Key Concepts
Disaster personality, normalcy bias, denial, deliberation, decisive moment, fear management, realistic training, trust in the public, building relationships, community resilience.
Disaster Personality and Unexpected Behaviors
People's behavior in crises often deviates from expectations. A "disaster personality" emerges, which can be better or worse than anticipated. Understanding this personality beforehand is crucial. Responses vary widely: hysterical screaming, freezing, fighting, fleeing, laughing, or continuing as if nothing is happening. Predicting individual behavior is difficult.
The Disaster Arc: Denial, Deliberation, and Decisive Moment
Based on studying survivors of various disasters (plane crashes, earthquakes, etc.), a pattern emerges:
- Denial: Profound disbelief and delay in acknowledging the situation.
- Example: Firefighters finding people calmly drinking in a bar despite smoke and alarms.
- Example: People in DuPont Circle continuing their activities after hearing a nearby gunshot.
- Deliberation: A social phase involving "milling," where people discuss the situation and potential actions.
- Example: People in the World Trade Center evacuation talking to each other before leaving.
- Example: People checking with multiple sources (neighbors, weather reports, etc.) before evacuating for a hurricane.
- Decisive Moment: The point where action is taken (fleeing, cooperating) or inaction prevails (shutting down).
- Example: Passengers on the Tenerife plane crash who remained seated and died from smoke inhalation versus the man who knew the exit locations and successfully evacuated with his wife.
Normalcy Bias and the Power of Denial
The "normalcy bias" is the tendency to believe that whatever is happening will be fine, comparing new input to past experiences. This can lead to dangerous delays in responding to emergencies.
The Double-Edged Sword of Fear
Fear is helpful in small doses, but excessive stress hormones (cortisol) impair performance: loss of eye-hand coordination, peripheral vision, hearing distortions, and fixation on perceived threats. Realistic training is crucial to manage fear effectively.
The Social Nature of Disasters and the Importance of Deliberation
Disasters are surprisingly social. People often become more polite and cooperative. Deliberation, while potentially causing delays, can be beneficial if people around you possess relevant knowledge.
The Decisive Moment and the Impact of Training
The decisive moment is the culmination of prior phases. Lack of training or experience can lead to inaction ("negative panic"), which is detrimental in situations like plane crashes.
Evolving on Purpose: The Role of Realistic Training and Awareness
Survival instincts may not always be helpful in modern disasters (e.g., high-rise evacuations). Realistic training helps overcome denial and delay, enabling intelligent decisions under stress. Increased awareness of the environment and potential threats is crucial.
- Example: Checking for stair locations in hotels.
- Example: Counting rows to the exit on airplanes.
The Importance of Relationships and Community Resilience
Building relationships before a disaster is vital. Regular people (coworkers, neighbors) are often the first responders. The health of a community before a disaster is directly related to its recovery after the disaster.
- Example: Attending neighborhood block parties to build connections.
The Danger of Distrust and the Power of Information
A major mistake in disaster management is the distrust of the public by authorities, leading to withholding information. This can result in unwise decisions by the public. The fear of panic has caused more harm than many disasters themselves.
Personal Anecdotes and Practical Tips
The speaker shares personal experiences from disaster training (firefighter training, flight attendant training) and interviews with survivors. Practical tips include:
- Checking for stair locations in hotels.
- Counting rows to the exit on airplanes.
- Building relationships with neighbors.
Rick Rescorla: A Case Study in Preparedness
Rick Rescorla, head of security for Morgan Stanley, implemented regular fire drills in the World Trade Center, which included walking into stairwells and evacuating the building. This saved lives on 9/11 because people had muscle memory of the evacuation routes.
Conclusion
The key takeaways are the importance of understanding the disaster personality, overcoming denial and delay through realistic training, building strong community relationships, and trusting the public with information. Preparedness and community resilience are crucial for surviving and recovering from disasters.
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