ADVICE FROM EPPO ON WHAT TO DO AFTER AN EARTHQUAKE

A message from the Mayor of W. Mani:-

Dear fellow citizens, The EPPO (Earthquake Planning and Protection) has created a new document to inform citizens about the protective measures to be taken, during the aftershock period, the initiatives that should be taken to mitigate the psychosocial impact of their family members, and the actions of the State relating to the rehabilitation of areas affected by the earlier earthquake.

For the full document in Greek, click on Metaseismiki_24-2-14.pdf or you can download as an e-book from EPPO

For a partial translation in English, click on EARTHQUAKE ADVICE - the page numbers refer to the pages of the original Greek document

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How to survive an earthquake - The Triangle of Life

In 2011 we were sent information about a controversial alternative to the conventional advice of 'duck and cover' when an earthquake strikes. It is being promoted by Doug Copp of The American Rescue Team International, and referred to as the 'Triangle of life' approach. However, although it is being promoted in many countries, the 'old' advice may still be more appropriate in developed countries where building standards are higher. See link to TIME article below.

Here is a brief extract from Doug Copp's article on 'The Triangle of Life' :-
'.........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.

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.

Most everyone who simply "ducks and covers" WHEN BUILDINGS COLLAPSE are crushed to death. People who get under objects, like desks or cars, are crushed.

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 test. .........'

For more information about the 'triangle of life' see The American Rescue Team International website triangle of life

The initial response by the American Red Cross challenged many of the assertions and advice : see American Red Cross response to "Triangle of Life" by Doug Copp.Response to Tof L

In February 2010 TIME magazine did a comparison of the two approaches which concluded that, the best approach depends on where you are when the earthquake hits. How to survive an earthquake.

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