Triangle of Life

Since this e-mail newsletter posted there has been some contraversy over these safety techniques....you may want to do a google search and read more about this.....




Hello ladies,
This isn't necessarily a "thrifty" tip, but a good one nonetheless and worth passing on. Now that I think about it, it IS a thrifty tip, because using these safety ideas could save you a ton of money if you can avoid getting crushed and have to pay huge medical expenses... :) By the way, earthquake researchers have been saying that an earthquake is expected in California in September. We're almost through with September....
Be safe out there girls!
CENTSerely,
Sister Thrifty
>
>
> > >EXTRACT FROM DOUG COPP'S ARTICLE ON THE "TRIANGLE OF LIFE", Edited by
> > >Larry Linn for MAA Safety Committee brief on 4/13/04.
> > >
> > >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 (UNX051 -UNIENET) for
> > >two years. I have worked at every major disaster in the world since
> > >1985, except for simultaneous disasters.
> > >
> > >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.
> > >
> > >The first building I ever crawled inside of was a school in Mexico
> > >City during the 1985 earthquake. Every child was under their 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. They are everywhere.
> > >
> > >I trained the Fire Department of Trujillo (population 750,000)
>in how
> > >to survive, take care of their families, and to rescue others in
> > >earthquakes. The chief of rescue in the Trujillo Fire
>Department is a
> > >professor at Trujillo University. He accompanied me everywhere. He
> > >gave personal testimony: "My name is Roberto Rosales. I am Chief of
> > >Rescue in Trujillo. When I was 11 years old, I was trapped
>inside of
> > >a collapsed building. My entrapment occurred during the
>earthquake of
> > >1972 that killed 70,000 people. I survived in the "triangle of
>life"
> > >that existed next to my brother's motorcycle. My friends who got
> > >under the bed and under desks were crushed to death [he gives more
> > >details, names, addresses etc.]... I am the living example of the
> > >"triangle of life". My dead friends are the example of "duck
>and cover".
> > >
> > >TIPS DOUG COPP PROVIDES:
> > >
> > >1) Everyone who simply "ducks and covers" WHEN BUILDINGS
>COLLAPSE is
> > >crushed to death -- Every time, without exception. People who get
> > >under objects, like desks or cars, are always crushed.
> > >
> > >2) Cats, dogs and babies all naturally often 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.
>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. The reason is simple: the 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 while you are watching television
>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) Everybody 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. They are 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
>screaming,
> > >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,
>says the
> > >author. 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.
>
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