Copyright Digital 2000, Inc. and Doug Copp All Rights Reserved,

2 Copyright Digital 2000, Inc. and Doug Copp All Rights Reserved, 2008

 Doug Copp ◦ Rescue Chief and Disaster Manager of the American Rescue Team International (ARTI), the world’s most experienced rescue team, the Canadian International Rescue Organization (CIRO), CBP, GOER, AKUT… ◦ Has crawled inside 894 collapsed buildings ◦ Worked with rescue teams from 60 countries ◦ Founded rescue teams ◦ in many countries ◦ Trained thousands ◦ of rescuers. 3 Copyright Digital 2000, Inc. and Doug Copp All Rights Reserved, 2008

◦ A member of many rescue teams throughout the world ◦ United Nations (UNX051-UNIENET) expert in Disaster Mitigation for two years. ◦ Prior to his 911 injuries, Doug had worked at almost every major disaster in the world since 1985, except for simultaneous disasters 4 Copyright Digital 2000, Inc. and Doug Copp All Rights Reserved, 2008

JUST DON’T WORK ◦ Doug is adamant in trying to improve disaster preparedness/training throughout the world. He knows that some of the old methods JUST DON’T WORK. 5 Copyright Digital 2000, Inc. and Doug Copp All Rights Reserved, 2008

 Based upon Doug’s experience in thousands of collapsed buildings, he is not a fan of Duck and Cover. Let’s look at why he thinks Duck and Cover should be eliminated in disaster training. 6 Copyright Digital 2000, Inc. and Doug Copp All Rights Reserved, 2008

 Duck and Cover was first introduced during the Cold War as a means of “protection” from any nuclear blast that would occur should a nuclear weapon be detonated, near you.  If you saw a nuclear flash; while at a picnic, the commercial taught you that you would be saved or protected by covering your head with a newspaper or a blanket! 7 Copyright Digital 2000, Inc. and Doug Copp All Rights Reserved, 2008

non- survivable position  Experience has shown that an individual who ducks under a piece of furniture during an earthquake, that furniture will be crushed by the impact of other sources compacting it, in turn crushing the individual. Duck and Cover leaves the individual virtually in a non- survivable position. Statistically, throughout the world, most dead victims are recovered squashed under desks when the flimsy legs snap. 8 Copyright Digital 2000, Inc. and Doug Copp All Rights Reserved, 2008

 In some advanced countries, such as Japan and Korea, their building standards in many cases are much higher than the United States. Nevertheless, futuristic Kobe suffered $300 billion damage to its skyscrapers. 9 Copyright Digital 2000, Inc. and Doug Copp All Rights Reserved, 2008

 Most people who get under a doorway when buildings collapse are killed. ◦ If you stand under a doorway and the door jamb falls forward or backward  You will be crushed by the ceiling above ◦ If the door jamb falls sideways  You will be cut in half by the doorway 10 Copyright Digital 2000, Inc. and Doug Copp All Rights Reserved, 2008

DON’T USE THE ELEVATOR  The first element to be damaged by an earthquake in a high rise building are the bolts that hold the elevator rails in place. Therefore, DON’T USE THE ELEVATOR during an earthquake. 11 Copyright Digital 2000, Inc. and Doug Copp All Rights Reserved, 2008

 Buildings fall in one of 4 different directions depending on the earthquake’s epicenter. Either left to right or backward to forward. That is where the building will fall. Like a rock in a pond. The building will swing back and forth until there is structural damage and the building collapses. 12 Copyright Digital 2000, Inc. and Doug Copp All Rights Reserved, 2008

 When the shaking starts NEXT UNDER ◦ Lie down NEXT to something heavy and strong, rather than duck UNDER it. TRIANGLE OF LIFE a void where you can be safe.  That is where a “ TRIANGLE OF LIFE ” will form if the building collapses – a void where you can be safe. 13 Copyright Digital 2000, Inc. and Doug Copp All Rights Reserved, 2008

 When buildings collapse, the weight of the ceiling collapse upon the objects or furniture inside compacts these objects, leaving a survivable space or void next to them. 14 Copyright Digital 2000, Inc. and Doug Copp All Rights Reserved, 2008

 During the bridge and highway collapses from a California earthquake, you can see the crushed vehicles. Anyone in the vehicle could not survive, but had they been on the outside of the vehicle, they would have survived. 15 Copyright Digital 2000, Inc. and Doug Copp All Rights Reserved, 2008

◦ Below is the picture of a desk that was partially compressed by the collapse of the roof during an earthquake. The desk was not totally compressed and forms the Triangle of Life. Notice the space next to the desk is still large enough to protect someone lying next to the desk. See that the flimsy leg is the first part of the desk to be damaged. This little leg will NOT protect you. 16 Copyright Digital 2000, Inc. and Doug Copp All Rights Reserved, 2008

 Had a person been under the desk however (had they been practicing “Duck and Cover”) they would have been crushed when the roof fell and the legs of the desk collapsed. You need to be ‘protected’ by the whole object not depending on the flimsy leg. 17 Copyright Digital 2000, Inc. and Doug Copp All Rights Reserved, 2008

 Most people who simply “duck and cover” when buildings collapse are generally crushed to death.  Cats, dogs and babies often curl up in the fetal position which is a natural safety/survival instinct. 18 Copyright Digital 2000, Inc. and Doug Copp All Rights Reserved, 2008

 Wooden buildings are the SAFEST type of construction during an earthquake with a 90% survivability rate. ◦ Wood is  Flexible  Moves with the force of the earthquake ◦ If the wooden building collapses, large survivable voids are created. ◦ The wooden building has less concentrated, crushing weight. 19 Copyright Digital 2000, Inc. and Doug Copp All Rights Reserved, 2008

 Brick buildings break into individual bricks when the mortar crumbles. ◦ Bricks will cause many injuries. Stay 10 ft away from the brick wall so the bricks cannot fall on you. ◦ Bricks will cause fewer squashed bodies than concrete slabs. 20 Copyright Digital 2000, Inc. and Doug Copp All Rights Reserved, 2008

roll off the bed  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. The best place to be is between twin beds. The second best place is at the foot of the bed. In this test, the dummies under the bed had their heads chopped off. 21 Copyright Digital 2000, Inc. and Doug Copp All Rights Reserved, 2008

LIE DOWN ON THE FLOOR NEXT TO THE BOTTOM OF THE BED or IN THE SPACE BETWEEN TWIN BEDS ◦ 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 or IN THE SPACE BETWEEN TWIN BEDS during an earthquake. 22 Copyright Digital 2000, Inc. and Doug Copp All Rights Reserved, 2008

lie down and curl up in the fetal position next to a sofa, heavy object or large chair  If an earthquake happens and you cannot easily escape by getting out of the door/window, lie down and curl up in the fetal position next to a sofa, heavy object or large chair. Let the big object take the ‘hit’ from the falling ceiling…not your body. 23 Copyright Digital 2000, Inc. and Doug Copp All Rights Reserved, 2008

 Most people who get under a doorway when buildings collapse are killed. ◦ If you stand under a doorway and the door jamb falls forward or backward  You will be crushed by the ceiling above ◦ If the door jamb falls sideways  You will be cut in half by the doorway  STAY AWAY FROM DOORWAYS IN AN EMERGENCY! 24 Copyright Digital 2000, Inc. and Doug Copp All Rights Reserved, 2008

 Stairs may be your only escape route. ◦ The stairs have a different “moment of frequency difference” which means they swing separately from the main part of the building in an earthquake.  The stairs and remainder of the building continuously bump into each other until structural failure of the stairs takes place.  Even if the building doesn’t collapse, stairs may be damaged. 25 Copyright Digital 2000, Inc. and Doug Copp All Rights Reserved, 2008

◦ Stairs  Are a likely part of the building to be damaged  May collapse later when overloaded by fleeing people  Should always be checked for safety even when the rest of the building is not damaged 26 Copyright Digital 2000, Inc. and Doug Copp All Rights Reserved, 2008

 Get near the outer walls of buildings or outside of them if possible. ◦ Better to be near the exterior of the building rather than the interior, preferably ft. from the outside wall to avoid falling bricks hitting you. ◦ The farther inside you are from the outside perimeter of the building, the greater the probability that your escape route will be blocked. This means that the entire building will need to be removed from above you before you can be rescued because you cannot be rescued from the side. 27 Copyright Digital 2000, Inc. and Doug Copp All Rights Reserved, 2008

 People inside their vehicles are crushed when the road above falls in an earthquake and crushes their vehicles. Parking garages can easily have a 100% survival rate. ◦ GET OUT ◦ GET OUT and sit/lie next to the vehicle 28 Copyright Digital 2000, Inc. and Doug Copp All Rights Reserved, 2008

 Offices with a lot of paper ◦ Large voids are found surrounding stacks of paper, just like cardboard balers. ◦ You can compact paper or cardboard only a tiny amount and then it becomes capable of supporting tremendous weight. 29 Copyright Digital 2000, Inc. and Doug Copp All Rights Reserved, 2008

 In 1996 a disaster crew collapsed a school and a home with ten mannequins using the "duck and cover" and ten mannequins using the "triangle of life" method of survival.  Basically, the mannequins in duck and cover were crushed, others would have survived. You can view this scientific test and much more at 30 Copyright Digital 2000, Inc. and Doug Copp All Rights Reserved, 2008

 Doug has personally survived 3 building collapses. It is dangerous and scary but you can survive with correct actions. There’s no guarantee, but the Triangle of Life gives you a fighting chance of survival. 31 Copyright Digital 2000, Inc. and Doug Copp All Rights Reserved, 2008

 Training makes a difference. Experience makes a difference. The first logical thing to do when solving a problem is to understand the problem then you can find the solution. Understand that people survive in survivable voids. They are killed when they get crushed under objects. 32 Copyright Digital 2000, Inc. and Doug Copp All Rights Reserved, 2008

 We know that it’s an uphill battle to change people’s thinking about things they have been taught and believed for so many years, such as Duck and Cover. This is normal for all important changes. 33 Copyright Digital 2000, Inc. and Doug Copp All Rights Reserved, 2008

 Doug Copp and his team’s experience in disaster rescues and the reality of survivability voids or Triangle of Life should be considered. Training and knowledge are two important parts of disaster preparedness. Just make sure you’re armed with the proper knowledge and information. 34 Copyright Digital 2000, Inc. and Doug Copp All Rights Reserved, 2008