Survival
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SURVIVAL FIRST ACTIONS
1001. A survival situation arrises when some unforseen circumstance causes a disruption to
your normal well being. It may happen through an accident, mechanical breakdown, a natural disaster
like bushfire or flood, through someone becoming sick or injured or perhaps you just get lost in the
bush. One dictionary definition states that to survive, means to continue to live, after a disaster or
hardship. So survival is essentially, the art of staying alive and while generally this applies to all environments, the AIRTC notes concentrate only on the natural / outdoor environment. The following
mnemonic, made up of the word SURVIVAL, provides some useful guidelines. As you work through
the notes and lectures, you will find that each point is explained in more detail.
S stop and think
U undue haste makes waste
R remember where you are
V vanquish fear and panic
I improvise
V value life
A act according to the situation
L learn the basic skills
Survival Attitudes
1002. In a survival situation, a positive mental attitude is essential in order to maintain both
individual and group morale. Development of such an attitude can mean the difference between
success and failure. Some of the factors which relate to a positive survival attitude are explained
below.
a. Common sense; Dont over react to the situation you find yourself in, this often
causes unnecessary mental stress and leads to wrong decisions
being taken. Take time to think about what has happened, look
around you, assess the situation and then make your decisions.
b. Tenacity; Take positive action to improve your situation and dont just
accept that things look bad at the time. Take stock of the water
and food supply and work out if you need shelter from he
elements. Do something substantial about it no matter how
simple, you can improve on it later.
c. Organising ability; Many people think that this trait only belongs to a few gifted
individuals. This attitude is not acceptable for survival because
you cant afford not to be organised. Whether on your own, or in
a group, tasks have to be done, often at a given time of the day.
Possible ways out of the situation need to be planned and also
what you can do to assist search and rescue parties which may be
looking for you.
d. Patience; Survival in the natural environment often involves a lot of
waiting around. Waiting for water to collect in a solar still,
waiting for an animal