MASS DISASTER

USA: Skiing in Avalanche Prone Snow

Are you a skier? If so you might want to read this article which relates the problems two skiers had while descending Arapahoe Basin's Palivacinni face just one day before an avalanche occured.

The pair took the run Thursday between 2:30 and 3 p.m. and got stuck in the trees for 45-50 minutes in snow that kept collapsing under them as they tried to dig out.

"Me and my buddy, Neal, we took the exact trail (where the avalanche released Friday) ... I was about 50 feet behind my buddy and I saw him get completely consumed by this mogul; I mean he completely disappeared," said Jon Wasserman, 23, an alpine skier from Breckenridge.

... via the Summit Daily News .

ABC of conflict and disasters

Anthony D Redmond pens an informative article detailing natural disasters from a medical/rescue standpoint. Read and be prepared.

Concerning the rescue timeline after earthquakes he writes...

Most successful rescues take place within the first 24 hours. Most lives are saved by the immediate actions of survivors. Local authorities implement the second phase, when a more coordinated response is established with local rescue teams joining the survivors. In the third phase more intensive and focused efforts are supplemented with extra help from other areas. The fourth and final phase involves the provision of specialist aid for rescuing people deeply entrapped.

... via British Medical Journal.com.

CDC Emergency Preparedness & Response

This page - from the Center for Disease Control - provides valuable information that you should be aware of...

... CDC Emergency Preparedness & Response

Be Prepared

Important information to help you cope if you find yourself in a disaster.

... Five important steps to take before disaster strikes