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Authored by Randall Ireson and the Salem Oregon Composite Squadron PCR-OR-042 04-Sep-2012Modified by Lt Colonel Fred BlundellTX-129 Fort Worth Senior Squadron

For Local Training Rev 6.0 03-Jan-2014

This Training Slide Show is a project undertaken by Lt Colonel Fred Blundell of the TX-129 Fort Worth Senior Squadron, Fort Worth, TX for local use to

assist those CAP Members interested in advancing their skills. The information contained herein is for CAP Member’s personal use and is not intended to replace or be a substitute for any of the CAP National Training Programs. Users should review the presentation’s Revision Number at the

end of each file name to ensure that they have the most current publication.

Someone Will Be Looking

Everyone should know what to do if they get lost. In CAP, if an Air Crew makes a forced landing, or if a

Ground Team has a vehicle problem or goes missing on a search, they need to know the basic skills to stay alive and safe until they are rescued.

Fortunately, CAP Air Crews and Ground Teams benefit from one special circumstance. Incident

Command has a good idea where they are and will quickly notice when they do not report in. As a result

a search for them will be begin in a timely and be relatively accurate.

This lesson covers the special needs of CAP Air Crews when they are downed, and Ground Teams

when they are lost. They need to be capable of staying alive and safe for several days, but not likely

for more than a week.

The recommendations in this lesson are also relevant to anyone who gets lost, but do not discuss the special needs of long-term wilderness survival.

Objectives

Outline

Your survival chances will be greatly improved if you follow these three simple rules

1. Be Prepared2. When something first goes wrong, STOP3. Take care of the priorities first

Rule 1: Be Prepared

The three essentials of being prepared are:

1. Knowledge

2. Attitude

3. Equipment

Knowledge

Know the basic rules and skills for wilderness survival in the event of an accident.

Be trained and know your team mates. You are all in the same situation, and cooperation will greatly improve your situation

Attitude

Have a positive attitude. You know that someone will be looking for you soon, and that you have the knowledge

and equipment to take care of yourself and others.

Equipment

Always carry the essentials for wilderness survival in the region you are working in.

Aircrew members should wear a vest with survival gear, so it will be with you after an emergency egress.

Ground Team members can carry a personal emergency kit in a small bag.

Consider putting a similar kit in your family car!

10 Essential Items

There are 10 items you should always carry on a mission in case you are stranded.

For your immediate care:1. First aid kit

For knowing your location:2. Map (sectional, topo map,gazeteer)3. Compass

For your health:

4. Water – including

purification tablets or

bleach and containers

5. Extra food – energy bars

for short term use

For your shelter and protection:

6. Extra clothing – warm jacket

and rain gear. Wool keeps you

warm even when wet. Great

lightweight options are

aluminized mylar blankets or

bags, a plastic garbage bag

for a rain poncho.

7. Fire starter – matches, magnesium sticks, candles, wood pieces soaked in wax, cotton balls soaked in vaseline, fine steel wool (5-0) and 9 v. battery, a wire pull-saw

8. A good knife

For signaling and movement:

9. Flashlight – LED bulbs are brighter than incandescent and use less power. Considera hand-crank flashlight.

10. Signaling devices – signal mirror or CD; whistle; pink surveyor’s tape or a signal tarp;

a charged cell-phone; and don’tforget the radio!

Rule 2: STOP

When something first goes wrong:

- Stop what you are doing

- Think about the overall situation

- Observe the situation clearly

- Plan what you are going to do about it

Don’t just react in a hurry. When you get rushed you make mistakes and your judgment is poor.

If you are not in immediate danger of further injury (fire, landslide, fall, drowning, etc.), take time to assess the situation and discuss it with your crew mates.

Use your training, knowledge and equipment correctly.

Rule 3: Remember the Priorities

1. First Aid: stop bleeding, restore breathing, attend to wounds and broken bones, get clear of damaged a/c or vehicle

2. Shelter: hypothermia or sunstroke happens faster than dehydration

3. Signal: stay put, near your vehicle/aircraft, but get somewhere you are visible. Use contrasting colors to the environment.

4. Water: You can survive a couple of days without water except in very hot environments

5. Food: Not a priority – you can survive a couple of weeks without eating

Be Prepared

Take a first aid course, and have basic first aid equipment in your survival kit. We will not discuss first aid procedures in

detail. If someone is injured, attend to the injuries first. STOP and consider whether you need to get the person clear of the

vehicle or aircraft before caring for him/her.

Priority 1 - First Aid

Stay dry. Stay warm in a cold climate. Stay cool in a hot climate. You need shade, protection from wind, rain, snow. Find a site that is not subject to flood, rock falls, excess

wind, poisonous plants.On a mountain slope, shelter next to a large

boulder that will absorb heat and block wind.

Priority 2 - Shelter

Make it visible from ground and air – in open area, and of contrasting color.

Do not leave the general area of your emergency landing or disabled vehicle unless absolutely necessary.Getting lost just makes it a bigger problem!

In a cold climate, make the shelter just big enough to trap and not dissipate body heat.

Insulate the floor (with brush, pine needles, aluminized mylar)

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In a hot climate, create shade and allow air movement. Desert environments can go from hot in the daytime to freezing at night. Shelter accordingly.

Fire: for heat in a cold climate, and as a signal source. Find a dry location, sheltered from wind. Don’t start a

wildfire: build on dirt or rock.

Start fires small:

Lay tinder (moss, dead grass, wood shavings, crumpled paper) and kindling (dry twigs, cardboard strips, wood strips) first. Lay a tepee or lean-to in order to focus heat.

Light your candle and use the candle to light tinder; once the kindling is burning add fuel (small branches, fallen wood, grass twisted in bundles, etc.).

Priority 3 – Signaling

The handheld radio is your best resource. Be sure you have it when you leave the airplane or vehicle. Call on 121.5 and any commercial aircraft in range will hear you. Hold the antenna vertically, and do not point it at the aircraft.

Get as high as possible, in an open area. Deploy bright colors: spread out the mylar blanket; drape

orange surveyor’s tape over branches.Flash a signal mirror or CD; make smoke (lots!); whistle.

Priority 4 - Water You need at least 2 liters a day to stay healthy and effective. If the temperature is 96°, you need 7.5 liters if resting in the shade! In a hot climate, water quickly becomes a high priority.

If there is a stream or lake nearby, use that, with purification tablets if available. If the water is murky, strain it through a shirt first.

Ice & snow can be melted. (Ice is better than snow.) Catch rain in a tarp or your mylar blanket.

Look for water in rock cracks, tree clefts, or some plants (cactus, bamboo).

Priority 5 – Food

Food is the last of your worries

Don’t spend time looking for food until everything else has been taken care of.

Eat your energy bars, but be prepared to be hungry for a couple of days, if needed.

Learn the edible plants of your region. Don’t waste energy hunting. If you’ve done everything else right, you will be located in

a few days.

Extreme Environments Deserts

In the desert, water and shade become the priorities. At 96°F, a person resting in the shade needs 7.5 liters

of water a day. At 110°F, you need 11 liters (3 gallons). Any exercise or sun exposure will add 2 to 7 liters more

to the need. Drink water regularly. If water is scarce, do not eat

because that raises the need for water. Keep your clothes on, so that the sweat stays near your

body and cools more effectively.

Extreme Environments Cold

In a cold environment, shelter and warmth become the priority. Cold is insidious and dangerous. It decreases your

ability to think and your will to survive. Protect your body. Cover your head and hands.

Any exposed skin is a source of heat loss.Wear all your clothes, in layers. Avoid overheating and stay dry. Stay out of the wind.

Make a small shelter, just big enough for your crew. Insulate

yourself from the ground (with branches, leaves, etc.).

Don’t shelter in a bare metal fuselage that will conduct heat

away.

Keep any fire or

candle properly

ventilated to prevent

carbon monoxide

poisoning. Put it out

while you sleep.

Review

Be PreparedKnowledgeAttitudeEquipment

STOPStopThink about the situationObserve the situationPlan what you will do

Review

Follow the priorities1. First Aid2. Shelter3. Signal4. Water5. Food

Work together and you can stay safe!

Questions?

Always Think Safety!