those who preceded me in doing earthquake education in

California since the Field Act was passed in 1933. What the claims made by

Mr. Copp of ARTI, Inc., does not seem to distinguish is that the

recommendation to " drop, cover, and hold on! " is a U.S.-based recommendation

based on U.S. Building Codes and construction standards. Much research in

the United States has confirmed that " Drop, Cover, and Hold On! " has saved

lives in the United States. Engineering researchers have demonstrated that

very few buildings collapse or " pancake " in the U.S. as they might do in

other countries. Using a web site to show one picture of one U.S. building

that had a partial collapse after a major quake in an area with thousands of

buildings that did not collapse during the same quake is inappropriate and

misleading.

2) The validity of the research methodology and conclusions expressed in the

article quoted above has been criticized by other disaster preparedness

experts: Copp likes to base his evidence on the Turkish " experiment "

that he was involved with. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to all involved, this

was not an experiment at all, but rather a voluntary organization's search

and rescue exercise. My colleagues in Turkey corroborate that a building

scheduled for demolition was used as a search and rescue training

opportunity. They did decide to put mannequins in different spots to see

what would happen. And indeed they reported finding mannequins unharmed next

to large and heavy objects. What is the problem with this? Simply

this: To collapse the building, they rammed the columns, causing the

building to pancake. They did NOT simulate an earthquake. Earthquakes come

in waves. They cause lateral shaking. They cause a variety of different

kinds of damage. Since this experiment didn't produce anything resembling

shaking it really doesn't tell us anything at all about what would happen

during an earthquake.

3) Doug Copp's claim that he performed rescue work at the World Trade Center

(for which he was paid $650,000 in compensation for injuries he supposedly

sustained there) has been challenged in a series of articles published in

the Albuquerque Journal describing him as a self-serving opportunist rather

than a true rescue expert: Self-proclaimed rescue guru Doug

Copp's mission to ground zero was considered so important that he had

clearance to be flown to New York even though all civilian air traffic in

the United States had been grounded. Once there, he says he assumed a

pivotal role and sustained devastating injuries while wading through the

" toxic soup " in search of survivors and victims, and was awarded nearly

$650,000 for his injuries. But there is little evidence Copp performed real

rescue work, and it is doubtful that he deserves compensation.

Doug Copp was awarded $649,000, tax free, from the fund set up to compensate

victims of 9/11. He says it's not enough. But it's doubtful he deserves

anything. A Journal investigation found little evidence that Copp did real

rescue work in New York. His forays into the rubble were to shoot video,

some of which he tried to sell. His claim of seeking medical care within the

time frame appears false. All typical of Copp's years as a self-proclaimed

rescue guru.

(Other entries in the Albuquerque Journal's series of articles relayed

complaints from numerous people who dealt with Mr. Copp and noted that he

was under investigation by a U.S. Department of Justice fraud unit.)

We'd recommend sticking with safety information prepared by established

earthquake safety experts, such as the American Red Cross, the Federal

Emergency Management Agency, and Earthquake Country Alliance.

Last updated: 24 April 2010

Urban Legends Reference Pages C 1995-2011 by Barbara and P. Mikkelson.

Sources:

Linthicum, . " New Mexican's Claims of Ground Zero Rescue Work

Called Into Question. "

Albuquerque Journal. 11 July 2004.

Linthicum, . " 'Bombero' Arrives at Ground Zero. "

Albuquerque Journal. 12 July 2004.

Linthicum, . " Striking Out at Ground Zero. "

Albuquerque Journal. 13 July 2004.

Linthicum, . " 'Knucklehead' or Hero? "

Albuquerque Journal. 14 July 2004.

Linthicum, . " Widow Tells of Copp Ordeal. "

Albuquerque Journal. 18 July 2004.

Linthicum, . " Feds Investigate 9/11 Injury Claim. "

Albuquerque Journal. 18 July 2004.

From: rd-usa [mailto:rd-usa ] On Behalf Of

Dineright4@...

Sent: Thursday, March 24, 2011 10:15 PM

To: rd-usa

Cc: LEAP_RDs

Subject: What to do if caught in an Earthquake -Non Nutrition, just

life saving

Great info. Makes perfect sense when you think about it. Share with your

family and friends.

Even if not in an earthquake zone, what if you happen to be in one,

traveling, when a big one hits! From CA to St. Louis to NY and countries

beyond.

.. .

Jan Patenaude

What to do if caught in an Earthquake...

EXTRACT FROM DOUG COPP'S ARTICLE ON THE: 'TRIANGLE OF LIFE'

My name is Doug Copp. I am the Rescue Chief and Disaster Manager of the

American Rescue Team International (ARTI), the world's most experienced

rescue team. The information in this article will save lives in an

earthquake.

I have crawled inside 875 collapsed buildings, worked with rescue teams

from 60 countries, founded rescue teams in several countries, and I am a

member of many rescue teams from many countries.

I was the United Nations expert in Disaster Mitigation for two years. I

have worked at every major disaster in the world since 1985, except for

simultaneous disasters.

The first building I ever crawled inside of was a school in Mexico City

during the 1985 earthquake. Every child was under its 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. It was obscene, unnecessary and I

wondered why the children were not in the aisles. I didn't at the time know

that the children were told to hide under something.

Simply stated, when buildings collapse, the weight of the ceilings falling

upon the objects or furniture inside crushes these objects, leaving a

space or void next to them. This space is what I call the 'triangle of

life'.

The larger the object, the stronger, the less it will compact. The less

the object compacts, the larger the void, the greater the probability that

the person who is using this void for safety will not be injured. The next

time you watch collapsed buildings, on television, count the 'triangles' you

see formed. They are everywhere. It is the most common shape, you will see,

in a collapsed building.

TIPS FOR EARTHQUAKE SAFETY

1) Most everyone who simply 'ducks and covers' WHEN BUILDINGS COLLAPSE are

crushed to death. People who get under objects, like desks or cars, are

crushed.

2) Cats, dogs and babies often naturally curl up in the fetal position.

You should too in an earthquake. It is a natural safety/survival instinct.

You can survive in a smaller void(empty space). 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.

3) Wooden buildings are the safest type of construction to be in during an

earthquake. Wood is flexible and moves with the force of the earthquake.

If the wooden building does collapse, large survival voids are created.

Also, the wooden building has less concentrated, crushing weight. Brick

buildings will break into individual bricks. Bricks will cause many injuries

but

less squashed bodies than concrete slabs.

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. Hotels can achieve

a

much greater survival rate in earthquakes, simply by posting a sign on the

back of the door of every room telling occupants to lie down on the floor,

next to the bottom of the bed during an earthquake.

5) If an earthquake happens and you cannot easily escape by getting out

the door or window, then lie down and curl up in the fetal position next to

a

sofa, or large chair.

6) Most everyone who gets under a doorway when buildings collapse is

killed. How? If you stand under a doorway and the doorjamb falls forward or

backward you will be crushed by the ceiling above. If the door jam falls

sideways you will be cut in half by the doorway. In either case, you will be

killed!

7) Never go to the stairs. The stairs have a different 'moment of

frequency' (they swing separately from the main part of the building).

The stairs and remainder of the building continuously bump into each other

until structural failure of the stairs takes place. The people who get on

stairs before they fail are chopped up by the stair treads - horribly

mutilated. Even if the building doesn't collapse, stay away from the stairs.

The stairs are a likely part of the building to be damaged. Even if the

stairs are not collapsed by the earthquake, they may collapse later when

overloaded by fleeing people. They should always be checked for safety, even

when the rest of the building is not damaged.

8) Get Near the Outer Walls Of Buildings Or Outside Of Them If Possible -

It is much better to be near the outside of the building rather than the

interior. The farther inside you are from the outside perimeter of the

building the greater the probability that your escape route will be blocked.

9) People inside of their vehicles are crushed when the road above falls

in an earthquake and crushes their vehicles; which is exactly what happened

with the slabs between the decks of the Nimitz Freeway. The victims of the

San Francisco earthquake all stayed inside of their vehicles. They were all

killed. They could have easily survived by getting out and sitting or

lying next to their vehicles. Everyone killed would have survived if they

had

been able to get out of their cars and sit or lie next to them. All the

crushed cars had voids 3 feet high next to them, except for the cars that

had

columns fall directly across them.

10) I discovered, while crawling inside of collapsed newspaper offices and

other offices with a lot of paper, that paper does not compact. Large

voids are found surrounding stacks of paper.

Spread the word and save someone's life... The Entire world is

experiencing natural calamities so be prepared!

'We are but angels with one wing, it takes two to fly'

In 1996 we made a film, which proved my survival methodology to be

correct. The Turkish Federal Government, City of Istanbul , University of

Istanbul

Case Productions and ARTI cooperated to film this practical, scientific

test. We collapsed a school and a home with 20 mannequins inside. Ten

mannequins did 'duck and cover,' and ten mannequins I used in my 'triangle

of

life' survival method.

After the simulated earthquake collapse we crawled through the rubble and

entered the building to film and document the results. The film, in which I

practiced my survival techniques under directly observable, scientific

conditions, relevant to building collapse, showed there would have been zero

percent survival for those doing duck and cover.

There would likely have been 100 percent survivability for people using my

method of the 'triangle of life.' This film has been seen by millions of

viewers on television in Turkey and the rest of Europe, and it was seen in

the USA, Canada and Latin America on the TV program Real TV.

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Share on other sites
Guest guest

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Posted
Posted

Thank you for this! Japan has been a huge wake-up call for me, and I have been

trying to teach my kids earthquake safety. I was unsure of the specifics before

this.  Does this guy have a website or blog? I am a Bay Area native and

remember Loma Prieta very well.

Subject: What to do if caught in an Earthquake -Non Nutrition, just

life saving

To: rd-usa

Cc: LEAP_RDs

Date: Thursday, March 24, 2011, 10:14 PM

 

Great info. Makes perfect sense when you think about it. Share with your

family and friends.

Even if not in an earthquake zone, what if you happen to be in one,

traveling, when a big one hits! From CA to St. Louis to NY and countries beyond.

.. .

Jan Patenaude

What to do if caught in an Earthquake...

EXTRACT FROM DOUG COPP'S ARTICLE ON THE: 'TRIANGLE OF LIFE'

My name is Doug Copp. I am the Rescue Chief and Disaster Manager of the

American Rescue Team International (ARTI), the world's most experienced

rescue team. The information in this article will save lives in an earthquake.

I have crawled inside 875 collapsed buildings, worked with rescue teams

from 60 countries, founded rescue teams in several countries, and I am a

member of many rescue teams from many countries.

I was the United Nations expert in Disaster Mitigation for two years. I

have worked at every major disaster in the world since 1985, except for

simultaneous disasters.

The first building I ever crawled inside of was a school in Mexico City

during the 1985 earthquake. Every child was under its 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. It was obscene, unnecessary and I

wondered why the children were not in the aisles. I didn't at the time know

that the children were told to hide under something.

Simply stated, when buildings collapse, the weight of the ceilings falling

upon the objects or furniture inside crushes these objects, leaving a

space or void next to them. This space is what I call the 'triangle of life'.

The larger the object, the stronger, the less it will compact. The less

the object compacts, the larger the void, the greater the probability that

the person who is using this void for safety will not be injured. The next

time you watch collapsed buildings, on television, count the 'triangles' you

see formed. They are everywhere. It is the most common shape, you will see,

in a collapsed building.

TIPS FOR EARTHQUAKE SAFETY

1) Most everyone who simply 'ducks and covers' WHEN BUILDINGS COLLAPSE are

crushed to death. People who get under objects, like desks or cars, are

crushed.

2) Cats, dogs and babies often naturally curl up in the fetal position.

You should too in an earthquake. It is a natural safety/survival instinct.

You can survive in a smaller void(empty space). 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.

3) Wooden buildings are the safest type of construction to be in during an

earthquake. Wood is flexible and moves with the force of the earthquake.

If the wooden building does collapse, large survival voids are created.

Also, the wooden building has less concentrated, crushing weight. Brick

buildings will break into individual bricks. Bricks will cause many injuries but

less squashed bodies than concrete slabs.

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. Hotels can achieve a

much greater survival rate in earthquakes, simply by posting a sign on the

back of the door of every room telling occupants to lie down on the floor,

next to the bottom of the bed during an earthquake.

5) If an earthquake happens and you cannot easily escape by getting out

the door or window, then lie down and curl up in the fetal position next to a

sofa, or large chair.

6) Most everyone who gets under a doorway when buildings collapse is

killed. How? If you stand under a doorway and the doorjamb falls forward or

backward you will be crushed by the ceiling above. If the door jam falls

sideways you will be cut in half by the doorway. In either case, you will be

killed!

7) Never go to the stairs. The stairs have a different 'moment of

frequency' (they swing separately from the main part of the building).

The stairs and remainder of the building continuously bump into each other

until structural failure of the stairs takes place. The people who get on

stairs before they fail are chopped up by the stair treads - horribly

mutilated. Even if the building doesn't collapse, stay away from the stairs.

The stairs are a likely part of the building to be damaged. Even if the

stairs are not collapsed by the earthquake, they may collapse later when

overloaded by fleeing people. They should always be checked for safety, even

when the rest of the building is not damaged.

8) Get Near the Outer Walls Of Buildings Or Outside Of Them If Possible -

It is much better to be near the outside of the building rather than the

interior. The farther inside you are from the outside perimeter of the

building the greater the probability that your escape route will be blocked.

9) People inside of their vehicles are crushed when the road above falls

in an earthquake and crushes their vehicles; which is exactly what happened

with the slabs between the decks of the Nimitz Freeway. The victims of the

San Francisco earthquake all stayed inside of their vehicles. They were all

killed. They could have easily survived by getting out and sitting or

lying next to their vehicles. Everyone killed would have survived if they had

been able to get out of their cars and sit or lie next to them. All the

crushed cars had voids 3 feet high next to them, except for the cars that had

columns fall directly across them.

10) I discovered, while crawling inside of collapsed newspaper offices and

other offices with a lot of paper, that paper does not compact. Large

voids are found surrounding stacks of paper.

Spread the word and save someone's life... The Entire world is

experiencing natural calamities so be prepared!

'We are but angels with one wing, it takes two to fly'

In 1996 we made a film, which proved my survival methodology to be

correct. The Turkish Federal Government, City of Istanbul , University of

Istanbul

Case Productions and ARTI cooperated to film this practical, scientific

test. We collapsed a school and a home with 20 mannequins inside. Ten

mannequins did 'duck and cover,' and ten mannequins I used in my 'triangle of

life' survival method.

After the simulated earthquake collapse we crawled through the rubble and

entered the building to film and document the results. The film, in which I

practiced my survival techniques under directly observable, scientific

conditions, relevant to building collapse, showed there would have been zero

percent survival for those doing duck and cover.

There would likely have been 100 percent survivability for people using my

method of the 'triangle of life.' This film has been seen by millions of

viewers on television in Turkey and the rest of Europe, and it was seen in

the USA, Canada and Latin America on the TV program Real TV.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
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Posted
Posted

Didn't see this until now.  I guess I should use the Red Cross as a reference?

Subject: RE: What to do if caught in an Earthquake -Non Nutrition, just

life saving

To: rd-usa

Cc: LEAP_RDs

Date: Thursday, March 24, 2011, 10:51 PM

 

This is an interest opinion, Jan, but as somewhat of an expert in disaster

and emergency management and survival, I have to caution everyone about

following some of the methods advertised without doing further research. At

the time of a disaster and emergency situation, each person must make a very

individual and well informed choice. It's bad enough that there will be that

natural panic and adrenalin surge that clouds the mind, even if briefly, but

both sides of this advice should be published. So from Snopes, here's this.

And I'm posting it w/o permission because I consider this a matter of life

and death, and no one grants us permission for either one.

Published in snopes and the snopes.com logo are registered service marks of

snopes.com.

Origins: We can't say that every single point mentioned in the above

article about earthquake safety by controversial " rescue expert " Doug Copp

is wrong or bad advice, but there are some pretty substantial reasons why

readers might want to take the article (particularly its advice that

everyone who uses the " duck and cover " technique in an earthquake ends up

crushed to death) with some very large grains of salt.

1) Disaster preparedness experts with the American Red Cross have disputed

that findings based on earthquake experiences in other countries (e.g.,

Turkey) are applicable to earthquake situations that might occur in the

United States, where building codes are substantially different: We at the

American Red Cross have studied the research on the topic of earthquake

safety for many years. We have benefited from extensive research done by the

California Office of Emergency Services, California Seismic Safety

Commission, professional and academic research organizations, and emergency

management agencies, who have also studied the recommendation to " drop,

cover, and hold on! " during the shaking of an earthquake. Personally, I have

also benefited from those who preceded me in doing earthquake education in

California since the Field Act was passed in 1933. What the claims made by

Mr. Copp of ARTI, Inc., does not seem to distinguish is that the

recommendation to " drop, cover, and hold on! " is a U.S.-based recommendation

based on U.S. Building Codes and construction standards. Much research in

the United States has confirmed that " Drop, Cover, and Hold On! " has saved

lives in the United States. Engineering researchers have demonstrated that

very few buildings collapse or " pancake " in the U.S. as they might do in

other countries. Using a web site to show one picture of one U.S. building

that had a partial collapse after a major quake in an area with thousands of

buildings that did not collapse during the same quake is inappropriate and

misleading.

2) The validity of the research methodology and conclusions expressed in the

article quoted above has been criticized by other disaster preparedness

experts: Copp likes to base his evidence on the Turkish " experiment "

that he was involved with. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to all involved, this

was not an experiment at all, but rather a voluntary organization's search

and rescue exercise. My colleagues in Turkey corroborate that a building

scheduled for demolition was used as a search and rescue training

opportunity. They did decide to put mannequins in different spots to see

what would happen. And indeed they reported finding mannequins unharmed next

to large and heavy objects. What is the problem with this? Simply

this: To collapse the building, they rammed the columns, causing the

building to pancake. They did NOT simulate an earthquake. Earthquakes come

in waves. They cause lateral shaking. They cause a variety of different

kinds of damage. Since this experiment didn't produce anything resembling

shaking it really doesn't tell us anything at all about what would happen

during an earthquake.

3) Doug Copp's claim that he performed rescue work at the World Trade Center

(for which he was paid $650,000 in compensation for injuries he supposedly

sustained there) has been challenged in a series of articles published in

the Albuquerque Journal describing him as a self-serving opportunist rather

than a true rescue expert: Self-proclaimed rescue guru Doug

Copp's mission to ground zero was considered so important that he had

clearance to be flown to New York even though all civilian air traffic in

the United States had been grounded. Once there, he says he assumed a

pivotal role and sustained devastating injuries while wading through the

" toxic soup " in search of survivors and victims, and was awarded nearly

$650,000 for his injuries. But there is little evidence Copp performed real

rescue work, and it is doubtful that he deserves compensation.

Doug Copp was awarded $649,000, tax free, from the fund set up to compensate

victims of 9/11. He says it's not enough. But it's doubtful he deserves

anything. A Journal investigation found little evidence that Copp did real

rescue work in New York. His forays into the rubble were to shoot video,

some of which he tried to sell. His claim of seeking medical care within the

time frame appears false. All typical of Copp's years as a self-proclaimed

rescue guru.

(Other entries in the Albuquerque Journal's series of articles relayed

complaints from numerous people who dealt with Mr. Copp and noted that he

was under investigation by a U.S. Department of Justice fraud unit.)

We'd recommend sticking with safety information prepared by established

earthquake safety experts, such as the American Red Cross, the Federal

Emergency Management Agency, and Earthquake Country Alliance.

Last updated: 24 April 2010

Urban Legends Reference Pages C 1995-2011 by Barbara and P. Mikkelson.

Sources:

Linthicum, . " New Mexican's Claims of Ground Zero Rescue Work

Called Into Question. "

Albuquerque Journal. 11 July 2004.

Linthicum, . " 'Bombero' Arrives at Ground Zero. "

Albuquerque Journal. 12 July 2004.

Linthicum, . " Striking Out at Ground Zero. "

Albuquerque Journal. 13 July 2004.

Linthicum, . " 'Knucklehead' or Hero? "

Albuquerque Journal. 14 July 2004.

Linthicum, . " Widow Tells of Copp Ordeal. "

Albuquerque Journal. 18 July 2004.

Linthicum, . " Feds Investigate 9/11 Injury Claim. "

Albuquerque Journal. 18 July 2004.

From: rd-usa [mailto:rd-usa ] On Behalf Of

Dineright4@...

Sent: Thursday, March 24, 2011 10:15 PM

To: rd-usa

Cc: LEAP_RDs

Subject: What to do if caught in an Earthquake -Non Nutrition, just

life saving

Great info. Makes perfect sense when you think about it. Share with your

family and friends.

Even if not in an earthquake zone, what if you happen to be in one,

traveling, when a big one hits! From CA to St. Louis to NY and countries

beyond.

.. .

Jan Patenaude

What to do if caught in an Earthquake...

EXTRACT FROM DOUG COPP'S ARTICLE ON THE: 'TRIANGLE OF LIFE'

My name is Doug Copp. I am the Rescue Chief and Disaster Manager of the

American Rescue Team International (ARTI), the world's most experienced

rescue team. The information in this article will save lives in an

earthquake.

I have crawled inside 875 collapsed buildings, worked with rescue teams

from 60 countries, founded rescue teams in several countries, and I am a

member of many rescue teams from many countries.

I was the United Nations expert in Disaster Mitigation for two years. I

have worked at every major disaster in the world since 1985, except for

simultaneous disasters.

The first building I ever crawled inside of was a school in Mexico City

during the 1985 earthquake. Every child was under its 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. It was obscene, unnecessary and I

wondered why the children were not in the aisles. I didn't at the time know

that the children were told to hide under something.

Simply stated, when buildings collapse, the weight of the ceilings falling

upon the objects or furniture inside crushes these objects, leaving a

space or void next to them. This space is what I call the 'triangle of

life'.

The larger the object, the stronger, the less it will compact. The less

the object compacts, the larger the void, the greater the probability that

the person who is using this void for safety will not be injured. The next

time you watch collapsed buildings, on television, count the 'triangles' you

see formed. They are everywhere. It is the most common shape, you will see,

in a collapsed building.

TIPS FOR EARTHQUAKE SAFETY

1) Most everyone who simply 'ducks and covers' WHEN BUILDINGS COLLAPSE are

crushed to death. People who get under objects, like desks or cars, are

crushed.

2) Cats, dogs and babies often naturally curl up in the fetal position.

You should too in an earthquake. It is a natural safety/survival instinct.

You can survive in a smaller void(empty space). 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.

3) Wooden buildings are the safest type of construction to be in during an

earthquake. Wood is flexible and moves with the force of the earthquake.

If the wooden building does collapse, large survival voids are created.

Also, the wooden building has less concentrated, crushing weight. Brick

buildings will break into individual bricks. Bricks will cause many injuries

but

less squashed bodies than concrete slabs.

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. Hotels can achieve

a

much greater survival rate in earthquakes, simply by posting a sign on the

back of the door of every room telling occupants to lie down on the floor,

next to the bottom of the bed during an earthquake.

5) If an earthquake happens and you cannot easily escape by getting out

the door or window, then lie down and curl up in the fetal position next to

a

sofa, or large chair.

6) Most everyone who gets under a doorway when buildings collapse is

killed. How? If you stand under a doorway and the doorjamb falls forward or

backward you will be crushed by the ceiling above. If the door jam falls

sideways you will be cut in half by the doorway. In either case, you will be

killed!

7) Never go to the stairs. The stairs have a different 'moment of

frequency' (they swing separately from the main part of the building).

The stairs and remainder of the building continuously bump into each other

until structural failure of the stairs takes place. The people who get on

stairs before they fail are chopped up by the stair treads - horribly

mutilated. Even if the building doesn't collapse, stay away from the stairs.

The stairs are a likely part of the building to be damaged. Even if the

stairs are not collapsed by the earthquake, they may collapse later when

overloaded by fleeing people. They should always be checked for safety, even

when the rest of the building is not damaged.

8) Get Near the Outer Walls Of Buildings Or Outside Of Them If Possible -

It is much better to be near the outside of the building rather than the

interior. The farther inside you are from the outside perimeter of the

building the greater the probability that your escape route will be blocked.

9) People inside of their vehicles are crushed when the road above falls

in an earthquake and crushes their vehicles; which is exactly what happened

with the slabs between the decks of the Nimitz Freeway. The victims of the

San Francisco earthquake all stayed inside of their vehicles. They were all

killed. They could have easily survived by getting out and sitting or

lying next to their vehicles. Everyone killed would have survived if they

had

been able to get out of their cars and sit or lie next to them. All the

crushed cars had voids 3 feet high next to them, except for the cars that

had

columns fall directly across them.

10) I discovered, while crawling inside of collapsed newspaper offices and

other offices with a lot of paper, that paper does not compact. Large

voids are found surrounding stacks of paper.

Spread the word and save someone's life... The Entire world is

experiencing natural calamities so be prepared!

'We are but angels with one wing, it takes two to fly'

In 1996 we made a film, which proved my survival methodology to be

correct. The Turkish Federal Government, City of Istanbul , University of

Istanbul

Case Productions and ARTI cooperated to film this practical, scientific

test. We collapsed a school and a home with 20 mannequins inside. Ten

mannequins did 'duck and cover,' and ten mannequins I used in my 'triangle

of

life' survival method.

After the simulated earthquake collapse we crawled through the rubble and

entered the building to film and document the results. The film, in which I

practiced my survival techniques under directly observable, scientific

conditions, relevant to building collapse, showed there would have been zero

percent survival for those doing duck and cover.

There would likely have been 100 percent survivability for people using my

method of the 'triangle of life.' This film has been seen by millions of

viewers on television in Turkey and the rest of Europe, and it was seen in

the USA, Canada and Latin America on the TV program Real TV.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Guest guest

Guest guest

Posted
Posted

As I say in my introductory comment below, how to be safe in any disaster is a

personal choice we each should make with our family or companions, even with our

neighbors. However, we do have a responsibility to be well informed, especially

if having to do this with children or others helpless to do anything for

themselves. So checking as many reliable sources as possible is important, also

learning building codes and what local authorities recommend. It may make the

difference between being the first responder and/or rescuer, to being the

rescuee or one of the victims or worse, one of the bodies in the rubble (or

washed ashore, or fill in for our own local disasters)…….

From: rd-usa [mailto:rd-usa ] On Behalf Of

Gilpin

Sent: Friday, March 25, 2011 7:01 AM

To: rd-usa

Subject: RE: What to do if caught in an Earthquake -Non Nutrition, just

life saving

Didn't see this until now. I guess I should use the Red Cross as a reference?

From: Digna Cassens <dignacassens@...

<mailto:dignacassens%40roadrunner.com> >

Subject: RE: What to do if caught in an Earthquake -Non Nutrition, just

life saving

To: rd-usa <mailto:rd-usa%40yahoogroups.com>

Cc: LEAP_RDs <mailto:LEAP_RDs%40yahoogroups.com>

Date: Thursday, March 24, 2011, 10:51 PM

This is an interest opinion, Jan, but as somewhat of an expert in disaster

and emergency management and survival, I have to caution everyone about

following some of the methods advertised without doing further research. At

the time of a disaster and emergency situation, each person must make a very

individual and well informed choice. It's bad enough that there will be that

natural panic and adrenalin surge that clouds the mind, even if briefly, but

both sides of this advice should be published. So from Snopes, here's this.

And I'm posting it w/o permission because I consider this a matter of life

and death, and no one grants us permission for either one.

Published in snopes and the snopes.com logo are registered service marks of

snopes.com.

Origins: We can't say that every single point mentioned in the above

article about earthquake safety by controversial " rescue expert " Doug Copp

is wrong or bad advice, but there are some pretty substantial reasons why

readers might want to take the article (particularly its advice that

everyone who uses the " duck and cover " technique in an earthquake ends up

crushed to death) with some very large grains of salt.

1) Disaster preparedness experts with the American Red Cross have disputed

that findings based on earthquake experiences in other countries (e.g.,

Turkey) are applicable to earthquake situations that might occur in the

United States, where building codes are substantially different: We at the

American Red Cross have studied the research on the topic of earthquake

safety for many years. We have benefited from extensive research done by the

California Office of Emergency Services, California Seismic Safety

Commission, professional and academic research organizations, and emergency

management agencies, who have also studied the recommendation to " drop,

cover, and hold on! " during the shaking of an earthquake. Personally, I have

also benefited from those who preceded me in doing earthquake education in

California since the Field Act was passed in 1933. What the claims made by

Mr. Copp of ARTI, Inc., does not seem to distinguish is that the

recommendation to " drop, cover, and hold on! " is a U.S.-based recommendation

based on U.S. Building Codes and construction standards. Much research in

the United States has confirmed that " Drop, Cover, and Hold On! " has saved

lives in the United States. Engineering researchers have demonstrated that

very few buildings collapse or " pancake " in the U.S. as they might do in

other countries. Using a web site to show one picture of one U.S. building

that had a partial collapse after a major quake in an area with thousands of

buildings that did not collapse during the same quake is inappropriate and

misleading.

2) The validity of the research methodology and conclusions expressed in the

article quoted above has been criticized by other disaster preparedness

experts: Copp likes to base his evidence on the Turkish " experiment "

that he was involved with. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to all involved, this

was not an experiment at all, but rather a voluntary organization's search

and rescue exercise. My colleagues in Turkey corroborate that a building

scheduled for demolition was used as a search and rescue training

opportunity. They did decide to put mannequins in different spots to see

what would happen. And indeed they reported finding mannequins unharmed next

to large and heavy objects. What is the problem with this? Simply

this: To collapse the building, they rammed the columns, causing the

building to pancake. They did NOT simulate an earthquake. Earthquakes come

in waves. They cause lateral shaking. They cause a variety of different

kinds of damage. Since this experiment didn't produce anything resembling

shaking it really doesn't tell us anything at all about what would happen

during an earthquake.

3) Doug Copp's claim that he performed rescue work at the World Trade Center

(for which he was paid $650,000 in compensation for injuries he supposedly

sustained there) has been challenged in a series of articles published in

the Albuquerque Journal describing him as a self-serving opportunist rather

than a true rescue expert: Self-proclaimed rescue guru Doug

Copp's mission to ground zero was considered so important that he had

clearance to be flown to New York even though all civilian air traffic in

the United States had been grounded. Once there, he says he assumed a

pivotal role and sustained devastating injuries while wading through the

" toxic soup " in search of survivors and victims, and was awarded nearly

$650,000 for his injuries. But there is little evidence Copp performed real

rescue work, and it is doubtful that he deserves compensation.

Doug Copp was awarded $649,000, tax free, from the fund set up to compensate

victims of 9/11. He says it's not enough. But it's doubtful he deserves

anything. A Journal investigation found little evidence that Copp did real

rescue work in New York. His forays into the rubble were to shoot video,

some of which he tried to sell. His claim of seeking medical care within the

time frame appears false. All typical of Copp's years as a self-proclaimed

rescue guru.

(Other entries in the Albuquerque Journal's series of articles relayed

complaints from numerous people who dealt with Mr. Copp and noted that he

was under investigation by a U.S. Department of Justice fraud unit.)

We'd recommend sticking with safety information prepared by established

earthquake safety experts, such as the American Red Cross, the Federal

Emergency Management Agency, and Earthquake Country Alliance.

Last updated: 24 April 2010

Urban Legends Reference Pages C 1995-2011 by Barbara and P. Mikkelson.

Sources:

Linthicum, . " New Mexican's Claims of Ground Zero Rescue Work

Called Into Question. "

Albuquerque Journal. 11 July 2004.

Linthicum, . " 'Bombero' Arrives at Ground Zero. "

Albuquerque Journal. 12 July 2004.

Linthicum, . " Striking Out at Ground Zero. "

Albuquerque Journal. 13 July 2004.

Linthicum, . " 'Knucklehead' or Hero? "

Albuquerque Journal. 14 July 2004.

Linthicum, . " Widow Tells of Copp Ordeal. "

Albuquerque Journal. 18 July 2004.

Linthicum, . " Feds Investigate 9/11 Injury Claim. "

Albuquerque Journal. 18 July 2004.

From: rd-usa <mailto:rd-usa%40yahoogroups.com>

[mailto:rd-usa <mailto:rd-usa%40yahoogroups.com> ] On Behalf Of

Dineright4@... <mailto:Dineright4%40aol.com>

Sent: Thursday, March 24, 2011 10:15 PM

To: rd-usa <mailto:rd-usa%40yahoogroups.com>

Cc: LEAP_RDs <mailto:LEAP_RDs%40yahoogroups.com>

Subject: What to do if caught in an Earthquake -Non Nutrition, just

life saving

Great info. Makes perfect sense when you think about it. Share with your

family and friends.

Even if not in an earthquake zone, what if you happen to be in one,

traveling, when a big one hits! From CA to St. Louis to NY and countries

beyond.

.. .

Jan Patenaude

What to do if caught in an Earthquake...

EXTRACT FROM DOUG COPP'S ARTICLE ON THE: 'TRIANGLE OF LIFE'

My name is Doug Copp. I am the Rescue Chief and Disaster Manager of the

American Rescue Team International (ARTI), the world's most experienced

rescue team. The information in this article will save lives in an

earthquake.

I have crawled inside 875 collapsed buildings, worked with rescue teams

from 60 countries, founded rescue teams in several countries, and I am a

member of many rescue teams from many countries.

I was the United Nations expert in Disaster Mitigation for two years. I

have worked at every major disaster in the world since 1985, except for

simultaneous disasters.

The first building I ever crawled inside of was a school in Mexico City

during the 1985 earthquake. Every child was under its 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. It was obscene, unnecessary and I

wondered why the children were not in the aisles. I didn't at the time know

that the children were told to hide under something.

Simply stated, when buildings collapse, the weight of the ceilings falling

upon the objects or furniture inside crushes these objects, leaving a

space or void next to them. This space is what I call the 'triangle of

life'.

The larger the object, the stronger, the less it will compact. The less

the object compacts, the larger the void, the greater the probability that

the person who is using this void for safety will not be injured. The next

time you watch collapsed buildings, on television, count the 'triangles' you

see formed. They are everywhere. It is the most common shape, you will see,

in a collapsed building.

TIPS FOR EARTHQUAKE SAFETY

1) Most everyone who simply 'ducks and covers' WHEN BUILDINGS COLLAPSE are

crushed to death. People who get under objects, like desks or cars, are

crushed.

2) Cats, dogs and babies often naturally curl up in the fetal position.

You should too in an earthquake. It is a natural safety/survival instinct.

You can survive in a smaller void(empty space). 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.

3) Wooden buildings are the safest type of construction to be in during an

earthquake. Wood is flexible and moves with the force of the earthquake.

If the wooden building does collapse, large survival voids are created.

Also, the wooden building has less concentrated, crushing weight. Brick

buildings will break into individual bricks. Bricks will cause many injuries

but

less squashed bodies than concrete slabs.

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. Hotels can achieve

a

much greater survival rate in earthquakes, simply by posting a sign on the

back of the door of every room telling occupants to lie down on the floor,

next to the bottom of the bed during an earthquake.

5) If an earthquake happens and you cannot easily escape by getting out

the door or window, then lie down and curl up in the fetal position next to

a

sofa, or large chair.

6) Most everyone who gets under a doorway when buildings collapse is

killed. How? If you stand under a doorway and the doorjamb falls forward or

backward you will be crushed by the ceiling above. If the door jam falls

sideways you will be cut in half by the doorway. In either case, you will be

killed!

7) Never go to the stairs. The stairs have a different 'moment of

frequency' (they swing separately from the main part of the building).

The stairs and remainder of the building continuously bump into each other

until structural failure of the stairs takes place. The people who get on

stairs before they fail are chopped up by the stair treads - horribly

mutilated. Even if the building doesn't collapse, stay away from the stairs.

The stairs are a likely part of the building to be damaged. Even if the

stairs are not collapsed by the earthquake, they may collapse later when

overloaded by fleeing people. They should always be checked for safety, even

when the rest of the building is not damaged.

8) Get Near the Outer Walls Of Buildings Or Outside Of Them If Possible -

It is much better to be near the outside of the building rather than the

interior. The farther inside you are from the outside perimeter of the

building the greater the probability that your escape route will be blocked.

9) People inside of their vehicles are crushed when the road above falls

in an earthquake and crushes their vehicles; which is exactly what happened

with the slabs between the decks of the Nimitz Freeway. The victims of the

San Francisco earthquake all stayed inside of their vehicles. They were all

killed. They could have easily survived by getting out and sitting or

lying next to their vehicles. Everyone killed would have survived if they

had

been able to get out of their cars and sit or lie next to them. All the

crushed cars had voids 3 feet high next to them, except for the cars that

had

columns fall directly across them.

10) I discovered, while crawling inside of collapsed newspaper offices and

other offices with a lot of paper, that paper does not compact. Large

voids are found surrounding stacks of paper.

Spread the word and save someone's life... The Entire world is

experiencing natural calamities so be prepared!

'We are but angels with one wing, it takes two to fly'

In 1996 we made a film, which proved my survival methodology to be

correct. The Turkish Federal Government, City of Istanbul , University of

Istanbul

Case Productions and ARTI cooperated to film this practical, scientific

test. We collapsed a school and a home with 20 mannequins inside. Ten

mannequins did 'duck and cover,' and ten mannequins I used in my 'triangle

of

life' survival method.

After the simulated earthquake collapse we crawled through the rubble and

entered the building to film and document the results. The film, in which I

practiced my survival techniques under directly observable, scientific

conditions, relevant to building collapse, showed there would have been zero

percent survival for those doing duck and cover.

There would likely have been 100 percent survivability for people using my

method of the 'triangle of life.' This film has been seen by millions of

viewers on television in Turkey and the rest of Europe, and it was seen in

the USA, Canada and Latin America on the TV program Real TV.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Guest guest

Guest guest

Posted
Posted

I was IN the Northridge quake 6.7 in Santa in the 90s. It was an

unnerving experience because I was on the 4th floor and it was 4AM (the

higher you are the more you shake). There is nothing you can do to prepare

because there is no warning whatsoever - we were clueless but we knew right

away what the violent shaking was about. I would never *live* in an

earthquake zone or anywhere there is a natural disaster (I have been in 2

hurricanes in FL and we recently moved to CO so no more of these things!). I

would even venture to say you have to rely on fate or luck for these things.

Being in the US or a place where the building codes are good is good.

But common sense is always good - after the quake we got out of the building

and watched the news. We did not panic and we payed attention to the news.

If it is a storm you can prepare - you can keep food and water on hand, have

a TV/radio with batteries - we still have all of that. That is probably a

good idea for anywhere.

Judy

Judy Doherty, Food and Health Communications

Email: judydoherty@...

http://foodandhealth.com

Sales: | Judy:

On Fri, Mar 25, 2011 at 8:57 AM, Digna Cassens

wrote:

>

>

> As I say in my introductory comment below, how to be safe in any disaster

> is a personal choice we each should make with our family or companions, even

> with our neighbors. However, we do have a responsibility to be well

> informed, especially if having to do this with children or others helpless

> to do anything for themselves. So checking as many reliable sources as

> possible is important, also learning building codes and what local

> authorities recommend. It may make the difference between being the first

> responder and/or rescuer, to being the rescuee or one of the victims or

> worse, one of the bodies in the rubble (or washed ashore, or fill in for our

> own local disasters)…….

>

> From: rd-usa [mailto:rd-usa ] On Behalf Of

> Gilpin

> Sent: Friday, March 25, 2011 7:01 AM

>

> To: rd-usa

> Subject: RE: What to do if caught in an Earthquake -Non Nutrition,

> just life saving

>

> Didn't see this until now. I guess I should use the Red Cross as a

> reference?

>

>

>

>

> From: Digna Cassens <dignacassens@... <mailto:

> dignacassens%40roadrunner.com> >

>

> Subject: RE: What to do if caught in an Earthquake -Non Nutrition,

> just life saving

> To: rd-usa <mailto:rd-usa%40yahoogroups.com>

> Cc: LEAP_RDs <mailto:LEAP_RDs%40yahoogroups.com>

> Date: Thursday, March 24, 2011, 10:51 PM

>

> This is an interest opinion, Jan, but as somewhat of an expert in disaster

> and emergency management and survival, I have to caution everyone about

> following some of the methods advertised without doing further research. At

> the time of a disaster and emergency situation, each person must make a

> very

> individual and well informed choice. It's bad enough that there will be

> that

> natural panic and adrenalin surge that clouds the mind, even if briefly,

> but

> both sides of this advice should be published. So from Snopes, here's this.

> And I'm posting it w/o permission because I consider this a matter of life

> and death, and no one grants us permission for either one.

>

> Published in snopes and the snopes.com logo are registered service marks

> of

> snopes.com.

>

> Origins: We can't say that every single point mentioned in the above

> article about earthquake safety by controversial " rescue expert " Doug Copp

> is wrong or bad advice, but there are some pretty substantial reasons why

> readers might want to take the article (particularly its advice that

> everyone who uses the " duck and cover " technique in an earthquake ends up

> crushed to death) with some very large grains of salt.

>

> 1) Disaster preparedness experts with the American Red Cross have disputed

> that findings based on earthquake experiences in other countries (e.g.,

> Turkey) are applicable to earthquake situations that might occur in the

> United States, where building codes are substantially different: We at the

> American Red Cross have studied the research on the topic of earthquake

> safety for many years. We have benefited from extensive research done by

> the

> California Office of Emergency Services, California Seismic Safety

> Commission, professional and academic research organizations, and emergency

> management agencies, who have also studied the recommendation to " drop,

> cover, and hold on! " during the shaking of an earthquake. Personally, I

> have

> also benefited from those who preceded me in doing earthquake education in

> California since the Field Act was passed in 1933. What the claims made by

> Mr. Copp of ARTI, Inc., does not seem to distinguish is that the

> recommendation to " drop, cover, and hold on! " is a U.S.-based

> recommendation

> based on U.S. Building Codes and construction standards. Much research in

> the United States has confirmed that " Drop, Cover, and Hold On! " has saved

> lives in the United States. Engineering researchers have demonstrated that

> very few buildings collapse or " pancake " in the U.S. as they might do in

> other countries. Using a web site to show one picture of one U.S. building

> that had a partial collapse after a major quake in an area with thousands

> of

> buildings that did not collapse during the same quake is inappropriate and

> misleading.

>

> 2) The validity of the research methodology and conclusions expressed in

> the

> article quoted above has been criticized by other disaster preparedness

> experts: Copp likes to base his evidence on the Turkish " experiment "

> that he was involved with. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to all involved, this

> was not an experiment at all, but rather a voluntary organization's search

> and rescue exercise. My colleagues in Turkey corroborate that a building

> scheduled for demolition was used as a search and rescue training

> opportunity. They did decide to put mannequins in different spots to see

> what would happen. And indeed they reported finding mannequins unharmed

> next

> to large and heavy objects. What is the problem with this? Simply

> this: To collapse the building, they rammed the columns, causing the

> building to pancake. They did NOT simulate an earthquake. Earthquakes come

> in waves. They cause lateral shaking. They cause a variety of different

> kinds of damage. Since this experiment didn't produce anything resembling

> shaking it really doesn't tell us anything at all about what would happen

> during an earthquake.

>

> 3) Doug Copp's claim that he performed rescue work at the World Trade

> Center

> (for which he was paid $650,000 in compensation for injuries he supposedly

> sustained there) has been challenged in a series of articles published in

> the Albuquerque Journal describing him as a self-serving opportunist rather

> than a true rescue expert: Self-proclaimed rescue guru Doug

> Copp's mission to ground zero was considered so important that he had

> clearance to be flown to New York even though all civilian air traffic in

> the United States had been grounded. Once there, he says he assumed a

> pivotal role and sustained devastating injuries while wading through the

> " toxic soup " in search of survivors and victims, and was awarded nearly

> $650,000 for his injuries. But there is little evidence Copp performed real

> rescue work, and it is doubtful that he deserves compensation.

>

> Doug Copp was awarded $649,000, tax free, from the fund set up to

> compensate

> victims of 9/11. He says it's not enough. But it's doubtful he deserves

> anything. A Journal investigation found little evidence that Copp did real

> rescue work in New York. His forays into the rubble were to shoot video,

> some of which he tried to sell. His claim of seeking medical care within

> the

> time frame appears false. All typical of Copp's years as a self-proclaimed

> rescue guru.

>

> (Other entries in the Albuquerque Journal's series of articles relayed

> complaints from numerous people who dealt with Mr. Copp and noted that he

> was under investigation by a U.S. Department of Justice fraud unit.)

>

> We'd recommend sticking with safety information prepared by established

> earthquake safety experts, such as the American Red Cross, the Federal

> Emergency Management Agency, and Earthquake Country Alliance.

>

> Last updated: 24 April 2010

>

> Urban Legends Reference Pages C 1995-2011 by Barbara and P.

> Mikkelson.

>

> Sources:

>

> Linthicum, . " New Mexican's Claims of Ground Zero Rescue Work

> Called Into Question. "

>

> Albuquerque Journal. 11 July 2004.

>

> Linthicum, . " 'Bombero' Arrives at Ground Zero. "

>

> Albuquerque Journal. 12 July 2004.

>

> Linthicum, . " Striking Out at Ground Zero. "

>

> Albuquerque Journal. 13 July 2004.

>

> Linthicum, . " 'Knucklehead' or Hero? "

>

> Albuquerque Journal. 14 July 2004.

>

> Linthicum, . " Widow Tells of Copp Ordeal. "

>

> Albuquerque Journal. 18 July 2004.

>

> Linthicum, . " Feds Investigate 9/11 Injury Claim. "

>

> Albuquerque Journal. 18 July 2004.

>

> From: rd-usa <mailto:rd-usa%40yahoogroups.com> [mailto:

> rd-usa <mailto:rd-usa%40yahoogroups.com> ] On Behalf Of

> Dineright4@... <mailto:Dineright4%40aol.com>

> Sent: Thursday, March 24, 2011 10:15 PM

> To: rd-usa <mailto:rd-usa%40yahoogroups.com>

> Cc: LEAP_RDs <mailto:LEAP_RDs%40yahoogroups.com>

> Subject: What to do if caught in an Earthquake -Non Nutrition,

> just

> life saving

>

> Great info. Makes perfect sense when you think about it. Share with your

> family and friends.

>

> Even if not in an earthquake zone, what if you happen to be in one,

> traveling, when a big one hits! From CA to St. Louis to NY and countries

> beyond.

> . .

>

> Jan Patenaude

>

> What to do if caught in an Earthquake...

>

> EXTRACT FROM DOUG COPP'S ARTICLE ON THE: 'TRIANGLE OF LIFE'

>

> My name is Doug Copp. I am the Rescue Chief and Disaster Manager of the

> American Rescue Team International (ARTI), the world's most experienced

> rescue team. The information in this article will save lives in an

> earthquake.

>

> I have crawled inside 875 collapsed buildings, worked with rescue teams

> from 60 countries, founded rescue teams in several countries, and I am a

> member of many rescue teams from many countries.

>

> I was the United Nations expert in Disaster Mitigation for two years. I

> have worked at every major disaster in the world since 1985, except for

> simultaneous disasters.

>

> The first building I ever crawled inside of was a school in Mexico City

> during the 1985 earthquake. Every child was under its 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. It was obscene, unnecessary and I

> wondered why the children were not in the aisles. I didn't at the time know

>

> that the children were told to hide under something.

>

> Simply stated, when buildings collapse, the weight of the ceilings falling

> upon the objects or furniture inside crushes these objects, leaving a

> space or void next to them. This space is what I call the 'triangle of

> life'.

>

> The larger the object, the stronger, the less it will compact. The less

> the object compacts, the larger the void, the greater the probability that

> the person who is using this void for safety will not be injured. The next

> time you watch collapsed buildings, on television, count the 'triangles'

> you

>

> see formed. They are everywhere. It is the most common shape, you will see,

>

> in a collapsed building.

>

> TIPS FOR EARTHQUAKE SAFETY

>

> 1) Most everyone who simply 'ducks and covers' WHEN BUILDINGS COLLAPSE are

> crushed to death. People who get under objects, like desks or cars, are

> crushed.

>

> 2) Cats, dogs and babies often naturally curl up in the fetal position.

> You should too in an earthquake. It is a natural safety/survival instinct.

> You can survive in a smaller void(empty space). 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.

>

> 3) Wooden buildings are the safest type of construction to be in during an

> earthquake. Wood is flexible and moves with the force of the earthquake.

> If the wooden building does collapse, large survival voids are created.

> Also, the wooden building has less concentrated, crushing weight. Brick

> buildings will break into individual bricks. Bricks will cause many

> injuries

> but

> less squashed bodies than concrete slabs.

>

> 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. Hotels can achieve

> a

> much greater survival rate in earthquakes, simply by posting a sign on the

> back of the door of every room telling occupants to lie down on the floor,

> next to the bottom of the bed during an earthquake.

>

> 5) If an earthquake happens and you cannot easily escape by getting out

> the door or window, then lie down and curl up in the fetal position next to

> a

> sofa, or large chair.

>

> 6) Most everyone who gets under a doorway when buildings collapse is

> killed. How? If you stand under a doorway and the doorjamb falls forward or

>

> backward you will be crushed by the ceiling above. If the door jam falls

> sideways you will be cut in half by the doorway. In either case, you will

> be

>

> killed!

>

> 7) Never go to the stairs. The stairs have a different 'moment of

> frequency' (they swing separately from the main part of the building).

>

> The stairs and remainder of the building continuously bump into each other

> until structural failure of the stairs takes place. The people who get on

> stairs before they fail are chopped up by the stair treads - horribly

> mutilated. Even if the building doesn't collapse, stay away from the

> stairs.

>

> The stairs are a likely part of the building to be damaged. Even if the

> stairs are not collapsed by the earthquake, they may collapse later when

> overloaded by fleeing people. They should always be checked for safety,

> even

>

> when the rest of the building is not damaged.

>

> 8) Get Near the Outer Walls Of Buildings Or Outside Of Them If Possible -

> It is much better to be near the outside of the building rather than the

> interior. The farther inside you are from the outside perimeter of the

> building the greater the probability that your escape route will be

> blocked.

>

> 9) People inside of their vehicles are crushed when the road above falls

> in an earthquake and crushes their vehicles; which is exactly what happened

>

> with the slabs between the decks of the Nimitz Freeway. The victims of the

> San Francisco earthquake all stayed inside of their vehicles. They were all

>

> killed. They could have easily survived by getting out and sitting or

> lying next to their vehicles. Everyone killed would have survived if they

> had

> been able to get out of their cars and sit or lie next to them. All the

> crushed cars had voids 3 feet high next to them, except for the cars that

> had

> columns fall directly across them.

>

> 10) I discovered, while crawling inside of collapsed newspaper offices and

> other offices with a lot of paper, that paper does not compact. Large

> voids are found surrounding stacks of paper.

>

> Spread the word and save someone's life... The Entire world is

> experiencing natural calamities so be prepared!

>

> 'We are but angels with one wing, it takes two to fly'

>

> In 1996 we made a film, which proved my survival methodology to be

> correct. The Turkish Federal Government, City of Istanbul , University of

> Istanbul

> Case Productions and ARTI cooperated to film this practical, scientific

> test. We collapsed a school and a home with 20 mannequins inside. Ten

> mannequins did 'duck and cover,' and ten mannequins I used in my 'triangle

> of

> life' survival method.

>

> After the simulated earthquake collapse we crawled through the rubble and

> entered the building to film and document the results. The film, in which I

>

> practiced my survival techniques under directly observable, scientific

> conditions, relevant to building collapse, showed there would have been

> zero

>

> percent survival for those doing duck and cover.

>

> There would likely have been 100 percent survivability for people using my

> method of the 'triangle of life.' This film has been seen by millions of

> viewers on television in Turkey and the rest of Europe, and it was seen in

> the USA, Canada and Latin America on the TV program Real TV.

>

>

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Guest guest

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Posted
Posted

I have to say that I hear so many clonflicting ideas as to what to do in an

earthquake, that it has come to the point to where I am confused as to what is

the safest thing to do should the building you are in start to come down.  My

son attends school in a building that is 50 plus years old.  I have no control

over their buliding codes, but I can tell my son the best thing to do if a

really bad quake strikes when he is in school.  So far, I have been telling him

to try and get out of the building safely, if he can, because I see these

schools collapse on kids in other countries.  I don't know what else to tell

him.  I do feel a like I have no control in this regard and truly, don't know

what the most reliable source of information is.

From: Digna Cassens <dignacassens@...

<mailto:dignacassens%40roadrunner.com> >

Subject: RE: What to do if caught in an Earthquake -Non Nutrition, just

life saving

To: rd-usa <mailto:rd-usa%40yahoogroups.com>

Cc: LEAP_RDs <mailto:LEAP_RDs%40yahoogroups.com>

Date: Thursday, March 24, 2011, 10:51 PM

This is an interest opinion, Jan, but as somewhat of an expert in disaster

and emergency management and survival, I have to caution everyone about

following some of the methods advertised without doing further research. At

the time of a disaster and emergency situation, each person must make a very

individual and well informed choice. It's bad enough that there will be that

natural panic and adrenalin surge that clouds the mind, even if briefly, but

both sides of this advice should be published. So from Snopes, here's this.

And I'm posting it w/o permission because I consider this a matter of life

and death, and no one grants us permission for either one.

Published in snopes and the snopes.com logo are registered service marks of

snopes.com.

Origins: We can't say that every single point mentioned in the above

article about earthquake safety by controversial " rescue expert " Doug Copp

is wrong or bad advice, but there are some pretty substantial reasons why

readers might want to take the article (particularly its advice that

everyone who uses the " duck and cover " technique in an earthquake ends up

crushed to death) with some very large grains of salt.

1) Disaster preparedness experts with the American Red Cross have disputed

that findings based on earthquake experiences in other countries (e.g.,

Turkey) are applicable to earthquake situations that might occur in the

United States, where building codes are substantially different: We at the

American Red Cross have studied the research on the topic of earthquake

safety for many years. We have benefited from extensive research done by the

California Office of Emergency Services, California Seismic Safety

Commission, professional and academic research organizations, and emergency

management agencies, who have also studied the recommendation to " drop,

cover, and hold on! " during the shaking of an earthquake. Personally, I have

also benefited from those who preceded me in doing earthquake education in

California since the Field Act was passed in 1933. What the claims made by

Mr. Copp of ARTI, Inc., does not seem to distinguish is that the

recommendation to " drop, cover, and hold on! " is a U.S.-based recommendation

based on U.S. Building Codes and construction standards. Much research in

the United States has confirmed that " Drop, Cover, and Hold On! " has saved

lives in the United States. Engineering researchers have demonstrated that

very few buildings collapse or " pancake " in the U.S. as they might do in

other countries. Using a web site to show one picture of one U.S. building

that had a partial collapse after a major quake in an area with thousands of

buildings that did not collapse during the same quake is inappropriate and

misleading.

2) The validity of the research methodology and conclusions expressed in the

article quoted above has been criticized by other disaster preparedness

experts: Copp likes to base his evidence on the Turkish " experiment "

that he was involved with. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to all involved, this

was not an experiment at all, but rather a voluntary organization's search

and rescue exercise. My colleagues in Turkey corroborate that a building

scheduled for demolition was used as a search and rescue training

opportunity. They did decide to put mannequins in different spots to see

what would happen. And indeed they reported finding mannequins unharmed next

to large and heavy objects. What is the problem with this? Simply

this: To collapse the building, they rammed the columns, causing the

building to pancake. They did NOT simulate an earthquake. Earthquakes come

in waves. They cause lateral shaking. They cause a variety of different

kinds of damage. Since this experiment didn't produce anything resembling

shaking it really doesn't tell us anything at all about what would happen

during an earthquake.

3) Doug Copp's claim that he performed rescue work at the World Trade Center

(for which he was paid $650,000 in compensation for injuries he supposedly

sustained there) has been challenged in a series of articles published in

the Albuquerque Journal describing him as a self-serving opportunist rather

than a true rescue expert: Self-proclaimed rescue guru Doug

Copp's mission to ground zero was considered so important that he had

clearance to be flown to New York even though all civilian air traffic in

the United States had been grounded. Once there, he says he assumed a

pivotal role and sustained devastating injuries while wading through the

" toxic soup " in search of survivors and victims, and was awarded nearly

$650,000 for his injuries. But there is little evidence Copp performed real

rescue work, and it is doubtful that he deserves compensation.

Doug Copp was awarded $649,000, tax free, from the fund set up to compensate

victims of 9/11. He says it's not enough. But it's doubtful he deserves

anything. A Journal investigation found little evidence that Copp did real

rescue work in New York. His forays into the rubble were to shoot video,

some of which he tried to sell. His claim of seeking medical care within the

time frame appears false. All typical of Copp's years as a self-proclaimed

rescue guru.

(Other entries in the Albuquerque Journal's series of articles relayed

complaints from numerous people who dealt with Mr. Copp and noted that he

was under investigation by a U.S. Department of Justice fraud unit.)

We'd recommend sticking with safety information prepared by established

earthquake safety experts, such as the American Red Cross, the Federal

Emergency Management Agency, and Earthquake Country Alliance.

Last updated: 24 April 2010

Urban Legends Reference Pages C 1995-2011 by Barbara and P. Mikkelson.

Sources:

Linthicum, . " New Mexican's Claims of Ground Zero Rescue Work

Called Into Question. "

Albuquerque Journal. 11 July 2004.

Linthicum, . " 'Bombero' Arrives at Ground Zero. "

Albuquerque Journal. 12 July 2004.

Linthicum, . " Striking Out at Ground Zero. "

Albuquerque Journal. 13 July 2004.

Linthicum, . " 'Knucklehead' or Hero? "

Albuquerque Journal. 14 July 2004.

Linthicum, . " Widow Tells of Copp Ordeal. "

Albuquerque Journal. 18 July 2004.

Linthicum, . " Feds Investigate 9/11 Injury Claim. "

Albuquerque Journal. 18 July 2004.

From: rd-usa <mailto:rd-usa%40yahoogroups.com>

[mailto:rd-usa <mailto:rd-usa%40yahoogroups.com> ] On Behalf Of

Dineright4@... <mailto:Dineright4%40aol.com>

Sent: Thursday, March 24, 2011 10:15 PM

To: rd-usa <mailto:rd-usa%40yahoogroups.com>

Cc: LEAP_RDs <mailto:LEAP_RDs%40yahoogroups.com>

Subject: What to do if caught in an Earthquake -Non Nutrition, just

life saving

Great info. Makes perfect sense when you think about it. Share with your

family and friends.

Even if not in an earthquake zone, what if you happen to be in one,

traveling, when a big one hits! From CA to St. Louis to NY and countries

beyond.

.. .

Jan Patenaude

What to do if caught in an Earthquake...

EXTRACT FROM DOUG COPP'S ARTICLE ON THE: 'TRIANGLE OF LIFE'

My name is Doug Copp. I am the Rescue Chief and Disaster Manager of the

American Rescue Team International (ARTI), the world's most experienced

rescue team. The information in this article will save lives in an

earthquake.

I have crawled inside 875 collapsed buildings, worked with rescue teams

from 60 countries, founded rescue teams in several countries, and I am a

member of many rescue teams from many countries.

I was the United Nations expert in Disaster Mitigation for two years. I

have worked at every major disaster in the world since 1985, except for

simultaneous disasters.

The first building I ever crawled inside of was a school in Mexico City

during the 1985 earthquake. Every child was under its 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. It was obscene, unnecessary and I

wondered why the children were not in the aisles. I didn't at the time know

that the children were told to hide under something.

Simply stated, when buildings collapse, the weight of the ceilings falling

upon the objects or furniture inside crushes these objects, leaving a

space or void next to them. This space is what I call the 'triangle of

life'.

The larger the object, the stronger, the less it will compact. The less

the object compacts, the larger the void, the greater the probability that

the person who is using this void for safety will not be injured. The next

time you watch collapsed buildings, on television, count the 'triangles' you

see formed. They are everywhere. It is the most common shape, you will see,

in a collapsed building.

TIPS FOR EARTHQUAKE SAFETY

1) Most everyone who simply 'ducks and covers' WHEN BUILDINGS COLLAPSE are

crushed to death. People who get under objects, like desks or cars, are

crushed.

2) Cats, dogs and babies often naturally curl up in the fetal position.

You should too in an earthquake. It is a natural safety/survival instinct.

You can survive in a smaller void(empty space). 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.

3) Wooden buildings are the safest type of construction to be in during an

earthquake. Wood is flexible and moves with the force of the earthquake.

If the wooden building does collapse, large survival voids are created.

Also, the wooden building has less concentrated, crushing weight. Brick

buildings will break into individual bricks. Bricks will cause many injuries

but

less squashed bodies than concrete slabs.

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. Hotels can achieve

a

much greater survival rate in earthquakes, simply by posting a sign on the

back of the door of every room telling occupants to lie down on the floor,

next to the bottom of the bed during an earthquake.

5) If an earthquake happens and you cannot easily escape by getting out

the door or window, then lie down and curl up in the fetal position next to

a

sofa, or large chair.

6) Most everyone who gets under a doorway when buildings collapse is

killed. How? If you stand under a doorway and the doorjamb falls forward or

backward you will be crushed by the ceiling above. If the door jam falls

sideways you will be cut in half by the doorway. In either case, you will be

killed!

7) Never go to the stairs. The stairs have a different 'moment of

frequency' (they swing separately from the main part of the building).

The stairs and remainder of the building continuously bump into each other

until structural failure of the stairs takes place. The people who get on

stairs before they fail are chopped up by the stair treads - horribly

mutilated. Even if the building doesn't collapse, stay away from the stairs.

The stairs are a likely part of the building to be damaged. Even if the

stairs are not collapsed by the earthquake, they may collapse later when

overloaded by fleeing people. They should always be checked for safety, even

when the rest of the building is not damaged.

8) Get Near the Outer Walls Of Buildings Or Outside Of Them If Possible -

It is much better to be near the outside of the building rather than the

interior. The farther inside you are from the outside perimeter of the

building the greater the probability that your escape route will be blocked.

9) People inside of their vehicles are crushed when the road above falls

in an earthquake and crushes their vehicles; which is exactly what happened

with the slabs between the decks of the Nimitz Freeway. The victims of the

San Francisco earthquake all stayed inside of their vehicles. They were all

killed. They could have easily survived by getting out and sitting or

lying next to their vehicles. Everyone killed would have survived if they

had

been able to get out of their cars and sit or lie next to them. All the

crushed cars had voids 3 feet high next to them, except for the cars that

had

columns fall directly across them.

10) I discovered, while crawling inside of collapsed newspaper offices and

other offices with a lot of paper, that paper does not compact. Large

voids are found surrounding stacks of paper.

Spread the word and save someone's life... The Entire world is

experiencing natural calamities so be prepared!

'We are but angels with one wing, it takes two to fly'

In 1996 we made a film, which proved my survival methodology to be

correct. The Turkish Federal Government, City of Istanbul , University of

Istanbul

Case Productions and ARTI cooperated to film this practical, scientific

test. We collapsed a school and a home with 20 mannequins inside. Ten

mannequins did 'duck and cover,' and ten mannequins I used in my 'triangle

of

life' survival method.

After the simulated earthquake collapse we crawled through the rubble and

entered the building to film and document the results. The film, in which I

practiced my survival techniques under directly observable, scientific

conditions, relevant to building collapse, showed there would have been zero

percent survival for those doing duck and cover.

There would likely have been 100 percent survivability for people using my

method of the 'triangle of life.' This film has been seen by millions of

viewers on television in Turkey and the rest of Europe, and it was seen in

the USA, Canada and Latin America on the TV program Real TV.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Guest guest

Guest guest

Posted
Posted

,

Maybe there are other parents with the same dilemma. This is where you can be of

help. I’d start with the local Fire Dept for their emergency advise and

programs. Then find emergency management organizations in your local area and

contact them. Many do presentations for schools, etc, and may be willing to

present to a group of interested parents. Also, on an annual basis, there are

emergency management presentations for healthcare organizations. I know in

California the California Association of Healthcare Facilities (CAHF) has

something. I’m sure hospitals and schools do too. Go on-line and find them,

then see how you can first learn, then organize broader participation.

The school district must have the building plans, codes, layouts, and you have a

right to review them. If you’re really concerned you can do much about it.

However, often no matter what or how much we do, whatever is will be. Look at

Japan. We cannot obsess about it, we can only do our best and live our life as

we should, worrying about what we can change and make a difference (well, I’ve

just painted myself into a grammatical corner or black hole – I have no way of

finishing this sentence but it’s what I mean. Another problem of English as a

second language and trying to have my brain translate as fast as my fingers

type). But hopefully you know what I mean.

Digna

From: rd-usa [mailto:rd-usa ] On Behalf Of

Gilpin

Sent: Friday, March 25, 2011 9:53 AM

To: rd-usa

Subject: RE: What to do if caught in an Earthquake -Non Nutrition, just

life saving

I have to say that I hear so many clonflicting ideas as to what to do in an

earthquake, that it has come to the point to where I am confused as to what is

the safest thing to do should the building you are in start to come down. My

son attends school in a building that is 50 plus years old. I have no control

over their buliding codes, but I can tell my son the best thing to do if a

really bad quake strikes when he is in school. So far, I have been telling him

to try and get out of the building safely, if he can, because I see these

schools collapse on kids in other countries. I don't know what else to tell

him. I do feel a like I have no control in this regard and truly, don't know

what the most reliable source of information is.

From: Digna Cassens <dignacassens@...

<mailto:dignacassens%40roadrunner.com> <mailto:dignacassens%40roadrunner.com> >

Subject: RE: What to do if caught in an Earthquake -Non Nutrition, just

life saving

To: rd-usa <mailto:rd-usa%40yahoogroups.com>

<mailto:rd-usa%40yahoogroups.com>

Cc: LEAP_RDs <mailto:LEAP_RDs%40yahoogroups.com>

<mailto:LEAP_RDs%40yahoogroups.com>

Date: Thursday, March 24, 2011, 10:51 PM

This is an interest opinion, Jan, but as somewhat of an expert in disaster

and emergency management and survival, I have to caution everyone about

following some of the methods advertised without doing further research. At

the time of a disaster and emergency situation, each person must make a very

individual and well informed choice. It's bad enough that there will be that

natural panic and adrenalin surge that clouds the mind, even if briefly, but

both sides of this advice should be published. So from Snopes, here's this.

And I'm posting it w/o permission because I consider this a matter of life

and death, and no one grants us permission for either one.

Published in snopes and the snopes.com logo are registered service marks of

snopes.com.

Origins: We can't say that every single point mentioned in the above

article about earthquake safety by controversial " rescue expert " Doug Copp

is wrong or bad advice, but there are some pretty substantial reasons why

readers might want to take the article (particularly its advice that

everyone who uses the " duck and cover " technique in an earthquake ends up

crushed to death) with some very large grains of salt.

1) Disaster preparedness experts with the American Red Cross have disputed

that findings based on earthquake experiences in other countries (e.g.,

Turkey) are applicable to earthquake situations that might occur in the

United States, where building codes are substantially different: We at the

American Red Cross have studied the research on the topic of earthquake

safety for many years. We have benefited from extensive research done by the

California Office of Emergency Services, California Seismic Safety

Commission, professional and academic research organizations, and emergency

management agencies, who have also studied the recommendation to " drop,

cover, and hold on! " during the shaking of an earthquake. Personally, I have

also benefited from those who preceded me in doing earthquake education in

California since the Field Act was passed in 1933. What the claims made by

Mr. Copp of ARTI, Inc., does not seem to distinguish is that the

recommendation to " drop, cover, and hold on! " is a U.S.-based recommendation

based on U.S. Building Codes and construction standards. Much research in

the United States has confirmed that " Drop, Cover, and Hold On! " has saved

lives in the United States. Engineering researchers have demonstrated that

very few buildings collapse or " pancake " in the U.S. as they might do in

other countries. Using a web site to show one picture of one U.S. building

that had a partial collapse after a major quake in an area with thousands of

buildings that did not collapse during the same quake is inappropriate and

misleading.

2) The validity of the research methodology and conclusions expressed in the

article quoted above has been criticized by other disaster preparedness

experts: Copp likes to base his evidence on the Turkish " experiment "

that he was involved with. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to all involved, this

was not an experiment at all, but rather a voluntary organization's search

and rescue exercise. My colleagues in Turkey corroborate that a building

scheduled for demolition was used as a search and rescue training

opportunity. They did decide to put mannequins in different spots to see

what would happen. And indeed they reported finding mannequins unharmed next

to large and heavy objects. What is the problem with this? Simply

this: To collapse the building, they rammed the columns, causing the

building to pancake. They did NOT simulate an earthquake. Earthquakes come

in waves. They cause lateral shaking. They cause a variety of different

kinds of damage. Since this experiment didn't produce anything resembling

shaking it really doesn't tell us anything at all about what would happen

during an earthquake.

3) Doug Copp's claim that he performed rescue work at the World Trade Center

(for which he was paid $650,000 in compensation for injuries he supposedly

sustained there) has been challenged in a series of articles published in

the Albuquerque Journal describing him as a self-serving opportunist rather

than a true rescue expert: Self-proclaimed rescue guru Doug

Copp's mission to ground zero was considered so important that he had

clearance to be flown to New York even though all civilian air traffic in

the United States had been grounded. Once there, he says he assumed a

pivotal role and sustained devastating injuries while wading through the

" toxic soup " in search of survivors and victims, and was awarded nearly

$650,000 for his injuries. But there is little evidence Copp performed real

rescue work, and it is doubtful that he deserves compensation.

Doug Copp was awarded $649,000, tax free, from the fund set up to compensate

victims of 9/11. He says it's not enough. But it's doubtful he deserves

anything. A Journal investigation found little evidence that Copp did real

rescue work in New York. His forays into the rubble were to shoot video,

some of which he tried to sell. His claim of seeking medical care within the

time frame appears false. All typical of Copp's years as a self-proclaimed

rescue guru.

(Other entries in the Albuquerque Journal's series of articles relayed

complaints from numerous people who dealt with Mr. Copp and noted that he

was under investigation by a U.S. Department of Justice fraud unit.)

We'd recommend sticking with safety information prepared by established

earthquake safety experts, such as the American Red Cross, the Federal

Emergency Management Agency, and Earthquake Country Alliance.

Last updated: 24 April 2010

Urban Legends Reference Pages C 1995-2011 by Barbara and P. Mikkelson.

Sources:

Linthicum, . " New Mexican's Claims of Ground Zero Rescue Work

Called Into Question. "

Albuquerque Journal. 11 July 2004.

Linthicum, . " 'Bombero' Arrives at Ground Zero. "

Albuquerque Journal. 12 July 2004.

Linthicum, . " Striking Out at Ground Zero. "

Albuquerque Journal. 13 July 2004.

Linthicum, . " 'Knucklehead' or Hero? "

Albuquerque Journal. 14 July 2004.

Linthicum, . " Widow Tells of Copp Ordeal. "

Albuquerque Journal. 18 July 2004.

Linthicum, . " Feds Investigate 9/11 Injury Claim. "

Albuquerque Journal. 18 July 2004.

From: rd-usa <mailto:rd-usa%40yahoogroups.com>

<mailto:rd-usa%40yahoogroups.com> [mailto:rd-usa

<mailto:rd-usa%40yahoogroups.com> <mailto:rd-usa%40yahoogroups.com> ] On Behalf

Of

Dineright4@... <mailto:Dineright4%40aol.com> <mailto:Dineright4%40aol.com>

Sent: Thursday, March 24, 2011 10:15 PM

To: rd-usa <mailto:rd-usa%40yahoogroups.com>

<mailto:rd-usa%40yahoogroups.com>

Cc: LEAP_RDs <mailto:LEAP_RDs%40yahoogroups.com>

<mailto:LEAP_RDs%40yahoogroups.com>

Subject: What to do if caught in an Earthquake -Non Nutrition, just

life saving

Great info. Makes perfect sense when you think about it. Share with your

family and friends.

Even if not in an earthquake zone, what if you happen to be in one,

traveling, when a big one hits! From CA to St. Louis to NY and countries

beyond.

.. .

Jan Patenaude

What to do if caught in an Earthquake...

EXTRACT FROM DOUG COPP'S ARTICLE ON THE: 'TRIANGLE OF LIFE'

My name is Doug Copp. I am the Rescue Chief and Disaster Manager of the

American Rescue Team International (ARTI), the world's most experienced

rescue team. The information in this article will save lives in an

earthquake.

I have crawled inside 875 collapsed buildings, worked with rescue teams

from 60 countries, founded rescue teams in several countries, and I am a

member of many rescue teams from many countries.

I was the United Nations expert in Disaster Mitigation for two years. I

have worked at every major disaster in the world since 1985, except for

simultaneous disasters.

The first building I ever crawled inside of was a school in Mexico City

during the 1985 earthquake. Every child was under its 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. It was obscene, unnecessary and I

wondered why the children were not in the aisles. I didn't at the time know

that the children were told to hide under something.

Simply stated, when buildings collapse, the weight of the ceilings falling

upon the objects or furniture inside crushes these objects, leaving a

space or void next to them. This space is what I call the 'triangle of

life'.

The larger the object, the stronger, the less it will compact. The less

the object compacts, the larger the void, the greater the probability that

the person who is using this void for safety will not be injured. The next

time you watch collapsed buildings, on television, count the 'triangles' you

see formed. They are everywhere. It is the most common shape, you will see,

in a collapsed building.

TIPS FOR EARTHQUAKE SAFETY

1) Most everyone who simply 'ducks and covers' WHEN BUILDINGS COLLAPSE are

crushed to death. People who get under objects, like desks or cars, are

crushed.

2) Cats, dogs and babies often naturally curl up in the fetal position.

You should too in an earthquake. It is a natural safety/survival instinct.

You can survive in a smaller void(empty space). 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.

3) Wooden buildings are the safest type of construction to be in during an

earthquake. Wood is flexible and moves with the force of the earthquake.

If the wooden building does collapse, large survival voids are created.

Also, the wooden building has less concentrated, crushing weight. Brick

buildings will break into individual bricks. Bricks will cause many injuries

but

less squashed bodies than concrete slabs.

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. Hotels can achieve

a

much greater survival rate in earthquakes, simply by posting a sign on the

back of the door of every room telling occupants to lie down on the floor,

next to the bottom of the bed during an earthquake.

5) If an earthquake happens and you cannot easily escape by getting out

the door or window, then lie down and curl up in the fetal position next to

a

sofa, or large chair.

6) Most everyone who gets under a doorway when buildings collapse is

killed. How? If you stand under a doorway and the doorjamb falls forward or

backward you will be crushed by the ceiling above. If the door jam falls

sideways you will be cut in half by the doorway. In either case, you will be

killed!

7) Never go to the stairs. The stairs have a different 'moment of

frequency' (they swing separately from the main part of the building).

The stairs and remainder of the building continuously bump into each other

until structural failure of the stairs takes place. The people who get on

stairs before they fail are chopped up by the stair treads - horribly

mutilated. Even if the building doesn't collapse, stay away from the stairs.

The stairs are a likely part of the building to be damaged. Even if the

stairs are not collapsed by the earthquake, they may collapse later when

overloaded by fleeing people. They should always be checked for safety, even

when the rest of the building is not damaged.

8) Get Near the Outer Walls Of Buildings Or Outside Of Them If Possible -

It is much better to be near the outside of the building rather than the

interior. The farther inside you are from the outside perimeter of the

building the greater the probability that your escape route will be blocked.

9) People inside of their vehicles are crushed when the road above falls

in an earthquake and crushes their vehicles; which is exactly what happened

with the slabs between the decks of the Nimitz Freeway. The victims of the

San Francisco earthquake all stayed inside of their vehicles. They were all

killed. They could have easily survived by getting out and sitting or

lying next to their vehicles. Everyone killed would have survived if they

had

been able to get out of their cars and sit or lie next to them. All the

crushed cars had voids 3 feet high next to them, except for the cars that

had

columns fall directly across them.

10) I discovered, while crawling inside of collapsed newspaper offices and

other offices with a lot of paper, that paper does not compact. Large

voids are found surrounding stacks of paper.

Spread the word and save someone's life... The Entire world is

experiencing natural calamities so be prepared!

'We are but angels with one wing, it takes two to fly'

In 1996 we made a film, which proved my survival methodology to be

correct. The Turkish Federal Government, City of Istanbul , University of

Istanbul

Case Productions and ARTI cooperated to film this practical, scientific

test. We collapsed a school and a home with 20 mannequins inside. Ten

mannequins did 'duck and cover,' and ten mannequins I used in my 'triangle

of

life' survival method.

After the simulated earthquake collapse we crawled through the rubble and

entered the building to film and document the results. The film, in which I

practiced my survival techniques under directly observable, scientific

conditions, relevant to building collapse, showed there would have been zero

percent survival for those doing duck and cover.

There would likely have been 100 percent survivability for people using my

method of the 'triangle of life.' This film has been seen by millions of

viewers on television in Turkey and the rest of Europe, and it was seen in

the USA, Canada and Latin America on the TV program Real TV.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Guest guest

Guest guest

Posted
Posted

Thanks Digna. I will look into it.  This has come up quite a bit within our

very large, and poorly funded school district ( all districts in CA are facing

huge cutbacks).  I will definitely ask these questions at my sons school.

We do live vey close to an active faultline and usually do go about our every

day lives not worrying too much, but we also have a large Japanese community

here, and seeing their stress over loved ones has really hit a nerve. 

From: Digna Cassens <dignacassens@...

<mailto:dignacassens%40roadrunner.com> <mailto:dignacassens%40roadrunner.com> >

Subject: RE: What to do if caught in an Earthquake -Non Nutrition, just

life saving

To: rd-usa <mailto:rd-usa%40yahoogroups.com>

<mailto:rd-usa%40yahoogroups.com>

Cc: LEAP_RDs <mailto:LEAP_RDs%40yahoogroups.com>

<mailto:LEAP_RDs%40yahoogroups.com>

Date: Thursday, March 24, 2011, 10:51 PM

This is an interest opinion, Jan, but as somewhat of an expert in disaster

and emergency management and survival, I have to caution everyone about

following some of the methods advertised without doing further research. At

the time of a disaster and emergency situation, each person must make a very

individual and well informed choice. It's bad enough that there will be that

natural panic and adrenalin surge that clouds the mind, even if briefly, but

both sides of this advice should be published. So from Snopes, here's this.

And I'm posting it w/o permission because I consider this a matter of life

and death, and no one grants us permission for either one.

Published in snopes and the snopes.com logo are registered service marks of

snopes.com.

Origins: We can't say that every single point mentioned in the above

article about earthquake safety by controversial " rescue expert " Doug Copp

is wrong or bad advice, but there are some pretty substantial reasons why

readers might want to take the article (particularly its advice that

everyone who uses the " duck and cover " technique in an earthquake ends up

crushed to death) with some very large grains of salt.

1) Disaster preparedness experts with the American Red Cross have disputed

that findings based on earthquake experiences in other countries (e.g.,

Turkey) are applicable to earthquake situations that might occur in the

United States, where building codes are substantially different: We at the

American Red Cross have studied the research on the topic of earthquake

safety for many years. We have benefited from extensive research done by the

California Office of Emergency Services, California Seismic Safety

Commission, professional and academic research organizations, and emergency

management agencies, who have also studied the recommendation to " drop,

cover, and hold on! " during the shaking of an earthquake. Personally, I have

also benefited from those who preceded me in doing earthquake education in

California since the Field Act was passed in 1933. What the claims made by

Mr. Copp of ARTI, Inc., does not seem to distinguish is that the

recommendation to " drop, cover, and hold on! " is a U.S.-based recommendation

based on U.S. Building Codes and construction standards. Much research in

the United States has confirmed that " Drop, Cover, and Hold On! " has saved

lives in the United States. Engineering researchers have demonstrated that

very few buildings collapse or " pancake " in the U.S. as they might do in

other countries. Using a web site to show one picture of one U.S. building

that had a partial collapse after a major quake in an area with thousands of

buildings that did not collapse during the same quake is inappropriate and

misleading.

2) The validity of the research methodology and conclusions expressed in the

article quoted above has been criticized by other disaster preparedness

experts: Copp likes to base his evidence on the Turkish " experiment "

that he was involved with. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to all involved, this

was not an experiment at all, but rather a voluntary organization's search

and rescue exercise. My colleagues in Turkey corroborate that a building

scheduled for demolition was used as a search and rescue training

opportunity. They did decide to put mannequins in different spots to see

what would happen. And indeed they reported finding mannequins unharmed next

to large and heavy objects. What is the problem with this? Simply

this: To collapse the building, they rammed the columns, causing the

building to pancake. They did NOT simulate an earthquake. Earthquakes come

in waves. They cause lateral shaking. They cause a variety of different

kinds of damage. Since this experiment didn't produce anything resembling

shaking it really doesn't tell us anything at all about what would happen

during an earthquake.

3) Doug Copp's claim that he performed rescue work at the World Trade Center

(for which he was paid $650,000 in compensation for injuries he supposedly

sustained there) has been challenged in a series of articles published in

the Albuquerque Journal describing him as a self-serving opportunist rather

than a true rescue expert: Self-proclaimed rescue guru Doug

Copp's mission to ground zero was considered so important that he had

clearance to be flown to New York even though all civilian air traffic in

the United States had been grounded. Once there, he says he assumed a

pivotal role and sustained devastating injuries while wading through the

" toxic soup " in search of survivors and victims, and was awarded nearly

$650,000 for his injuries. But there is little evidence Copp performed real

rescue work, and it is doubtful that he deserves compensation.

Doug Copp was awarded $649,000, tax free, from the fund set up to compensate

victims of 9/11. He says it's not enough. But it's doubtful he deserves

anything. A Journal investigation found little evidence that Copp did real

rescue work in New York. His forays into the rubble were to shoot video,

some of which he tried to sell. His claim of seeking medical care within the

time frame appears false. All typical of Copp's years as a self-proclaimed

rescue guru.

(Other entries in the Albuquerque Journal's series of articles relayed

complaints from numerous people who dealt with Mr. Copp and noted that he

was under investigation by a U.S. Department of Justice fraud unit.)

We'd recommend sticking with safety information prepared by established

earthquake safety experts, such as the American Red Cross, the Federal

Emergency Management Agency, and Earthquake Country Alliance.

Last updated: 24 April 2010

Urban Legends Reference Pages C 1995-2011 by Barbara and P. Mikkelson.

Sources:

Linthicum, . " New Mexican's Claims of Ground Zero Rescue Work

Called Into Question. "

Albuquerque Journal. 11 July 2004.

Linthicum, . " 'Bombero' Arrives at Ground Zero. "

Albuquerque Journal. 12 July 2004.

Linthicum, . " Striking Out at Ground Zero. "

Albuquerque Journal. 13 July 2004.

Linthicum, . " 'Knucklehead' or Hero? "

Albuquerque Journal. 14 July 2004.

Linthicum, . " Widow Tells of Copp Ordeal. "

Albuquerque Journal. 18 July 2004.

Linthicum, . " Feds Investigate 9/11 Injury Claim. "

Albuquerque Journal. 18 July 2004.

From: rd-usa <mailto:rd-usa%40yahoogroups.com>

<mailto:rd-usa%40yahoogroups.com> [mailto:rd-usa

<mailto:rd-usa%40yahoogroups.com> <mailto:rd-usa%40yahoogroups.com> ] On Behalf

Of

Dineright4@... <mailto:Dineright4%40aol.com> <mailto:Dineright4%40aol.com>

Sent: Thursday, March 24, 2011 10:15 PM

To: rd-usa <mailto:rd-usa%40yahoogroups.com>

<mailto:rd-usa%40yahoogroups.com>

Cc: LEAP_RDs <mailto:LEAP_RDs%40yahoogroups.com>

<mailto:LEAP_RDs%40yahoogroups.com>

Subject: What to do if caught in an Earthquake -Non Nutrition, just

life saving

Great info. Makes perfect sense when you think about it. Share with your

family and friends.

Even if not in an earthquake zone, what if you happen to be in one,

traveling, when a big one hits! From CA to St. Louis to NY and countries

beyond.

.. .

Jan Patenaude

What to do if caught in an Earthquake...

EXTRACT FROM DOUG COPP'S ARTICLE ON THE: 'TRIANGLE OF LIFE'

My name is Doug Copp. I am the Rescue Chief and Disaster Manager of the

American Rescue Team International (ARTI), the world's most experienced

rescue team. The information in this article will save lives in an

earthquake.

I have crawled inside 875 collapsed buildings, worked with rescue teams

from 60 countries, founded rescue teams in several countries, and I am a

member of many rescue teams from many countries.

I was the United Nations expert in Disaster Mitigation for two years. I

have worked at every major disaster in the world since 1985, except for

simultaneous disasters.

The first building I ever crawled inside of was a school in Mexico City

during the 1985 earthquake. Every child was under its 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. It was obscene, unnecessary and I

wondered why the children were not in the aisles. I didn't at the time know

that the children were told to hide under something.

Simply stated, when buildings collapse, the weight of the ceilings falling

upon the objects or furniture inside crushes these objects, leaving a

space or void next to them. This space is what I call the 'triangle of

life'.

The larger the object, the stronger, the less it will compact. The less

the object compacts, the larger the void, the greater the probability that

the person who is using this void for safety will not be injured. The next

time you watch collapsed buildings, on television, count the 'triangles' you

see formed. They are everywhere. It is the most common shape, you will see,

in a collapsed building.

TIPS FOR EARTHQUAKE SAFETY

1) Most everyone who simply 'ducks and covers' WHEN BUILDINGS COLLAPSE are

crushed to death. People who get under objects, like desks or cars, are

crushed.

2) Cats, dogs and babies often naturally curl up in the fetal position.

You should too in an earthquake. It is a natural safety/survival instinct.

You can survive in a smaller void(empty space). 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.

3) Wooden buildings are the safest type of construction to be in during an

earthquake. Wood is flexible and moves with the force of the earthquake.

If the wooden building does collapse, large survival voids are created.

Also, the wooden building has less concentrated, crushing weight. Brick

buildings will break into individual bricks. Bricks will cause many injuries

but

less squashed bodies than concrete slabs.

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. Hotels can achieve

a

much greater survival rate in earthquakes, simply by posting a sign on the

back of the door of every room telling occupants to lie down on the floor,

next to the bottom of the bed during an earthquake.

5) If an earthquake happens and you cannot easily escape by getting out

the door or window, then lie down and curl up in the fetal position next to

a

sofa, or large chair.

6) Most everyone who gets under a doorway when buildings collapse is

killed. How? If you stand under a doorway and the doorjamb falls forward or

backward you will be crushed by the ceiling above. If the door jam falls

sideways you will be cut in half by the doorway. In either case, you will be

killed!

7) Never go to the stairs. The stairs have a different 'moment of

frequency' (they swing separately from the main part of the building).

The stairs and remainder of the building continuously bump into each other

until structural failure of the stairs takes place. The people who get on

stairs before they fail are chopped up by the stair treads - horribly

mutilated. Even if the building doesn't collapse, stay away from the stairs.

The stairs are a likely part of the building to be damaged. Even if the

stairs are not collapsed by the earthquake, they may collapse later when

overloaded by fleeing people. They should always be checked for safety, even

when the rest of the building is not damaged.

8) Get Near the Outer Walls Of Buildings Or Outside Of Them If Possible -

It is much better to be near the outside of the building rather than the

interior. The farther inside you are from the outside perimeter of the

building the greater the probability that your escape route will be blocked.

9) People inside of their vehicles are crushed when the road above falls

in an earthquake and crushes their vehicles; which is exactly what happened

with the slabs between the decks of the Nimitz Freeway. The victims of the

San Francisco earthquake all stayed inside of their vehicles. They were all

killed. They could have easily survived by getting out and sitting or

lying next to their vehicles. Everyone killed would have survived if they

had

been able to get out of their cars and sit or lie next to them. All the

crushed cars had voids 3 feet high next to them, except for the cars that

had

columns fall directly across them.

10) I discovered, while crawling inside of collapsed newspaper offices and

other offices with a lot of paper, that paper does not compact. Large

voids are found surrounding stacks of paper.

Spread the word and save someone's life... The Entire world is

experiencing natural calamities so be prepared!

'We are but angels with one wing, it takes two to fly'

In 1996 we made a film, which proved my survival methodology to be

correct. The Turkish Federal Government, City of Istanbul , University of

Istanbul

Case Productions and ARTI cooperated to film this practical, scientific

test. We collapsed a school and a home with 20 mannequins inside. Ten

mannequins did 'duck and cover,' and ten mannequins I used in my 'triangle

of

life' survival method.

After the simulated earthquake collapse we crawled through the rubble and

entered the building to film and document the results. The film, in which I

practiced my survival techniques under directly observable, scientific

conditions, relevant to building collapse, showed there would have been zero

percent survival for those doing duck and cover.

There would likely have been 100 percent survivability for people using my

method of the 'triangle of life.' This film has been seen by millions of

viewers on television in Turkey and the rest of Europe, and it was seen in

the USA, Canada and Latin America on the TV program Real TV.

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