An earthquake in Cyprus is not a rare phenomenon, but part of the real life of the Eastern Mediterranean. And no matter how the prognostic tools are developed today, it is still impossible to accurately predict the place, time and strength of the shocks. The only thing that is really able to increase your level of safety is the degree of preparedness.
The rule is simple: the one who has prepared yesterday wins.
What to do in advance: house, work, habits
Fasten the furniture and appliances. Screw high cabinets and racks to the walls, heavy to move to the lower shelves, fragile - to closed sections of the cabinets.
Determine the "quick shelters." In each room, find places under a strong table or by the inner wall. Once a quarter, spend a mini-training with your family, learning to quickly occupy shelters.
Family plan. In case of emergency, determine the two points of the meeting (near the house and outside the district), distribute the roles, develop and approve the evacuation routes. Make individual cards to each family member (name, phone numbers of relatives or friends, health features). Put the cards in the wallet or in the passport. Equally memorize your address, names and phones.
Numbers and communication. Remember yourself and learn with children emergency phone numbers. Note that two numbers are operating in Cyprus: a single European number 112 (free, from mobile and stationary phones) and additional number 199.
Faxes 1408/1409 and SMS are available for people with hearing impaired or speech to number 8112. When there is not enough time, the formula for the conversation with the operator is simple: the address - what happened - how many victims are additional dangers (fire/gas/wires). This will allow the operator to quickly understand the situation and help you.
"Alarm suitcase." Keep at home a ready -made set for emergency response - your documents, fresh water, a flashlight and a supply of batteries, a radio on batteries, a signal of a signal, working gloves, a compact set of tools, a marker (for example, to record a burning time), a compact first -aid kit with the preparations you need. Such a minimum is recommended by public emergency services.
Work and school. At the place of work and study, study the evacuation plans, the point of the grade.
When it shook: "fall - hide - hold on"
At home. Do not run to the stairs and windows. The victims receive the most injuries on the run and from glass fragments. Better step by step, act according to the scheme:
- No. 1 fall. Quickly knelt or fours so as not to get an injury from an uncontrolled fall. - No. 2 take refuge. Under a strong table or near the carrier wall, away from glass and heavy objects. Cover your head and neck (pillow, backpack, hands). - No. 3 hold on. With your free hand, hold the table or other shelter to the end of the shocks. Remember: doorways are not the best shelter!
On the street. Go away from the facades of buildings, windows, pillars, power lines, water towers, construction cranes and bridges - all that can harm you during collapse.
In the car. Stop - away from overpasses, bridges, slopes or gas stations. Stay fastened until the end of the shocks.
By the sea. A strong or prolonged earthquake can provoke a sudden casting of water, the sea can also issue an unusual “heavy roar” - all these are natural signals about the high probability of tsunami. Go to the nearest hill immediately, do not wait for official warnings.
Immediately after shocks
The exit from the buildings is only up to the stairs. The elevator is banned! He can get stuck and become a fatal trap for you. On the street, stay away from everything that can collapse.
Communications. If safe: turn off the electricity (the main machine in the shield).
Connection. Remember that during emergencies, the voice communications will most likely worsen strongly, but SMS is more often “breaking through” because they require less network throughput than calls.
Help
Help with the evacuation of the elderly, people with limited mobility and families with children. Do not forget to take pets with you.
First aid. If necessary, conduct cardiopulmonary resuscitation (SLR). The European resuscitation council recommends an alternation of 30 clicks on the chest with 2 breaths for non -professionals. If you are not trained or simply not ready to do artificial respiration, start continuous compression of the chest and follow the tips of the rescue service manager. Use automatic external defibrillators (AED), which are increasingly found in public places. They are safe for the use of non -professionals and significantly increase the chances of the victims of survival. The device will tell you what to do. It is better, of course, to take full -time courses, because everyone should know the basic algorithm.
Psychological help. In the first minutes, in the emergency zone, people are in a state of shock next to you: speak calmly, offer them water, help them to make simple actions (“Let's go out”, “We’ll sit in the shade”, “Let's call 112”). Do not force to remember and retell traumatic details. The approach “Notice - listen - tie with the help” - an international standard that is easy to master according to open benefits of a WHO and Red Cross. A few minutes of supporting presence are often more important than any speeches.
After an earthquake: we return carefully
If there is visible damage outside the house, there is a threat of collapse of the building - do not go inside until it is examined by specialists.
Additional dangers. The smell of gas, cracks, distortions, sagging wires are also an occasion not to enter.
Do not turn on the electricity before the inspection by a specialist, and in the case of water - until completely drying the electric networks. It is also better not to launch gas equipment without checking by a specialist.
Remember the rules
• Do not run to the stairs and windows. Instead, take refuge under the table immediately. • Do not stand in the doorway. • Do not use the elevator. • Do not turn on and not turn off the light with the smell of gas. • Do not return to the building without evaluating cracks and distortions. • Do not try to run out of the building during severe shocks. Instead, remember: "To fall - to hide - hold on."
Brief checklist of readiness for earthquakes
• House and office. To fix the furniture. Determine reliable shelters in each room.
• Family. Determine the two points of the meeting, make cards of family members, distribute roles.
• “Alarm suitcase”. Documents, water, flashlight, telephone, charger and Powerbank, minimal clothes, a compact first -aid kit with the drugs you need.
• communications. Know where the introductory electrical automatic is located.
• skill. Once a quarter, training - "fall - hide - hold on."
• Important numbers: write in the phone and on paper - 112 and 199 (emergency services).
Result. An earthquake is a destructive disaster that last seconds, but the consequences for an unprepared person may be fatal. Knowledge and compliance with elementary safety rules can save your life and your loved ones.
Vadim Eff
Materials are informational in nature and do not replace training in specialized organizations.
