The First Things To Do When Disaster Strikes

Related to the recent earthquake drill held in Metro Manila, I realized that the most important thing to do when there is an unexpected disaster is to do nothing. Observe what is happening and give your mind time to think of what better thing to do. Do not run or hide at once because you may not be seeing the entirety of the disaster. You need to have a good picture of the surrounding before you run or hide. In other words, presence of mind is still the most important element when there is a disaster. And if you are calm then you will be able to think well.

 

When disester strikes, the first thing you have to do is stay calm. When you rush, you will make the situation worse. For example, when there is an earthquake, you should never run, instead look for safe places such as under the table, bed, beam etc. When you sat calm for a while, you can think about how to get away from the disester.

 

Not necessarily "not do anything" I think. The right thing to do would be to stay alert. Know when to stay, know when to go. Standing still like a deer in the headlights is a prelude to a fight or flight response, which is exactly what you don't want to happen during an emergency (earthquake, other calamities).

 

I get what Vinaya is saying, not simply to sit and do nothing but to stay safe, stay calm and assess the situation before reacting. Then once you understand the situation you can react appropriately.

 

Don't panic but also is important to pay attention to all your senses. Examples: smell of gas, becoming light headed or headache. You might not see any dangers around but those unseen dangers can kill quickly.

 

I guess I am sort of a Boy Scout. Their motto is to always be prepared and that is what I try to do in life. I try to think of all the possible thing that could happen and what would be the best thing to do in each case. For example when I fly I always count how many rows are between my seat and the various exit hatches. That way in the event of a problem if it is dark or smoke filled I can nonetheless go over the seats to the exit. The aisle will be packed and impassable.

In my opinion the best way to react to any disaster is to already have protocols mentally prepared and then ack in the way that best offers you a safe way to deal with it. It is sort of like what I explained to a nephew that was telling me how much better he would be able to drive than me because he is young and has faster reflexes. I agreed that he would most likely react faster than me but that all it would mean would be that he would do several wrong things while I did the right thing first.

Most of the time this has worked real well for me. I've been "mugged" three times and in each case I came away basically unharmed and unmugged. As soon as I was sure that was the intention I acted instead of REACTING. Basically in all three cases the mugger got mugged. I am nearly always armed and they just aren't prepared when things don't go as they are supposed to.

Since i live in Hurricane country I'm ready year around for that. I live way out and calling the cops in the event of someone breaking into my home would be useless. I have guns stashed in every room of my house. All my cars and trucks have weapons of several levels, bug out kits, food, water, blankets, flashlights and tools.

I play the what if game with my family and always have. We try to have a plan for any event.

 

First gather family retreat to a Safe place then Observer overcome and adapt. Having a plan and something visual to take reference from would also be a good idea.

 

I know what i would do get to my place up north asap. i have guns ammo, trapping stuff, seeds, fishing stuff. oil lamps, saws, axes batteries , radio. first aid kit , survival bag . I would try to fill several gas cans on the way in. and bring all the non perishable foods that would fit in the car.

 

Gosh, let me think, ..., well, we gotta get all the whiskey bottles together & get them packed. Guns and ammo, yep; what's we gotta have?! Put that together. The wife! Where's the wife? If she feels like working, maybe I'll take her with me ... whatever. Food, guess that would help out. Whiskey, do we have the whiskey?!!! I'm getting confused.

 

YES!

Only thing better is when I read about some great-grandmother dumping her old .32 revolver into some would-be home-invader. Such stories occupy a special place in my heart.

 

Hmmmmmm........OODA loop!!!??

Watcherchris

 

Explain?

 

Ahhh...ok,....no problem.

OODA Loop is a concept/strategy studied and devised by a US Air Force fighter pilot named John Boyd.

This was first applied to fighter aircraft performance in dogfighting. It became known initially as "Energy Maneuvering."

How to gain energy in a dogfight ..bleed it off as necessary to maneuver and then as necessary to regain it....quickly. In short...how to think and move faster than your opponent can keep up.

Boyd quickly realized that by knowing the performance parameters of your own fighter plane as well as the performance parameters of your opposition....this would determine your strategy....what you would do given certain circumstances in a dog fight.

But what Boyd and his members of his team began to understand about the OODA loop principles was that this knowledge of parameters...performance could be used to design better fighter aircraft.

Out of this and back then came the designs for the F 15 Aircraft..the F 16 and eventually the A10 Warthog.


In addition to all of this ...Boyd and his accolites..began to also realize that this study of "Energy Maneuvering" could be applied to ground troops....Marines...Army etc etc.

And we saw this application in Gulf War 1 and 2...where our troops moved so quickly they went through most of the opposition like crap through a goose. This was energy maneuvering/The OODA Loop at it's finest.


In many Marine bases you see pictures on their walls...mostly of fallen Marine heros...and in there somewhere you will find a photo of an Air Force Colonel...John Boyd. This is a remarkable phenomenon ..an Air Force Colonel's photo in there with their fallen Marine Hero's...considering the history of inter service rivalries....truly remarkable.
The US Marines have taken to Energy Maneuvering/The OODA Loop like ducks in water. I salute them.

For the Marines know that they are often first in....and suffer heavy causalities.

Colonel Boyd changed all that for the Marines...with his doctrine of Energy Maneuvering/The OODA Loop applied to ground warfare.

Boyd's model of the OODA loop can also apply to business. Observe...Orient...Decide ....Act.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OODA_loop




A very very interesting read....

https://n631s.blogspot.com/2011/03/book-review-boyd-fighter-pilot-who.html

https://www.amazon.com/Boyd-Fighter-Pilot-Who-Changed/dp/0316796883


What is also very interesting in this book is Boyd's constant fight at the Pentagon against lobbyists and many of the generals in the pockets of the lobbyists and Congress who were buying the wrong aircraft and other equipment for our military...according to his Energy Maneuvering data.
Boyd really pissed many generals and lobbyists off at the Pentagon without getting fired...a remarkable feat.

But history shows that Colonel Boyd was correct in the design of the F 15, the F 16 and also the A 10...as well as his Energy Maneuvering strategies...for aircraft and also ground troops....and even ground troop equipment/strategies.

This struggle continues to this day with the F35 and F22 aircraft...


Well ..anyway..the history behind Boyd and his OODA loop applications is an interesting study in thinking and observation...reacting to quickly changing conditions.

Hope this helps you to understand about the OODA loop principle I survive. It is a worthwhile study in thinking....and of course acting on it.

Watcherchris

 

Thank you for explaining watcherchris.
I enjoyed that read and will look at your links later when I have some time to myself.

Very interesting stuff. Right up my alley structural thinking.

 

You are certainly welcome I survive.

I suspected by something in your posts that certain out of the box thinking was up your alley.

Watcherchris