>From Spring>> ~*~ How to Ram a Car Ramming a car to move it out of your way is not easy or safe but there are some methods that work better than others, and some that will minimize the damage to your vehicle. Keep in mind that the best way to hit a car blocking your path is to clip the very rear of it, about one foot from the rear bumper. The rear is the lightest part of a car, and it will move relatively easily. Hitting it in the rear can also disable the car-with the rear wheel crushed, you have time to get away without being pursued 1. Disable your air bag, if you can. It will deploy on impact and will obstruct your view after it deploys. 2. Wear a seat belt. 3. Accelerate to at least twenty-five miles per hour. Do not go too fast-keeping the car at a slow speed will allow you to maintain control of your car without slowing down. Then, just before impact, increase your speed to greater than thirty miles per hour to deliver a disabling crunch to the rear wheel of the obstacle car. 4. Ram the front passenger side of your car into the obstacle car at its rear wheel, at a ninety-degree angle (the cars should be perpendicular). 5. If you are unable to hit a car in the rear, go for the front corner. Avoid hitting the car squarely in the side; this will not move it out of your way. 6. The car should spin out of your way-hit the gas, and keep moving. ~*~ How to Escape from Quicksand 1. When walking in quicksand country, carry a stout pole-it will help you get out should you need to. 2. As soon as you start to sink, lay the pole on the surface of the quicksand. 3. Flop onto your back on top of the pole. After a minute or two, equilibrium in the quicksand will be achieved, and you will no longer sink. 4. Work the pole to a new position under your hips, and at right angles to your spine. The pole will keep your hips from sinking, as you (slowly) pull out first one leg, and then the other. 5. Take the shortest route to firmer ground, moving slowly. How to Avoid Sinking Quicksand is just ordinary sand mixed with upwelling water, which makes it behave like a liquid. However, quicksand-unlike water-does not easily let go. If you try to pull a limb out of quicksand, you have to work against the vacuum left behind. Here are a few tips The viscosity of quicksand increases with shearing move slowly so the viscosity is as low as possible. Floating on quicksand is relatively easy and is the best way to avoid its clutches. You are more buoyant in quicksand than you are in water. Humans have a specific gravity just under 1.00, while fresh water has a specific gravity of 1.00. Saltwater is slightly more dense at 1.02, and floating is significantly easier in saltwater than in freshwater. Spread your arms and legs far apart and try to float on your back. ~*~ How To Deal With A Tunnel Collapse Structural collapse of a tunnel is possible, but fire danger is more significant, and will likely precipitate any structural failure. 1. Communicate. If you have a cellular phone, call for help immediately. 2. Look for marked and lighted emergency phones in the tunnel if no cellular phone is available or if your cell phone is inoperable. 3. Check the air quality. If smoke is visible and breathing becomes difficult, do not wait for help. Get out of the tunnel as quickly as possible, and leave your car behind. 4. Stay low. If smoke is close by, breathable air will be lower to the ground. If available, use a wet blanket over your nose and mouth. 5. Look for emergency exits. All tunnels should have well-marked emergency exits to the surface. Locate the nearest one and get out of the tunnel. If you are close enough to see the tunnel entrance, exit that way. Do not look for an emergency exit. 6. If fire is present, do not prop open emergency exit doors: this may cause the exitway to fill with smoke. Do not hesitate to leave your car behind. Tunnel dangers Road and rail tunnels disasters are uncommon, but when they do occur, death is generally caused not by collapse but by one of the following: Smoke. Cars with engines running produce carbon monoxide, which is deadly. Fires produce even more. A severe fire may cause ventilation systems to fail. Heat. While extremely rare, tunnels can collapse due to structural deterioration caused by the heat from a severe fire. Bricks tunnels are very safe, but concrete can break down badly if it has no fire protection. For this reason, most concrete is fireproofed. Death in a tunnel fire is usually due to fire or smoke, not structural failure. Road tunnels While tunnels have effective ventilation systems, severe fires can cause death by asphyxiation. If in a tunnel fire, ask yourself the following questions immediately. How can I continue to breathe relatively unpolluted air ? Does the tunnel have designated "places of safety" along its length for use in emergency ? Are emergency exits visible? Where are the means of communication? Is fire warning/fighting equipment nearby? Rail tunnels The main danger in rail tunnels is fire, followed by derailment, followed by structural collapse of the tunnel. Circular tunnels are very resistant to collapse provided they are built properly and they are inspected regularly. There are hundreds of rail tunnels around the world built more than 100 years ago that are still safely in use. A severe train derailment is unlikely to damage the tunnel structure to the point of collapse. (This was considered during the design of the Channel Tunnel, the biggest and most expensive tunnel project in the world). Flooding of subway tunnels is a possibility, though such a flood would likely be due to slow rising of the water level rather than a catastrophic event. In the event of catastrophic flooding, rescue would be unlikely. In addition to the water danger, electrocution would also be a distinct possibility. ~*~ How to Fend Off a Shark 1. Hit back. If a shark is coming toward you or attacks you, use anything you have in your possession-a camera, probe, harpoon gun, your fist-to hit the shark's eyes or gills, which are the areas most sensitive to pain. 2. Make quick, sharp, repeated jabs in these areas. Sharks are predators and will usually only follow through on an attack if they have the advantage, so making the shark unsure of its advantage in any way possible will increase your chances of survival. Contrary to popular opinion, the shark's nose is not the area to attack, unless you cannot reach the eyes or gills. Hitting the shark simply tells it that you are not defenseless. How to Avoid an Attack Always stay in groups sharks are more likely to attack an individual. Do not wander too far from shore. This isolates you and creates the additional danger of being too far from assistance. Avoid being in the water during darkness or twilight hours when sharks are most active and have a competitive sensory advantage. Do not enter the water if you are bleeding from an open wound or if you are menstruating a shark is drawn to blood and its olfactory ability is acute. Try not to wear shiny jewelry, because the reflected light resembles the sheen of fish scales. Avoid waters with known effluents or sewage and those being used by sport or commercial fisherman, especially if there are signs of bait fishes or feeding activity. Diving seabirds are good indicators of such action. Use extra caution when waters are murky and avoid showing any uneven tan lines or wearing brightly colored clothing sharks see contrast particularly well. If a shark shows itself to you, it may be curious rather than predatory and will probably swim on and leave you alone. If you are under the surface and lucky enough to see an attacking shark, then you do have a good chance of defending yourself if the shark is not too large. Scuba divers should avoid laying on the surface, where you may look like a piece of prey to a shark, and from where you cannot see a shark approaching. A shark attack is a potential danger for anyone who frequents marine waters, but it should be kept in perspective. Bees, wasps, and snakes are responsible for far more fatalities each year, and in the United States the annual risk of death from lightning is thirty times greater than from a shark attack. Note Most shark attacks occur in nearshore waters, typically inshore of a sandbar or between sandbars where sharks feed and can become trapped at low tide. Areas with steep drop-offs are also likely attack sites. Sharks congregate in these areas, because their natural prey congregates there. Almost any large shark, roughly two meters or longer in total length, is a potential threat to humans. But three species in particular have repeatedly attacked man the white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), the tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) and the bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas). All are cosmopolitan in distribution, reach large sizes, and consume large prey such as marine mammals, sea turtles, and fish as normal elements of their diets. There are three major kinds of unprovoked shark attacks. "Hit and run" attacks are by far the most common. These typically occur in the surf zone, where swimmers and surfers are the targets. The victim seldom sees its attacker, and the shark does not return after inflicting a single bite or slash wound. "Bump and bite" attacks are characterized by the shark initially circling and often bumping the victim prior to the actual attack. These types of attacks usually involve divers or swimmers in deeper waters, but also occur in nearshore shallows in some areas of the world. "Sneak" attacks differ the strike can occur without warning. With both "bump and bite" and "sneak" attacks, repeat attacks are common and multiple and sustained bites are the norm. Injuries incurred during this type of attack are usually quite severe, frequently resulting in death ~*~ How to Take a Punch Take a Blow to the Body 1. Tighten your stomach muscles. A body blow to the gut (solar plexus) can damage organs and kill. This sort of punch is one of the best and easiest ways to knock someone out. (Harry Houdini was killed by an unexpected blow to the abdomen.) 2. Do not suck in your stomach if you expect that a punch is imminent. 3. If possible, shift slightly so that the blow hits your side, but do not flinch or move away from the punch. Try to absorb the blow with your obliques this is the set of muscles on your side that wraps around your ribs. While a blow to this area may crack a rib, it is less likely to do damage to internal organs. Take a Blow to the Head 1. Move toward the blow, not away from it. Getting punched while moving backward will result in the head taking the punch at full force. A punch to the face can cause head whipping, where the brain moves suddenly inside the skull, and can cause severe injury or death. 2. Tighten your neck muscles and clench your jaw to avoid scraping of the upper and lower palettes. To Fend off a Straight Punch 1. The straight punch-one that comes straight at your face-should be countered by moving toward the blow. 2. A punch can be absorbed most effectively and with the least injury by the forehead. Avoid getting taking the punch in the nose, which is extremely painful. 3. Attempt to deflect the blow with an arm. Moving into the punch may result in your attacker missing the mark wide to either side. 4. (optional) Hit back with an uppercut or roundhouse. To Fend off a Roundhouse Punch 1. Clench your jaw. A punch to the ear causes great pain and can break your jaw. 2. Move in close to your attacker. Try to make the punch land harmlessly behind your head. 3. (optional) Hit back with an uppercut. To Fend off an Uppercut 1. Clench your neck and jaw. An uppercut can much damage, whipping your head back, easily breaking your jaw or your nose. 2. Use your arm to absorb some of the impact or deflect the blow to the side-anything to minimize the impact of a straight punch to the jaw. 3. Do not step into this punch. If possible, move your head to the side. 4. (optional) Hit back with a straight punch to the face or with an uppercut of your own. ~*~ How to Jump from a Building into a Dumpster How to Jump 1. Jump straight down. If you leap off and away from the building at an angle, your trajectory will make you miss your dumpster. Resist your natural tendency to push off. 2. Tuck your head and bring your legs around. To do this during the fall, execute a three-quarter revolution-basically, a not-quite-full somersault. This is the only method that will allow a proper landing, with your back facing down. 3. Aim for the center of the Dumpster. 4. Land flat on your back so that when your body folds, your feet and hands meet. When your body hits any surface from a significant height, the body folds into a V. This means landing on your stomach can result in a broken back. Risks If the building has fire escapes or other protrusions, your leap will have to be far enough out so you miss them on your way down. The landing target needs to be far enough from the building for you to hit it. The Dumpster may be filled with bricks or other unfriendly materials. It is entirely possible to survive a high fall (five stories or more) into a Dumpster, provided the Dumpster is filled with the right type of trash (cardboard boxes are best) and you land correctly. ~*~ How to Jump from a Bridge or Cliff into a River When attempting a high fall (over twenty feet) into water in an emergency situation, you will not know much about your surroundings, specifically the depth of the water. This makes jumping particularly dangerous. If jumping from a bridge into a river or other body of water with boat traffic, try to land in the channel-the deep-water area where boats go under the bridge. This area is generally in the center, away from the shoreline. Stay away from any area with pylons that are supporting the bridge. Debris can collect in these areas and you can hit it when you enter the water. Swim to shore immediately after surfacing. How to Jump 1. Jump feet first. 2. Keep your body completely vertical. 3. Squeeze your feet together. 4. Enter the water feet first, and clench your buttocks together. If you do not, water may rush in and cause severe internal damage. 5. Protect your crotch area by covering it with your hands. 6. Immediately after you hit the water, spread your arms and legs wide and move them back and forth to generate resistance, which will slow your plunge to the bottom. Always assume the water is not deep enough to keep you from hitting bottom. Risks Hitting the water in this way could save your life, although it may break your legs. If your body is not straight, you can break your back upon entry. Keep yourself vertical until you hit the water. Do not even think about going in headfirst unless you are absolutely sure that the water is at least twenty feet deep. If your legs hit the bottom, they will break. If your head hits, your skull will break. ~*~ How to Treat a Bullet or Knife Wound 1. Do not immediately pull out any impaled objects. Bullets, arrows, knives, sticks and the like cause penetrating injuries. When these objects lodge in the vital areas of the body (the trunk or near nerves or arteries) removing them may cause more severe bleeding that cannot be controlled. The object may be pressed against an artery or other vital internal structure and may actually be helping to reduce the bleeding. 2. Control the bleeding by using a combination of direct pressure, limb elevation, pressure points, and tourniquets (in that order). Direct pressure. You can control most bleeding by placing direct pressure on the wound. Attempt to apply pressure directly to bleeding surfaces. The scalp, for instance, bleeds profusely. Using your fingertips to press the edges of a scalp wound against the underlying bone is more effective than using the palm of your hand to apply pressure over a wider area. Pressing on bleeding arterioles (small squirting vessels) is also controlled better using the tips of the fingers. While surgeons sometimes clamp bleeding vessels with a hemostat, the novice is at high risk of inadvertently harming nerves and other tissues. Elevation. When a wound is in an extremity, elevation of the extremity above the heart, in addition to direct pressure, may reduce the bleeding further. Never make people who are in shock sit up simply to elevate a bleeding wound. Presssure points. To reduce blood flow you usually have to compress an artery (where you can feel the pulse) near the wound against an underlying bone. Just pressing into the soft belly of a muscle does not reduce blood flow by this mechanism. Tourniquet. A tourniquet is a wide band of cloth or a belt that is placed around an extremity and tightened (usually using a windlass) until the blood flow is cut off. The amount of pressure necessary typically causes additional vascular and nerve trauma that is permanent. Thus a tourniquet should only be used as a last resort--to save a life at the expense of sacrificing a limb. The blood supply must be compressed against a long bone (the upper arm or upper leg) since vessels between the double bones in the lower arm and lower leg will continue to bleed despite a tourniquet. It should be noted that tourniquets are rarely helpful--it is uncommon to have life-threatening bleeding in an extremity that cannot be controlled by the methods described above. The areas that cause fatal bleeding (like the femoral arteries or intra-abdominal bleeding) do not lend themselves to the use of a tourniquet. Even most complete amputations do not bleed all that much, and are controlled by direct pressure. Arteries that are severed only part of the way through tend to bleed more profusely than those that are completely severed. 3. Immobilize the injured area. Using splints and dressings to immobilize an injured area helps protect from further injury and maintain clots that have begun to form. Even if an injury to a bone or joint is not suspected, immobilization will promote clotting and help healing begin. 4. Dress the wound, and strive to prevent infection. Use sterile (or at least clean) dressings as much as possible. Penetrating injuries may allow anaerobic (air-hating) bacteria to get deep into the tissues. This is why penetrating wounds are typically irrigated with sterile or antibiotic solutions in surgery. While this is rarely practical outside of the hospital, it is important to remember that smaller penetrating wounds (nail holes in the foot and the like) should be encouraged to bleed for a short period to help "wash out" foreign material. Soaking an extremity in Hydrogen peroxide may help kill anaerobic bacteria as well. Do not apply ointments or goo into penetrating wounds as these may actually promote infection. Emergency Tip Some data indicates that pure granular sugar poured into a penetrating wound can decrease bleeding, promote clotting, and discourage bacteria. You are not likely to see it used in your local emergency department, but it might be worth consideration if your circumstances are dire. 5. Get medical attention as soon as possible. ~*~ How to Perform a Tracheotomy This procedure, technically called a cricothyroidotomy, should be undertaken only when a person with a throat obstruction is not able to breathe at all-no gasping sounds, no coughing-and only after you have attempted to perform the Heimlich maneuver three times without dislodging the obstruction. If possible, someone should be calling for paramedics while you are proceeding. What You Will Need A first aid kit, if available A razor blade or very sharp knife A straw (two would be better) or a ballpoint pen with the inside (ink-filled tube) removed. If neither a straw nor a pen is available, use stiff paper or cardboard rolled into a tube. Good first-aid kits may contain "trache" tubes. There will not be time for sterilization of your tools, so do not bother; infection is the least of your worries at this point. 1. Find the person's Adam's apple (thyroid cartilage). 2. Move your finger about one inch down the neck until you feel another bulge. This is the cricoid cartilage. The indentation between the two is the cricothyroid membrane, where the incision will be made. 3. Take the razor blade or knife and make a one- to two-centimeter (about half an inch) horizontal incision. The cut should be about half an inch deep. There should not be too much blood. 4. Pinch the incision open or place your finger inside the slit to open it. 5. Insert your tube in the incision, roughly one-half to one inch deep. 6. Breathe into the tube with two quick breaths. Pause five seconds, then give one breath every five seconds. 7. You will see the chest rise and the person should regain consciousness if you have performed the procedure correctly. The person should be able to breathe on their own, albeit with some difficulty, until help arrives. ~*~ How to Land a Plane These instructions cover small passenger planes and jets (not commercial airliners). 1. If the plane has only one set of controls, push, pull, carry, or drag the pilot out of the pilot's seat. 2. Take your place at the controls. 3. Put on the radio headset (if there is one). Use the radio to call for help there will be a control button on the yoke (the plane's steering wheel) or a CB-like microphone on the instrument panel. Depress the button to talk, release it to listen. Say "Mayday! Mayday!" and give your situation, destination, and plane call numbers, which should be printed on the top of the instrument panel. 4. If you get no response, try again on the emergency channel-tune the radio to 121.5. All radios are different, but tuning is a standard procedure. The person on the other end should be able to talk you through the proper landing procedures. Following their instructions carefully. If you cannot reach someone to talk you through the landing process, you will have to do it alone. 5. Get your bearings and identify the instruments. ook around you. Is the plane level? Unless you have just taken off or are about to land, it should be flying relatively straight. Yoke. This is the steering wheel and should be in front of you. It turns the plane and controls its pitch. Pull back on the column to bring the nose up, push forward to point it down. Turn left to turn the plane left, turn right to turn it right. The yoke is very sensitive move it only an inch or two in either direction to turn the plane in flight. While cruising, the nose of the plane should be about three inches below the horizon. Altimeter. This is the most important instrument, at least initially. It is a red dial in the middle of the instrument panel that indicates altitude the small hand indicates feet above sea level in thousand-foot increments, the large hand in hundreds. Heading. This is a compass, and will be the only instrument with a small image of the plane in the center. The nose will point in the direction the plane is headed. Airspeed. This dial is on the top of the instrument panel and will be the farthest left. It is usually calibrated in knots, though it may also have miles per hour. A small plane travels at about 120 knots while cruising. Anything under 70 knots in the air is dangerously close to stall speed. (A knot is 11/4 [set frac] miles per hour.) Throttle. This controls airspeed (power) and also the nose attitude, or its relation to the horizon. It is a lever between the seats and is always black. Pull it toward you to slow the plane and cause it to descend, push it away to speed up the plane and cause it to ascend. The engine will get more or less quiet depending on the direction the throttle is moved. Fuel. The fuel gauges will be on the lower portion of the instrument panel. If the pilot has followed FAA regulations, the plane should have enough fuel for the amount of flying time to your intended destination, plus at least an additional half-hour in reserve. Some planes have a reserve fuel tank in addition to the primary one, but do not worry about changing tanks. Flaps. Due to their complexity, wing flaps can make the plane harder to control. Use the throttle to control airspeed, not the flaps. 6. Begin the descent. Pull back on the throttle to slow down. Reduce power by about one-quarter of cruising speed. As the plane slows, the nose will drop. For descent, the nose should be about four inches below the horizon. 7. Deploy the landing gear. Determine if the plane has fixed or retractable landing gear. Fixed landing gear is always down so you need do nothing. If it is retractable, there will be another lever between the seats near the throttle, with a handle that is shaped like a tire. For a water landing, leave the landing gear up (retracted). 8. Look for a suitable landing site. If you cannot find an airport, find a flat field on which to land. A mile-long field is ideal, but finding a field of this length will be difficult unless you are in the Midwest. The plane can land on a much shorter strip of earth, so do not bother to look for the "perfect" landing site there is no such thing. Bumpy terrain will also do if your options are limited. 9. Line up the landing strip so that when the altimeter reads one thousand feet the field is off the right-wing tip. In an ideal situation, you should take a single pass over the field to look for obstructions; with plenty of fuel, you may want to do so. Fly over the field, make a big rectangle, and approach a second time. 10. When approaching the landing strip, reduce power by pulling back on the throttle. Do not let the nose drop more than six inches below the horizon. 11. The plane should be one hundred feet off the ground when you are just above the landing strip, and the rear wheels should touch first. The plane will stall at fifty-five to sixty-five miles per hour, and you want the plane to be at just about stall speed when the wheels touch the ground. 12. Pull all the way back on the throttle, and make sure the nose of the plane does not dip too steeply. Gently pull back on the yoke as the plane slowly touches the ground. 13. Using the pedals on the floor, steer and brake the plane as needed. The yoke has very little effect on the ground. The upper pedals are the brakes, and the lower pedals control the direction of the nose wheel. Concentrate first on the lower pedals. Press the right pedal to move the plane right, press the left pedal to move it left. Upon landing, be aware of your speed. A modest reduction in speed will increase your chances of survival exponentially. By reducing your groundspeed from one hundred and twenty to seventy miles per hour, you increase you chance of survival threefold. Note A well-executed emergency landing in bad terrain can be less hazardous than an uncontrolled landing on an established field. If the plane is headed toward trees, steer it between them so the wings absorb the impact if you hit. When the plane comes to a stop, get out as soon as possible and get away-and take the pilot with you. ~*~ How to Survive if Your Parachute Fails to Open 1. As soon as you realize that your chute is bad, signal to a jumping companion whose chute has not yet opened that you are having a malfunction. Wave your arms and point to your chute. 2. When your companion (and new best friend) gets to you, hook arms. 3. Once you are hooked together, the two of you will still be falling at terminal velocity, or about 130 miles per hour. When your friend opens his chute, there will be no way either of you will be able hold on to one another normally, because the G-forces will triple or quadruple your body weight. To combat this problem, hook your arms into his chest strap, or through the two sides of the front of his harness, all the way up your elbows. 4. Open the chute. 5. The chute opening shock will be severe, probably enough to dislocate or break your arms. Hence, your friend now must hold on to you with one arm while steering his canopy (the part of the chute that controls direction and speed). 6. If your friend's canopy is slow and big, you may hit the grass or dirt slowly enough to break only a leg, and your chances of survival are high. If his canopy is a fast one, however, your friend will have to steer to avoid hitting the ground too fast. You must also avoid power lines and other obstruction at all costs. 7. If there is a body of water nearby, head for that. Of course, once you hit the water, you will have to tread with just your legs and hope that your partner is able to pull you out before your chute takes in water. Note Check your chute before you jump. The good news is that today's parachutes are built to open, so even if you make big mistakes packing them, they tend to sort themselves out. The reserve chute, however, must be packed by a certified rigger and must be perfect as it is your last resort. Make sure that The parachute is folded in straight lines-that there are no twists. The slider is positioned correctly to keep the parachute from opening too fast.