This is written by my friend, Alan, who is the Director of Training at Prince William Sound Community College and Special Projects Manager for the Municipality of Skagway.
Seven steps to survival
By ALAN SORUM, For General Aviation News
April 7, 2010
The Seven Steps to Survival, developed by AMSEA, is an easy way to remember a sequence of steps that can help anyone who becomes stranded in a remote location survive.
THE SEVEN STEPS
1. Recognition: Realize that your circumstances have changed and you must face new challenges. Recognize that your situation has been altered and it is time to think like a survivor.
2. Inventory: Take time to consider your available resources and the issues that you may face. Take stock of your personal abilities, physical condition, supplies and tools on hand, and any immediate needs. Ask yourself “Is anyone is hurt? Is it safe to stay where I’m at? What resources do I have at hand?”
3. Shelter: You need to stay out of the weather and conserve heat. How will you be protected from the elements? Remember clothing is your most immediate form of shelter.
4. Signals: Identify ways to help others find you. How can you attract attention and be seen? Learn how to use your emergency locator transmitter (ELT) and ensure it’s been manually activated. Consider purchasing a GPS-equipped 406MHz model if you haven’t upgraded your old ELT yet — and be sure to register it.
5. Water: Secure a safe source of drinking water. You should drink two to four quarts of clean water each day to prevent dehydration.
6. Food: Eating isn’t an immediate survival need. Know what food is safe to eat and don’t eat without water also being available.
7. Play: Studies of survival situations show that having a positive attitude is key to success. It’s important to play and stay busy while waiting for help. People survive often because they believe that they will survive.
(Original article: http://www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/asorum)
I learned these steps more than 20 years ago while living in Southeast Alaska and haven’t forgotten them. However, the one that I’ve remembered the most is number 7.
I believe that is why the Transition Town movement has spread so quickly. It follows these steps and particularly focuses on Step 7. Transitioning to a different Eaarth (title of Bill McKibben’s book) requires these same steps.
At a recent Transition Meeting, someone said it’s important to reach beyond the choir. It’s true that we are working through the survival steps already and we have already recognized that we are in a crisis situation, while most folks in Anchorage, and perhaps the world, haven’t realized the first step. But it’s true, our circumstances have changed, although most continue to live life as if all is well. The question is: is it our job to awaken them to the realization that our situation has altered and there are new challenges ahead? Will that cause more panic than we can deal with? OR, is our job to prepare for all of us? If the latter is true, we don’t want to be the blind leading the blind. What resources/skills do we need to lead the blind, once realization occurs? We have a lot to learn!
I’ve come to the conclusion that Transition Town is about preparing for all of us. Even our neighbors who don’t have an extra can of soup in their pantry. We need to be able to teach others how to find food, water and warm shelter. And most importantly we need to remember to play---that it’s a big adventure and we have the ability to bring those not prepared with us.
So in this holiday season, turn off the TV and invite your neighbors over to sing Christmas carols. Have a left-overs party. Build a snow cave and see how warm you can make it. And if you are really organized, have a neighborhood pantry-stocking and cold storage building party. We’re all in this together.
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