Fault Line (26 page)

• Secure tall and heavy furniture such as cabinets and bookcases to walls.

• Shut away small appliances, like toasters and kettles – or you could do what some people in Tokyo did and secure them to a shelf or worktop with Velcro.

• If possible, take down heavy-framed pictures and mirrors in case they fall on you.

• Put large and heavy objects on lower shelves and put breakable items such as bottles or glass and china in cabinets with latches – but ask permission before nailing your auntie’s furniture to the wall and hiding her ornaments in a cupboard!

• Make sure everyone knows how and when to call the police, ambulance or fire brigade and which radio station to tune into for emergency information.

• Everyone in the group also needs to know where and how to shut off electricity, gas and water in case they are damaged during the quake. The local telephone book may carry instructions on where to find main switches and valves. Do you know where your water stopcock at home is? If not, ask your parent or guardian to show you, for this is something you could practise – stopcocks can be stiff and you need to know how hard to turn and when the supply really is off. Warn everyone before trying, though – you wouldn’t appreciate it if you were under the shower with a headful of shampoo and the water suddenly stopped!

• 3 gallons of bottled water per person

• Non-perishable food such as dried items and cans – and don’t forget a non-electric can opener!

• Make sure you’ve got at least one powerful torch with spare batteries.

• A portable radio (again, one that runs off batteries, with spares)

• Tools (particularly an adjustable spanner for turning off utilities)

• Blankets

• Sturdy shoes

• Sanitary items, like a loo roll, toothpaste and some soap

• A first aid kit is essential too – and brush up on your first aid and CPR skills. Every member of Alpha Force knows at least basic first aid and the essential life-saving skills and it is well worth learning these for yourself. Why not ask at your school or local library and find out if there are any courses in your area? It could mean the difference between life and death for someone at some point. Injuries in earthquake situations may include crush injuries (like the trapped teacher), fractures, cuts and bruises from flying glass and other debris and, of course, shock, which can kill.

• If anyone in your group, such as babies or disabled people, needs special items, make sure these are to hand – not left in the bathroom where you might not be able to reach them. The same goes for prescription medicines – like the insulin Amber needs for her diabetes.

• A portable fire escape ladder might come in very handy – check it’s working, though.

• Lastly, don’t forget cash, warm and protective clothing, rainwear and sleeping bags.

• DUCK under a sturdy desk or table. Remember how Li protects herself by diving under a table in the canteen area of the museum, and Ana and her friends hide in an opened safe down in the basement.

• If no desk or table is available, seek COVER against an inside wall (not an outside wall – and not an interior wall with glass) and protect your head and neck with your arms.

• HOLD onto the desk or table. If it moves, move with it. Hold the position until the ground stops shaking and it is safe to move.

• Stay calm. This is really important as panic can cause further injuries, as well as upsetting other survivors. When Alex finds himself trapped under the dinosaur skeleton, he uses his head and thinks about his situation before deciding in which direction to dig to give himself the best chance of getting free. If he had just panicked and dug madly in any direction, he could have used up valuable energy to no effort.

• Check yourself for injuries and protect yourself from further harm by putting on long trousers, a long-sleeved shirt, sturdy shoes and work gloves, if they are available.

• Check others for injuries and give them first aid, if necessary. Get everyone together, but do not try to move anyone who’s seriously injured unless they are in immediate danger. Remember that babies, the elderly and people with disabilities may need special help.

• Make sure there is no smell of gas. If there is, open windows and shut off the main gas valve – and don’t light any matches or candles or turn on any lights! Also check electricity supplies and water lines – you may have to shut these off too.

• Turn on your battery-powered radio and listen for important information such as road closures, damage and evacuation centres.

• Check telephone receivers are back on their cradles – they may have been knocked off and if you leave them like that it may disrupt the service.

• If water pipes are damaged, shut off the supply at the main valve. Extra emergency drinking water may be obtained from water heaters or melted ice cubes. Check to see that sewage lines are intact before using the loo!

• If you are trapped, do anything you possibly can to attract attention. Call for help or wave something eye-catching – that horrible yellow swirly scarf your gran gave you last Christmas might come in very handy! If you have a mobile and it is working, use that. Otherwise, though, stay off the phone unless you have to report an emergency. Remember that the emergency services will be working to find you if you are trapped under rubble or in a collapsed building. If you are in a group, remind others of this too. It’s amazing how quickly morale can lift in a group if at least one person is confident of rescue.