Learn and Live

By Michael Hill

Most people would like to increase their chances of survival when faced with danger. The good news is that research shows it's often not what's inside your pack that separates survivors, but what's inside your head and heart.

SURVIVAL PREPARATIONS

Who lives and who dies when the unexpected happens? What do you do on the fireground after a snag crashes down on you or your aircraft plunges to earth in some remote location? What happens after a vehicle crash or a fire entrapment? Survival situations vary in complexity and people vary in ability, but the amount of effort you put into your survival is ultimately up to you.

Learning from your experiences is an essential component of increasing your chances of survival. What cues reveal how you will respond to danger? What drives your hopes, fears, disappointment and relief? What triggers have been present in situations that led you or someone you know to succeed when faced with hardship or adversity? What were the variables and resources present?

Contingency planning is another key element in crafting a survival strategy. To develop our capacity for learning, we have to step outside of the predictable, known and comfortable. Survival courses simulate a variety of rarely encountered stressful situations to increase participants' critical thinking skills and their ability to adapt and evolve in changing environments. Debriefings that focus on learning to increase self-awareness also can help build one's bank of knowledge.

A fear of the unknown is the greatest fear of all, and in survival situations you are left with hardly any certainty about the outcome. But there is some good news. In his book Deep Survival, Laurence Gonzales discovered patterns in the successful strategies adopted by survivors. He broke these down into two sets of rules.

Gonzales' rules of adventure help prevent survival situations before they happen:

Study past fatality reports.
Perceive, believe and then act. Determine what is really going on, not what you wish were happening.
Avoid impulsive behavior; don't hurry.
Get the information.
Know your stuff.
Be humble.
When in doubt, bail out.

Gonzales also determined that the following behaviors could better the odds when survival situations occur:

Perceive and believe — look, then see.
Stay calm. Use humor and fear to focus.
Think, analyze and plan. Get organized and set up small, manageable tasks.
Take correct, decisive action. Be bold yet cautious while carrying out tasks.
Celebrate successes. Take joy in completing small tasks.
Count your blessings. Be grateful that you're alive.
Play. Sing, recite poetry, count something or do mathematical problems in your head.
See the beauty.
Believe that you will succeed. Develop a deep conviction that you'll live.
Surrender. Let go of the fear of dying and put away the pain.
Do whatever is necessary. Be determined; have the will and the skill.
Never give up. Let nothing break your spirit.

When I first read Gonzales' research, I couldn't help but relate his findings to the situations that arise while fighting wildfires, when our thoughts and actions can mean the difference between life and death.

Questions to help you live, learn and survive

When was the last time you felt at risk, in danger or threatened? What happened?
Do you recall what emotions you went through? Did these help or hinder your survival?
What have you learned about yourself from facing hardship or adversity?
What obstacles have you had to overcome to survive?
When faced with a challenging situation, do you view it as exciting or something else?
Do you think a great deal before you act? Do you pre-plan a contingency survival strategy?
Does your head, heart, ego or some combination drive your decisions?
To what degree are you comfortable with the unknown?
Are you aware of all your five senses? They will help you survive.
Is there anything else you need to learn to improve your chance of survival?

Michael Hill is a wildland firefighter and an aviation military contractor specializing in managing helicopter projects in Afghanistan. In the United States, he worked 18 summers for the U.S. Forest Service as a hot shot, rappeller and smoke jumper; in Australia, he served as an aircraft specialist and remote-area helicopter hoist specialist.