>Be sure to see the tips at the end of the article. > > > > Good information to know when the next big one hits or if something > > > else causes the building to collapse: > > > > > > 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'm 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 usingly 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. > >
Attaching this. I still think the article bears thinking about, though... Found this... 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:
* Disaster preparedness experts with the American Red Cross dispute that findings based on earthquake experiences in other countries (e.g., Turkey) are applicable to the U.S., where building codes are substantially different.
* The scientific validity of the conclusions expressed in the article has been questioned by others.
* 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 which describe 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 articles have relayed complaints from numerous people who have dealt with Mr. Copp.
* Mr. Copp is 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 and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Last updated: 15 September 2004
The URL for this page is http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/triangle
More research, and I found this... 3. The Myth of Anticipating the "Triangle of Life" Yes. Copp is correct that there are places that after a building collapse are called "triangles of life". These "life safe voids" are the first places that search and rescue workers look for survivors. It's generally true that the larger the object and stronger the less it will compact. But don't be fooled. The force of earthquakes moves large and heavy objects. We don't know a) whether it is possible to anticipate where the life safe voids will be before the collapse, and b) whether it is possible to get there during the strong shaking of an earthquake. What we don't know in advance (but is worthy of research) is the expected collapse patterns in particular buildings or where these life safe voids will be when the shaking stops. If your building tilts in one direction, the "large and heavy object" that you are near, could crush you against the wall.... Copp says "People inside of their vehicles are crushed when the road above falls in an earthquake and crushes their vehicles" and that in the Loma Prieta earthquake everyone killed would have survived if they had been able to get out of their cars and sit or lie next to them, because of the life-safe void nearby. The problem is similar: observing a crushed car with a life safe void next to it doesn't mean much. The car itself may have moved after the shaking started. There is a lot of evidence of cars and truck overturning in strong shaking. If everyone got out of their cars and got down next to them, a lot of people would be dead or seriously injured from the weight of the car jumping or sliding on them.
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 the 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 tied ropes around the columns and yanked them out, 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. It could be that the large and heavy furniture would end up at the other end of the room, nowhere near where it began. Assuming even for a moment that an experiment could be done to support the hypothesis, the reality is th at the particular re sults from a pancake collapse , while certainly the most fatal, represents the least common type of reinforced concrete building collapse. There are at least 4 other major types of collapse. Less than 3% of damaged buildings in the Kocaeli earthquake were pancaked. So these results would te ll us precious little about what might happen to people in all the other buildings... the other 97% of damaged buildings as well as the many undamaged buildings. Formulating the questions in order to advise EVERYONE about what to do when the shaking starts is much more complex than the evidence in front of Copp's eyes.
4. The "IF I CAN SAVE ONE LIFE" FALLACY Search and rescue workers desperately want to save lives. In reality, worldwide their experience is of bringing out at least 98 dead bodies to 2 live ones. Some would like to turn the one life they saved into a cautionary anecdote for the other millions of people who were potential victims. There is a place for these stories, but extrapolating to the millions is not scientific. It really doesn't matter if one or if ten people are found alive next to a refrigerator, unless you look at 100 or 1,000 refrigerators after an earthquake to see what might have happened to people who might have been near them at the time of the shaking. When you give advice to people about what to do during an earthquake, you are basically advising everyone who feels the shaking. In Kocaeli we would have loved to be able to advise the 20,000 who died so that even a few lives could be saved. But remember that in order to save any of them, we would have to advise all 15,000,000 people who felt the shaking and were in a position to take some action. Suppose that our advice could save 1,000 people from death in pancaked buildings (highly unlikely) but if it also put .00007 percent of all the people who felt the shaking at risk of death and serious injury we would have done more harm than good. In other words, the behavior that Copp thinks may save someone in a particular collapsed building may put them at MORE risk in other collapsed or noncollapsed buildings.
When I show Californians pictures from Turkish publications with people crouched down next to refrigerators and kitchen counters, instead of under the nearby kitchen table, their jaws drop in horror. Obviously these people are in danger from the refrigerator sliding and toppling and emptying its contents, the hot things on the stove, the appliances on the counter and the packed contents of the cabinets overhead. Obviously they should be under the kitchen table, or outside the kitchen door. But this is exactly the lunacy that these kinds of "I found one person alive here" anecdotes can lead to. Some people in Turkey will die in the next earthquake because of this.
Having said that, most of my scientific colleagues and I have come to the uneasy compromise that IF people are occupying a self-built adobe structure with a heavy roof, and with no seismic-resistant design measures, and if they are on the ground floor and can run out quickly to a safe and open place outside, they should do so when the shaking begins. Otherwise, they should still drop, cover and hold on. Adobe collapses are much more survivable when the roofing is of lightweight material. But the reality is that protection from earthquake deaths takes place way before the shaking begins. It will take a lot of well-designed research to learn if there is, in fact, ANY behavior that is better than luck in saving someone from a building collapse, and that can be guaranteed not to endanger more people than it helps! As with other helping efforts: "First, do no harm."
5. COPP'S OUTRAGEOUS ERRORS Copp makes lots of outrageous claims for which there is no research, like "Everyone who simply "ducks and covers" WHEN BUILDINGS COLLAPSE is crushed to death -- Every time, without exception." "Everybody who gets under a doorway when buildings collapse is killed." At best these are extreme statements that are hypotheses to be tested. It would be great for search and rescue workers and social science researchers to get together to investigate hypotheses like these. Copp also says "Get Near the Outer Walls Of Buildings Or Outside Of Them If Possible...because of the greater the probability that your escape route will be blocked." There is no evidence of this. A contrary hypothesis suggests that especially in concrete building with infill tile walls, the tiles fall out and so could you. This is also a good subject for research, but at present it's nothing more than an untested hypothesis. Please understand that even the best scientific methods don't always provide perfect or even helpful results. Nevertheless, scientific methods should be used to investigate our hunches. There are many important questions that we haven't begun to answer - but absolute claims like this are just total rubbish and no substitute.
6. COPP'S HALF TRUTHS Copp recommends the "fetal position" in order to "survive in a smaller void". The idea of being small is fine. Getting down low prevents falling injuries, and making yourself a smaller target means there is less to be hit. However, when we tried this informally in Turkey on an earthquake simulation shake table, the "curled up in a ball" fetal position made us prone to rolling around. This didn't actually feel safe to us. What felt much safer was to get down as low as possible on our knees and shins so that we had some control over our movements and could still crawl to a more secure place.
Indications from research in Kocaeli is that Copp may be right in his advice to get down "next to a sofa, next to a large bulky object that will compress slightly but leave a void next to it." Many Kocaeli survivors would agree that this would have been both possible and safe in that earthquake. This is a good hypothesis that should be further investigated.
Copp says "Wooden buildings are the safest type of construction to be in during an earthquake." He's right... They're also the worst in case of fire after an earthquake. So while we those in wooden homes can take some comfort, be prepared to put out fires when they are still small with fire extinguishers and blankets.
Copp says "If you are in bed during the night and an earthquake occurs, simply roll off the bed." Actually, the safest people in earthquakes in both California and Turkey were those who stayed in bed. If the building tilts and the bed moves... the foot of the bed probably isn't the best place to be. Copp says that he "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. This might be good information for the grocery store, but only if the shelves are bolted to the floor or ceiling. Frankly if you live in a building that you think is a collapse risk, ethically the only good advice is to suggest that you to find another place to live, rather than to rely on a pile of paper or a container of books in every room to save your life. This may seem pathetic, but at least 3 different publications in Turkey have photos of people crouching down next to enormous containers of paper products in the middle of their living rooms. Let's get real - our job is to live with earthquakes. This kind of advice makes the tasks of public education and preparedness harder than it already is. Copp's one piece of good advice: "Never go to the stairs." That, as it happens, is sound advice.
7. SO WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?
* Think through personal scenarios in the places you live and work. What spots seem safer than others?
* Make your environment safer by fastening tall and heavy furniture and audiovisual equipment, Move heavy objects down low.
* Keep shoes and flashlight by your bed.
* During the shaking, drop down to the ground. Cover your head and neck. Hold on to your cover or something stable.
Why do we persist in saying these things? What is the proof? Research into the causes of deaths and injuries in several countries has now shown several important patterns:
* Fatalities are almost always associated with head, neck and chest injuries. These are the most vulnerable areas of the body that need to be protected.
* Many injuries are caused by falling. If you get down yourself, or brace yourself, you can avoid falling.
* A huge proportion of night time injuries a re to feet and legs... even in places with minor damage.... picture frame on floor, no shoes, no lights, parents/children trying to find each other in the dark....
* At least half of all injuries are from non-structural objects. Many of these injuries are serious, made more so by the intense demand on limited medical resources. We can't be complacent about any unnecessary injuries when limited medical resources will be needed to save lives.
* The smaller target you present to falling objects the less chance there is of something hitting you.
8. AND NOW THAT YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT IT... Urban earthquake mitigation requires all of us to be involved in three major activities: assessment and planning, reducing our physical risks, and developing our ability to respond.
ASSESS & PLAN (Think and act now.)
* Sit down with your family and discuss possible scenarios
* Decide on meeting places inside and outside of your neighborhood
* Identify an "out-of-area contact" for quicker communication and peace of mind.
* Designate others nearby to pick up your child from school in case of emergency, and make a meeting plan with them.
PROTECT YOURSELF PHYSICALLY (Take measures to reduce your physical risks.)
* If you aren't sure about the structural soundness of you home, workplace or school, have it assessed by a qualified engineer.
* Retrofit where possible. Move out, and tear down where not possible.
* Fasten large and heavy furniture
* Secure water heaters
* Have a fire extinguisher on each floor and have it serviced regularly.
DEVELOP YOUR ABILITY TO RESPOND (Be ready to be part of the solution.)
* Have enough water, food, and prescription medications for a week.
* Keep a first aid kit
* Check your "Go Bag" in your car and by your door.
Disaster preparedness is not accomplished overnight. It takes place in a series of small steps taken at home, at work, at school, in your neighborhood and in your region. It is accomplished by actions by individuals, families, organizations, institutions, and government. The 100th anniversary of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake is not far away. This is a good time to make yourself a promise, and take one of these small steps today.
References:
Albuquerque Journal (2004) July 11, 12, 13, 14. Online at http://www.abqjournal.com/terror/196540nm07-11-04.htm
American Red Cross (2004) American Red Cross response to "Triangle of Life" by Doug Copp. Online at http://www2.bpaonline.org/Emergencyprep/arc-on-doug-copp.html.
Associated Press (2004) July 12. Online at http://cms.firehouse.com/content/article/article.jsp?sectionId=41&id=32725 and http://news.bostonherald.com/national/view.bg?articleid=35319&format=
Petal, Marla (2004) Urban Disaster Mitigation and Preparedness: The 1999 Kocaeli Earthquake, doctoral dissertation, Department of Urban Planning, UCLA.
State of California, Governor's Office of Emergency Services, (2004) Sept. 7. Memorandum to Operational Area Coordinators. Subject: Duck, Cover and Hold Procedure
This week there have been three real strong ones. They only rolled the bed, so far...but I expect this week they may trigger the fault line I am on and, well, last time it was bigger than the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland, and considerably harder to clean up after...
Wow kitty i had no idea that there had even been in quakes any where lately! but then again I never listen to the news i try to avoid as much bad stuff as possible. it must be very scary having even small quakes? i would be so nervous all the time just waiting for the big one!
-- Edited by Jas at 11:33, 2005-06-19
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Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned,
Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned.
William Congreve
