Arlington County ACS-RACES Operator Type III Annual Recertification Unit 1

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Arlington County ACS-RACESOperator Type III
Annual RecertificationUnit 1

• Disaster Survival Skills
• for the Urban
• Environment
• 1

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OBJECTIVES

• Why teach survival in the city?
• Catastrophes vs. disasters
• This is about your SURVIVAL, not volunteering
• Priorities for human survival
• Break-out sessions
• Shelter construction
• Fire making
• Signaling
• Equipment and supplies
• Social implications of disasters
• Personal security concerns

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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)

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What the military survival schools teachSeven
Priorities For Survival Hope for the best, but
prepare for the worst

• Positive mental attitude
• First Aid / Sanitation
• Shelter
• Signaling
• Fire
• Water
• Food

http//www.equipped.com/fm21-76.htm
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Positive Mental AttitudeSituational awareness,
basic knowledge and a survivors mindset
enable you to cope effectively

• STOP
• Calm down, and size up your situation
• THINK
• Anticipate which hazards are most likely
• Take stock of materials and resources around you
• OBSERVE
• Orient yourself to your surroundings
• PLAN
• Select equipment and supplies appropriately
• ACT!
• Execute the plan, evaluate progress, adjust, go
  on.

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DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

• Have an evacuation kit ready at all times
• 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.

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WHEN IT HITS THE FAN Use these six steps in
problem solving

• 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!

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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
• Increases your survivability!

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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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Disaster Contamination

• Stagnant surface water
• Mosquito breeding
• Contaminated flood waters
• Sewage treatment system overflow
• Petroleum, industrial, agricultural chemical
  contamination
• Airborne contaminant plumes
• Smoke, dust, toxic gases,
• or radioactive fallout.

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SHELTER

• Protection from the elements
• Wind and rain resistant
• Insulation from cold

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The Stay or Evacuate DecisionIf 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!
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EVACUATION PLANNING

• Its 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

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FROM NATIONAL THREAT SCENARIO Nuclear Detonation
10-Kiloton Improvised Nuclear
Devicehttp//iis-db.stanford.edu/pubs/21872/DayA
fterWorkshopReport.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.

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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/dirtyb
  ombs.pdf
• A nuclear detonation would affect large areas
  (10-100 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/techn
  ical3.asp?printtrue
• Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) a terrorist attack
  would most likely be a small device lt10 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_pu
  lse

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EMP Precautions

• 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.

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EVACUATION

• Feasible only if all personnel can evacuate
  before fallout contamination arrives and
• Essential functions for Continuity of Operations
  are transferred to an alternate facility
• Affected area would have to be small and warning
  time adequate to execute the evacuation
• Detonation effects (blast/thermal/EMP) will
  likely impede evacuation
• Evacuees may be exposed and/or contaminated.

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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.

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SHELTER IN PLACE

• 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
• Shelter-in-place (not necessarily Fallout
  Shelter) near RDD/very low level
• Shelter stay may range from a few days to 2
  weeks.
• Authorities outside affected area can organize
  rescue/evacuation effort
• Shelter occupants may be exposed and/or
  contaminated.

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SHELTER IN PLACE

• 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.

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DECONTAMINATION after a flood or attackStart
immediately, even if you dont know what the
agent is.

• Sandia decontamination foam (US Patent 6,566,574
  B1) sold
• as Scott's Liquid Gold Mold Control 500 in
  hardware stores.
• Is effective against most chemical and
• biological agents, including nerve, blister,
• anthrax, SARS, Norwalk, avian and common
  flu.
• Widely used for hospital /hotel sanitization
• mold remediation in commercial buildings,
• cleaning / neutralizing agricultural
  sprayers.
• Moderate cost, about 30 at Home Depot.
• http//www.sandia.gov/news/resources/releases/200
  7/moldcontrol.html

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EXPEDIENT FIELD DECONTAMINATIONif you are
contaminated

• 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.

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NUCLEAR ATTACK ISSUES

• 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

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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.
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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 Lead Steel Concrete
Earth Water Wood 2 .3"" .7" 2.0"
3.3" 5" 9" 4 .5" 1.5" 5.0"
7.0" 10" 15" 8 1.0" 2.0" 6.5"
10.0" 15" 27" 16 1.2" 3.0" 9.0"
14.0" 20" 3 ft 32 1.5" 4.0" 12.0" 15.0" 2
ft 4 ft 64 2.0" 4.2" 13.2" 19.8" 2.5ft
4.5 ft 128 2.1" 5.0" 15.0" 2 ft 3 ft
5 ft 1000 3.0" 7.0" 22.0" 33.0" 4 ft
- 2000 3.3" 7.7" 2 ft 3 ft 4.5 ft
- 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.
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IMPROVE HOME FALLOUT PROTECTIONIncrease
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.

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Sheltering at Home During an Emergency For using
a building without working utilities as shelter

• Exhaust candles, camp stoves, lanterns,
  generators, heaters, charcoal grills, all
  generate carbon monoxide and must not be used
  indoors!
• 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

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Generator Safety Tips From the U.S. Consumer
Product Safety Commission
http//www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/portgen.pdf

• Carbon monoxide hazard!
• 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
• Explosion / fire hazard!
• Fuel vapors traveling along the ground can be
  ignited by switching equipment or appliance pilot
  lights!

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Improvised Emergency SheltersAs in all real
estate, most important is location

• 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

• Areas around downed utility lines
• In or near culverts
• Within the collapse zone of a damaged building
• (maintain 21 ratio of distance away to building
  height)

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Improvised Shelters

• Sheds
• Tents
• Tarps
• Vehicles

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Dont disable a good car!

• 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.

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Emergency Shelter MaterialsSalvage building
materials from debris or from damaged structures
only when it can be done safely

• 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

• 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

• Day
• Mirror flashes best daylight signal device
• Smoke
• Brightly colored cloth flag / panel (VS-17)
• ICAO surface-to-air signals
• Night
• Flashing strobe light
• Fire
• Signal flares
• Sound
• Whistle, vehicle horn

http//www.bestglide.com/VS17_Signal_Panel.html ?
?
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

• Simple, inexpensive, effective
• Doesnt rely on batteries or pyrotechnics
• Visible from 5 to 10 miles in daylight

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FIRE

• Maintains body temperature
• Great morale booster
• Deters wild animals and insects
• Boils water
• Cooks food
• Used as day (smoke)
• or night (light) signal

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Fire making methods

• Matches or lighter
• Flint and steel
• Use cotton ball and petroleum jelly as tinder
• Battery and steel wool
• Burning lens

http//www.ehow.com/how_18193_make-fire-starters.h
tml
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WATER

• Minimum for drinking
• 1 gallon per person, per day
• More water is needed for
• Cooking and food preparation
• Personal hygiene, sanitation and decontamination
• Store a two week supply as minimum
• Food grade containers with screw caps
• Away from direct sunlight

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Emergency Water Sources

• 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.

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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
• Doesnt remove particulates or chemical
  pollutants
• 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 dont remove chemical
  pollutants.
• Distillation is the most effective method.

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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

• 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

• MREs, or Heater Meals
• Prepared survival rations
• Primitive survival methods
• Fishing
• Hunting
• Trapping
• Foraging

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TOOLS and EQUIPMENT

• Folding utility knife or multi-tool
• Scout type, Leatherman, Swiss Army or Mil-K-818
• Manual can opener
• Sturdy fixed blade
• For chopping, digging, or as pry bar
• Shovel
• Hand saw
• Axe

?
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OTHER SUPPLIESEach person should have their own
backpack of personal essentials

• 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

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DISASTER FINANCIAL PLANNING
http//www.redcross.org/services/disaster/beprepar
ed/FinRecovery/FinPlan/

• 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!

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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
• Theyll 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

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Lessons from Hurricane KatrinaWhen 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

• 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

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Sources for further information

• http//www.fema.gov/txt/library/fweb.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/disastersu
  pplies.htm
• http//solutionsforyourlife.ufl.edu/disaster_prep/
  
• http//www.dougritter.com/home.htm
• http//www.domprep.com/legacy/dpjournal/DPJournal0
  607.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?S
  tateVATypeHFS

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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