Modules 5&6

National Service Training Program (CWTS)
Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Paulinian Essential Elements 4
Paulinian Affirmation 4
Module 5 : Special Response
Lesson 1: Basic Life Support

Learning Outcomes 4
Learning Activities 4
Processing and Formation Error! Bookmark not defined.
Introduction 5
What is Basic Life Support? Error! Bookmark not defined.
Process Questions
Synthesis
Assignments
Lesson 2: First Aid

Learning Outcomes
Learning Activities
Processing and Formation
Introduction
What is First Aid? Error! Bookmark not defined.
Process Questions
Synthesis
Assignments
Lesson 3: Basic Water Survival and Rescue

Learning Outcomes
Learning Activities
Introduction
What is Basic Water Survival and Rescue Error! Bookmark not defined.
Prepared by: Mrs. Lucille M. Senados, MAFil Mr. Edwin J. Caballes

lucille.senados@spus.edu.ph edwin.caballes@spus.edu.ph
National Service Training Program – CWTS 2
Process Questions
Synthesis
Assessments
Assignments
Lesson 4: Management of the Dead and Missing and Psycho-Social Support

Learning Outcomes
Learning Activities
Introduction
What is Management of the Dead and Missing and Psycho-social Support
Process Questions 11
Synthesis 11
Assessments Error! Bookmark not defined.
Assignments 11
Module 6: FAMILY AND INDIVIDUAL RESPONSE TO SPECIFIC DISASTERError! Bookmark not defined.
Learning Outcomes 12
Learning Activities 80
Introduction 80
Family and Individual Response:
Hydro-meteorological Hazards, Earthquakes, Land Slides, Tsunami, FireError! Bookmark not d
Process Questions Error! Bookmark not defined.
Synthesis 89
Assessments Error! Bookmark not defined.
Assignments 90
Reflection Guide 90
Expanded Opportunity 90
References 90
Introduction
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Special Response during disaster is deemed necessary in order to cater those people who
were trapped and in need of special attention during emergencies. Hence, a Special
Response Team was created, these individuals were highly capable and trained,
moreover, they undergone rigorous trainings for the purpose of saving lives during
critical situations. These individuals were on the go 24/7 and is ready to jump in deep
waters, buildings, and other hazardous situations risking their lives to protect the weak
and innocent.
Furthermore, the Philippines’ location on the “Pacific Ring of Fire” and along the Pacific
typhoon belt mean that the country experiences many forms of natural disasters such as
typhoons, earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions, landslides, and fires.
The devastation of Typhoon Haiyan in 2013 and now Typhoon Rai also known locally as
“Bagyong Odette” spurred the Philippines to further develop its disaster management
structures and resources by improving communication and institutionalizing roles and
responsibilities for national and international players. Thus, more recent floods,
typhoons, and landslides have seen improved communication and coordination that
mitigated impacts on lives and livelihoods.
Such mitigation is crucial to the Philippines’ economic and social recovery in the wake of
the Coronavirus Disease – 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. And now the havoc that was
created by the recent Typhoon Odette which devastated parts of Mindanao, Visayas and
Luzon. The Philippines boasted one of the region’s most dynamic economies. It was
driven by consumer demand, a strong labor market, and remittances from overseas, all
supported by the trends of a growing middle class, increasing urbanization, and
demographics. The Philippines sustained an average annual Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) growth rate of 4.5% during 2000-2009, and this rate increased to an average of
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6.4% during 2010-2019. The country was on a trajectory toward upper middle-income
status, but the economic setback of the pandemic likely means the country will maintain
a lower middle-income classification. The pandemic and community quarantine
measures have led to declines across consumption, investment, exports, tourism, and
remittances, and the consequences are likely to be long-lasting, particularly for the 16.6%
of people who were in poverty before the pandemic. In addition to poverty and the
knock-on effects of the pandemic, the country’s people are already confronting climate
change impacts, including sea level rise, increased frequency of extreme weather events,
rising temperatures, and heavy rainfall. In part, this is due to the archipelago’s
vulnerability to natural hazards and concentrations of settlements in coastal areas, but it
is also linked to reliance on climate sensitive natural resources. Sea levels around the
Philippines are rising faster than the global average, posing a greater risk of higher storm
surges, which are expected to affect 14% of the population and 42% of coastal residents.
Informal settlements, which comprise 45% of the urban population, are particularly at
risk due to precarious infrastructure and will be vulnerable to negative impacts due to
limited access to clean water and a lack of health care access.
As a result of both natural hazards and climate change, society has developed strategies
and mitigation mechanisms that have buy-in at the highest levels of national government.
Until recently, the country had focused on disaster management policy, but the past
decade has seen greater integration of disaster risk management and climate change
adaptation into the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Framework. The
Philippine Congress enacted the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act in
2010 to establish a multilevel disaster risk management system. Moreover, the Philippine
Government is putting significant thought into developing resilient infrastructure to allow
communities to recover swiftly. Finally, investing in green infrastructure is a priority as
the government seeks to meet climate commitments.
All the preparedness in the world will not stop disasters from striking, and in major
natural disasters, the Philippines may accept international assistance. The country has
developed structures and institutions to screen and expedite entry of international
humanitarian teams, equipment, and donations. Coordination includes not only national,
provincial, and local government civilians, but also the armed forces and police as well as
international agencies. Finally, the U.S. government and armed forces have historically
been involved in disaster response in the Philippines and, via the 2014 Enhanced Defense
Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), they have been able to advance relations on
humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR).
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Paulinian Essential Elements

Dedicated, Transformative SUPPORTERS AND STEWARDS OF ALL CREATION, who:
• Promote and actively participate in initiatives that benefit and directly support the
right of all creatures to exist and flourish.
• Devote their time, talents, and resources to improving and maintaining the well-
being and health of people, especially the less privileged and underserved.
Paulinian Affirmation
“As a Christ-centered Paulinian, I am Dedicated, Transformative SUPPORTERS AND
STEWARDS OF ALL CREATION, competently pursuing my mission in life.”
Module 5: Special Response
Learning Outcomes
During the learning engagement, you should be able to
• Recognized the importance of learning first aid.
• Demonstrate the proper way in performing the basic life support.
• Familiarized the first aid treatment to the common ailments and injuries
during disaster.
•
Learning Activities
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What is Basic Life Support?
Basic Life Support, or BLS, generally refers to the type of care that first-responders,
healthcare providers and public safety professionals provide to anyone who is experiencing
cardiac arrest, respiratory distress or an obstructed airway. It requires knowledge and skills
in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), using automated external defibrillators (AED) and
relieving airway obstructions in patients of every age.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is a process of rescue breathing and chest
compression that is provided to a person whose heart has stopped beating and who has
stopped breathing. No matter where this person is, he or she needs immediate assistance
to restore breathing and circulation. If the delay is longer than 4 minutes, the potential for
permanent damage is great. CPR may be needed anywhere – in the home, on the street, in
the health care facility. Eventually, you may be involved not only in performing the skill, but
in teaching it to other professionals and lay people as well.
Basic CPR is easy to remember as ABC: Airway, Breathing, and Circulation.

Airway
1. Determine unresponsiveness. When you find a person in a state of collapse,

grasp the shoulder firmly, shake, and shout. “Are you alright?” If you get no response,
call out for help, and when someone responds, send that person to activate the
emergency medical system in the health care facility or, if you are outside the health
care facility, in your community.
2. Position the person flat on the back on a firm flat surface. If you must roll
the person over, try to move the entire body at once, as a single unit to avoid
worsening any injury to the neck, back or long bones.
3. Tilt the patient’s head back by placing the palm of one hand on the
forehead and applying firm backward pressure. Place the fingers of the other hand
under the bony part of the lower jaw near the chin, and lift to bring the chin forward.
This will clear the tongue out of the airway. (This is the chin-lift method of opening the
airway.)
If the airway cannot be opened using the head-tilt/chin-left maneuver, additional
forward displacement of the jaw may be required. This can be done by using the jaw-
thrust maneuver, described under; “Suspected Neck Injury”, discussed in another
part of this manual.
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Jaw-thrust maneuver Head tilt/chin-lift maneuver
Breathing
1. Determine breathlessness. Place your ear close to the person’s mouth and do three
things;
Look at the chest and the stomach for movement.
Listen for breathing sounds. Feel for air against your cheek. Sometimes a person
begins to breathe spontaneously after an airway has been established. But if you
cannot see chest movements, hear breathing sounds, or feel air on your cheek, the
patient is not breathing, and you must provide rescue breathing.
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2. Keeping the airways open by using the head-tilt/chin-lift maneuver, gently pinch the nose
closed using the thumb and index finger of the hand on the forehead. This will prevent air
from escaping through the patient’s nose.
3. Place your mouth over the patient’s mouth, make an airtight seal, and give two initial
breaths of 1-1.5 seconds each. Be sure to allow time for deflation of the patient’s lungs
between breaths. If the patient’s chest rises and falls, showing that air has entered,
proceed to step 1 under “Circulation”. If mouth-to-mouth breathing is not desirable or
possible (for example, in the presence of vomiting or injury to the mouth or jaw), mouth-
to-nose breathing can be done by closing the mouth with one palm and breathing into
the nose.
The position of the head is the same as for the mouth-to-mouth breathing. Mouth-to-
stoma breathing is possible if the patient has a permanent tracheostomy. In such a case
it would not be necessary to tilt the head to open the airway as you would for mouth-to-
mouth and mouth-to-nose breathing.
4. If you feel resistance when you try to breath into the patient’s mouth and the patient’s
chest wall does not rise of fall as you breathe, reposition the head and attempt to
breathe again. If you still feel resistance, proceed with foreign-body airway obstruction
maneuvers.
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Circulation
1. Determine pulselessness. Feel for the carotid pulse by locating the larynx
(voice box) and sliding your fingers off into the grove beside it. You should feel for
the pulse on your side of the patient to avoid compressing the other carotid artery with
your thumb. Adequate time (5-10 seconds) should be allowed, since the pulse may be
slow, irregular, or weak and rapid, if you locate a pulse, perform rescue breathing at a
rate of 12 breaths/min, rechecking the pulse after each 123 breaths. If you cannot
locate a pulse, you will have to provide artificial circulation in addition to rescue
breathing. Ask for someone to call for help before beginning compression.
2. Kneel at the level of the patient’s shoulders. You will then be in a position to
perform both rescue breathing and chest compression without moving your knees. The
patient should be on a hard surface to achieve best results. In a health care facility,
slip a cardiac board under the patient.
3. Locate the lower margin of the patient’s rib cage on the side nearest you.
Run the fingers of the hand nearest the patient’s legs up along the rib cage to the
indentation where the ribs meet the sternum. Keeping one finger on the indentation,
place another immediately above it, on the lower end of the sternum.
4. Place the heel of your other hand just above that finger, at right angles of
the sternum. This will keep the main force of compression on the sternum and decrease
the chance of rib fracture.
5. Remove your fingers from the indentation and place that hand on top of
the one already in position. Your hands should be parallel and directed away from
you. Your fingers may be either extended or interlaced, but they must be kept off the
chest to avoid fracturing a rib.
6. With your shoulders directly above the patient's chest, compress
downward, keep your arms straight, You should move the sternum of an adult 1 ½ -
2 inches with each compression. You must release compression pressure after each
compression to allow blood to flow into the heart. The time allowed for release should
equal the time required for compression. Therefore, your motion should be
rhythmical 50% down and 50% back up. Avoid quick, ineffective jabs at the chest that
can increase the possibility of injury and may decrease the amount of blood circulated by
each compression. Your hands should not be lifted from the chest or their position
changed in a way so that you do not lose correct hand position.
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One-Rescuer CPR
If you are the only rescuer present, you are responsible for the rescue breathing and
cardiac compression. The proper ratio is 15 compressions to 2 breaths at a rate of
80-100 compressions/minute (a minimum of 80/min to 100/min if possible). You
must maintain this rate to compensate for the compression lost when you take time
out to do the breathing. Move smoothly from one function to the other, keeping a
steady rhythm. Say, "One and two and ..." to yourself to maintain the correct rate. If
there is no one in the immediate area to assist you, you should administer CPR for a
full minute, after which you may quickly phone for help and then resume CPR.
Two-Rescuer CPR
If two rescuers are present, it is best to position yourselves on opposite sides of the
patient. Rescuer #1 should be positioned at the patients side and compress the
sternum at a rate of 80-100 compressions/min. Rescuer #2 positioned at the patients
head, maintains an open airway, monitors the carotid pulse for adequacy of chest
compressions, and ventilates the patient after every fifth compression. A pause
should be allowed for ventilation (1-1 ½ sec/breath). Rescuer 1
(the compressor) says, "One and two and three and four and ..." (or any helpful
mnemonic) aloud to help both rescuers maintain the rate and ratio.
When either the rescuers tires, Rescuer 1 calls for change of tasks and completes the
ongoing series of five compressions. Rescuer 2 breaths after the fifth compression as
Rescuer 1 moves up and checks the carotid pulse for 5 seconds. Rescuer 2 gets in
position to compress the sternum and waits.
If the carotid pulse is absent, Rescuer 1 ventilates once ands says, "Continue CPR."
Rescuer 2 restarts the compressions immediately after the breath. If there is a pulse
but no breathing, appropriate ventilation and monitoring should be continued.
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Monitoring the Patient

Rescuer 2 assumes the responsibility for monitoring the pulse and breathing. The
carotid pulse is checked during compressions to assess the effectiveness of Rescuer 1's
external chest compressions. To determine whether the patient has resumed spontaneous
breathing and circulation, chest compressions must be stopped for 5 seconds at
about the end of the first minute and every few minutes thereafter.
Terminating CPR is terminated when one of the following occurs:

> Breathing and spontaneous heartbeat occurs,
> An advance life support team arrives to take over the patient's care,
> A physician pronounces the patient dead and states that CPR can be
discontinued, and
> The rescuer (s) becomes physically exhausted and no replacement (s) is
available. This is the most difficult reality for a rescuer to face, but there are limits to
ones physical endurance. Fortunately, this does not happen often.
Activity 1: Empathy Mapping

write down what a person says, thinks, does and feels. The ability to slow down and immerse
Make a concept map, write down what will you say, think, do, and feel. This will help you
immerse yourself that another point of view is valuable. Read the situation below:
Situation: Maya and Clara were playing in the riverbanks, suddenly due to the slippery
ground Maya slipped and was drowned. Clara who was in panic called for help.
Fortunately, you were passing that area and heard the plea of Clara for help. What will
you say? What will you feel? What will you do? How will you save Maya from death?
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Synthesis
CPR is a pre-hospital treatment that seek to “alleviate suffering, prevent added/ further
injury or danger, and prolong life. It is not intended to compete with, nor take the place of
the services of the physician. It ends when the service of a physician begins.”
Assignments
1. Download a video on youtube about water safety and basic water survival and
rescue. Bring any material that can be used as an improvised floatation device.
Lesson 2: First Aid
Learning Outcomes
● Recognized the importance of learning first aid.

• Familiarized the first aid treatment to the common ailments and injuries during
disaster.
● Performed the different types of carries of a victim by analyzing the scenario.
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Learning Outcomes
● Defined the process involved in relief delivery operations.
● Analyzed the basis of the content of the packs.
Introduction
At any moment, you, or someone around you could experience an injury or illness. Using
basic first aid, you may be able to stop a minor mishap from getting worse. In the case of a
serious medical emergency, you may even save a life. That’s why it’s so important to learn
basic first aid skills. To build on the information you learn here, considering taking a first aid
course. First aid is the emergency care a sick or injured person gets. In some cases, it may
be the only care someone needs, while in others, it may help them until paramedics arrive
or they are taken to the hospital. The best way to prepare for these events is to get official
first aid training, but until you can do so, you can learn some basic life-saving steps. When
you provide basic medical care to someone experiencing a sudden injury or illness, it’s
known as first aid. In some cases, first aid consists of the initial support provided to
someone in the middle of a medical emergency. This support might help them survive until
professional help arrives. In other cases, first aid consists of the care provided to someone
with a minor injury. For example, first aid is often all that’s needed to treat minor burns,
cuts, and insect stings.
Goals of First Aid

1. Alleviate Suffering
2. Prevent Further Injury or Danger
3. Prolong Life
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Characteristic of a Good First Aider
1. Gentle
- First Aider should not cause, inflict pain as much as possible.
2. Resourceful
- Makes the best use of things at hand.
3. Observant
- Should notice all signs. Aware of what is happening and what will happen.
4. Tactful
- Handling the victim with utmost care and in a calm manner.
5. Emphatic
- Should be comforting.
6. Respectable
- Maintains a professional and caring at
General Guidelines in Administering First Aid
1. Planning of Action
- Established on the basis of needs and available resources. Example: Getting to
know where the First Aid Kits are located as well as other emergency equipment
such as fire extinguisher, fire alarm, and fire exits. Also being aware of the
emergency numbers such as Ambulance providers, Hospital emergency rooms,
Fire department and Police department.
2. Gathering of needed materials

- Preparation of equipment and personnel.
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Close Wounds
1. Break in the continuity of a body tissue without the skin being broken down.
Causes: - Blunt object result in contusion or bruises.
- Application of external forces.
Signs and Symptoms

- Pain and tenderness
- Swelling
- Discoloration
- Hematoma
First Aid Management
1. Rest the affected area. Movement may aggravate the closed wound condition.
2. Ice Compress. Apply ice compress to the affected areas. It promotes vasoconstriction
and it has an anesthetic effect.
3. Compression. Application of firm pressure. To avoid hematoma.
4. Elevate the affected area. (For Extremities) to promote venous return of blood and
avoid pooling in the area.
5. Splinting. For immobilizing the affected area. This help in avoiding unnecessary
movement.
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o Perform further assessment and put the injured person under observation. SEEK
FOR MEDICAL ADVISE IF:
- The pain is unbearable

- Hematoma is spreading
- The affected area is the head (including face and neck)
- Involves the spine area
- Bleeding is noted in mouth, ear, and nose
- Coughing and vomiting
Open Wound
- In an injury involving an external or internal break in the body tissue, usually

involving the skin.
Classification of Open Wounds
❖ Puncture – would caused by sharp & pointed object penetrating the skin.
❖ Abrasion – caused by rubbing/scrapping of the skin against rough surface.
❖ Laceration – the skin torn by sharp objects with irregular edges.
❖ Avulsion – tissues are forcefully separated from the body
❖ Incision – skin and tissues are cut by a sharp bladed instrument.
Dangers of an Open Wound
❖ Hemorrhage – severe bleeding

❖ Infection – introduction of bacteria/parasites
❖ Shock – decrease in circulatory (blood) volume (a fatal condition)
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Activity 1: Let us Walk Through

In the scenario written below, imagine yourself to be the first responder. What will you do to
save the patient? How will you handle the situation making sure the survival of the patient?
Scenario What May Happen? How could you help?

Your father is complaining
of a tight chest and has a
tingling pain in his hands.
He tells you he is okay, and
he still looks to be in
discomfort.
Your best mate stacked on
his bike. Whilst he was not
wearing a helmet, he
manages to stand up and
only looks to have minor
gazes. After returning to his
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house, he noticed he forgot

what happen.
Your younger sister is
having a sleepover for her
birthday. At dinner, you
notice that one of her
friends find it difficult to
breath.
Synthesis
First aid is a pre-hospital treatment that seek to “alleviate suffering, prevent added/
further injury or danger, and prolong life. It is not intended to compete with, nor take the
place of the services of the physician. It ends when the service of a physician begins.”
Assignments
Download a video on youtube about water safety and basic water survival and
rescue.
Lesson 3: Basic Water Survival and Rescue
Learning Activities
During the learning engagement, you should be able to:
• Recognized the importance of water safety, water survival and rescue

• Performed the different basic rescue technique (in-direct approach)
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Introduction
Water survival training is training individuals or groups with a high probability of
encountering a life or death situation in water. Typically practiced by rescue units, elite
military units, and aircraft pilots who may have to ditch over water, this type of training also
presents a demanding variant to traditional fitness training. Water survival training not only
provides enhancement in many components of fitness (endurance, stamina), but also
provides a much needed skill for overcoming water obstacles from a stream crossing to an
amphibious landing. The likelihood of panic induced by the water is extremely high, which is
why it's important to build confidence and train individuals to react correctly when they find
themselves in situations where water survival is imperative. Not only do soldiers and rescue
units need to concern themselves with water survival; it is a fact that 70% of all people live
within one hour of a body of water. The likelihood that one may experience a water survival
situation is higher than one might expect.
An emergency can happen to anyone in or around the water, regardless of
swimming ability. For example, a strong swimmer can get into trouble in the water because
of sudden illness or injury. Or, a non-swimmer playing in shallow water can be knocked
down by a wave or pulled into deeper water by a rip current. The key to recognizing an
emergency is staying alert and being able to recognize when a person is having trouble in
the water.
Staying Alert
Staying alert means using all your senses when observing others in and around the
water. For example, you may see a swimmer acting oddly. Or, you may hear a scream or
sudden splash. Keep in mind that the signals of an emergency might be what you do not see
or hear. For instance, it may surprise you to learn that most people who are in trouble in the
water cannot or do not call for help. They spend their energy just trying to keep their heads
above water to get a breath. Likewise, a person who is experiencing a medical emergency
might slip underwater quickly and never resurface. The more alert you are, the faster you
can respond to an emergency and potentially save a life.
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Identifying When a Person Needs Help

A person who needs help may be drowning, or he may be swimming but in distress. It is
essential to identify what is going on so you can respond appropriately. Table 3-1 compares and
summarizes the typical behaviors and appearances of distressed swimmers, drowning victims
who are active and drowning victims who are passive. Early recognition and response greatly
increase the chances of survival for a person who is drowning (Fig. 3-1).
Fig. 3-1 Following the steps outlined in Chain of Drowning Survival from the American Red Cross can
increase a person’s chances of surviving a drowning incident.
Drowning Victim—Active
A drowning victim who is struggling to remain at the surface of the water has distinctive arm and
body positions. These are efforts to try to keep the mouth above the water’s surface in order to
breathe. This universal behavior is called the instinctive drowning response. A drowning victim
who is struggling to remain at the surface of the water cannot call out for help because his
efforts are focused on getting a breath (Fig. 3-2). In fact, a drowning in progress is often silent.
The person works to maintain a vertical position and keep his face above the water by pressing
down with his arms at his sides or in front. However, the person’s mouth may slip underwater,
often repeatedly. Young children may tip forward into a horizontal face-down position and be
unable to keep the mouth above the surface of the water at all. The person will not make any
forward progress in the water, and may only be able to stay at the surface for 20–60 seconds, if
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at all. The person may continue to struggle underwater but eventually will lose consciousness
and stop moving.
Some drowning victims are not at the surface when the problem occurs. For example, the
person may slip into water over his head, incur an injury, or experience a sudden illness and
struggle underwater to reach the surface. These drowning victims may look like they are playing
or floating underwater. It may be difficult to recognize a drowning victim when the person is
underwater.
Table 3-1 Recognizing When a Person Needs Help

Distressed Swimmer Drowning Victim— Drowning Victim—
Active Passive
Head position Above water Tilted back with face ● Face-up or face-
looking up down in the water
● Submerged
Appearance ● Trying to support • Struggling to keep ● Limp or
self by holding or or get the head convulsionlike
clinging to a lane line above the surface movements
or safety line of the water ●Floating or
● Concerned facial ● Struggling to reach submerged
expression the surface, if ●Eyes may be closed
underwater ●If submerged, may
● Panicked or wide- look like a shadow
eyed facial expression
Breathing Breathing Struggling to breathe Not breathing
Arm and leg action ● Floating, sculling or Arms at sides or in None
treading water front alternately
●May wave for help moving up and
pressing down
Body position Horizontal, vertical or Vertical, leaning Horizontal or vertical
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diagonal, depending slightly back

on means of support
Locomotion ● Little or no forward None None
progress
● Increasingly
less able to
support self
Sounds Able to call for help Cannot call for help None
but may not do so
Location in water At the surface At the surface, Floating at the
underwater or sinking surface, sinking or
submerged on the
bottom
Drowning Victim—Passive
Some people who are drowning do not struggle. They suddenly slip underwater (for example, as
a result of a sudden illness or injury or a dangerous behavior such as hyperventilation and
prolonged underwater breath-holding). The use of alcohol or other drugs is also frequently a
contributor to this type of drowning incident. A person who is drowning but not struggling may
be floating face-down at the surface of the water, or she may be underwater in a face-down or
face-up position, or on her side. The person may be limp or have slight convulsive movements.
The person is not moving or breathing. It can be difficult to see a drowning victim who is
underwater, especially if the person is at the bottom of the pool or in a natural body of water
where the water is murky. In a pool, the person may look like a shadow or an object like a towel
on the bottom (Fig. 3-3).
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Fig. 3-3 A drowning victim who is underwater can be difficult to see. The person may look like a shadow, a
smudge or an object like a towel.
Distressed Swimmer
A distressed swimmer is someone who is not drowning, but needs help. A swimmer can become
distressed for several reasons, including exhaustion, cramping or a sudden illness. A swimmer
who is distressed may be afloat and able to breathe and call for help. However, you will notice
that she is making little or no forward progress. She may be treading water or clinging to a line
for support. A distressed swimmer may be unable to reach safety without assistance. Without
help, a swimmer in distress may soon become a drowning victim.
Responding to an Emergency
In an emergency, your role is to recognize the emergency, decide to act, call emergency medical
services (EMS) personnel for help and give assistance consistent with your knowledge and
training until EMS personnel arrive and take over (Box 3-1). If you work at an aquatic facility,
you are a member of the safety team, which works to prepare for, prevent and respond to
emergencies. As such, you are responsible for being familiar with the facility’s emergency action
plan, as well as your role in implementing it should an emergency occur.
Deciding to Act
In an emergency, deciding to act is not always as simple as it sounds. People are often slow to
act in an emergency because they are not exactly sure what to do or they think someone else
will act. In an emergency, your decision to act could make the difference between life or death
for the person who needs help.
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In the excitement of an emergency, it is easy to become frightened or confused about what to

do. Remember to stay calm; you can help. In any emergency situation, follow the three action
steps, CHECK—CALL—CARE:
● CHECK the scene and the person.
● CALL 9-1-1 or the local emergency number.
● CARE for the person.
Give care according to the conditions that you find and your level of knowledge and training.
Let’s look at the first step: check. First, check the scene. Be on the lookout for other victims, and
for signals that the scene is unsafe. Look for clues as to what happened. Also check for
bystanders who may be able to help you. Never rush into a dangerous situation, or you risk
becoming a victim yourself. After you check the scene, check the person. An aquatic emergency
can take place on land or in the water. If the person is in the water, you must decide whether he
or she needs help getting out of the water. Only help the person get out of the water if you can
do it safely (for example, by using a reaching or throwing assist, which you will learn about later
in this chapter). Do not enter the water to help the person unless you are specifically trained to
perform in-water rescues. Your safety must be your top priority. If you cannot safely help the
person out of the water, get help from a trained responder, such as a lifeguard, or call 9-1-1 or
the local emergency number and wait for help.
Box 3-1 The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) System

The emergency medical services (EMS) system is a network of professionals linked together to
provide the best care for people in all emergencies, both in and out of the water.
The system begins when someone sees an

emergency and decides to take action by calling
9-1-1 or the local emergency number. This action allows the EMS dispatcher to
take down information about the
emergency and provide it to the trained
35
EMS professionals who will respond to the

scene.
Once on the scene, these professionals

EMS professionals may include paramedics will take over the care of the person,
(trained to give advanced-level medical care at including transportation to a hospital or
the scene of an emergency); emergency medical other facility for the best medical care if
technicians (EMTs; trained to give mid-level needed.
medical care at the scene of an emergency);
emergency medical responders (EMRs; trained to
give basic level care at the scene of an
emergency); police officers; fire fighters and
other professional rescuers (for example, ski
patrollers, park rangers).
Calling for Help
Once you have checked the scene and the person, take the second emergency action step: call
9-1-1 or the local emergency number to activate the EMS system. Whenever possible, send
another person to make the call while you continue to stay with the person. Whether you make
the call yourself or send someone else to call, be prepared to give the dispatcher the following
information: ● Your name (or the name of the person making the call)
● The telephone number of the phone being used
● The location of the emergency (the exact address, city or town; nearby intersections or
landmarks; the name of the facility)
● A description of what happened
36
● A description of the number of victims

● A description of what help has been given so far Stay on the phone with the dispatcher until
the dispatcher tells you it is all right to hang up. The dispatcher may need additional information
from you, or he or she may be able to help by giving you first aid instructions over the phone.
The following conditions and situations are serious and require a call to 9-1-1 or the local
emergency number to activate the EMS system:
● Fatal or nonfatal drowning
● Injury or suspected injury to the head, neck or spine
● Trouble breathing
● Persistent chest or abdominal pain or pressure
● Unconsciousness
● Severe bleeding, vomiting blood or passing blood
● Seizures that occur in the water or last more than 5 minutes
● Severe headache or slurred speech
● Poisoning
● Possible broken bones
● Multiple injuries If you are unsure about whether professional help is needed, act on the side
of caution and activate the EMS system.
If you are unsure about whether professional help is needed, act on the side of caution and
activate the EMS system.
Giving Assistance
The final emergency action step is to give care according to the conditions that you find and
your level of knowledge and training (Box 3-2). Make the person comfortable until EMS
personnel arrive and take over.
Box 3-2
Learn Lifesaving Skills!
Many different types of first aid emergencies can occur in aquatic settings, ranging from the
relatively minor (such as an abrasion or jellyfish sting) to the life-threatening (such as sudden
cardiac arrest or anaphylaxis). People who experience sudden cardiac arrest or other serious fi
rst aid emergencies have a better chance of surviving when those around them know how to
respond and give care until trained personnel arrive to take over. Unfortunately, many people
37
do not know how to provide basic first aid and emergency cardiovascular care or are
uncomfortable providing this care. Red Cross first aid, CPR and AED (automated external
defibrillator) training programs are designed to give you the confidence to respond in an
emergency situation with skills that can save a life. By taking a Red Cross course, you learn
from the best. Red Cross materials are developed in collaboration with leading educational and
medical authorities and incorporate the latest science in first aid and emergency
cardiovascular care. Courses are taught by certified instructors, and, upon successful
completion, participants earn nationally recognized certificates. Spanish-language courses are
also available. To enroll in a Red Cross first aid, CPR and AED class visit www.redcross.org. In
an aquatic emergency such as drowning, knowing how to do full CPR (cycles of chest
compressions and rescue breaths) is critical.
Basic Water Rescue: Helping Others in an Aquatic Emergency

Learning basic water rescue skills is important for anyone who lives, works or plays near water.
There are many different ways to help a person who is in trouble in the water to safety. The
method you will use depends on your level of training and the situation. Always take care to
choose an assist that helps the person, while keeping you as safe as possible as you respond.
Reaching and Throwing Assists

Reaching and throwing assists allow you to help a conscious person who is in trouble without
entering the water yourself. These types of assists are the safest assists for responders who are
not professionally trained lifeguards to perform during an aquatic emergency. They are also the
best type of assist to use when someone has fallen through ice (Box 3-3). To keep yourself safe,
always remember “Reach or throw, don’t go! ”
When doing a reaching or throwing assist:

● Start the rescue by talking to the person, if possible. Let the person know help is coming.
● Use gestures to communicate with the person if it is too noisy or if the person is too far away
to hear.
● Tell the person what he or she can do to help with the rescue, such as grasping a line, rescue
buoy or other floating device.
● Encourage the person to move toward safety by kicking or stroking. Some people are able to
reach safety by themselves with calm encouragement from a person on the deck or shore.
38
Reaching Assists
If the person is close enough, use a reaching assist to help him or her out of the water. To do
a reaching assist, use any available object that will extend your reach and give something for
the person to grab so you can pull the person in. Items that work well for reaching assists
include a pole, an oar or paddle, a tree branch, a shirt, a belt or a towel. Community or hotel
pools and recreational areas often have reaching equipment, such as a shepherd’s crook (an
aluminum or fiber glass pole with a large hook on one end), located close to the water. You
can perform a reaching assist from the pool deck, pier surface or shoreline. If no equipment is
available and you are close enough, you may be able to perform a reaching assist by
extending your arm to the person. You can also perform a reaching assist from a position
within the water by extending an arm or a leg to the person, if you are already in the water
and you have something secure to hold onto. Water Rescue Skill Sheet 3-1 describes how to
perform a step-by-step reaching assist.
Throwing Assists
A throwing assist involves throwing an object that the person can grasp so you can pull him
or her to safety. A floating object with a line attached is ideal for a throwing assist;
however, lines and floats can also be used alone. Rescue devices that are meant for throwing
assists include a heaving line, ring buoy, throw bag or heaving jug (Fig. 3-4). In some
situations, you may have to improvise with an object that floats but is not specifically meant
for throwing assists, such as a rescue tube (a vinyl, foam-filled tube with an attached tow line
that is standard equipment for lifeguards), life jacket or cooler. If possible, keep a throwing
object with a coiled line in a prominent location that is accessible to the water, so that anyone
can quickly access it to throw to someone in trouble. All boats should have rescue equipment
for throwing assists onboard.
39
Fig. 3-4 A variety of items can be used for a throwing assist.
Box 3-3
Using a Reaching or Throwing Assist to Help a Person Who Has Fallen

Through Ice
Never go out onto the ice in an attempt to rescue a person who has fallen through the ice.
Because a person has just fallen through it, the ice is unsafe. A responder who rushes out
onto the ice is likely to become a victim as well. Instead, follow these guidelines:
1. Send someone to call EMS personnel immediately. Trained responders may be needed to
get the person out of the ice. Even if you are successful in rescuing the person from the ice
without the help of EMS personnel, the person will still need medical care.
2. From a secure place on land, try a reaching or throwing assist. Use anything at hand that
the person can grasp for support, such as a tree branch, pole, life jacket or weighted rope.
Act quickly. Within 1 minute, the person’s hands may be too numb to grasp the object.
3. Pull the person to shore and give first aid for hypothermia. If it is not possible to safely pull
the person to shore, reassure the person and make sure he or she is as secure as possible
until help arrives.
Wading Assists
If a throwing assist does not work and the water is shallow enough for wading (that is, less than
chest deep), you can try a wading assist (Fig. 3-5). A wading assist involves wading into the
water and using a reaching assist to help pull the person to safety. Objects that may help extend
your reach and give the person something to grab on to include rescue equipment (such as a
rescue tube or ring buoy), kickboard, life jacket, tree branch, pole, air mattress or paddle. You
40
can also use a wading assist to rescue an unconscious or submerged person who is in water that
is less than chest deep. When the person is unconscious or submerged, instead of using a
reaching assist to pull the person to safety, use a flotation device to keep the person at the
surface of the water and support him while you tow him to safety. For your own safety, wear a
life jacket if one is available when attempting a wading assist. Only perform a wading assist in
water that is less than chest deep. If a current or soft bottom makes wading dangerous, do not
enter the water. Water Rescue Skill Sheet 3-3 describes how to perform a step-by-step wading
assist.
Fig. 3-5 A wading assist can be used when the water is less than chest deep and there are no conditions
that make wading dangerous. For your own safety, wear a life jacket when performing a wading assist.
Take an object to extend to the person to hold on to so that the person does not have to hold on to you.
Sloped Entry Assists

A walking assist or a beach drag may be used to remove a person from shallow water along a
sloping beach, shore or pool entry. A walking assist can also be used to help a person out of the
water using the steps of a pool. Use a walking assist when the person is conscious and able to
support some or all of his weight. Use a beach drag when the person is unconscious or
otherwise unable to bear weight. Water Rescue Skill Sheet 3-4 describes how to perform these
step-by-step assists.
Two-person Removal from the Water Using a Backboard

A backboard is the standard piece of equipment used by lifeguards to remove a person from the
water when the person is unable to exit the water on his or her own or when the person has a
possible injury to the head, neck or spine. Usually this type of rescue is performed by two
lifeguards, but if a second lifeguard is not available, a bystander may be required to assist.
Water Rescue Skill Sheet 3-5 describes how to assist a lifeguard in removing a person from the
water using a backboard.
41
Manual In-line Stabilization

Manual in-line stabilization is a technique used to minimize movement of a person’s head, neck
and spine when a head, neck or spinal injury is present or suspected (Box 3-4). Injuries to the
head, neck or spine can be serious because they may result in lifelong disability e.g., paralysis)
or death. If possible, let a lifeguard or a person with more advanced training respond first.
However, if such a person is not around, you will need to act. If you suspect a head, neck or
spinal injury, follow these general guidelines:
● Have someone call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number immediately.
● If the person is in the water and breathing, use an in-line stabilization technique to minimize
movement of the head, neck and spine and keep the person’s face out of the water. If the
person is on land, place your hands on both sides of the person’s head and support it in the
position in which you found it. Continue to immobilize the person’s head until EMS personnel
arrive and take over.
● If the person is in the water and not breathing, immediately remove the person from the water
and give care according to the conditions you fi nd and your level of knowledge and training.
Manual in-line stabilization techniques that are used to minimize movement of the person’s head,
neck or spine when the person is in water include the hip and shoulder support and the head
splint. The hip and shoulder support (Water Rescue Skill Sheet 3-6) is used for a person who is
face-up. The head splint (Water Rescue Skill Sheet 3-7) provides better stabilization than the hip
and shoulder support and can be used for a person who is face-up or face-down.
Box 3-4
Recognizing Head, Neck and Spinal Injuries

If you are unsure whether a person has a head, neck or spinal injury, think about what the
person was doing and what happened to cause the injury when checking the scene. In aquatic
settings, head, neck or spinal injuries are usually caused by high-impact, high-risk activities,
such as:
● Entering head-fi rst into shallow water
● Falling from greater than standing height
● Entering the water from a height, such as a diving board, waterslide, embankment, cliff or
tower
● Striking a submerged or floating object
● Receiving a blow to the head
42
● Colliding with another swimmer

● Striking the water with high impact, such as falling while water skiing or surfing
In addition to noting the circumstances of the injury, observe the person for signals of a
possible head, neck or spinal injury. These include:
● Changes in level of consciousness
● Severe pain or pressure in the head, neck or spine
● Loss of balance
● Partial or complete loss of movement of any body part
● Back pain, weakness, tingling or loss of sensation in the hands, fingers, feet or toes
● Persistent headache
● Unusual bumps, bruises or a depression on the head, neck or spine
● Impaired breathing or vision
● Nausea or vomiting
● Bruising of the head, especially around the eyes and behind the ears
● The person is holding his head, neck or back
● Behavior resembling intoxication
Basic Water Rescue: Helping Yourself in an Aquatic Emergency

An aquatic emergency can happen to anyone, even someone who has a great deal of experience
being in and around the water. A swimmer can develop a physical condition, such as cramping
or fatigue, which hinders his or her ability to keep swimming. A boating accident, mechanical
malfunction or rough water can cause the craft to capsize, tossing its occupants into the water.
In fact, many people who find themselves involved in an aquatic emergency never intended to
go into the water in the first place. A car may go off the road into a body of water, or ice may
crack, causing an ice skater to fall through. If you find yourself in trouble in the water, knowing
what you can do to help yourself is imperative.
Relieving Muscle Cramps

Muscle cramps can occur when muscles become tired or cold from swimming or other activity. A
cramp is an involuntary muscle contraction, usually in the arm, foot or calf. A muscle cramp can
occur at any time, in any depth of water. If you develop a muscle cramp in shallow water, try to
relax the muscle by stopping or changing the activity. Get out of the water, begin fl oating or
change to a different swimming stroke. Changing the position of the affected limb to stretch the
43
cramped muscle and massaging the area may also help to relieve the cramp. If you develop a
muscle cramp in deep water, take a deep breath, roll forward so that you are face-down and fl
oat. Extend your leg and flex the ankle or toes while massaging the cramped muscle (Fig. 3-6).
Abdominal cramps are rare but can happen. If you experience an abdominal cramp, try to relax,
and maintain your position in the water until the cramp passes.
Fig. 3-6 If you experience a muscle cramp in deep water, position yourself face-down, extend the affected
leg, flex the ankle or toes and massage the area.
Using Clothing as a Flotation Aid

If you find yourself in the water fully clothed and without a life jacket, you may be able to use
an article of clothing that you are wearing as a makeshift flotation device (Fig. 3-7). Once filled
with air, articles of clothing such as a shirt, jacket or pants can aid floating, as well as provide
protection against cold water, marine life, sun exposure and fuel spills. If shoes are light enough
to allow swimming comfortably, leave them on. But if your shoes are too heavy or if you intend
to use your pants as a flotation device, assume a jellyfish float position (see Chapter 5, Fig. 5-
6A) and remove them. Water Rescue Skill Sheet 3-8 describes step-by-step how to use articles
of clothing to aid flotation.
44
Fig. 3-7 Articles of clothing inflated with air can aid floating.
Self-Rescue in Warm Water

In warm water, you may decide to try to swim to safety, or to fl oat in place until help arrives.
Remember that swimming long distances to safety should only be used as a last resort. If you
decide to swim, use the survival swimming stroke, which will allow you to cover a considerable
distance while using a minimal amount of energy, whether you are buoyant or not. Use survival
floating to rest while you are making your way to safety. If it is not possible to reach safety and
you must wait for help, use survival floating alone. Water Rescue Skill Sheet 3-9 describes the
survival float step-by-step, and Water Rescue Skill Sheet 3-10 describes the survival swimming
stroke.
Self -Rescue in Cold Water

Cold water presents several challenges. It is not possible to swim as far in cold water as it is in
warm water. If you are in open water or a great distance from the shore, floating in place until
help arrives is the best way to survive a cold-water emergency. If you do decide to attempt to
swim, consider your swimming ability, the amount of insulation you have and the water
conditions. When the water is 50° F (10° C) or colder, even a good swimmer may have difficulty
reaching shore, so only attempt to swim if you can reach the shore in a few strokes. Keep in
mind that in emergencies it is often hard to judge distance, so be careful not to underestimate
the distance to shore. If you do attempt to swim to safety, use a stroke with an underwater arm
recovery (such as the breaststroke or elementary backstroke) to help maintain heat.
In cold water, keep all of your clothes on, including a hat if you are wearing one (Box 3-5).
Tight-fitting foam vests and flotation jackets with foam insulation help to retain heat and can
45
double survival time. Even wet clothes help retain body heat, and if you are not wearing a life
jacket, you can try inflating your clothing with air for flotation. Avoid splashing in an attempt to
warm up. Splashing increases blood circulation in the arms and legs and will drain energy,
resulting in heat loss. Similarly, treading water chills the body faster than staying still. In cold
water, tread water only if it is necessary. Keep your face and head above the water and turn
your back toward waves to help keep water off your face. Look around for a log or anything
floating for support. In the event of a boating accident, try to right the boat and reenter. If that
is not possible, climb up onto the capsized boat to keep more of your body out of the water.
If you are not in immediate danger but you are far from shore, stay still and let your life jacket
provide support until help arrives. When you are wearing a life jacket, you can use the heat
escape lessening posture (HELP) (if you are alone) or the huddle position (if you are in a group
of two or more people) to stay warmer. The HELP and the huddle positions can increase the
chances of survival when floating in cold water by reducing the amount of body surface area
that is directly exposed (Fig. 3-8).
● To get into the HELP position, draw your knees up to your chest, keeping your face forward
and out of the water. Hold your upper arms at your sides and fold your lower arms against or
across your chest (see Fig. 3-8A).
● To get into the huddle position, put your arms around the other person so that your chests are
together. If you have a group of three or more people, put your arms over one another’s
shoulders so that the sides of your chests are together (see Fig. 3-8B). If there is a child or older
adult in the group, put the child or older adult in the middle.
The HELP and huddle positions should not be used in swift river currents or white water. If you
are wearing a life jacket and you are caught in a current, remain calm and try to swim to safety
if the current is carrying you toward some danger. Float on your back and go downstream feet
first until your breathing slows (sudden immersion in cold water can cause the breathing rate to
increase). Breathe normally for a few seconds before starting to swim to shore.
Box 3-5
Falling Into the Water Fully Clothed
46
People who fall into the water wearing winter clothes, especially heavy boots or waders,
usually panic because they think they will sink immediately. But winter clothes and outdoor
gear (such as a snowmobile suit, hip boots or waders) can actually trap air and aid fl oating, in
addition to helping to delay hypothermia. If you fall into the water wearing hip boots, waders
or rubber boots, relax and bend your knees—the trapped air in the boots will bring you back
to the surface quickly. Then lie back, spread your arms and legs and perform a “winging”
motion with your arms to move toward safety.
Fig. 3-8 The HELP and the huddle positions can be used to reduce exposure to cold water.
47
Self-Rescue: Falling Through Ice
If you fall through ice, try to stay calm and resist the urge to climb out onto the ice. It is likely to
be weak in the area where the fall took place. Instead, turn toward the direction you came from,
since the ice is likely to be strongest there. Quickly get into a floating position on your stomach.
Bend your knees to help trap air in your pant legs and boots. Reach forward onto the broken ice,
but do not push down on it. If you have ice rescue picks (“ice claws”), dig the points of the picks
into the ice. Use a breaststroke or other kick to push your body farther onto the ice. Once you
are on the ice, do not stand up! Roll away from the break area until a rescuer on shore is able to
perform a reaching or throwing assist to help you the rest of the way, or until you are well clear
of the broken area. Because of the risk for hypothermia, call 9-1-1 or the local emergency
number if this has not been done already.
Self-Rescue: Falling into Moving Water

If you fall into moving water, do not stand up—the force of the water can entrap your feet or
legs and hold you in place. A modest amount of water volume and velocity can exert significant
force. Instead, fl oat downstream on your back feet first to fend off obstacles and avoid
entrapment of your feet and legs. Use your arms to back-paddle to slow down and steer out of
the main current. Swim or wade toward the shore when you are out of the main current, or as
soon as it is safe to do so. Because of the force of the current, this will result in a slightly
downstream path (Fig. 3-9). If you fell into the water because the boat you were in capsized, try
to hold onto the boat, staying upstream of it, and swim with the boat to shore (Fig. 3-10).
However, if it is unsafe to continue holding onto the boat, let it go.
Fig. 3-9 If you are caught in a current, float downstream on your back, feetfirst. Back-paddle with your
arms to break free of the main current. Once free of the main current, swim or wade toward the
shore. This will result in a slightly downstream path because of the force of the current.
48
Self-Rescue: Capsized Boat

It is important to stay calm if your boat capsizes. If you are not wearing a life jacket, put one on
immediately.
If you can right the boat, do so. Once you right the boat, try to reboard:
● On larger boats, use the ladder or swim platform to reboard. If the weight in the boat is
distributed correctly, climb up over the transom (i.e., the wide, flat area at the back of the boat).
Be careful not to injure yourself on the boat’s propeller or outboard engine.
● For smaller boats (like canoes, kayaks and rowboats), pull yourself over the middle of the boat
and lie across it. Once the boat is stabilized, roll your legs into the boat. Canoes, kayaks and
rowboats can often be rowed to shore even when filled with water.
If you cannot right the boat or reboard, stay with the boat and wait for rescue. If the water is
cold, climb on top of the overturned boat to keep as much of your body out of the water as
possible. Staying with your boat will help you conserve energy (because the boat will help you
float) and make you more visible to rescue personnel. If you filed a float plan at your launch site
and do not return on time, someone should notice when you are missing and look for you.
Fig. 3-10 If your boat capsizes in moving water, try to hold onto the boat, staying upstream of it.
Self-Rescue: Sinking Vehicle

If you are in a vehicle that plunges into water, staying calm, knowing what to do and acting
quickly can save your life. Many people who find themselves going off the road into a body of
water try to call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number for help. This is a waste of valuable time.
A heavy vehicle will float for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before the water reaches the bottom of
the side windows. Use that time to do the following:
1. Leave your seatbelt on until the vehicle hits the water. Then immediately unfasten it. If you
are traveling with a child, unfasten the child’s seatbelt after you have unfastened your own.
49
2. Open or break the window. A window-break tool kept within reach in the car can make quick
work of breaking the window and requires no strength or force to use. (Never open the doors,
because this can cause the vehicle to sink very quickly.)
3. Exit through the window as soon as you have opened or broken it. If you are traveling with a
child, push the child through the open window and then follow behind.
If you cannot open a window and escape during the initial floating phase, your chances of
survival decrease significantly. When a vehicle starts to sink, it can be difficult or impossible to
open the door because of the water pressure pushing on it from the outside. You will need to
wait for the water level inside the car to rise so that the pressure equalizes. As the vehicle starts
to sink, it will tilt engine-end down until it is in a nearly vertical position. Move to the higher end
so that you can continue to breathe for as long as possible. Water pressure will be equal when
the vehicle is nearly full of water. When the pressure equalizes, open the door. If you are
traveling with a child, push the child through the open door and then follow behind.
Water Rescue Skill Sheet 3-1

Reaching Assist
Reaching Assist 1. Brace yourself on the pool deck, pier
with Equipment surface or shoreline.
2. Extend the object to the person:
o When using a rigid object such
as a pole or oar, sweep it toward
the person from the side until it
contacts the person’s arm or
hand.
o When using a shirt or towel, lie
down and flip it into the person’s
hands.
3. When the person grasps the object,
50
slowly and carefully pull the person to

safety. Keep your body low and lean
back to avoid being pulled into the
water.
Reaching Assist 1. Brace yourself on the pool deck or
without pier surface.
Equipment 2. Extend your arm and grasp the
person.
3. Pull the person to safety.
Reaching Assist 1. Hold onto a secure object (such as a

without pool ladder, gutter or piling) with one
Equipment from hand.
a Position in the 2. Extend a free hand or one leg to the
Water person. Do not let go of the secure
object or swim out to the person.
3. Pull the person to safety.

Throwing Assist
1. If the line has a wrist loop, place your
nonthrowing hand (the hand that will be
holding the line) through it. If there is no
wrist loop, step on the nonthrowing end of
the line. Hold the coil of the line in the open
palm of your nonthrowing hand.
2. Grasp the side of the object with your
throwing hand. Holding the object vertically,
step back with your leg on the throwing side
and then swing the object backward and then
forward for an underhand toss.
3. Aim the throw so that the object lands just
51
beyond the person with the line lying on the Step 1

person’s shoulder. If there is a crosswind or
current, throw upwind or up current of the
person.
4. Tell the person to grab the object. After
the person has a fi rm grasp on the object or
line, drop the remaining coil, if any, and
slowly pull the person to safety while offering
reassurance.
o As you pull, keep your body low and
lean back to avoid being pulled into Step 2
the water. Step 3
o Reach out with one hand and grasp
the line with your thumb inward. Pull
the line in to your side with that hand
while reaching out with the other.
Continue the alternate pulling and
reaching action until the person is at
the side or can stand in shallow
water.

Wading Assist
Wading Assist: Conscious Wading assists are used in water that is less than chest
Person deep. Do not attempt a wading assist if there is a
current or a soft bottom that will make wading
52
dangerous.
1. Put on a life jacket, if one is available. Select an
object to use for the reaching assist.
2. Wade into the water and extend the object to the
person.
3. Tell the person to grab the buoyant object and to
hold on tightly.
4. Pull the person to safety, keeping the object between
yourself and the person (this will help to prevent the
person from grasping you).
Wading Assist: Unconscious 1. Put on a life jacket, if one is available. Select a
Person buoyant object to assist with moving the person to
safety.
2. Wade into the water and turn the person face-up.
3. Position the buoyant object under the person’s
shoulders.
4. Move the person to the edge of the pool or the
shoreline, keeping the person’s mouth and nose out of
the water.
5. Remove the person from the water.
6. Give first aid according to the conditions you find and
your level of knowledge and training.
Wading Assist: Submerged 1. Put on a life jacket, if one is available. Select a
Person buoyant object to assist with moving the person to
safety.
2. Wade into the water.
3. Reach down, grasp the person and pull her to the
surface.
4. Turn the person face-up.
o If the person is unconscious, position the
buoyant object under her shoulders.
o If the person is conscious, tell the person to
grab the buoyant object and to hold on tightly.
5. Move the person to the edge of the pool or the
53
shoreline, keeping the person’s mouth and nose out of

the water.
6. Remove the person from the water.
7. Give first aid according to the conditions you find and
your level of knowledge and training.

Sloped Entry Assists
Walking Sloped entry assists are used to remove a person from the water in areas where
Assist there is a gently sloping entry and exit point.
1. Place one of the person’s arms
around your neck and across your
shoulder.
2. Grasp the wrist of the arm that
is across your shoulder and wrap
your free arm around the person’s
back or waist.
3. Maintain a fi rm grasp, and help
the person walk out of the water.
Beach Drag: 1. Stand behind the person, and
One grasp him or her under the
Responder armpits. Support the person’s

head with your forearms, if
possible.
2. Walk backward slowly,
dragging the person out of the
water. Use your legs, not your
back, to power the movement. If
you are not able to move the
person completely out of the
water, at least make sure the
person’s head and shoulders are
54
out of the water.

Beach Drag: 1. Both responders stand on
Two either side of the person, facing
the shoreline.
Responders
2. Place one hand under the
person’s armpit and use the other
hand to support the person’s
head. Have your partner do the
same.
3. Lift the person’s torso up, using
your legs, not your back. Walk
forward slowly, dragging the
person out of the water.

Two-Person Removal from the Water Using a Backboard
1. Bring a backboard (with the head immobilizer
and straps removed, if possible) to the side of
the pool.
2. The lifeguard brings the person to the side of
the pool and turns the person to face the wall.
3. Cross your hands and grab the person’s
wrists, pulling the person up slightly to keep the
person’s head above the water and away from
the wall.
4. The lifeguard ensures that the person’s face
is out of the water, and then climbs out of the
pool, removes the rescue tube and gets the
backboard.
5. The lifeguard guides the backboard, foot-end
first, into the water along the wall next to the
person.
6. Immediately turn the person onto the
55
backboard by uncrossing your hands. Allow the

backboard to float up beneath the person.
7. Grab one of the person’s wrists and one of
the handholds on the backboard while the
lifeguard does the same on the other side.
8. On the lifeguard’s signal and working
together, pull the backboard and the person
onto land, resting the underside of the board
against the edge of the pool. Remember to lift
with your legs, not your back.
9. Together, step backward and carefully lower
the backboard to the ground.

With this manual in-line stabilization technique, support the person at the hips and shoulders to
keep the face out of the water and minimize movement of the head, neck and spine. Use it for a
person who is face-up.
1. Approach the person from the side and lower
yourself to about shoulder depth.
2. Slide one arm under the person’s shoulders and
the other arm under his hips. Hold the person’s
body horizontally, keeping the person’s face out of
the water.
3. Do not lift the person. Hold the person still in the
water until help arrives.

Head Splint
This manual in-line stabilization technique provides better stabilization than
the hip and shoulder support. Use it for a person who is face-up or face-
down.
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1. Approach the person from behind.

Stand behind the person’s head and
lower yourself to about shoulder
depth.
2. Grasp the person’s arms midway
between the shoulder and elbow.
Grasp the person’s right arm with your
right hand and the person’s left arm
with your left hand.
3. Gently move the person’s arms up
alongside the person’s head, so that
the person’s head is supported in
between the person’s arms.
Head Splint: 4. Position yourself to the person’s
Face-Up Victim side with the person’s head close to
the crook of your arm. Squeeze the
person’s arms against the person’s
head to help hold the head in line with
the body. Do not move the person any
more than is necessary.
5. Check for consciousness and
breathing:
o If the person is not breathing,

immediately remove the
person from the water, call 9-
1-1 or the local emergency
number and provide
resuscitative care according to
your level of knowledge and
training.
o If the person is breathing,

hold the person still in the
water until help arrives.
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Head Splint
Head Splint: Face-Down 1. Approach the person from
Victim the side.
2. Grasp the person’s arms
midway between the shoulder
and elbow. Grasp the
person’s right arm with your
right hand and the person’s
left arm with your left hand.
3. Gently move the person’s
arms up alongside the
person’s head, so that the
person’s head is supported in
between the person’s arms.
Squeeze the person’s arms
against the person’s head to
help hold the head in line
with the body.
4. If you are in shallow water,
lower yourself to about
shoulder depth. Glide the
person slowly forward,
turning the person until he or
she is face-up. To do this,
push the person’s arm that is
closest to you under the
water while pulling the
person’s other arm across the
surface toward you. 5.
Position yourself to the
person’s side with the
person’s head close to the
58
crook of your arm. Squeeze

the person’s arms against the
person’s head to help hold
the head in line with the
body. Do not move the
person any more than is
necessary.
6. Check for consciousness
and breathing.
o If the person is not
breathing,
immediately remove
the person from the
water, call 9-1-1 or
the local emergency
number and provide
resuscitative care
according to your
level of knowledge
and training.
o If the person is
breathing, hold the
person still in the
water until help
arrives.

Self-Rescue with Clothes
Shirt or Jacket: Blowing Air 1. Tuck the shirt or jacket in or tie the shirttail ends
Method together around your waist.
59
2. Unbutton the collar button if you are using a shirt.

Take a deep breath, bend your head forward into the
water, pull the shirt or jacket up to your face and blow
into it.
3. Keep the front of the shirt or jacket under water
and hold the collar closed. 4. Repeat steps 1–3 to
reinflate the shirt or jacket as necessary
Shirt or Jacket: Striking Air 1. Fasten the buttons or close the zipper up to the
Method neck. 2. Hold the bottom of the shirt or jacket out with
one hand, keeping it just under the surface of the
water, and lean back slightly.
3. From above the surface of the water, strike the
water with your cupped free hand, following through
so that the air caught by your hand is pulled to a point
below the bottom of the shirt or jacket.
4. Keep the front of the shirt or jacket underwater and
hold the collar and the bottom of the shirt or jacket
closed.
5. Repeat steps 1–4 to reinflate the shirt or jacket as
necessary.

Self-Rescue with Clothes
Pants: Striking Air Method 1. Take a deep breath, lean forward into the water and reach
down and remove your shoes.
2. Loosen your waistband and belt.
3. Take another deep breath, lean forward and reach down.
Take off your pants one leg at a time without turning them
inside out. Lift your face from the water and take a breath
whenever necessary.
4. Once you have removed your pants, either tie both legs
together at the bottom or tie a knot in each leg as close as
possible to the bottom. Then zip or button the pants to the
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waist.
5. Hold the back of the waistband underwater with one hand.
Keeping the pants on the surface of the water, strike the
water with your cupped free hand, following through so that
the air caught by your hand is forced into the waistband
opening below the surface. You can also inflate the pants by
submerging them and then blowing air into the open
waistband below the surface of the water.
6. Once the pants are inflated, gather the waistband together
with your hands or by tightening the belt. Slip your head in
between the pant legs where they are tied together or, if they
are each tied separately, place one pant leg under each arm
for support.
7. Repeat steps 1–6 to reinflate the pants as necessary

Survival Float
The survival float is used in warm water while awaiting rescue or to rest while swimming.
1. Take a breath, then place your face down
into the water. Allow your arms and legs to
hang freely. Rest in this position for a few
seconds.
2. When you are ready to breathe again,
slowly lift your arms to about shoulder height
and separate your legs, moving one leg
forward and one leg back (stride position).
3. Gently press down with your arms while
bringing your legs together. This movement
lifts your mouth above the surface of the
water, allowing you to take a breath.
4. Take a breath, and then return to the
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resting position.

Survival Swimming
If a person is very buoyant, it can take several minutes to complete the following sequence of
movements, which helps to conserve energy. A person who is not very buoyant must perform
this sequence of movements slightly faster to prevent sinking before the breath.
1. Start in the survival float position. After taking a breath, bend forward at the waist and
bring your hands up alongside your head.
2. Separate your legs, moving one leg forward and the other back (stride position). Extend
your arms forward, then bring your legs together again to propel yourself diagonally toward
the surface.
3. Sweep your arms out and back to your thighs and glide near and almost parallel to the
surface.
4. When you need to breathe, bend your legs and draw them toward your torso while bringing
your hands up alongside your head. If you do not float well, pull hard with your arms,
downward and outward. Take a breath, and then quickly return to the survival float position.
5. Extend your arms forward and separate your legs into the stride position once again. Tilt
your head back and prepare to breathe out, as in survival floating.
6. Repeat steps 1–5.
Activity 1: Find a Float

Look through magazines and find pictures of things that float. Cut them out and paste them
below in a collage.
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Write about why you think these objects would float.

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________.
Synthesis
When thrown in deep water or necessitated to stay in one, keeping afloat is the key to
survival. When we are floating in an open water, we should employ back float, jelly fish
float or dead man’s float. On the other hand, when we are floating in a swift water or flood
water, we should employ the defensive swimming position-sitting position with legs
together in front.
Drowning victims are probably the most dangerous to try to rescue. In a panic drowning
victim are likely to craw at a rescuer and climb to the surface at all costs. NEVER attempt a
direct rescue of a conscious victim without proper training.
REMEMBER: all victims of near drowning need medical attention. Water in the lungs, even
small amount can lead to them filling with fluid later called “dry drowning”. This condition
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can be fatal. Moreover, closely watch anyone who chokes on water while swimming
especially if swimming in an open other than the pool. If an unconscious victim is found in
the water with no witnesses, always assume the victim has a neck injury.
Assignments
In your notebook, answer the questions below:
What is our practice/ tradition when a family member dies?
What if coffins are not available?
Is it alright to cremate the dead?
Is it safe to handle a dead person?
Who are the government agency involved in this emergency management?
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Lesson 6: Management of the Dead and Missing Person

and Psycho-social Support
Learning Activities
• Familiarized the steps to take when managing the dead and the missing.
• Proposed alternatives in handling the dead.
• Explain the importance of psychosocial intervention after disaster.
• Designed activities that help strengthening family support and community and
strengthening community support.
Introduction
The Philippines had been a witness to the effects of recent major disasters which have
claimed thousands of lives. Mostly, the concentration of the government lies on the response,
recovery, and management of the survivors. Less attention has been given to the administration and
supervision of the human remains and missing persons. Little did we know that management of the
dead is one of the most difficult challenges of disaster management. There is a need to standardize
the system of handling the dead bodies from their recovery, identification, transfer, and final
disposal without setting aside the legal requisites and norms and guaranteeing respect for the
dignity of the deceased and their families in accordance with their cultural and religious beliefs. This
manual will serve as an integral component of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Plan aimed to
educate the LGUs, local communities and organizations of first responders on handling mass
casualties on one hand, and 25 the preservation of proper decorum for those who passed away, on
the other.
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Process of Management of the Dead and Missing Person
Retrieval/Recovery of the Dead
The manner in which a body is retrieved from the scene of death and handled during transport to the
mortuary can alter the appearance of the deceased person. This may thereby influence the subsequent
evaluation of evidence or interpretation of injuries by the forensic pathologist. It is vital that the
police members, the pathologist, and the body transporters work together to ensure the deceased are
handled appropriately to ensure this effect is minimized. Any clothing, property, or evidence noted on
the body at the scene should remain in its original position, for example, a ligature in a case of
hanging. The position and integrity of all extracorporeal material should be protected while in transit
to the mortuary. Furthermore, any interference with the deceased, including precautions taken to
prevent evidence being destroyed, should be documented. All staff involved in recovering and
transporting bodies need to be aware of procedures used to maintain the continuity of the property
and evidence.
All persons present must wear appropriate personal protective equipment and be trained in procedures
to minimize both infectious and cross-contamination risks. It is essential that all staff are familiar
with crime-scene procedures and appropriate chain of command and are well versed with protocols
for dealing with media and public attention. Staff should be alert and observant and at all times
prepared to maintain the necessary evidentiary chain and to minimize interference with the integrity
of the deceased. Above all, staff dealing with deceased persons should at all times treat the deceased
with dignity.
Appropriate precautions are critical to minimize damage to the body during recovery and removal
from a scene and transit to the mortuary to allow for accurate interpretation of injury and the
minimization of contamination. Many elements of the investigation may be affected by the way in
which tasks are conducted. Members of numerous jurisdictions must all work together to ensure the
best outcome both from a forensic point of view and in preserving and respecting the dignity of the
deceased. This chapter will outline the techniques necessary for preserving the body and associated
evidence during transport, including specific considerations for different types of cases.
Transportation of the Disease

In today’s mobile society, it is not at all unusual for someone to die in one city and be moved
to another for burial or cremation. In fact, there are many reasons that the place of death
may not be the final resting place. For example, the death may occur while the person is
away on vacation or while working out-of-town. The deceased may have retired and
relocated but is being returned to his or her hometown as a final resting place.
Regardless of where a person dies, arrangements for transporting the deceased to the place
where the remains can be handled will need to be made. In most cases, the arrangements for
transportation of human remains will be made by a funeral director. There are special
66
considerations and regulations that apply to transportation and these professionals will know
how to handle the details.
When you make the call to the funeral home to arrange for transportation the person taking
the call will ask you for a variety of information. At the bottom of this page, we have
provided a listing of the type of information that will be needed when you are making
arrangements to ship the remains of someone who has died.
If you are in the local area, your loved one’s body is transported by ground for transfer from
the place of death to a local funeral home (the “first call” funeral home) and that is the end of
the process. A family may decide to switch to another funeral home for one reason or the
other. In these cases, the second funeral home that you select will make arrangements to
move the body. Keep in mind that this will probably result in additional transportation
charges.
In some states, you can transport a human body by ground yourself without the services of a
funeral director, but it is critical that you make sure that your state allows this. If you plan to
cross state lines, be sure to check each state you will be traveling through. Some require
embalming or refrigeration.
Some religions have prohibitions against embalming. A funeral director who is familiar with
the customs of the specific religion can help or you can consult with a religious advisor in the
area. He or she may be able to offer you advice on how to handle the situation.
What happens if someone dies while traveling or is away from the town where they want to
be buried? In this case, you will probably need the services of two funeral homes, one in the
area where the person died and one in the city or town where the deceased will be interred.
Many people prefer to contact a funeral home in the hometown of the deceased so that they
can make the arrangements. The funeral director will coordinate transportation with a local
funeral home in the town where the person died. If you don’t have a funeral home in the area
where the person resided to contact, a funeral home in the town where the person died can
make the arrangements.
Identification of the Deceased

It is the medical examiner’s responsibility to determine the identity of the deceased individual in
a postmortem examination. The ideal result is a positive identification based on objective
evidence without doubt as to the identity of the deceased. In some cases, a positive
identification cannot be made. In these cases, a presumptive identification must be made in
order to continue with the death investigation and the disposition of the remains.
A medical examiner’s most rewarding task is positively identifying unknown remains. When they
successfully complete this task, police investigations can continue and the family has some
peace of mind. However, when they are unable to make a positive identification it hinders the
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investigation. This can also lead to difficulties preparing and filing a death certificate as well as
an inability to settle insurance claims. For these reasons, the medical examiner makes every
possible attempt to positively identify the deceased individual.
Under most circumstances, the medical examiner has no difficulty identifying the individual.
They are usually presented with an undecomposed body that has been identified previously by a
family member. Even in these cases, the medical examiner obtains a color facial photo of the
deceased with an identifying case number and two sets of classifiable fingerprints. They also
record the height and weight of the deceased and retain a sample of the deceased’s blood for
future DNA studies.
Fingerprints
The most reliable method of identification is fingerprints. Ridge patterns on fingers can be
classified in order to identify specific individuals. In the early 1900s, the New York City Civil
Service Commission adopted the use of fingerprints for personal identification. The FBI followed
suit soon after-it now has the largest collection of fingerprints in the world. However, an
antemortem (before death) record of fingerprints must exist in order to establish the identity of
the deceased using their fingerprints. If the victim was fingerprinted before starting a job or if
they had been arrested, an antemortem record of their fingerprints would exist. An examiner
would then compare this antemortem record to the set of fingerprints taken from the corpse.
This latter set is referred to as a postmortem record.
Dental Records
Another method of identification is dental records. However, like fingerprints, some sort of
antemortem record must exist in order to make a comparison. Antemortem radiography of the
teeth is the most effective dental record-if these records exist, a positive identification can be
made. Bone structures of the jaw, roots of the teeth, and sinuses are all unique to an individual,
making information gathered from dental records very useful in forensic odontology. Forensic
odontology is a forensic science, which handles, examines, and presents dental evidence in
court. Dental evidence can be helpful in the identification of a person, but it can also help assess
their age and whether or not there were signs of violence.
DNA
DNA can also be used as a technique for positive identification. Each person’s DNA is unique,
except in the case of identical twins. Scientists first applied DNA to forensics in the 1980s. In
order to establish identity using DNA, examiners should retain postmortem samples such as
blood, hair with root bulb, skin, and bone marrow for comparison to antemortem samples. As
mentioned before, postmortem samples are the samples collected by the medical examiner and
the antemortem samples are samples which were taken at some time before death. These
samples must contain mitochondrial DNA or nucleated cells to be of any value. Antemortem
samples can be a variety of things: hair from a hairbrush used only by the individual, a lock of
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hair, or clothing with stains such as blood or sweat.
Presumptive Methods
There are other forms of identification which are nonscientific. These methods don’t necessarily
lead to a positive identification; they can only lead to a presumptive identification. This type of
identification uses specific characteristics to come to a reasonable basis of identity for the
unknown individual. Presumptive methods do not guarantee that your identification is 100%
correct. They usually only give you enough evidence that you can presume your identification is
correct.
Physical attributes
This includes: sex, age, ancestry, eye color, and hair color are often used. Also, distinctive marks
are very helpful. These marks can include tattoos, birthmarks, scars, or any piercings. A visual
identification by a family member or friend is an easy way of identifying a deceased person as
long as there isn’t extreme decomposition. Usually, the medical examiner takes photos of the
body and has the living person attempt to identify the individual by looking at the photos.
Circumstantial evidence useful in identifying the person is usually present either on the deceased
or in the area where the body was found. Clothing, jewelry, glasses, or even paper found on the
individual can provide clues to the individual’s identity. Also, depending on the circumstances,
the location where the body was found can be a key piece of evidence. If the police found the
body inside a home or a car registered to a specific person, it becomes easier to identify the
deceased.
These various methods can all be used in postmortem identification. However, decomposition
may make some of these methods very difficult. These methods are often used in combination
with each other. For example, a distinctive mark like a tattoo could be used to narrow down the
list of individuals whose antemortem samples you would have to gather. You would then only
examine dental records or fingerprints from people who had the same tattoo. Most of these
identification methods require antemortem samples, which may or may not exist. Luckily, in the
case that there are no good antemortem samples, there’s a long list of other techniques that the
examiner can employ.
Final Arrangement of the Deceased
The following hierarchy shall be observed in giving preference to decide on the funeral
arrangements of the deceased: the spouse, descendants in the nearest degree, ascendants in
the nearest degree and brothers and sisters
It has been said that nothing is certain except death and taxes. However, even if death is
certain, funeral arrangements are not. It is a commonplace scene in telenovelas that the wife
and the mistress fight over the remains of the deceased. Who then has the right and duty to
make funeral arrangements for the deceased?
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Believe it or not, there is a section in the Philippine Civil Code that is devoted to funerals. Article
305 of the Civil Code provides:
Article 305. The duty and the right to make arrangements for the funeral of a relative shall be in
accordance with the order established for support, under article 294. In case of descendants of
the same degree, or of brothers and sisters, the oldest shall be preferred. In case of
ascendants, the paternal shall have a better right.
The order for support shall be used as the same hierarchy for funeral
arrangements.
The general rule is that the funeral shall be in accordance with the expressed wishes of the
deceased pursuant to Art. 307 of the Civil Code. However, in the absence of such express
wishes, the law will step in to designate the person responsible for making the funeral
arrangements. Art. 305 enunciates that the order established for support shall be the same
hierarchy followed in determining who shall exercise such right. Under Art. 199 of the Family
Code, the following order shall be followed:
1. Spouse;
2. Descendants in the nearest degree;
3. Ascendants in the nearest degree;
4. The brothers and sisters.
In this regard, only in the absence of a spouse can the children decide on funeral
arrangements. Further, if the deceased has no spouse and children, the parents will decide.
Finally, if all three do not exist, then the siblings shall decide. Pertinently, Art. 305 provides that
if the descendants shall decide, preference is given to the oldest. In the same vein, if only the
parents are present, the father shall be given preference.
The legal wife, and not the mistress, shall have the right to make funeral
arrangements of her husband.
Now, what will happen if the deceased is estranged from his legal wife and is in fact living with
his mistress? Who has a better right?
This issue has been settled by the Supreme Court in the case of Valino vs. Adriano (G.R. No.
182894, 22 April 2014). In such case, the spouses separated in fact and consequently, the wife
migrated abroad. Thereafter, the husband fell in love with another woman and cohabited with
her until his death. When he died, the legal wife argued that she should have the right to the
remains of her husband and to make the necessary funeral arrangements. On the other hand,
the mistress countered that the spouses had been separated for over 20 years and that she was
the one who took care of the deceased when his wife left him. The mistress added that it was
the express wish of the deceased that she attend to his funeral arrangements.
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The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the legal wife and held that our country does not recognize
common-law relationships. The law simply confines the right and duty to make funeral
arrangements to the members of the family to the exclusion of one’s common law partner. Even
if the spouses were separated in fact, the Supreme Court held that the right to deprive a
legitimate spouse of her legal right to bury the remains of her deceased husband should not be
readily presumed to have been exercised, except upon clear and satisfactory proof of conduct
indicative of a free and voluntary intent of the deceased to that end. Should there be any doubt
as to the true intent of the deceased, the law favors the legitimate family.
Even if the deceased gave instructions that his mistress shall decide, the legal wife
shall still have the right and duty to make funeral arrangements.
Even if the deceased wished his mistress to decide on funeral details, the Supreme Court
enunciated that the wishes of the decedent with respect to his funeral are not absolute such
that they are limited by Article 305 of the Civil Code in relation to Article 199 of the Family Code,
and subject the same to those charged with the right and duty to make the proper arrangements
to bury the remains of their loved-one.
This is how the rights on funeral arrangements are dealt with under Philippine law and
jurisprudence.
Management of the Missing Person’s Operation
1. Provincial/City/Municipal Social Welfare Office (P/C/MSWDO) shall:
a) Establish the Social Welfare Inquiry Desks for data generation/information management of
missing persons and their surviving families,
b) Manage information regarding the Identification of Retrieved Bodies/Body Parts using the
Interpol Identification System,
c) Validate and process documents of the missing persons for the Issuance of the Certificate of
Missing Person Believed to be Dead during Disaster and
d) Submit to the local Chief Executive (LCE) processed and validated documents.
2. The LGU shall submit to the NBI and/or PNP an updated list of missing and dead persons.
3. The DSWD, DOH, and PRC, shall provide technical and resource augmentation/ assistance for the
medical, psychological, and physiological needs of the families of the missing persons.
4. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) through the Office
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of Civil Defense (OCD) as per the recommendation of the LGU shall Issue Certificates of Missing
Person Believed to be Dead during Disaster.
Management of the Bereaved Families
1. Provincial/City/Municipal Social Welfare Office (P/C/MSWDO) is the lead agency in the over-all
management of the bereaved families.
2. The Department of Social Welfare & Development (DSWD) shall provide technical and resource
augmentation/ assistance to the P/C/MSWDO on the over-all management of the bereaved families.
3. The DSWD, PRC, and NGO's shall provide technical and resource augmentation /assistance to
P/C/MSWDO for the physiological needs of the bereaved in terms of: Food Assistance; Financial
Assistance; Livelihood Assistance; Clothing Assistance; Shelter Assistance; Management of the
Orphans; and 500 Food/Cash for Work.
4. The DSWD, PRC, and NGO's shall provide technical and resource augmentation /assistance to
P/C/MSWDO for the social needs of the 503 bereaved in terms of: Family/Peer Support System;
Social Welfare Inquiry Desk/ Information Center; Educational Assistance; and Legal Needs.
5. The DSWD, PRC, and NGOs shall provide technical and resource augmentation /assistance to
P/C/MSWDO for the psychological needs of the bereaved in terms of: Training of Professionals on
Critical Incidence Stress Debriefing (CISD) & Counseling; Special Needs (Psychiatric/Mental
Services); CISD; and Counseling.
6. The DOH and the PRC shall provide the technical and resource augmentation/ assistance for the
medical and psychological needs of the families of the_ missing persons, and provision of a support
system from among volunteers for the families of the missing persons, respectively.
Psycho-social Support
The literal meaning of “psycho-social" is the dynamic relationship of psychological and social impacts
which continuously interact with each other. On the other hand, this term can be defined as a body
of multi-disciplinary services provided at every phase of the disaster cycle and entailing disaster
psycho-social support; the prevention of any likely post-disaster psychological disharmony/disorder;
restoring and the rehabilitation of relationships both at the family and community levels; ensuring
that those affected recognise their capacities and are strengthened in the normalising process; the
increase of communal coping/relief/recovery skills in the probable future disasters and emergencies;
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and the provision of support to relief workers.
Disaster and emergency psycho-social support is:
• To provide psychological support to those affected by building empathy, understanding and

sensitivity, to identify those who need psychiatric services and provide guidance to them;
• To ensure that relief work is maintained in harmony with the demographic structure and
social, cultural and ethnical conditions of the affected community;
• To disseminate the information needed by individuals, community and organisations;
• To provide support to individuals, families and community by supporting community
involvement and voluntarism in identifying their needs on their own, acting for solution and
building self-help skills;
• To ensure that the services currently provided to the community serve communal needs;
• To support individuals, families and community in implementing projects and/or involving in
projects for meeting their needs on their own and finding solutions to their problems and
thus preparing them to probable future emergencies;
To enhance co-operation among institutions and organisations which will undertake roles in
disasters;
• For relief workers, to provide information concerning team relations, communication skills
and relations with the people those affected by disaster and show self-help ways as well as
provide for them psychological support services they need.
Psycho-Social Support; Is neither a psychological nor psychiatric treatment. Is neither a

counselling service nor a therapy for mental health or serious physical problems.
PSYCHO-SOCIAL INTERVENTION
Disaster and emergency psycho-social intervention can be defined as a process by which

post-disaster normalising work is facilitated and the existing needs of the community are
identified, and a body of activities and services for strengthening the capacity to cope with
and response the probable future disasters and enhancing relief/recovery skills as well as
providing support to relief workers.
INSTRUMENTS FOR PSYCHO-SOCIAL INTERVENTION
Assessment of Needs and Resources. This is the first psycho-social intervention instrument
which is used immediately after a disaster. This assessment can be summarised as
73
identifying the degree of impact on the affected and how they are affected, their problems
and needs, human resources/resource organisations and how they work, available services
and how they are provided, and as drawing the outlines of the psycho-social intervention
plan. Professionals can make an assessment of needs and resources based on the
observations and general information, or the situation can be analysed by way of using
instruments like “psycho-social need analysis form" Which of the two methods will be used is
determined according to the nature and impact of disaster.
Should it be necessary to make an analysis in a very short period of time, it will be preferable
to make at first an overall analysis and then later implement detailed practices. As a need
and resource analysis is a downward process going from the general to the specific
information, a more detailed analysis of the community will be made for specific needs
following the identification of general needs.
Psychological First Aid. This is a psycho-social intervention instrument, which is put to work
concurrently with the assessment of needs and resources. A psychological first aid aims to
help those affected from disasters ease themselves and understand what they’ve lived and
what they've felt by letting them express their feelings and experiences and providing for
them basic psychological information. The psychological first aid can be provided either
during interviews with individuals and groups or by way of information brochures, which
prepared and circulated, the use of media tools, as well as by organising meetings such as
panels and symposiums. It will be preferable to use all the above ways in cases where
numerous people are affected.
Referral and Direction. With this psycho-social intervention instrument, those identified
during the assessment of needs and resources and psychological first aid processes as
needing significant psychological psychiatric services (those having abnormal behaviours,
having continuing cognitive disorders, etc.) are referred to local mental health professionals
(psychologist, psychiatrist) and to institutions (hospitals for psychiatric diseases, the
psychiatric clinics of hospitals) for treatment.
Establishment of an Information Centre. With this psycho-social intervention instrument, an

information centre is established where information is shared by all needing it, needs and
resources are met; the centre will be easily accessible and useable. Since it is vital to access
74
correct information in the chaotic situation following disasters, it is recommended that the
information centre should be established. immediately after the disaster and kept operational
for a long time, or maybe permanently.
The Mobilisation of Community. This involves the mobilisation of individuals, families and
community to find solutions to problems using both local and foreign resources in order to
meet certain common demands recognised by a disaster-affected community. In this scope,
individuals may be made become more socially functional* and in this way normalising**†
process may be applied. Following a traumatic experience,***‡ however fast the individuals
are involved with the process and however they are active, the lesser they feel the impact of
such experience on themselves. The main tendency for the mobilisation of community is to
make an individual have improved selfhelp skills. For this to happen, there is a need for a
comprehensive assessment of situation/needs, the identification of social resources, the
preparation of an action plan based on examinations, and the monitoring and assessment of
the process. For the processes urging community involvement, examining/considering the
community’s coping behaviour and tradition and their past relationship and organisational
structure will facilitate the works.
Social Projects. This is one of the most commonly used post-disaster psycho-social
intervention instruments. These projects provide an opportunity for the affected individuals
to act according to their needs and problems, gain better coping capacities, feel that they
can regain control over the life which they’ve lost at the disaster, and take responsibility.
Education. This is one of the most commonly used psycho-social intervention instruments, as
well. It is important to reach via education both those affected from disaster and those who
have taken part and/or are likely to take part in psycho-social support services
(psychologists, social workers, camp managers, teachers, nongovernmental organisations’
personnel, community leaders, etc.).
Support to Relief Workers. This type of psycho-social intervention instrument in its broadest
meaning is psycho-social intervention toward relief workers. Support to relief workers
includes the dissemination of the information to be used during disaster relief services to
relief workers through brochures, meetings and similar activities, the organisation of share
and support meetings, the identification of adverse factors affecting the personnel and taking
75
initiatives to decrease the impacts of such factors. Also, a part of this type of intervention is
to provide information and support to relief workers in a wide range of processes from how
to communicate with those affected from the disaster to what kind of relief should be
provided for whom and in what way during their works.
BASIC PRINCIPLES FOR PSYCHO-SOCIAL INTERVENTIONS
• The interventions stand on a viewpoint which is community centred and are implemented by
professionals.
• Psycho-social personnel work as part of relief team during disaster response (emergency
relief), rehabilitation, recovery, mitigation/preparedness phases.
• For interventions, those affected from disaster are not seen as passive victims, but as strong
individuals survived the disaster.
• With all interventions, it is essential to enhance the capacities of the beneficiaries and to
ensure the sustainability of services.
• With all interventions, restoring and the protection of social bonds is achieved considering
cultural, political, religious and ethnical structures.
• Interventions aim to strengthen and solidify the social structure, on one hand, and enhance
existing capacities and skills to cope with the problems, on the other.
• With interventions, it is essential to involve those affected people or their representatives in
identifying definitions, purposes and methods with and to achieve full participation.
• With interventions, it is important to ensure a simple, clear and reliable information flow,
maintain it and ensure that the target group access the information.
• In interventions, it is stressed that post-disaster psychological, physiological, mental and
behavioural reactions by those affected are normal reactions to an abnormal situation.
• When planning psycho-social interventions for the needs of those affected, the factors such
as how the pre-disaster psycho-social wellbeing of the area has been, how it has been
deteriorated during the disaster, and what the existing stress factors are and which
mechanisms exist to cope with them will be analysed.
• The basic needs of those affected such as food, accommodation are observed during the
psycho-social need and resource assessment and these have priority. Interventions to meet
psycho-social needs without satisfying the basic needs will not be successful.
• Interventions are planned considering complex situations as such resulting in specific needs
and having specific characteristics, and other needs in addition to the basic ones are taken
into account. For instance, interference with a psychological trauma, the security and
protection of the relief beneficiaries, protective family support, and support needs for
76
refugees and for those become a refugee in their homelands, etc.

• Care is taken to avoid the alienation of those individuals, families, groups and communities
receiving aid from the community they live in.
• Team members, local personnel and volunteers are given priority in psycho-social education
in order to access those in need of aid more easily and quickly. When these people learn
how to cope, they can help both themselves and those affected.
• For interventions, local personnel, local organisations and volunteers are assessed to provide
reliable information about the priorities of local people, their concerns and needs.
• The psycho-social interventions implemented at the first phase of disaster (acut phase) may
not be used as a source for scientific studies.
• Care is taken to furnish the relief workers with how to cope with the stress, communication
with those affected, personal care, and similar information by way of psycho-social activities
at the preparedness phase.
Activity 1: Let us Investigate:
1. What agency/agencies is/are in-charge in the Management of the Dead and Missing
Persons?
2. What are the processes in the following:

a. Search and Recovery Operation
b. Identification of the Dead of Operation?
77
3. In a situation wherein the concerned agencies are not present due to circumstances that
cannot be avoided, what will you do if you are the one assigned in the identification of
the dead? How will you go about with the identification of the dead bodies before
burying them?
Synthesis
While the need of survivors should be prioritized when disaster strikes, it is also important to
give due attention to the dead and the missing. It helps to JUST LISTEN. By providing people
with the opportunity to share their stories, we are helping relieve their pain
Assignments
Read the Disaster Risk Reduction Management concepts in order to better understand
the next module.
Reflection Guide
1. What have I LEARNED this day that has helped me do all aspects of this better?
78
2. What have I DONE this week that has made me better at doing all aspects of this?
3. How can I IMPROVE at doing all aspects of this is?
References
Department of Interior and Local Government - Emergency Management (no date): The new relevant, efficient and
responsive training (RERT) modules. Quezon City, DILG.
Preparedness: guide for training families and communities. Quezon City
Office of Civil Defense and Asian Disaster Reduction Center. (2016) ASEAN cooperation project capacity building of local
government officials on disaster management. Quezon City OCD
http://www.ndrrmc.gov.ph/attachments/article/41/NDRRM_Plan_2011-2028.pdf
https://www.coe.int/t/dg4/majorhazards/ressources/virtuallibrary/materials/turkey/Turkey.pdf
79
Module 6: Family and Individual Response to Specific

Disaster
Learning Activities
• Describe what should be done by individual or families in response to specific

disaster.
• Developed an appropriate community and family preparedness mechanisms.
• Explain the definition and importance of preparedness.
•
Introduction
DISASTER RISK IS RISING Even if you have never experienced a disaster, you know how
devastating its effects can be. The media disseminates lots of information on the impact of
disasters: people dead or displaced, infrastructure damaged, livelihoods disrupted, and grief. It
seems that television, radio, newspapers, and the Internet deliver more and more disaster
coverage into the comfort of our living rooms. This is maybe not surprising, given that disasters
have indeed occurred more frequently in the last couple of decades. Throughout the 2000s, the
average frequency of disasters was per year. This number has almost doubled since the 1980s.
9ith more than billion people living on our planet compared to Lust .|billion 0 years ago
, 2 more people are living in areas that are exposed to natural hazards and at risk of disaster,
such as coastal areas, river deltas, ƃood plains, slopes, seismic risk zones, drylands, etc. In many
places, the natural environment might have protected us from the worst effects of disasters, but
our economic activities — such as cutting down rainforests, degrading mangroves, eroding
topsoil, and polluting rivers — have led to environmental degradation. Our children and
grandchildren are the ones who suffer the most from disasters. Statistics show that more than
half of those affected by disasters worldwide are children. Millions of children can’t go to school
because of disasters, and this is especially true for those who are displaced. Think of the 2008
earthquake in Sichuan, People’s Republic of China, which caused severe structural damage to
80
more than 6,500 school buildings and took the lives of 10,000 children. Think, too, of the 2010
earthquake in Haiti, which caused the death of more than 4,000 children and 7,000 teachers in
school buildings. Compare this with Kamaishi Higashi ,Junior High School in ,Japan, where over
3,000 students, teachers, and people in the school’s neighbourhood were able to safely evacuate
during the 2011 tsunami in ,Japan, because they were prepared.
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT DISASTER RISK?

With disasters happening more frequently, it is even more important that we take steps to
reduce disaster risk. For this, we First need to understand the components of a disaster. When
we talk about disasters, we often focus on hazards alone. We tend to only look at the
earthquake, the volcano eruption, the storm, the drought, the flood, the landslide or the
tsunami. We forget that a hazard by itself doesn’t cause a disaster. When a cyclone hits an area
where nobody lives, it’s not a disaster. In other words, what matters is human’s exposure to
hazards.
Now, imagine two neighbouring villages being hit by a storm. One hundred people die in the first
village and only five die in the second one. How do we explain this? Most likely, houses in the
first village weren’t built as well as those in the second one, maybe because people in the first
village couldn’t afford to. Or, perhaps more people in the first village couldn’t evacuate fast
enough — maybe they had health issues or disabilities, were very young or very old or didn’t
receive the disaster warning early enough. It could also be that people in the second village had
developed a good early warning system, had prepared and clearly marked evacuation routes,
had performed evacuation drills or had simply secured their houses in anticipation of a storm —
i.e., covering their windows, securing their roof and trimming their trees. In other words, people
in the first village were more vulnerable to being exposed to a storm hazard, while people in
the second village had more capacity to withstand exposure to a storm hazard. We need to
keep in mind that our very own actions as individuals, families, communities and societies
determine if, and how, hazards will turn into disasters. It’s therefore inaccurate to talk about
‘natural disasters’ as each disaster has a human component. It depends on how vulnerable and
how prepared we and our communities are.
Acknowledging that humans play an important role in causing disasters is a crucial step. It
motivates us to actively reduce disaster risk through reducing our exposure to hazard, reducing
our vulnerabilities and enhancing our capacity to withstand hazards. This process is called
Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). Families and communities that are better prepared for disasters
81
are usually also more resilient — which means that they bounce back or recover from disasters
more easily. All this may sound very technical, but it’s often very simple and doesn’t require too
much effort. Most likely, you, your family and your community have been performing DRR
without even noticing it. The following sections of the Guide introduce simple activities that can
help make your house, neighbourhood and community safer from, and better prepared for,
disasters. Even if no disaster is on the horizon, risk reduction and preparedness activities can be
fun and can bring families and communities closer.
At school, your child learns about disaster risk, hazard, vulnerability and capacity through the
following formula: Disaster Risk = Hazard x Vulnerability Capacity of Societal System
Different Hazards
Hydro-Meteorological Hazard
Meteorological hazards occur as a result of processes in the atmosphere (Ahrens and
Samson 2011). Meteorological hazards include extreme temperatures, heat waves, cold
spells, hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts, and severe storms.
The Philippines is near to a destructive plate boundary whereby the dense oceanic crust of
the Philippine Plate is being subducted beneath the continental crust of the Eurasian Plate.
The frequency of the meteorological disasters and its magnitude stresses the need to
investigate further its history and impact from 1900 – 2014. This type of disaster makes up
56% of the total natural disasters. Next to it are the floods (24%), earthquake (5%) and wet
mass movement (5%). Its impact to the population is also noteworthy as it caused 71% of
the death related to natural disasters. The economic losses and total people affected are
also large consisting 80% and 77% respectively, while the rest of the natural disasters
contributed meagerly to these damages. The earliest to document the tropical storms that
affected the islands of the Philippines was Miguel Selga, a Spanish Jesuit missionary and
director of the Manila Observatory (1926- 1946). He compiled accounts from other
missionaries, and they established 72 other meteorological stations all over the country.
From his chronicles, 19 events were reported from 1600 to 1699 (17th century). There were
25 events from 1700 to 1799 (18th century). An increase of reported events was noted from
1800 to 1899 (19th century) with the establishment of more weather stations. His record
included detailed descriptive accounts of the storms and later with measured wind
pressures. The reported storms were relevant events which gave accounts of how the
inhabitants and properties were affected.
The top costliest and widely affecting typhoons are dispersed within the peak months of July
to November. This is consistent with the typhoon season in the country observed by
82
PAGASA and other international weather stations. However, a single major storm,
Fengsheng, occurred in June.
Tropical cyclones are classified based mainly on its strength or maximum sustained winds.
The Tropical Depression has a wind speed of up to 63 kilometers per hour (kph). The
tropical storm has a wind speed of 64 to 118 kph, while a typhoon has a wind speed of 118
to 239 kph. The super typhoon has a wind speed of 240 kph or higher. Majority of the top
meteorological disasters are classified between typhoons to super typhoons.
Haiyan remains the most powerful super typhoon across all reported meteorological
disasters with a maximum wind speed of 315 kph. It ranks as the deadliest, killing 7986
people, the most extensive and costliest, affecting a total of 16 million people with an
estimated 10 billion USD in economic loss.
The next major super typhoon is Bopha which affected the southern part of the Philippines
with torrential rain and flooding. There were 1901 fatalities, 6.25 million total people
affected and 898 million economic damages.
An interesting phenomenon of Fujiwhara effect was observed with three typhoons proximal
to each other within the Philippine area of responsibility occurred together. This was the
effect of Ketsana, Pepeng and Mujigae on each other’s track which caused more damage.
This brought significant deaths and losses in 2009.
Majority of these disasters were observed in the 21st century with better weather
instruments for detection. The increase of hazards and predisposing vulnerabilities further
contribute to their occurrence which will be discussed further.
The top 10 disasters that have highest number of total affected and economic damages
affected multiple regions in a single event. On the average, they reached 4 regions upon
entry to the Philippine area of responsibility.
Earthquake
An earthquake is a weak to violent shaking of the ground produced by the sudden

movement of rock materials below the earth’s surface.
The earthquakes originate in tectonic plate boundary. The focus is point inside the earth
where the earthquake started, sometimes called the hypocenter, and the point on the
surface of the earth directly above the focus is called the epicenter.
83
There are two ways by which we can measure the strength of an earthquake: magnitude
and intensity. Magnitude is proportional to the energy released by an earthquake at the
focus. It is calculated from earthquakes recorded by an instrument called seismograph.
It is represented by Arabic Numbers (e.g. 4.8, 9.0). Intensity on the other hand, is the
strength of an earthquake as perceived and felt by people in a certain locality. It is a
numerical rating based on the relative effects to people, objects, environment, and
structures in the surrounding. The intensity is generally higher near the epicenter. It is
represented by Roman Numerals (e.g. II, IV, IX). In the Philippines, the intensity of an
earthquake is determined using the PHIVOLCS Earthquake Intensity Scale (PEIS).
There are two types of earthquakes: tectonic and volcanic earthquakes. Tectonic
earthquakes are produced by sudden movement along faults and plate boundaries. Earthquakes
induced by rising lava or magma beneath active volcanoes is called volcanic earthquakes.
At present, PHIVOLCS operates 108 (as of December 2020) seismic monitoring stations all over
the Philippines. These stations are equipped with seismometers that detect and record
earthquakes. Data is sent to the PHIVOLCS Data Receiving Center (DRC) to determine
earthquake parameters such as magnitude, depth of focus and epicenter. Together with reported
felt intensities in the area (if any), earthquake information is released once these data are
determined.
Earthquake Hazard
Ground Rupture
Deformation on the ground that marks, the intersection of the fault with the earth’s surface.
Effects: fissuring, displacement of the ground due to movement of the fault.
Ground Shaking
Disruptive up, down and sideways vibration of the ground during an earthquake. Effects: ground shaking
are damage or collapse of structure; may consequently cause hazards such as liquefaction and landslide.
Liquefaction
Phenomenon wherein sediments, especially near bodies of water, behave like liquid similar to a quicksand.
Effects: sinking and/ or tilting of structure above it; sandboil; fissuring.
Earthquake Induced Landslide
Down slope movement of rocks, solid and other debris commonly triggered by strong shaking.
Effects: erosion; burial and blockage of roads and rivers
84
Tsunami
Series of waves caused commonly by an earthquake under the sea.

Effects: flooding; coastal erosion; drowning of people and damage to properties
Landslide
A landslide is the mass movement of rock, soil, and debris down a slope due to gravity. It
occurs when the driving force is greater than the resisting force.It is a natural process
that occurs in steep slopes. The movement may range from very slow to rapid. It can
affect areas both near and far from the source.
Landslide materials may include:
• Soil
• Debris
• Rock
• Garbage
Moreover, landslide is triggered by the following factors:
• Natural triggers
• Intense rainfall
• Weathering of rocks
• Ground vibrations created during earthquakes
• Volcanic activity
• Man-made triggers
Furthermore, the following triggering conditions:
• Steep Slopes
• Weakening of slope material
• Weathering of rocks
• Overloading on the slope
In addition, the movement can occur in many ways. It can be a fall, topple, slide, spread,
or flow. The events of landslides have taken lives in various places in the Philippines.
There are reported cases such that of A massive landslide buried an entire village in the
southern Philippines on February 17, 2006. On February 22, the United Nations Office for
the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that 85 people were confirmed dead with
an additional 981 missing and feared dead in the slide. This pair of images, taken by the
Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on
NASA’s Terra satellite, shows the section of Leyte Island where the landslide occurred. In
85
these images, plant-covered land is dark red, bare earth is grey, and water is dark blue. The
landslide, partly obscured by clouds, is a dark grey slick in the top image, taken on February
20, 2006. The lower image, taken about two years earlier, shows the mountainous region
before the slide scarred the land.
Though the exact cause of the landslide was still being determined as of February 22, heavy
rains are probably to blame. Heavy rains drenched Leyte and Mindanao, the island
immediately south of Leyte, through most of February, triggering widespread flooding. The
unseasonable rains may have been connected to a developing La Niña.
Tsunami
A Tsunami is a series of sea waves commonly generated by under-the-sea earthquakes and
whose heights could be greater than 5 meters. It is erroneously called tidal waves and
sometimes mistakenly associated with storm surges. Tsunamis can occur when the
earthquake is shallow-seated and strong enough to displace parts of the seabed and disturb
the mass of water over it. There are two types of tsunami generation: Local tsunami and Far
Field or distant tsunami. The coastal areas in the Philippines especially those facing the
Pacific Ocean, South China Sea, Sulu Sea and Celebes Sea can be affected by tsunamis that
may be generated by local earthquakes. Local tsunamis are confined to coasts within a
hundred kilometers of the source usually earthquakes and a landslide or a pyroclastics flow.
It can reach the shoreline within 2 to 5 minutes. Far field or distant tsunamis can travel from
1 to 24 hours before reaching the coast of the nearby countries. These tsunamis mainly
coming from the countries bordering Pacific Ocean like Chile, Alaska in USA and Japan. The
Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) and Northwest Pacific Tsunami Advisory Center
(NWPTAC) are the responsible agencies that closely monitor Pacific-wide tsunami event and
send tsunami warning to the countries around the Pacific Ocean.
The Philippines is frequently visited by tsunamis. On 17 August 1976, a magnitude 8.1
earthquake in Moro Gulf produced up to 9-meter high tsunamis which devastated the
southwest coast of Mindanao and left more than 3,000 people dead, with at least 1,000
people missing. Also on 15 November 1994 Mindoro Earthquake also generated tsunamis
that left 49 casualties.
What are the Tsunami Safety and Preparedness Measures?
Each one of us in the community should learn some important Tsunami Safety and
Preparedness Measures such as the following:
1. Do not stay in low-lying coastal areas after a felt earthquake. Move to higher
grounds immediately.
2. If unusual sea conditions like rapid lowering of sea level are observed,
86
immediately move towards high grounds.

3. Never go down the beach to watch for a tsunami. When you see the wave, you are
too close to escape it.
4. During the retreat of sea level, interesting sights are often revealed. Fishes may be
stranded on dry land thereby attracting people to collect them. Also sandbars and
coral flats may be exposed. These scenes tempt people to flock to the shoreline
thereby increasing the number of people at risk.
Fire
Fire is a chemical reaction in which energy in the form of heat is produced. The chemical
reaction is known as combustion. Combustion occurs when fuel or other material reacts rapidly
with oxygen, giving off light, heat, and flame. A flame is produced during the ignition point in
the combustion reaction and is the visible, gaseous part of a fire. Flames consist primarily of
carbon dioxide, water vapor, oxygen, and nitrogen. Sirens of fire trucks echoed early morning
on the first day of March nationwide to kick-off the start of Fire Prevention Month. The loud
prolonged sound is a reminder that we need to check if our home is safe from starting a fire.
Fire accidents don’t just happen. They are caused by a lot of factors. If you start a fire out of
negligence and accidentally burn your neighbor’s property, you could be liable for all the
damages. So let us reiterate these simple precautions with the hope you won’t hear that
alarming siren again.
1. Check Electrical Connections

One of the top causes of a house fire is faulty electrical wiring. So, look for warning signs
like flickering lights, sparking switches and plugs, and burning smell when appliances are
plugged in. Immediately replace frayed wires, damaged sockets, and other defective
electrical fixtures. Moreover, make sure electrical cords are visible, untangled, and placed
properly.
2. Unplug items when not in use

Another major cause of fire incidents is neglected home appliances or devices. Thi ngs like
TV, electric fans, computers, among others still use electricity even when they’re off. It
means they could still overheat and start a fire. By unplugging them, you don’t just cut down
on your chances of burning your belongings but also lower your electricity bill.
87
3. Avoid plugging several devices into an extension cord

Maximizing the use of an extension cord may cause the sockets to overheat and could
possibly cause a fire. Avoid electrical overloading at all times. Big appliances such as aircon
and refrigerator should have their own outlets. Consult a professional elect rician if you need
to rewire your connections to accommodate all your appliances and other electrical devices.
4. Never leave an open stove unattended

If you’re cooking, make sure that you keep an eye on them at all times. If you need to leave
the kitchen, ask someone to watch over it. If you really need to do other household chores,
use a timer to remind yourself that you’re cooking.
5. Check your LPG

As a rule of thumb, always close your Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) after use. Furthermore,
before going to bed, double-check it if it’s close. You can check leaks by applying water with
soap. It is recommended that the hose should be replaced every two years, while the
regulators every five years after it was manufactured.
6. Secure lighted candles

When using candles, always keep them within your sight and secure them on a candle
holder. Place them where they can’t be knocked over by anyone, especially children and
pets. Keep burning candles away from things that can easily catch fire such as carpets,
curtains, mattings, and papers. Better yet, use rechargeable candles, lamps, and flashlights
in the absence of electricity at night.
7. Store flammable items in a safe location

Any flammable substance (kerosene, paint, thinner, bleach, and alcohols) and objects
(matches, lighters, and igniters) should always be placed out of children’s reach. You don’t
want your kids to mistake them for toys. Also, they should be kept in safe and dry storage
with low room temperature so it won’t potentially cause a flame.
8. Clear out dried things

Clearing out dried things like woods and leaves from your surroundings, and even on your
roof, could save you from an open flame. Dried stuff could easily catch fire from stray ashes
88
or sparks. And who knows, the intense heat of the sun this summer can ignite a fire on
withered things.
Activity 1: Fill Me Up! 60 minutes
Family and Individual Response During and Immediately after the Disaster
Type of Hazard Individual Response During Individual Response After

Disaster Disaster
Landslide
Fire
Type of Hazard Family Response During Family Response After

Disaster Disaster
Typhoon
Earthquake
Synthesis
Our disaster timeline shows us the extent of our community’s worst experience with certain
hazards. It also reveals sectors and areas with limited capacities to prepare for and respond
if a similar event occurs.
89
Knowing our worst experience and limitations will help us prepare should a hazard or
similar intensity occur. It can also help us prepare for the worst case scenario (worse than
the worst experience identified in the timeline).
Assignments
1. Secure a copy of barangay PDNA form
2. Ask how your barangay conduct PDNA?
3. Which committee should be in charge?
4. Who can assist the committee?
Reflection Guide
1. What have I LEARNED this day that has helped me do all aspects of this better?
2. What have I DONE this week that has made me better at doing all aspects of this?
3. How can I IMPROVE at doing all aspects of this is?
References
90
https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000228964
https://www.omicsonline.org/meteorological-disasters-peer-reviewed-open-access-
journals.php
http://www.uniovi.net/uied/Emergency_and_Disaster_Reports/EDR_Phillipines_4_2_2017.
pdf
https://www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph/index.php/landslide/introduction-to-landslide
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/16144/landslide-in-the-philippines
https://www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph/index.php/tsunami/introduction-to-tsunami
https://mb.com.ph/2021/03/04/8-fire-prevention-tips-for-your-home
91

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National Service Training Program (CWTS)

Module 5 : Special Response

Lesson 1: Basic Life Support

Lesson 2: First Aid

Lesson 3: Basic Water Survival and Rescue

Prepared by: Mrs. Lucille M. Senados, MAFil Mr. Edwin J. Caballes

Lesson 4: Management of the Dead and Missing and Psycho-Social Support

Paulinian Essential Elements

Module 5: Special Response

Processing and Formation

What is Basic Life Support?

Basic CPR is easy to remember as ABC: Airway, Breathing, and Circulation.

1. Determine unresponsiveness. When you find a person in a state of collapse,

Jaw-thrust maneuver Head tilt/chin-lift maneuver

Monitoring the Patient

Terminating CPR is terminated when one of the following occurs:

Activity 1: Empathy Mapping

Lesson 2: First Aid

● Recognized the importance of learning first aid.

Processing and Formation

Goals of First Aid

Characteristic of a Good First Aider

General Guidelines in Administering First Aid

2. Gathering of needed materials

Signs and Symptoms

First Aid Management

- The pain is unbearable

- In an injury involving an external or internal break in the body tissue, usually

Classification of Open Wounds

Dangers of an Open Wound

❖ Hemorrhage – severe bleeding

Activity 1: Let us Walk Through

Scenario What May Happen? How could you help?

house, he noticed he forgot

Lesson 3: Basic Water Survival and Rescue

• Recognized the importance of water safety, water survival and rescue

Processing and Formation

Identifying When a Person Needs Help

Table 3-1 Recognizing When a Person Needs Help

diagonal, depending slightly back

In the excitement of an emergency, it is easy to become frightened or confused about what to

Box 3-1 The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) System

The system begins when someone sees an

EMS professionals who will respond to the

Once on the scene, these professionals

Calling for Help

● A description of the number of victims

Basic Water Rescue: Helping Others in an Aquatic Emergency

Reaching and Throwing Assists

When doing a reaching or throwing assist:

Fig. 3-4 A variety of items can be used for a throwing assist.

Using a Reaching or Throwing Assist to Help a Person Who Has Fallen

Sloped Entry Assists

Two-person Removal from the Water Using a Backboard

Manual In-line Stabilization

Recognizing Head, Neck and Spinal Injuries

● Colliding with another swimmer

Basic Water Rescue: Helping Yourself in an Aquatic Emergency

Relieving Muscle Cramps

Using Clothing as a Flotation Aid

Self-Rescue in Warm Water

Self -Rescue in Cold Water

Falling Into the Water Fully Clothed

Self-Rescue: Falling Through Ice

Modules 5&6

Modules 5&6