Welcome to the March 2007 Edition of

“Leadership:  It’s All about Trust.”

 An On-line Newsletter from Ellen Castro that Addresses

Leadership and Life in Today’s 24/7 World

 

 

The President of a global company forwarded an extract regarding “Techniques In Case of an Earthquake.”  Her message read, “This is very interesting - different from what we have been told, but it makes sense! Please take the time to read this. Especially #9 wow! It could save your life...or the life of someone you care about.”

 

While reading the article, the thought that perhaps many “facts” we have been told were no longer “facts.” And perhaps it was time to re-evaluate other “facts” based on new information, insights and wisdom gained through knowledge and experience. 
 
The following is the extract from Doug Copp’s Article on the "TRIANGLE OF LIFE” providing new “facts.”  I’ve also highlighted the information that could save the life of those you lead and love.

"My name is Doug Copp. I am the 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 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 was the United Nations expert in Disaster Mitigation for two years. I have worked at every major disaster in the world since 1985, except for simultaneous disasters.

In 1996 we made a film which proved my survival methodology to be correct.

The Turkish Federal Government, City of Istanbul, University of Istanbul Case Productions and ARTI cooperated to film this practical, scientific test. We collapsed a school and a home with 20 mannequins inside. Ten mannequins did "duck and cover," and ten mannequins I used in my "triangle of life" survival method. After the simulated earthquake collapse we crawled through the rubble and entered the building to film and document the results. The film, in which I practiced my survival techniques under directly observable, scientific conditions, relevant to building collapse, showed there would have been zero percent survival for those doing duck and cover. There would likely have been 100 percent survivability for people using my method of the "triangle of life."


The first building I ever crawled inside of was a school in Mexico City during the 1985 earthquake. Every child was under their desk. Every child was crushed to the thickness of their bones. They could have survived by lying down next to their desks in the aisles. It was obscene, unnecessary and I wondered why the children were not in the aisles. I didn't at the time know that the children were told to hide under something.

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, and 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.

TEN TIPS FOR EARTHQUAKE SAFETY

1) Most everyone who simply "ducks and covers" when buildings collapse are crushed to death. People who get under objects, like desks or cars, are crushed.

2) Cats, dogs and babies often naturally curl up in the fetal position. You should too in an earthquake. You can survive in a smaller void. Get next to an object, next to a sofa, next to a large bulky object that will compress slightly but leave a void next to it.

3) Wooden buildings are the safest type of construction to be in during an earthquake. Wood is flexible and moves with the force of the earthquake. If the wooden building does collapse, large survival voids are created. Also, the wooden building has less concentrated, crushing weight. Brick buildings will break into individual bricks. Bricks will cause many injuries but less squashed bodies than concrete slabs.

4) 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.

5) 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.

6) Most everyone who gets under a doorway when buildings collapse is killed. How? If you stand under a doorway and the doorjamb falls forward or backward you will be crushed by the ceiling above. If the door jam falls sideways you will be cut in half by the doorway. In either case, you will be killed!

7) Never go to the stairs. The stairs have a different "moment of frequency."  The stairs and remainder of the building continuously bump into each other until structural failure of the stairs takes place.  Even if the building doesn't collapse, stay away from the stairs.

8) Get Near the Outer Walls Of Buildings Or Outside Of Them If Possible. The farther inside you are from the outside perimeter of the building the greater the probability that your escape route will be blocked.

9) People inside of their vehicles are crushed when the road above falls in an earthquake and crushes their vehicles; which is exactly what happened with the slabs between the decks of the Nimitz Freeway.  They could have easily survived by getting out and sitting or lying next to their vehicles.  All the crushed cars had voids 3 feet high next to them, except for the cars that had columns fall directly across them.

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

 

 

Today’s leaders have a willingness to learn in every single moment, in every single way.

 

 

Questions for Reflection

 

Am I always open minded?  Willing to learn? 

 

What current “facts” do I perhaps need to re-evaluate?

 

 

The choice is ALWAYS yours!

 

Feel free to share this with a colleague or friend.  Your comments and thoughts are always appreciated … I am always learning.  Until next time, choose wisely.

 

Ellen Castro is a bestselling author of Spirited Leadership … 52 Ways to Build Trust on the Job and Tortilla Soup for the Spirit.  She holds an EdM from Harvard University and an MBA from SMU where she currently serves as an instructor for the Business Leadership Center.  In addition to Ellen’s coaching, writing, speaking, consulting and teaching, she is a REALTOR® for Keller Williams. 

 

Ellen’s intent and commitment is to do ALL the good she can, for as many as she can, whenever she can.

 

She can be reached at 214.750.7718 or ellen@ellencastro.com.  Please visit www.EllenCastro.com.

 

Ellen Castro 2007.  All rights reserved worldwide.  If this was forwarded to you and you want your own copy each month, please email ellen@ellencastro.com with “Trust Subscribe” in the subject line.  Your name will never be sold or shared.  If you prefer to unsubscribe, or received this in error, reply with “Trust Unsubscribe” in the subject line.

 

 

Happy Spring!

 

Happy EVERYTHING!