Arlington County
ACS-RACES
Operator Type III
Annual Recertification
Unit 1
Disaster
Survival
Skills
for the Urban
Environment
OBJECTIVES
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Why teach “survival” in the city?
Catastrophes vs. disasters
– This is about your SURVIVAL, not volunteering
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Priorities for human survival
Break-out sessions:
– Shelter construction
– Fire making
– Signaling
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Equipment and supplies
Social implications of disasters
– Personal security concerns
2
“Disaster ” versus “Catastrophe”
Disasters are short term
“Make do for 3-4 days until help arrives…”
Catastrophic events are long term
• Katrina-scale hurricane, tsunami, earthquake
• Major terror attack, nuclear detonation, dirty bomb
• No help is coming soon, “you are on your own”
Why?
• Complete loss of civil infrastructure
• Minimal or no police, fire or EMS response
• No electricity, municipal water, communications
• Transport of fuel / food is severely impaired
• Public safety agencies will be overwhelmed
• Recovery is long term (over 30 days)
3
What the military survival schools teach:
Seven Priorities For Survival:
“Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst”
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Positive mental attitude
First Aid / Sanitation
Shelter
Signaling
Fire
http://www.equipped.com/fm21-76.htm
Water
Food
4
Positive Mental Attitude
Situational awareness, basic knowledge and a
“survivor’s mindset” enable you to cope effectively
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STOP
– Calm down, and size up your situation…
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THINK
– Anticipate which hazards are most likely
– Take stock of materials and resources around you
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OBSERVE
– Orient yourself to your surroundings
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PLAN
– Select equipment and supplies appropriately
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ACT!
– Execute the plan, evaluate progress, adjust, go on.
5
DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
Have an evacuation kit ready at all times
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Don't presume that a disaster will be short-term
Pack essentials first, then consider comfort items
In real emergences, forget last-minute purchases
Plan for more supplies than you “think” you may need
Inspect / renew your supplies each spring and fall
Provide entertainment for young children.
6
WHEN “IT” HITS THE FAN”
Use these six steps in problem solving
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Size Up ...your Situation
Determine... Objectives (stay or evacuate?)
Identify ...Resources (either stored supplies
or salvaged materials from your surroundings)
Evaluate …Options (use the safest way)
Build ...an action Plan (use your head)
Take ...Action
– re-evaluate your action plan, adapt, improvise and overcome!
7
FIRST AID AND SANITATION

Maintain personal and family health
– Prompt treatment reduces infection risk
– Sanitation reduces risk of disease vectors
– Water borne illnesses, diarrhea
Major cause of dehydration
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Increases your survivability!
8
Disaster Injury Risk Factors
Tool / equipment hazards, risk of hand,
eye, head injuries, electric shock, chemical burns
 Human factors, stress / fatigue
 Structural instability
– Trauma risk, falls, building collapse potential
 Terrain, loose rock, fallen limbs, wet or insecure
footing, risk of falls, puncture wounds and
lacerations from debris.
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9
Disaster Contamination
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Stagnant surface water
– Mosquito breeding
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Contaminated flood waters
– Sewage treatment system overflow
– Petroleum, industrial, agricultural
chemical contamination
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Airborne contaminant plumes
– Smoke, dust, toxic gases,
– or radioactive fallout.
10
SHELTER
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Protection from the elements
Wind and rain resistant
Insulation from cold
11
The “Stay or Evacuate” Decision
If evacuation is not mandatory, the same safety rules for
entering a structure apply to using your home as shelter
DO NOT OCCUPY IF:
• There is structural damage
(6 sides of the “box” are not plumb)
• Utilities cannot be controlled
• Structure was damaged in a fire
DO NOT occupy a floor that has been flooded, mold grows fast!
12
EVACUATION PLANNING
It’s usually best to relocate with friends or
relatives who live outside of the affected area
• Don't rely on government-run shelters
•
• They are an “option of last resort” for those unable to evacuate
Evacuation route selection is important
• Make sure your vehicle can carry essentials
•
• A huge “bug-out” vehicle is a handicap on crowded roads
• It uses more fuel, which may be expensive / scarce in an emergency.
•
Don't plan on fuel being available en route
• In normal times always keep your gas tank at least half full
• Upon warning an event is imminent, conserve fuel, keep tank ¾ full
• Carry extra fuel containers outside the vehicle
13
FROM NATIONAL THREAT SCENARIO
Nuclear Detonation – 10-Kiloton Improvised Nuclear Device
http://iis-db.stanford.edu/pubs/21872/DayAfterWorkshopReport.pdf
An attack may:
•be single or up to a dozen detonations
- on specific or random targets.
•be an act of a non-state
-, i.e. a terrorist group such as Al Qaeda.
•be threatened to trigger a political result,
- bend will of the people.
•involve either a detonation (fission/fusion)
- or release via a Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD)
•occur all in one attack
– or recur over a period of weeks, months, years.
LOW YIELD WEAPON EFECTS

Contamination from a Radiological Dispersal Device
(RDD) would cover up to a few hundred acres with
low-level radioactive material;
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/radiation/pdf/dirtybombs.pdf
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A nuclear detonation would affect large areas (10100 sq. miles) damaged by direct effects and 100s
to 1,000s of sq. miles with radioactive fallout.
http://www.nti.org/e_research/cnwm/overview/technical3.asp?print=true

Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) – a terrorist attack
would most likely be a small device <10 kilotons
yield, EMP effect of a ground burst would be mostly
within the Moderate Damage Radius, but also
propagated by conductors such as power and
telephone lines, railroad tracks, pipelines, etc.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_pulse
EMP Precautions
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Disconnect electronics from conductors
(AC mains and antennas)
Store small solid-state electronics having
Field Effect Transistors (FET) or other
integrated circuits (IC) in a Faraday Cage
(an unplugged microwave oven)
Construct EMP-resistant containers
constructed with a continuously sealed
metal barrier (foil covered cardboard boxes)
Most susceptible to EMP damage are
automobiles with onboard "computers"
which control essential functions.
EVACUATION
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Feasible only if all personnel can evacuate before
fallout contamination arrives and;
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Essential functions for Continuity of Operations are
transferred to an alternate facility
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Affected area would have to be small and warning
time adequate to execute the evacuation
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Detonation effects (blast/thermal/EMP) will likely
impede evacuation
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Evacuees may be exposed and/or contaminated.
Evacuate or Stay Decision?
Conclusion from FEMA Urban-Rural Evacuation State Planners Workshop Sept. 2006
Given
● Population of the DC Metro area
● Propensity to self-evacuate, overwhelmingly
by automobile
● Wide distribution of evacuation destinations,
● Perceived vulnerability to terror attack,
and anticipation of multiple attacks
Result:
● A large-scale, chaotic mass self-evacuation
should be anticipated.
SHELTER IN PLACE
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Critical facilities that cannot evacuate (hospitals, EOCs)
must continue to operate

Necessary if fallout/contamination would arrive before
evacuation can be completed

Fallout Shelters will be needed to protect against high
level radiation/detonation
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Shelter-in-place (not necessarily Fallout Shelter) near
RDD/very low level
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Shelter stay may range from a few days to 2 weeks.
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Authorities outside affected area can organize
rescue/evacuation effort
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Shelter occupants may be exposed and/or contaminated.
SHELTER IN PLACE
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Necessary if operations can not be
transferred or if staff, patients or clients
cannot evacuate
Necessary if needed to support operations
of other response agencies
Must have Radiological Monitoring &
Exposure Control capabilities
Critical Facilities may be used to shelter
families of the staff
Critical Facilities will not be used to shelter
the general public.
DECONTAMINATION after a flood or attack
Start immediately, even if you don’t know what the agent is.
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Sandia decontamination foam (US Patent 6,566,574 B1) sold
as Scott's Liquid Gold Mold Control 500 in hardware stores.
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Is effective against most chemical and
biological agents, including nerve, blister,
anthrax, SARS, Norwalk, avian and common flu.
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Widely used for hospital /hotel sanitization
mold remediation in commercial buildings,
cleaning / neutralizing agricultural sprayers.
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Moderate cost, about $30 at Home Depot.
http://www.sandia.gov/news/resources/releases/2007/moldcontrol.html
EXPEDIENT FIELD DECONTAMINATION
if you are contaminated:
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Remove everything, including jewelry
Cut off clothing normally removed over the head
Place contaminated clothing in plastic bag, tie closed
Wash your hands before using them to shower
Flush entire body with cool water
Blot dry with absorbent cloth
Put on clean clothes
Avoid use of affected areas, to prevent re-exposure
If professional help arrives, report to responders for
thorough decontamination and medical assessment.
NUCLEAR ATTACK ISSUES
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Structural damage to shelter from nearby
detonation
Fire in the shelter
Dangerously high radiation levels
Severely high temperatures and humidity
Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide imbalance in
the shelter
Depletion of essential supplies
Disease and injury
Unrest, anxiety, crime or defiance of order
or authority
Substantial barriers offer best protection
Time - Fallout radiation
intensity decays rapidly;
90% in just the first 7 hours.
The less time you spend in a
radiation field, the less dose
received.
Distance - The farther you are
from a source, the less dose
you receive.
Shielding - Denser (heavier,
massive) materials absorb
more radiation. Greater
thickness of any given material
absorbs more radiation.
Protection Factors & Mass of Materials
*PF = “Protection Factor” refers to the ratio between the radiation dose rate of the OUTSIDE to that
INSIDE the shelter, for instance a PF = 10 means that the inside dose rate is 1/10th the outside rate.
How Much Protection?
PF*
2
4
8
16
32
64
128
1000
2000
Lead
.3""
.5"
1.0"
1.2"
1.5"
2.0"
2.1"
3.0"
3.3"
Steel
.7"
1.5"
2.0"
3.0"
4.0"
4.2"
5.0"
7.0"
7.7"
Concrete Earth
2.0"
3.3"
5.0"
7.0"
6.5"
10.0"
9.0"
14.0"
12.0"
15.0"
13.2"
19.8"
15.0"
2 ft
22.0"
33.0"
2 ft
3 ft
Water
5"
10"
15"
20"
2 ft
2.5ft
3 ft
4 ft
4.5 ft
Wood
9"
15"
27"
3 ft
4 ft
4.5 ft
5 ft
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Outside radiation, divided by the Protection Factor, is reduced in proportion. For example,
if the outside radiation rate is 1,000 R/hr, a person shielded by 3 ft. of earth would receive
a dose rate of .5 R/hr. but a person shielded by 1 ft of earth would receive about 10 R/hr.
IMPROVE HOME FALLOUT PROTECTION
Increase shielding by:
1) Plan / improvise vents, ventilation & 2 entrances.
2) Add wooden shoring supports below each story.
3) Add up to 12” maximum dirt on upper floors/roof.
4) Cover window opening with plywood sheeting.
5) Pile dirt to ceiling height along outside walls &
windows.
Sheltering at Home During an Emergency
For using a building without working utilities as shelter
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Exhaust – candles, camp stoves,
lanterns, generators, heaters, charcoal
grills, all generate carbon monoxide and
must not be used indoors!
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Open flame – above ignition sources
must never be left unattended!
Fuel – most of the above require
flammable fuels to operate, which
must be stored outdoors.
– Use Fire Marshal approved fuel containers
14
Generator Safety Tips
From the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/portgen.pdf
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Carbon monoxide hazard!
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Never use indoors or in attached garages!
Set up OUTDOORS in well ventilated, dry area
Away from open windows or HVAC air intakes
Under a canopy, open shed or carport
Electrocution Hazard!
– Ground both the generator and equipment!
– Plug only individual devices into generator
– DO NOT connect into household AC!
– UL-rated cords of gage adequate for load
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Explosion / fire hazard!
– Fuel vapors traveling along the ground can be ignited
by switching equipment or appliance pilot lights!
Improvised Emergency Shelters
As in all real estate, most important is location:
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Avoid low spots with poor drainage
 Seek a gently sloped area so that
surface water drains away
 Sheltered from prevailing winds
 Away from bodies of water (attracts
insects and animals)
 Insulated from direct contact with
ground, rock, or concrete, which
conducts away body heat.
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Avoid as shelter
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Areas around downed
utility lines
In or near culverts
Within the “collapse
zone” of a damaged
building
– (maintain 2:1 ratio of distance
away to building height)
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Improvised Shelters
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Sheds
 Tents
 Tarps
 Vehicles
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Don’t disable a good car!
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Remove car batteries to power
communications and shelter lighting
only from cars that do not start
– If a car starts reserve it for emergency evacuation, or
– Use it as a “battery charger”
– Salvage lighting, remove dome lights, tail lights, trunk
lights, etc. & with at least 36” of wires.
– Position batteries in shelter; attach wires & lights
– As batteries discharge, replace with new batteries or
recharge batteries.
Emergency Shelter Materials
Salvage building materials from debris or from damaged
structures only when it can be done safely
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TYVEK building wrap
 Plastic sheeting
 Roofing paper and shingles
 Siding, plywood
 Chain link fence
 Lumber
 Carpeting
 Wire, rope, and fasteners
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Build Your Shelter In Layers
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Structural framing, lumber, plywood, fencing, metal
Fasteners, reinforce structural connections with
nails, wire or rope ties, wooden spikes
Water and wind proofing, TYVEK, plastic sheeting,
tarp, shingles, roofing paper
Insulation, drywall, leaves, tree branches, carpeting,
(may also be used as ballast to hold water/wind
proofing layer in place)
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SIGNALLING
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Day
–
–
–
–
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Mirror flashes – best daylight signal device
http://www.bestglide.com/VS17_Signal_Panel.html 
Smoke
Brightly colored cloth flag / panel (VS-17)
ICAO surface-to-air signals

Night
– Flashing strobe light
– Fire
– Signal flares
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Sound
– Whistle, vehicle horn
V Require assistance
X Need medical
assistance
Y Yes - affirmative
N No - negative
→ I am proceeding
in this direction
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Signal Mirror
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Simple, inexpensive, effective
 Doesn’t rely on batteries or pyrotechnics
 Visible from 5 to 10 miles in daylight
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FIRE
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Maintains body temperature
Great morale booster
Deters wild animals and insects
Boils water
Cooks food
Used as day (smoke)
or night (light) signal
22
Fire making methods
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Matches or lighter
Flint and steel
– Use cotton ball and petroleum jelly as tinder
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Battery and steel wool
Burning lens
http://www.ehow.com/how_18193_make-fire-starters.html
23
WATER
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Minimum for drinking
– 1 gallon per person, per day
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More water is needed for
– Cooking and food preparation
– Personal hygiene, sanitation and
decontamination
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Store a two week supply as minimum
– Food grade containers with screw caps
– Away from direct sunlight
24
Emergency Water Sources
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Captive water in household hot water tank and
interior plumbing is OK
Filter cloudy water to remove particulates, using
an EPA-rated filter with a pore size ≤ 1 micron,
then:
Disinfect with Clorox (6% sodium hypochlorite)
add 8 drops of bleach per gallon if clear, 16 drops
if cloudy, let water stand 15 minutes before use
Or boil vigorously for 15 minutes
Store potable water in clean containers.
25
All surface water is contaminated!
All natural sources (from springs, ponds, rivers
or streams) must be boiled or chemically
disinfected.
 Chemical disinfection or boiling

– Kills bacteria and viruses
– Doesn’t remove particulates or chemical pollutants
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Filtration
– Coffee filters, etc. remove gross particulates only
– EPA-rated filters (pore size is smaller than 1 micron)
are needed to remove bacteria, viruses and Giardia
cysts, but don’t remove chemical pollutants.

Distillation is the most effective method.
26
FOOD

Lowest of the seven survival priorities
 Need is mostly mental, because we are
used to eating regularly
 Healthy people will do OK without food
for a week or more, if they are well
hydrated
 Balanced nutrition is a more important
health factor for elderly and infants.
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Shelf life of foods stored in the home
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Food in a refrigerator is safe for a day after the power
goes off, either use it in 24 hours or throw it away
Frozen food is safe if there are still ice crystals, once
thawed, cook and consume it within 24 hours
Next use non-perishables and dry staples
Canned foods are best for long term storage (up to 4
years) but are heavy to transport and bulky to store
Dry packaged foods are easiest to transport
Choose foods requiring minimal preparation
Eat at least one balanced meal daily
Include nutritional supplements in supplies
Drink enough water.
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Emergency Food supplies
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MREs, or Heater Meals®
Prepared survival rations
Primitive survival methods:
– Fishing
– Hunting
– Trapping
– Foraging
29
TOOLS and EQUIPMENT
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Folding utility knife or multi-tool
– Scout type, Leatherman®, Swiss Army or Mil-K-818
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Manual can opener
Sturdy fixed blade
↓
– For chopping, digging, or as pry bar
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Shovel
Hand saw
Axe
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OTHER SUPPLIES
Each person should have their own backpack of
personal essentials
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Flashlight
Portable radio
Extra batteries
First Aid Kit, (containing a first aid manual)
Personal medications and sanitation supplies
Cooking and eating utensils
Wool blanket or sleeping bag for each person
Sturdy shoes and extra socks
Rain gear
Change of warm clothing and underwear
Items for special needs, care of infants
31
DISASTER FINANCIAL PLANNING
http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/beprepared/FinRecovery/FinPlan/
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Electronic transactions, account
verifications may be impossible
Evacuate with enough cash for at
least two weeks of essentials
Carry account numbers, contact
addresses and telephone numbers for
all important persons and institutions
Helping one's unprepared friends and
neighbors may prove expensive!
32
SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF DISASTERS
Cumulative psychological effects upon survivors

Evacuate or Stay? – Do you have a plan?
Where will you go? Is it safe to travel? Can you REALLY get there?
Do you have enough resources to make it work?

Warn friends not to invite others to come and
evacuate with them
– They’ll overwhelm your limited resources!

Never allow family members to be separated
– Even if it means waiting for later rescue and/or evacuation

The well prepared may be threatened by those
who weren't – get to know your neighbors NOW
for a safer community later in case of a disaster
– Make plans to ensure neighborhood security/family protection
– Post a guard in rotating shifts, to deter roving criminals or looters
– Keep firearms and ammunition safely secured
– Take a home firearms safety-protection course
33
Lessons from Hurricane Katrina
When help arrives, you may get it
“…….whether you want it or not.”
Don't believe that all rescuers will respect your
property
 Relief workers from other States often don't
know local laws
 Relief organizations have their own bureaucratic
requirements that may conflict with your needs
 Expect frustration over lack of communication
and empathy by rescuers and local/State
government.
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IN CONCLUSION:
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Positive attitude – Stop Think Observe Plan
First Aid / Sanitation – Maintain proper hygiene,
preserve family health, and prevent illness or injury
Shelter – Protection from environmental hazards
Signaling / Communication- be heard / seen
Fire – Warmth, light, food prep, water sterilization
Water – Prevent water-borne illnesses through
filtration, chemical sterilization, boiling or distillation
Food – Eat at least one balanced meal daily, drink
enough water, include nutritional supplements
Equipment- Flashlight, knife, saw, axe, shovel
Planning – Prepare a Kit, Make A Plan! www.Ready.gov
Sources for further information
http://www.fema.gov/txt/library/f&web.txt
 http://www.vaemergency.com/prepare/planning/index.cfm
 http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/housing/356-479/356-479.html
 http://www.dhmh.state.md.us/psa/riskmgt/disastersupplies.htm
 http://solutionsforyourlife.ufl.edu/disaster_prep/
 http://www.dougritter.com/home.htm
 http://www.domprep.com/legacy/dpjournal/DPJournal0607.pdf
 http://www.domprep.com/Resilience/Resilience_Tips/
 http://www.cityofmemphis.org/pdf_forms/dirtyBlast.pdf
 http://www.bt.cdc.gov/radiation/dirtybombs.asp
 http://www.oism.org/nwss/s73p926.htm
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survival_skills
 http://www.nrahq.org/education/training/find.asp?State=VA&Type=HFS

Acknowledgements
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
 Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department
 Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
 Huntsville-Madison County, Alabama, EMA
 Doug Ritter
 Derek Rowan
 Steve Willey
 University of Florida IFAS Extension
 Virginia Cooperative Extension Service
 Virginia Department of Emergency Management
 Virginia Department of Health
 Virginia RACES, Incorporated
