Guide · First steps

Your first hours in an emergency

What you do in the first few hours sets up everything that follows. Work through these steps in order, and don't skip ahead to the interesting parts.

1. Make the scene safe

Get yourself and others away from immediate danger: fire, smoke, fumes, traffic, floodwater, falling rocks or an unstable building. Don't rush back in for belongings.

2. Check everyone

• Is anyone not breathing, bleeding heavily or unconscious? Deal with that first.
• Count heads. Make sure nobody is missing.
• Look for less obvious problems: someone very cold, confused or in shock.

3. Call for help

If you have any phone signal, call your local emergency number (112 in Europe and many other countries, 911 in North America). Say where you are as clearly as you can, how many people are with you and what's wrong. Then save battery: turn on low power mode and keep the screen off.

4. Stop and think

Once the urgent things are done, sit down for a moment. Take stock of what you have: water, food, clothing, tools, light, medicines. Decide whether you're staying or moving. Staying near where people will look for you is usually best.

5. Get sheltered and warm

Cold and wet are the biggest early threats, even in summer. Get out of the wind and rain. Put a layer between you and the ground — a pack, branches, a coat. Add clothing before you start to shiver, not after. In hot places, get into shade and rest during the hottest hours.

6. Set up a signal

Make yourself easy to spot: bright clothing laid out in the open, a whistle to hand, a torch ready for after dark. Pick a spot where you can see and be seen.

7. Sort out water

Work out where your next water is coming from and how you'll make it safe. Drink little and often from what you have. Don't ration so hard that you become dehydrated.

8. Plan for the night

Darkness comes faster than you expect. Use the daylight you have to gather firewood, improve your shelter and get everything ready. Doing these things by torchlight is much harder.

What can wait

Food can wait. So can exploring, unless you have a clear reason and a plan. Resting, staying warm and staying put are often the most useful things you can do.

This article is in the Grid Survivor app, searchable with no signal. Get the app · £4.99