EARTHQUAKES

AND
LANDSLIDES
SEARCH AND RESCUE
• There are several definitions of Search and
Rescue (SAR). Wikipedia defines it as an
operation conducted by emergency services, often
well trained volunteers, to find someone believed
to be in disasters, lost, sick or injured either in a
remote or difficult to access area, such as
mountain, desert or forest or water body. treating
the injured, and providing for transport to an
appropriate health care facility’1 has been used.
THE THREE BASIC KEY STEPS OF SEARCH AND RESCUE
Search and rescue consists of three different steps that
must be planned carefully and practiced in advance. Step
1: Size up – involves assessing the situation and
determining what one is going to do and if yes, then how.
The decision whether to attempt a rescue should be based
on:
- The risks involved.
- Achievement of the overall goal of doing the greatest
good for the greatest number.
Step 2: Search – involves locating victims and
documenting their location.
Step 3: Rescue – involves the procedures and methods of
extricating and moving victims to safety .
KEY CONSIDERATION
• Survey the Site
• What has happened, what is occurring and what is likely to
happen.
• Bystanders at the scene can help rescuers by taking care of
casualties, calling ambulance, Fire Services Department, Police
Force or finding out anything available at the scene for
rescuing causalities.
• Rescuers should listen carefully the call for help such as
scream, moan and cry of casualties.
• Call the missing person by name or in case, rescuer doesn’t
know the name of missing person, call ‘Is anybody there?’
After call, wait for some time to get response before giving the
next call.
• When search is at night, keep the lantern/lamp below waist
level.
 Basic Search and Rescue: Collapsed Structure

Earthquake, Cyclone, Floods, landslide, etc.

destroys structures, apart from precious
lives. People are trapped below the fallen
structures such as walls, doors, slabs, trees,
cupboards, etc. and their condition will vary
from minor injury to unconsciousness. The
community search and rescue can save a
number of injured people.
Key Considerations
• Damaged houses and other structures facilities should
only be approached from the least dangerous side.
• When searching for casualties do NOT walk over rubble if
not necessary, do NOT enter collapsed houses and other
structures, do
• NOT walk or stay near badly damaged and collapse-prone
structures.
• When entering a collapsed structure, leave 1 person
outside for safety.
• While surveying indoor space in buildings, do NOT use
open fire for lighting.
• • Always check the ceiling when entering a room for hazards.
• • Do NOT allow many people to gather in one spot, in shafts, or
• floors.
• • Do NOT go near collapse-prone walls or other constructions.
• • Move very carefully over structures ruins (only if it is necessary)
• as they are unstable heaps of unconnected fragments.
• • When removing rubble from ruins, do NOT permit abrupt jerks,
• shaking, or strong blows at the site.
• • When dismantling or clearing ruins, first drag away or extinguish
• any smoldering or burning objects.
• • Open the doors of burning rooms very cautiously, be aware of
• possible flames or hot gas ejection.
• • In burning spaces, move by bending low or else on your knees.
• Try to stay near windows, making it possible to get quickly out of
• the danger zone if needed.
• • Large concentrations of carbon monoxide gas are possible in the
• basements of burning houses. Only enter these areas after a long
• period of ventilation.
• • If there are electric power cables at the excavation site, use metal
• spades and picks very cautiously in order to avoid electrical shock.
• • If an electrical cable is discovered, suspend it, in order to avoid
• further damage or tearing, do NOT step on cables.
• Rescue using leveraging and Box Cribbing
• There are commonly situations where debris will need to be moved in
• order to free victims. In these situations, rescuers should consider
• leveraging and cribbing to move and stabilize the debris until the rescue
• is complete.
• • Leveraging is accomplished by wedging a lever under the object that
• needs to be moved, with a stationary object underneath it to act as a
• fulcrum. When the lever is forced down over the fulcrum, the far end
• of the lever will lift the object.
• • A crib is a wooden framework used for support or strengthening.
• Box cribbing means arranging pairs of wood pieces alternately to
• form a stable rectangle.
• 6.2.1 Leveraging
• Lever Person: At the front edge of the collapsed wall and positioned so
• that he or she can position a fulcrum and lever under the wall.
• Crib Persons: On either side of the collapsed wall and positioned to
• enable the placement of cribbing as the wall is raised with the lever.
• Victim Removal Person: Next to the Crib Person who is closest to the
• victim’s head.
• Page
 PRIMARY PRINCIPLES OF SEARCH AND RESCUE
The primary principles of search and rescue are as
follows:
• Maintain rescuer safety at all times.
• Rescue the greatest number of people in the
shortest amount of time.
• Rescue the lightly trapped victims first.
EARTHQUAKE
• Earthquakes and landslides are frightening and
destructive natural disasters. An earthquake is
the sudden, rapid shaking of the earth caused
by the breaking and shifting of rock deep
underground. If an earthquake occurs in a
populated area, it has the potential to cause
many deaths and injuries along with extensive
property damage.
LANDSLIDE
• In a landslide, masses of rock, earth or debris move down
a slope. They can be activated by storms, earthquakes,
volcanic eruptions, fires and human modification of land.
Landslides and debris flows can move rapidly, striking with
little or no warning at avalanche speeds. They also can
travel several miles from their source, growing in size as
they pick up trees, boulders, cars, and other materials.
• Because of the suddenness and unpredictability of
earthquakes and landslides, it is important for you and
your family to prepare ahead of time.
• Search and Rescue in Landslides
• When there is warning to the local population about a landslide threat,
• evacuation of population, livestock and property to safe areas should be
• organised. The help of shock brigade volunteers is always necessary,
• especially for the elderly, children, disabled people, and for people who
• live far from others.
• What should a community volunteer do?
• • Warn everyone in the area about the danger.
• • Direct people to the safe areas based on the most probable
• landslide or mudflow location and direction, the safest places are
• determined as mountain stops and hills, which are not
• predisposed to landslides.
• • When going uphill to safe places, one should not follow valleys,
• gorges, or ditches, as these might become channels of the
• landslides.
• • Help the ill, the elderly, the handicapped, children, and the weak
• along the way.
• What to do if people are on a moving landslide?
• • Leave building and move down hill.
• • If the landslide slows down, be aware of rocks earthen masses, or
• other debris, still rolling down.
• • Bear in mind that, at high speed, when the landslide finally stops,
• a strong jolt is possible.
• • When landslides over, make sure there is no threat of second one
• and only after that, cautiously assist people back to their home.
• • Immediately start search and rescue, draw casualties out, give
• them First Aid, and control possible secondary hazards such as
• fires.
• • Send a message about what happened to the concerned
• authorities.
HOW TO PREPARE FOR EARTHQUAKES
• Get an emergency supply kit that includes
enough provisions for you and your family to live
on for a minimum of three days. Be sure to
include plastic sheeting, duct tape and scissors
in your emergency kit.
• Make an emergency plan for you and your
family.
• Have a licensed professional repair
defective electrical wiring, leaky gas lines,
and inflexible utility connections (flexible
fittings are more resistant to breakage).
• Store breakable items such as bottled foods,
glass, and china in low, closed cabinets with
latches.
Store weed killers, pesticides and flammable
products securely in closed cabinets with
latches and on bottom shelves.
• Fasten shelves securely to walls. Place large or
heavy objects on lower shelves.
Anchor overhead lighting fixtures and hang heavy
items such as pictures and mirrors away from beds,
couches, and anywhere people sit.
• Locate safe spots in each room under a sturdy table
or against an inside wall. Hold earthquake drills with
your family members so everyone knows what to do.
• Be prepared for aftershocks that may follow the
earthquake. Aftershocks are usually not as powerful
as the main earthquake, but may cause additional
damage and weaken structures.
WHAT TO DO DURING EARTHQUAKE
HOW TO PREPARE FOR (AND HELP PREVENT)
LANDSLIDES

Be aware of changes in and around your home that

could signal a landslide is likely to occur, such as
changes in landscape and water drainage, or new
cracks in foundations and sidewalks.
Follow proper land-use procedures. Avoid building
near steep slopes or along natural erosion valleys.
Land-use zoning, professional inspections and
proper design can minimize many landslide, mudflow
and debris flow problems.
Get a ground assessment of your property and, if
necessary, consult a geotechnical expert for
evaluating landslide hazards or designing corrective
techniques to reduce landslide risk.
Minimize home hazards by having flexible pipe
fittings installed to avoid gas or water leaks, as
flexible fittings are more resistant to breakage (only
the gas company or professionals should install gas
fittings).
HOW TO PREPARE FOR (AND HELP PREVENT) LANDSLIDES
• Be aware of changes in and around your home that could signal
a landslide is likely to occur, such as changes in landscape and
water drainage, or new cracks in foundations and sidewalks.
• Follow proper land-use procedures. Avoid building near steep
slopes or along natural erosion valleys. Land-use zoning,
professional inspections and proper design can minimize many
landslide, mudflow and debris flow problems.
• Get a ground assessment of your property and, if necessary,
consult a geotechnical expert for evaluating landslide hazards or
designing corrective techniques to reduce landslide risk.
• Minimize home hazards by having flexible pipe fittings installed
to avoid gas or water leaks, as flexible fittings are more resistant
to breakage (only the gas company or professionals should
install gas fittings).
 LANDSLIDE WARNING SIGNS
• Changes occur in your landscape such as patterns of storm-water
drainage on slopes (especially the places where runoff water
converges), land movement, small slides, flows or progressively
leaning trees.
• Doors or windows stick or jam for the first time.
• New cracks appear in plaster, tile, brick or foundations.
• Outside walls, walks or stairs begin pulling away from the building.
• Slowly developing, widening cracks appear on the ground or on paved
areas such as streets or driveways.
• Underground utility lines break.
• Bulging ground appears at the base of a slope.
• Water breaks through the ground surface in new locations.
• Fences, retaining walls, utility poles, or trees tilt or move.
 WHAT TO DO IF THERE IS A LANDSLIDE OR DEBRIS FLOW

• Move away from the path of the landslide or debris flow

as quickly as possible.
• If escape is not possible, curl into a tight ball and protect
your head.
• When the landslide ends, stay away from the slide area.
There may be danger of additional slides.
• Watch for associated dangers such as broken electrical,
water, gas, and sewage lines and damaged roadways
and railways.
• Replant damaged ground as soon as possible since
erosion caused by loss of ground cover can lead to flash
flooding and additional landslides in the near future.