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Those who are mentally and physically prepared to survive are more likely to do so. To deal with an emergency situation one must be able to make decisions, improvise and remain calm. Fear - For anyone faced with an emergency situation, fear is a normal reaction. Unless an emergency situation has been anticipated, fear is generally followed by panic then pain, cold, thirst, hunger, fatigue, boredom and loneliness. It is extremely important to calmly assess the situation and not allow these seven enemies to interfere with your survival. Pain - Pain may often be ignored in a panic situation. Remember to deal with injuries immediately before they become even more serious. Cold - Cold lowers the ability to think, numbing the body and reducing the will to survive. Never allow yourself to stop moving or to fall asleep unless adequately sheltered. Thirst - Dehydration is a common enemy in an emergency situation and must not be ignored. It can dull your mind, causing you to overlook important survival information. Hunger - Hunger is dangerous but seldom deadly. It may reduce your ability to think logically and increase your susceptibility to the effects of cold, pain and fear. Fatigue - Fatigue is unavoidable in any situation so it is best to keep in mind that it can and will lower your mental ability. Remember that in an emergency situation this is often the bodies way of escaping a difficult situation. Boredom & Loneliness - These enemies are quite often unanticipated and may lower the mind's ability to deal with the situation. |
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S = SIZE UP THE SITUATION U = UNDUE HASTE MAKES WASTE R = REMEMBER WHERE YOU ARE V = VANQUISH FEAR AND PANIC I = IMPROVISE V = VALUE LIVING A = ACT LIKE THE NATIVES L = LEARN BASIC SURVIVAL SKILLS |
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People don't Prepare to fail.... ........................They fail to Prepare........... Wizard |
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ARE YOU READY? Disasters disrupt hundreds of thousands of lives every year. Each disaster has lasting effects—people are seriously injured, some are killed, and property damage runs into the billions of dollars. If a disaster occurs in your community, local government and disaster-relief organizations try to help you. But you need to be ready as well. Local responders may not be able to reach you immediately, or they may need to focus their efforts elsewhere.
Being prepared and understanding what to do can reduce fear, anxiety and losses
that accompany disasters. Communities,families and individuals should know what
to do in a fire and where to seek shelter in a tornado. They should be ready to evacuate
their homes, take refuge in public shelters and know how to care for their basic
medical needs.
People can also reduce the impact of disasters (flood proofing, elevating a home—or relocating a home out of harm's way, securing items that could shake loose in an earthquake) and sometimes avoid the danger altogether.You should know how to respond to severe weather or any disaster that could occur in your area—hurricanes, earthquakes,extreme cold, flooding, or an act of terrorism. You should also be ready to be self sufficient for at least three days. This may
mean providing for your own shelter, first aid, food, water and sanitation. Teach children how to respond to emergencies.Give them a sense of what to expect. Being prepared, understanding your risks and taking steps to reduce those
risks can reduce the damages caused by hazards.
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The following are excerpts from notes on survival training that I used while
an instructor at the Special Forces School (1983-1985) where I was fortunate
enough to serve under LTC James N. (Nick) Rowe, and the US Army Ranger School
(1986-1988). They reflect my opinions and understandings of survival
techniques and in no way should they be accepted as "gospel." If you have a
need or interest in wilderness survival, I suggest you research the subject by
reading any of the many excellent sources on the market to include: FM 21-76:
Survival, The Boy Scout Handbook, Outdoor Survival Skills by Larry Dean Olsen,
Bushcraft by Richard Graves, or Bernard Shanks' Wilderness Survival.
Carl J. Archer
MAJOR (USAR), Special Forces
Key Word "SURVIVAL"
The key word "SURVIVAL" is an acronym to be used as an "immediate action
drill" to be performed at the outset of a wilderness survival situation. Use
this simple phrase to plan measures that will assist you in surviving in the
wilderness and returning to civilization. The Key Word "SURVIVAL" will
provide you with two of the most important survival skills--the ability to
organize yourself and the ability to stay calm.
A. "S" stands for "Size up the situation."
(1) Consider your physical condition and perform any first aid required.
(2) Concentrate your senses on getting a feel for the area.
(3) Conduct an inventory of the equipment you have.
(4) Begin planning.
B. "U" stands for "Undue haste makes waste."
(1) Reacting without thinking or planning can result in faulty decisions and
could result in your death.
(2) Acting in haste, just for the sake of action, will make you careless.
The natural tendency in a stressful situation is to run. You must overcome
this tendency and think of your objectives.
(3) If you act in haste, you may lose or forget equipment, you may not make a
survival plan, and you may become disoriented and not know your location. As
a cultural group. Americans have little patience. Know this weakness if it is
your own particular Achilles' heel.
C. "R" stands for "Remember where you are."
(1) Always knowing where you are on the map and how it relates to the
surrounding terrain is a principle no outdoorsman should violate.
(2) If in a group, always know the location of the maps and compasses.
(3) Guard against the natural tendency of allowing someone else to be
responsible for navigation. Always be aware of your route, regardless of the
mode of travel.
(4) Whether you are in a base camp or on the move, you should always know the
following things:
(a) Direction or location of the nearest populated area.
(b) Direction or location to the nearest major transportation artery
(river, highway, railroad track, etc.)
(c) Location of local water sources.
D. "V" stands for "Vanquish fear and panic."
(1) Fear and panic are two of the greatest enemies in a survival situation.
These are not unusual emotions. The secret is to recognize them and control
them.
(2) Fear, panic, and anxiety take their toll on the body. They divert needed
energy.
(3) Many people have never been alone and without diversion. This could
subject them to anxiety.
(4) The best way to control fear in a survival situation is preparation,
prior planning, and training.
E. "I" stands for "Improvise."
(1) Make the wrong tool and do the right job.
(2) Make an object do more than one job.
F. "V" stands for "Value living."
(1) A man's will to survive, to endure, to live, is the key to survival.
Maintaining a positive mental outlook and a desire to live will allow an
individual to overcome tremendous odds.
G. "A" stands for "Act like the natives."
(1) Many situations we would consider to be "survival situations" are dealt
with on a daily basis by primitive peoples all over the world. To them, these
situations are a way of life and hold no specific danger. Read about these
people and our own ancestors. They survived in a world without electricity,
stores, or fast food; you can too.
H. "L" stands for "Learn basic skills."
(1) Learn to put together a survival kit that will meet your specific needs
and probable survival situations. Learn to use your survival kit.
(2) Learn to make fire in different environments with different materials.
(3) Learn to build shelter from natural materials.
(4) Learn to find and purify water.
(5) Learn first aid and the treatment of most common survival dangers such as
insect stings, snake bites, climatic injuries, etc.
(6) Concentrate on "doing" as opposed to "knowing". Many people know how to
build a fire, but cannot build a fire in a rain storm with damp tinder. That
is the fine line between surviving or dying.
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Physiological and Psychological Aspects of Survival
The physiological and psychological aspects of survival and their significance
on an individual in a wilderness survival situation is very subjective. Know
your mental, emotional, and physical limitations and prepare for their impact
on your ability to survive.
A. Fear is a normal reaction to a threatening situation. Acceptance of this
fear will lead to purposeful rather than random behavior. This way will
greatly increase chances for survival.
B. How a person will react to fear depends more on himself than on the
situation. Timid and anxious persons may respond more coolly to fear than the
physically strong or happy-go-lucky.
C. Two factors frequently reported to decrease or help control fear are:
(1) Having confidence in your abilities and your equipment.
(2) Concentrating on the situation at hand and the job to be done.
D. The seven "enemies" of survival are pain, cold, thirst, hunger, fatigue,
boredom, and loneliness. They are mental distractors and difficult to
overcome.
(1) Pain is uncomfortable but in itself is not harmful or dangerous. It is a
symptom of underlying problems and should be monitored. It can be controlled
and can become subordinate to efforts to carry on.
(2) Cold numbs the mind, the body, and the will.
(3) Thirst dulls the mind. Serious dehydration may occur in a survival
situation even when there is plenty of water available.
(4) Hunger lessens your ability to think rationally.
(5) Even a moderate amount of fatigue can materially reduce mental ability.
Fatigue can make you careless and promote the feeling of hopelessness.
(6) Boredom and loneliness are two of the toughest enemies of survival to
overcome.
E. Everyone has experienced pain, cold, thirst, hunger, fatigue, boredom,
and loneliness, but not to the extent that their survival has been threatened.
The more you know about these and their effects on you, the better you will be
able to control them, rather than letting them control you.
F. One of the most important psychological requirements for survival is the
ability to accept immediately the reality of a new emergency and react
appropriately to it.
G. Much of the available evidence demonstrates the importance of having a
"preparatory attitude" for whatever emergency may occur. Knowledge and
rehearsal of survival and emergency procedures bring about a feeling of
confidence and preparation for survival. While you can't prepare for every
situation, you can prepare for the most probable situation.
H. Survival may depend more on personality than upon danger, weather,
terrain, or nature of the emergency. A person is more prone to survive if he
can make up his mind; can improvise; can live with himself,; can adapt to the
situation; can remain cool, calm, and collected; hopes for the best, but
prepares for the worst; has patience; can take it; and knows where his special
fears and worries comes from. The will to survive, along with a positive
mental attitude, are key ingredients to surviving.
I. In summary, development of self-sufficiency is the primary means of
protecting yourself against the physiological and psychological stress that
could affect you in a survival situation. If you have not learned self-
sufficiency, it is not too late to begin.
Thank you Carl J. Archer
MAJOR (USAR), Special Forces
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