AMSEA's Steps for Outdoor Survival
Seven positive survival actions you can take in the outdoors
Mariners and outdoor enthusiasts should be prepared and AMSEA has some good suggestions on how you can do this
Alaska is fortunate to have a dedicated marine safety organization called AMSEA (Alaska Marine Safety Education Association) actively working to promote boating safety. Utilizing a trained cadre of 800 instructors and 390 teachers, AMSEA provides cold-water safety education for commercial fishermen, recreational boaters, children living in coastal communities, and outdoor professional employees of public agencies.
AMSEA has developed an easy to remember series of steps that will help any outdoor enthusiast stranded on a beach or off the beaten path. At Suite101, I have stressed the importance of good preparation and AMSEA certainly helps people living and working on the waterfront to prepare properly for safety. The Seven Steps to Survival is presented as part of AMSEA classes and is included in the Alaska Sea Grant book titled Beating the Odds on Northern Waters: A Guide to Fishing Safety.
Seven Steps to Survival
- Recognition - Recognize when circumstances have changed and you need to think about survival tactics
- Inventory - Account for your situation, abilities, and materials on-hand like a medical or survival kits
- Shelter - How will you conserve heat and get out of the elements.
- Signals - Learn what appropriate emergency signals are and how to deploy them
- Water - Secure and drink adequate safe water
- Food - You can survive without food for quite a while. Eat only if you have adequate water and know the food you eat is safe
- Play - Maintain a positive attitude and stay busy
Visit AMSEA's website or better yet take one of their safety classes and buy a book from Alaska Sea Grant. AMSEA maintains a calendar of training and has instructors located on all four coasts of the country.
