Triangle of Life, What You Need to Know in an Earthquake Could Save Your Life

Article by Doug Copp, A 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 a California, Haiti or anywhere
there is 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.

I am amazed that even today schools are still using the
Duck and Cover instructions- telling the children to squat
under their desks with their heads bowed and covered with
their hands. This was the technique used in the Mexico
City school. 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.

Cats, dogs and babies often naturally curl up in the
fetal position. You should too in an earthquake. It is a
natural safety/survival instinct. That position helps you
survive in a smaller void. Get next to an object, next
a sofa, next to a large bulky object that will compress
slightly but leave a void next to it.

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.

If an earthquake happens 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.

All the crushed cars had voids 3 feet high next to them,
except for the cars that had columns fall directly across them.

I discovered, while crawling inside of collapsed newspaper offices and
other offices with a lot of paper, that paper does not that paper does not
compact. Large voids are found surrounding stacks of paper.

To emphasize, 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 the
'triangle of life'. Let your family and friends know about it.