Survival Basics for Air and Ground Crews

Created by Salem, OR Composite Squadron

PCR-OR-042

Survival Basics for Air and Ground Crews

Someone will be looking

• Everyone should know what to do when they get lost. In CAP, if an air crew makes a forced landing, or if a ground crew 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.

• But CAP air and ground crews benefit from one special circumstance: someone knows pretty closely where they are and also will notice quickly when they do not report in. Thus a search will be timely and relatively accurate.

• This lesson covers the special needs of CAP crews. They need to be able to stay alive and safe for a few 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.

Course outline

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

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

We will discuss each of these rules in this module.

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– That is what this module is about

• Be trained and know your teammates – 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 crew members can carry a personal emergency kit in a small bag.

• Consider putting a similar kit in your family car!

10 Essential ItemsThere 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’t forget 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 Priorities1. 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

Let’s look at each of these priorities in more

detail…

 

Priority 1 - First Aid: Be Prepared: Take a first aid course, and have basic first aid equipment in your survival kid.

This module 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 2 – Shelter:

• 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.

Shelter, continued

• 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!

Shelter, continued

• 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)

Shelter, continued

• 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.

Shelter, continued

• 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.

Shelter, continued• 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:

This 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.

Cold environments, continued• 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 Prepared– Knowledge– Attitude– Equipment

• STOP– Stop– Think about the situation– Observe the situation– Plan what you will do

Review

• Follow the priorities– 1. First Aid– 2. Shelter– 3. Signal– 4. Water– 5. Food

Work together and you can stay safe!

Thank you for taking the time to complete this training presentation! Please take a moment to complete the associated quiz to receive safety education credit.

As a “professional” member of Civil Air Patrol, awareness is a key part to the safety of all members.

Civil Air Patrol National Safety Teamsafety@capnhq.gov