How to Control Bleeding

Photo by quinn.anya

A bleeding wound is no joke.  Depending on the severity, it can leave its victim in shock or even dead.   Before a wound can mend and heal, the blood must stop flowing so it can clot.  Knowing how to stop severe bleeding while waiting for help to arrive could greatly increase a bleeding victim's chances of survival.

Here are some general rules to stop major bleeding:

1. If time and circumstances allow, wash and sanitize before helping a bleeding victim to prevent spreading infection.  Wear gloves if they are available and take precautions to prevent the spread of HIV including covering any open wounds you may have and putting on protective clothing for your face and body.
2. Apply direct pressure to the wound.  For mild wounds, this may take as little as 2-5 minutes, or 20+ minutes for serious wounds.  Sterile gauze is perfect to use if you have it on hand, or terry cloth.  If not, look for a clean towel, rag, clothes, or any material you can fold and cover the wound with.  Small foreign objects within the wound may quickly be removed, but a large object within the wound should be left in case it is stopping some of the blood flow.  Your immediate need is to stop the blood, so just bandage around it.  Don't start out too thick (because it could interfere with good pressure), and once the cloth is on, don't take it off.  This could reopen the wound and undo any clotting that began.  If your material becomes soaked with blood, add another layer on top.  Keep your pressure constant.    
3. Along with applying pressure directly to the wound, you can also apply pressure to specific pressure points where arteries are close to the surface to help slow the flow of blood.  These pressure points should be found between the wound and the heart.  Common pressure points are found in the middle of the upper arm (brachial artery), the back of the knee (popliteal artery), and the groin area where the thigh meets the pelvis (femoral artery).  Be sure to apply pressure nearer the heart rather than the wound.
4. Raise the wound above the level of the heart.  It is easier for blood to flow down rather than up against gravity, so raising the wound will help slow the flow.  Continue to apply direct pressure.

Applying a tourniquet should only be used as a last resort when someone is willing to lose a limb to save their life.  Limbs are often lost with tourniquets because the blood flow is so completely restricted. Use with caution.

For minor bleeding, direct pressure is still important.  Other ideas that have been "reported" to stop minor cuts from bleeding (like when you nick yourself shaving) are ice, hot water, salt water (sting!), lip balm, flour, cornstarch, deodorant, witch hazel, sugar, white vinegar, a tea bag, duct tape, and spider webs (really?), though I've tested very few of them myself (ice and cornstarch work) and can't verify the truth of the others.  Yarrow is supposed to be great for healing and a natural remedy with antiseptic properties.  Crush cleaned yarrow leaves and hold to the wound to stop bleeding.

How to Prevent Frostbite

It's a post that makes me cold just writing it.

I fully intended to post a picture of real frostbite so you could get an idea of what it is like, but it is truly gruesome.  The blackened fingers and yellow-gray blistery skin made me feel ill just looking at it.  If you really want to see it, there are countless photo references to be found on the web, or you can just take my word that it is horrible and follow the tips below to avoid it.

Frostbite is tissue damage as a result of your skin freezing.  It starts first in the extremities (fingers, toes, nose, ears) where heat has a harder time reaching but can move deeper with increased exposure.  Frostbite begins as frostnip, then progresses as superficial frostbite, then deep frostbite.  Here are some tips to avoid getting frostbite:

1. Dress for the weather.  This may seem an obvious tip, but it is for that reason that it is easily neglected.  Don't underestimate the weather.  Make sure your head is covered since a large portion of your body's heat is lost through the head.  Make sure you have well-insulated clothes against wind and rain and pick fabrics that will insulate you even when wet (wool = yes, cotton = no!), but try to stay dry anyway.  Dress in several thin layers but make sure your layers aren't too tight because this could restrict circulation.  Mittens rather than gloves allow your fingers to benefit from the warmth of nearby fingers.  You can also use body warmers to counteract the cold.  Keep all your body warm to aid the extremities.
2. When participating in outdoor activities in freezing weather, monitor your energy levels.  Don't exhaust yourself because that could affect your ability to detect and fight the frostbite.  Stay well-fed and well-watered.  Eat small servings of simple carbohydrates frequently to keep up your energy and heat supply.  And as in almost anything else, dehydration will only interfere with your body's efficiency and speed the frostbite.
3. Numbness is one of the early signs of frostbite.  Rubbing before frostbite has set in helps to warm your body by creating friction and increasing circulation.  Keep moving to keep blood flowing.  Be wary of patches of white, very cold skin (frostnip) because it could very quickly become frostbite.  Tuck cold toes and fingers inside your clothes next to warm skin to help their temperature return to normal.  Don't rub body parts that have frostbite already or subject them to high heat because that could make the damage worse.
4. Avoid drinking alcohol.  This not only impairs your judgement, but also dehydrates you.  Caffeine and nicotine are also no-no's because they constrict blood vessels and impair circulation.

Learning Morse Code

You might be thinking to yourself, "Why would I ever need to learn morse code?  No one ever uses it anymore."  Not so.  Morse code is very popular to and well-used by amateur radio operators all over the world.  It is used frequently in radio aircraft navigation.  Many special forces in the military are trained in morse code.  U.S. Navy ships use signal lamps to send the code.  Many pilots and air traffic controllers are fluent, or at least have a basic understanding.  Morse code is a means of emergency communication that uses less power and cuts through more interference than almost any other means.  It is simple, highly versatile, and internationally recognized.  It can be communicated visually or audibly by using simple objects like flashlights, mirrors, smoke, or whistles.   By practicing for only a few minutes every day, you can soon develop an invaluable emergency skill that could save your life.

International Morse Code:
   
          A: . _                                                    T: _
          B: _ . . .                                              U: . . _
          C: _ . _ .                                          V: . . . _ 
          D: _ . .                                               W: . _ _
          E: .                                                         X: _ . . _
          F: . . _ .                                             Y: _ . _ _
          G: _ _ .                                               Z: _ _ . .
          H: . . . .                                          
          I: . .                                                     
          J: . _ _ _                                           1: . _ _ _ _
          K: _ . _                                                2: . . _ _ _
          L: . _ . .                                             3: . . . _ _
          M: _ _                                                   4: . . . . _
          N: _ .                                                    5: . . . . .
          O: _ _ _                                              6: _ . . . .
          P: . _ _ .                                            7: _ _ . . .
          Q: _ _ . _                        8: _ _ _ . .
          R: . _ .                                                 9: _ _ _ _ .
          S: . . .                                                   0: _ _ _ _ _
       
The most common letters in English are represented by the shortest codes, making coding more efficient.  Technically speaking, each dot is 1/3 the length of one dash, and every space between letters is a dash.  Every space between words should be the length of about 7 dots.  It all seems confusing at first.  Just start out by familiarizing yourself, learning the letters, practicing a little at a time.  As you slowly become more competent learn to be more accurate with your spacing.  Accuracy will make your code easier to translate.

Other ideas for learning:

• German psychologist Ludwig Koch developed a method of learning morse code by listening at regular speed but beginning with only two letters.  After listening and decoding for 5 minutes, compare your results with the true ones.  If you were 90% correct, add another letter!  Continue building on your knowledge letter by letter.  This will not only help you hear the codes and decipher them in your head, but it will be faster and more accurate than most other methods.  Go to this page to begin practicing.
• Practice coding simple words by writing them down and sounding them out loud with "dih" for the dots and "dah" for the dashes.  Once you can code words by just sounding them out (without writing them down) move to books or paragraphs.
• Memorize letters with easy patterns first.  One dash is "T"; one dot is "E."  Two dashes is "M"; two dots is "I."
• Many morse code mnemonics have been designed visually and verbally to make remembering morse code easier.  However, some experts strongly discourage using them and suggest instead a stronger focus on listening.
• Here is a page with a special chart you can print so you can practice listening to the "dits" and "dahs" of morse code and hone your coding/decoding skills. 
• Find words that rise and fall with the patterns in morse.  Make the dots represent a rise in inflection and the dashes represent a fall in inflection.  For example, "P" could be "Pho-to-graph-y" with a rise on the first and last syllable, just like the morse code: . _ _ .
• Find a famous line of music that correlates with a letter's morse pattern to help you remember tricky letters.  The famous measure in Beethoven's 5th Symphony could be changed to "di-di-di-dah" which translates to the letter "V," which is also the roman numeral that equals 5.  Finding associations like this are extremely useful at boosting your memory.
• Practice with a friend.  Find someone who can learn with you so you can practice sending and receiving messages.  It makes it more fun and gives you practical experience.

How to Avoid Being Struck by Lightning

Lightning is a natural release of atmospheric energy.  It may discharge between clouds with different charges or it may look for the path of least resistance between the clouds and the earth.  Air is a poor conductor of lightning, but trees and buildings and other objects (like people) conduct the electricity well and help make the lightning's pathway easier.  It may strike one object or flow through several nearby objects to help its conductivity, so be aware of what is around you.  Lightning is a rather unpredictable phenomenon, and no precaution you take can guarantee you will be safe, but at least you increase your chances.

• If caught in a thunderstorm outside, avoid mountain peaks and ridges, tall cliffs, water-filled ravines, beaches and waterlines, boating, swimming, flat fields, parking lots, wide open areas with lone trees, or standing under trees.  And don't just find an overhang to shelter under thinking it will protect you; lightning can get there too.  Find a ditch to crouch in instead.
• Take off anything metal you may be wearing.  If you have any metal tools or equipment (including umbrellas!), leave them 50 feet away from your camp or location.
• Wet rope should also be kept at least 50 feet away.  Don't fly kites.
• Stay in a squatting position (not laying down) with your arms wrapped around your body to protect your brain and vital organs from being shocked.  Squat on rubber or plastic material (rubber-soled shoes, a poncho, or a sleeping mat work well).  At the very least, you should try to touch as little of the ground as possible.
• If in your car, stay in your car.  The rubber tires are a good buffer between you and the ground, and the metal shell of the car will conduct electricity better than you.  Avoid touching anything metal inside the car.
• If in your home, avoid electrical appliances, home phones, and water faucets, or anything with copper pipes or wiring.  Copper is an excellent conductor of electricity; that is the most likely path lightning will take if it strikes your home.  Don't shower or bathe during a lightning storm.

When is it safe to resume regular outdoor activities again?  The National Lightning Safety Institute suggests waiting 30 minutes after you see the last lightning strike or hear thunder.  If you hear thunder but don't see lightning, you may still be in strike range.

How to Treat a Bee Sting

The sting from one of these tiny insects is painful and even possibly fatal.  If you are stung, follow these steps quickly to reduce your body's reaction:

1. Get to a safe area quickly.  When bees feel threatened, they release a scent that attracts other bees to come help.  You should also be aware that hornets, yellow jackets, and wasps produce similar reactions to their stings but their stingers don't come out like bees, and they can sting many times.  Avoid multiple stings if possible.
2. Get the stinger out as quickly as possible.  Scrape it off, pull it out, or brush it away.  The longer it sits in your skin, the stronger your reaction will be to the bee's venom.  Some sources say you should avoid squeezing the stinger since it can release more venom, but others say to use whatever method you need to get it out as fast as you can.
3. Elevate an arm or leg that has been stung.  Remove any nearby jewelry (rings, bracelets, etc.).  Pad the affected area with a towel and cool with an ice pack to slow the venom's spread and numb the area.  
4. Itching at the sting site can be treated with an antihistamine, calamine lotion with an analgesic, hydrocortisone cream, or even toothpaste.  You can also create a soothing paste for your sting using baking soda and water.  If you have meat tenderizer, you can add some to your paste to help break down toxins in the sting.  Reapply any of the previous treatments if symptoms return.
5. Pain relievers can be used for lingering pain.
6. The area may take several days to heal so you should keep it clean to prevent infection.  Wash the area with soap and water.

Some people may have a severe allergic reaction to bee stings called anaphylaxis.  Anaphylaxis can occur when an affected person has contact with various allergens: latex, pollen, animal fur, nuts, bee stings, etc.  The outcome may be fatal, so if you suspect anaphylaxis you should call for emergency help immediately.  Look for:

• Redness, itching, or hives that spread beyond the sting
• Dry mouth or itchy throat
• Hoarseness or difficulty speaking

And especially look for:

• Difficulty breathing, swallowing, or tightness in the throat
• Swollen face, mouth, or tongue
• Dizziness or rapid drop in blood pressure
• Feeling weak
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Quickened pulse
• Unconsciousness

If the allergy is previously known and you have an EpiPen, use it!  This could save your life.  An antihistamine could also slow the reaction but ultimately will not stop anaphylaxis.

You should also seek medical help if you are stung more than 10 times, or have stings inside your mouth, throat, or nose.  Swellings from these stings may block your breathing and be deadly even in people who are not allergic.

How to Identify Poison Ivy

Photo by Mark Sardella

Poison ivy (and poison oak) contains the highly allergenic urushiol oil in all parts of the plant: its leaves, vines, roots, flowers, and berries, and can be spread either by contact or by breathing it in when burned.
It is a vine that loves sun or shade, growing along the edges of fields and forests, roadsides, fences, or
stone walls.  It also loves to hide itself among innocent leaves, so don't just look for it in large patches.
It may grow as a single plant or as a bush and loves to twine itself around nearby objects.  Here are a
few key identifying characteristics to tell if what you are seeing is poison ivy:

1. "Leaves of three: let them be!" is an old and accurate adage to follow.  Not all three-leafed plants     are poisonous, but poison ivy and poison oak are examples of plants that are, so it is safer to stay away.  Poison ivy has three, broad leaves on the end of a long, smooth stem with one leaf growing     off to each side and one straight up the middle.  The middle leaf is usually larger than the other    two and is typically attached by its own small stem piece; the two smaller side leaves are      attached directly to the vine.  
2. The upper side of the leaf often has a waxy look (somewhat shiny) while the under side is lighter    and fuzzier.  Leaves are bright red in the spring or small the fall and bright green in the summer.  The urushiol oil in the plant remains potent in all seasons.  Even dead plants are dangerous.
3. Leaves may be either smooth or have a softer, somewhat irregular jagged edge.  If leaf tips are     very sharp and regular, it is probably not poison ivy.  The points of the leaf on poison ivy are more rounded.
4. Berries are white or cream-colored.  These remain throughout winter and spring, and yes, the       plant should still not be touched in any season.  Once the leaves have fallen, this may be one of       the last physical features you can use to identify it.

Photo by Protoflux

A poison ivy rash may start out as a small itchy spot but soon grows to a larger, very, very itchy spot.     Sores, blisters, hive, or swelling may appear.  There may also be red streaks where the plant touched       you.  Generally, the first time you touch urushiol will take the longest for a rash to appear.  With   subsequent contacts, the rash appears more quickly.  The rash is not contagious but may grow over      several days as your exposed skin slowly reacts to the oil.  Your rash may last 10 days, or 6 weeks    depending on your sensitivity.

Photo by Vilseskogen

Some people may be lucky enough to escape with no allergic reaction but it should never be assumed you       are one of them.  Even if you've been immune in the past, this is no guarantee for the future because immunity frequently changes with time and exposure.

What do you do if you touch it?

• Wash with lots of cold water or alcohol as soon as you can (within 30 minutes if possible).  Hot water opens the pores and may let more oil in, making your situation even worse.  Scrub yourself with a heavy detergent or liquid soap created especially to eliminate oil.  By acting as quickly as possible, you could help prevent more oil from soaking in.
• Jewelweed can be mashed and applied to help your rash.
• Heat helps calm itching.  Once the oil has been washed off, you can then take a hot shower to help ease the itch.  Wet compresses and baths may also aid in the discomfort.
• Calamine lotion or over-the-counter antihistamines may help ease symptoms.
• The urushiol oil spreads VERY EASILY.  Be wary of spreading it from contaminated clothes or touching sensitive body parts (like your face) if it is on your hands.  Any pets that have come in contact with the plant should be washed thoroughly to keep from passing the oil to their owners.  Clothes and equipment must all be washed very well since the oil retains its potency for centuries.
• Most people break out in a rash within 24-48 hours.  However, if you are extremely sensitive, swelling may start within 4-12 hours and symptoms may be severe.  Watch for severe swelling and very large blisters.  Quickly notify a doctor in such serious cases.  There are prescription pills, ointments, and injections to help treat poison ivy rashes.

How to Use a Signal Mirror

Using a signal mirror is a handy way to call for help from a distance.  You might have tried something similar if you've used the shiny surface of a watch to reflect light in another person's eyes.  The same principle applies here: you direct the sun's light - reflecting off your mirror - to a specific location.  Maybe you're trying to signal an aircraft, or people on the ground, or maybe you're just aiming for the horizon, hoping someone will catch the signal.  In any case, Search and Rescue teams, those trained in the military, pilots, scouts, etc. are taught that a signal mirror is used to indicate distress and will recognize what your seemingly haphazard flashing means.

An official signal mirror is especially handy because it has a hole in the middle that allows you to see your target and see where your reflection (a bright spot in the viewer) will land, helping you to line the two up.  If you don't have an official signal mirror, don't fret.  Almost any shiny surface will work (like the little mirror on this whistle, or the shiny blade on this knife), but the shinier the better.

Here are some mirror signaling facts and tips:

• A mirror's reflection can be seen more than 20 miles away.  In ideal conditions, pilots have even reported seeing mirror signals just under 100 miles away!  But your best chance of catching someone's attention is within 15.  
• Try and keep your fingers away from the mirror's face to avoid cutting out any of your reflective power.  Also make sure no part of your mirror is shaded.
• A mirror made out of plastic is slightly dimmer and will scratch much easier than those made out of glass.  Keep it protected so you don't diminish its reflective surface.
• You should never shine the sun's light in someone's face at close range or it could damage their eyesight.  That being said, you should still practice using a signal mirror before you actually need it.  Direct the light towards inanimate objects to give yourself a feel for how it works.
• If you don't have a mirror with a viewer, hold out your hand as a guide.  Put your fingers out in a "v" shape and set the sight of your target right in the center of your fingers.  Aim your reflection to the center of the "v" (you'll see the light on your hand) but try and keep as little of the reflection on your fingers as possible.  The more light reflecting out, the more likely it will be seen.
• Most signals are seen from the air or from someplace high.  Aim for 
• To send a specific message, practice morse code!  A fast pass over your target makes a "dot" and a slow pass over your target makes a "dash."  Morse code can be transferred to a number of different mediums, but that is for another post.
• Here are two videos to give you an idea of what a signal from a mirror looks like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qu4iJykziak&feature=youtu.be - at 11 miles away, and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JtfpaMiUqQ&feature=youtu.be - at 22 miles away.  Can you spot the signals?

5 Ways to Build a Fire Without Matches

Although I've always thought it would be the coolest feat to start a fire without matches, I don't know that I've ever been successful.  But with this post I am recommitting to try again on our next camping trip until it works!  You never know when you will be caught without matches (or perhaps your matches have been soaked in the rain?) and need to start a fire.  It is an incredibly handy skill to have.

You should begin by collecting some good tinder.  Look for dried leaves or grass or moss that will catch fire quickly.  Make sure it is very dry.  Bundle together your tinder into a tinder nest and encircle it with dry leaves.  Char cloth (cloth turned into charcoal) is also exceptionally handy for catching sparks and smoldering slowly so you can start your fire. This is what will catch your spark to get the fire going.  Gather wood of various sizes that you can use to build your fire once you have a flame.  Start with long, toothpick-thin pieces to begin with followed by longer, pencil-thick pieces, and up to branches as thick as your arm.  If possible, try and build your fire up off of direct contact with the ground since it may be damp.  From here you can choose one of the following methods to start your fire:

1. Flint and Steel - One of the nice things about using the flint and steel method is that you can create a spark under a wide range of situations, including in the rain, the wind, the dark, etc.  If you don't have the traditional flint available, you can also substitute for quartzite (a light white, gray, or pink rock with a texture similar to sandstone yet harder than steel) or use a ferrocerium rod.  Strike the flint hard and fast with your steel (the back of a steel knife blade works great too) to create sparks.  Aim the sparks into your tinder nest and blow on it gently to ignite a flame.  If using char cloth, aim your sparks into the cloth place in the center of your tinder before blowing.
2. Batteries - If you have batteries available, they can be an easy source for sparks.  An extremely easy method involves taking a 9-volt battery and rubbing the two terminals over steel wool (the finer the better).  On a similar vein, by attaching a wire to each of the terminals in a car or boat battery, you can touch them together to create sparks and light tinder.  Just proceed cautiously.
3. Fire Piston - Fire pistons have been used for a very long time to start fires.  There are a number of models and styles to choose from.  The main idea is that a fire piston rapidly compresses and heats air to create a small "coal" that will then light your tinder.  Some people have great success with their fire pistons, and others have a hard time getting consistent results.  These are also a great solution in rainy/windy weather, but make sure you've got some really good, dry tinder.  
4. Lens - A lens is a pretty easy way to start fire.  It works by focusing the light of the sun into a small, concentrated spot in your tinder.  The only problem is that it only works when bright sun is available (not cloudy days or nighttime).  There are numerous lens possibilities.  You can use a magnifying glass, far-sighted eye glasses, a balloon, a broken light bulb, the bottom of a glass bottle.  Adding a drop of water to the glass will intensify the focus.  You can even shape ice into a lens shape and use that.  Just hold your lens at an angle and distance that will focus the sun's light into the smallest dot possible while still being circular.  It doesn't take much.  
5. Friction - And finally, there is friction.  This may be the most demanding method of starting a fire without matches.  It takes a lot of patience, elbow grease, and persistence but will make you feel like a real wilderness survival expert when you do.  You'll need to create a fireboard and drill, as well as a socket and bow if using the bow-drill method.  You could also make a fire plow.  The basic idea for both is to keep your stick moving very quickly with your hands or the bow until friction builds up, black powder is collected and heated to create an ember, and then that ember is added to your tinder to start a flame.  It sounds like a lot of work, but a task worthy of true admiration in the end.  I want to give it a try.

Identifying a Heart Attack or Stroke

I used to think a heart attack and a stroke were the same thing.  Well, they're not.  A heart attack generally occurs when a blood clot has formed in one of the arteries sending blood to the heart.  With the blood flow blocked, the heart begins to die.  A stroke is similar in that typically a blood clot has once again formed in an artery, but this time to the brain.  As blood to the brain is blocked, that section of the brain begins to die.  The signs of both are different, but the faster you act the less damage will be done and the higher the chance of survival.

Every minute, 52 people in the USA die from a heart attack.  Half of those who experience a heart attack wait 2 hours or more to go get help.  Time is critical!  If someone is experiencing multiple of the following symptoms, it may be a heart attack.  Call 911 immediately.  Many people suffer extreme exhaustion and sleeplessness the month before their attack.  You don't need to have all of the symptoms for it to really be a heart attack, and no two attacks are exactly alike. 

Heart Attack Symptoms:

1. Pain in the chest (though some sources say women feel less chest pain)
2. Heaviness or pressure in the chest in the chest (like an elephant sitting on your heart)
3. Pressure or pain in the jaw or neck
4. Pressure or pain in one or both arms, (usually a dull ache in the left arm that grows and then radiates to the chest)
5. Nausea
6. Sweating
7. Shortness of breath
8. Feeling faint or dizzy
9. Throbbing pain between the shoulder blades
10. Nervousness or anxiety

Even before a heart attack is confirmed, medical professionals often give treatments of oxygen, aspirin (to thin the blood and prevent more clotting), or nitroglycerin.  The person should rest to not strain the heart more.

A stroke occurs every 40 seconds in the United States.  Strokes don't often have accompanying pain as in a heart attack, but some symptoms are similar.  Symptoms often come suddenly, but not always 

Stroke Symptoms:

1. Sudden tingling, numbness, or loss of movement in the leg, arm, or face, especially on one side
2. A severe headache that comes on suddenly and is different from ones in the past
3. Sudden difficulty of balance, walking, and coordination 
4. Difficulty in speaking and understanding simple statements 
5. Sudden changes in vision from one or both eyes

If you suspect someone may be suffering a stroke, use this "F-A-S-T" test:

1. F = Face - Ask the person to smile and look to see if one side of the face is drooping.
2. A = Arms - Ask the person to raise both arms and watch to see if one starts to drift downward.
3. S = Speech - Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase and listen to see if their speech is slurred and difficult to understand.
4. T = Time - Get help immediately if you see any of these signs.  

While waiting for help to arrive, lay the person down to help get blood to the brain.  If the person feels nauseous, is drowsy, or unresponsive, lay them on their side to prevent vomiting and choking.  Don't give aspirin unless a doctor approves; some strokes are caused by internal hemorrhages and a blood thinner could make the situation worse.

Earthquake Preparation

Earthquakes are so unpredictable, and sometimes so devastating.  Even so, there are things we can do today to help protect us against the effects of one.  To evaluate your risk of an earthquake, first locate your state or territory on this color-coded FEMA Earthquake Hazard Map.  The darker the color, the greater the seismic hazard levels in your area.  As always, mountainous regions, fault lines, and areas of volcanic activity generally have a higher risk.  Other factors that affect your risks are your city's population size, the construction quality of the buildings, and whether or not they have been built under current seismic building codes.  Now let's prepare:

1.      Secure Your Breakables - Take a tour through your home, office, or school to identify objects that may be at risk for falling.  This may include televisions, computers, fine collectibles, lamps, pictures, bookcases, etc.  Move heavy objects to lower shelves.  Many objects can be tied down, closed in locked cabinets, or secured with QuakeHold Museum Putty on various surfaces.  Keep flammable material away from possible ignition.  It's especially important to secure your water heater, furnace, or other gas appliances.  A water heater falling over could cause a gas line or water line to break leading to a fire, flooding, or the loss of a valuable water supply.  Your water heater should be strapped on both the top and bottom with heavy-gauge metal strapping and bolted into the wall studs.  It should be less than 2 inches from the wall or attached to a block bolted into the wall.  You could also replace any copper or metal piping with flexible connectors to help prevent the lines from breaking.  If you're truly serious about securing your home, you might consider hiring a contractor or engineer to identify structural changes that could be made to fortify your home.
2.      Prepare an Emergency Disaster Kit and Make a Plan - A disaster kit is important to have on hand for various emergencies, including earthquakes.  Check here for a comprehensive list of items to include as you make a kit of your own.  Store your kit in a container that can be accessed and transported easily in case you need to evacuate.  Choose a location outside your home/school/office where family members/classes/employees can meet after a disaster.  Designate an out-of-state contact in your family that all family members can call for relaying and receiving information.
3.      Practice Important Earthquake Survival Skills - Hold practice drills to look for cover in an earthquake.  Taking as few steps as possible, crouch near the inside corner of a wall or locate sturdy furniture you can duck under, and hold on tight!  If you do not have any protection over your head, keep your neck and head covered with your arms.  Avoid crouching near windows, large mirrors or glass, fireplaces, or hanging objects.  Falling objects - not the shaking ground - is the main cause of most deaths during an earthquake.  If outside, you should move to an open area to avoid falling trees, buildings, and power lines.  If caught under debris, tap on a wall or use a whistle so rescuers can find you.  Refrain from shouting since it may cause you to quickly use up oxygen and inhale dangerous levels of dust.  Keep your mouth covered if possible.  Other important survival skills include CPR or other first aid training.  Know how to look for, assess, and treat various injuries.  Familiarize yourself with signs of damaged water, gas, or electrical lines and know how to shut off your utilities.  Use the radio from your disaster kit to receive local emergency information.