It’s that time of year again. We start stocking up on drinking water and batteries. We take note of hurricane routes and wonder if we have enough plywood to cover the windows on the house. This is all part of sensible preparation and, according to experts, the most important factor in surviving a disaster. The June issue of Time Magazine addresses this topic citing the examples of Beverly Hills Supper Club Fire in 1977, The Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea in 1994 and the World Trade Center in 2001. In each instance preparation and a cool head prevailed for many of the survivors.Evolutionary Psychologist Gordon Gallup, Jr. has heard many stories from police and emergency workers who’ve observed people freezing under extreme stress. Gallup notes that animals do this in a state of fear and describes it as “playing dead” to evade predators. Humans, under stress, search the brain for a survival response and many cases freezing is the choice, and often the fatal choice. But humans can break out of such a state through focus and preparation, by something as simple as knowing which exit to take in an emergency. This gives the brain a starting point, and the person the ability to react.
At home and at work we are all responsible for our survival in an emergency. A realistic perception of the dangers, preparation and keeping our focus can mean the difference for us, and those around us.
Visit the link below for the full article in Time and the story of Rick Rescorla, whose preparation and courage saved the lives of more than two thousand people on 9/11.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1810315-1,00.html
