Travel & Related Emergency Info

For many people, going outdoors is a new experience. They have no agenda, no plans for what to do, and no knowledge of the outdoors.
When it comes to the children, they are just as lost as the adults, having never been taught how to survive in the great outdoors.

Try to learn as much as you can before your trip, learn how to row a boat the proper way, tips on self aid, proper hiking and what to bring along, how to start a fire, wilderness emergency tips, learn more and have map of the area where you are going to stay and all other various skills and related information  needed. Don't forget to inform relatives or friends about your trip and the time you plan to return home.

Before you plan any serious outdoor activity with children it is also good idea to have all emergency information, emergency plan and emergency kits ready before your trip. Have some type of emergency game at home and play it couple times before your trip, so your kids can learn skills needed and be ready for great outdoors.

National Hurricane Center - Database of meteorological and hydrological data, historical data, and written information generated by the NWS or received from other official sources. In addition, this server accesses in realtime a selection of current official weather observations, forecasts, and warnings from U.S. government sources for use by the national and international community.

NOAA/SARSAT - Search And Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking - International search and rescue website with excellent information.

Federal Emergency Management Agency - If you want to stay on top of disaster-related news and information visit FEMA web site.

The Westwide Avalanche Network - A guide to the most useful avalanche information and one of the most useful weather forecasting information available on the Internet, and much more...

Search and Rescue Volunteer Association of Canada (SARVAC) - National community of skilled search and rescue volunteers whose contributions are valued and supperted by the public and all levels of government.

The Canadian Avalanche Association - A non-profit society promoting excellence in avalanche safety for industry and recreation.

Caving Safety & Techniques - National Speleological Society (NSS) has promoted safe and responsible caving practices, effective cave and karst management, speleology, and conservation. Statistically, caving accidents are mostly attributed to poor judgment, little or no caving experience and falls. The most common causes of caving accidents include: falling, being struck by falling objects and hypothermia.

Search & Rescue Society - British Columbia (SARBC) - The Search and Rescue Society (SARBC) is a non-government, direct access, registered charity that provides resources and technology not normally available on wilderness and underwater missing person incidents. In conjunction with our alliance partners, SARBC is able to offer specialized human detection resources to aid in the resolve of a missing person incident that are not normally available for the ground or water search effort. These include a wide range of resources, not limited to: life detection ground penetrating RADAR, specialized high resolution SONAR systems, underwater ROVs, wilderness forensic identification, night search systems that include alternate spectrum search equipment, active passage detection confinement systems, specialized canine search resources, high resolution thermal imaging and more.

National Association for Search & Rescue (NASAR) - A non-profit membership association comprised of thousands of dedicated paid and non-paid professionals - all active or interested in search and rescue, disaster aid, emergency medicine and awareness education.

OA Guide to Heat Related Illnesses & Fluid Balance - Heat injuries can be immediately life-threatening. Be aware of the temperature conditions and your hydration levels. The information provided here is designed for educational use only and is not a substitute for specific training or experience.

Outdoor Action Guide to High Altitude: Acclimatization and Illnesses - Traveling at high altitude can be hazardous. Medical research on high altitude illnesses is always expanding our knowledge of the causes and treatment. When going to altitude it is your responsibility to learn the latest information.

Outdoor Action Guide to Hypothermia And Cold Weather Injuries - Traveling in cold weather conditions can be life threatening. When going into cold conditions it is your responsibility to learn the latest information.

OA Guide to Water Purification - In order to drink the water, you should be prepared to treat it. There are numerous methods of water purification, described here in order of effectiveness. Remember, however, that infections can also be spread through poor personal hygiene, something that purifying your water won’t prevent.

Outdoor Action Guide to Planning a Safe River Trip - This article is based on the pioneering work in outdoor safety management by Alan Hale who administered the International Outdoor Safety Review for many years. Paddling can be a hazardous sport. You need to be aware of the potential risks and your own skill level and paddle at an appropriate level.

First Aider's Guide to Alcohol - Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant. This means that as more alcohol enters the bloodstream vital body functions will be depressed. At high levels things like blood pressure, pulse and respiration can decrease. Stumble, mumble, grumble, fumble - all common signs that the highest level functions of the Central Nervous System have been affected. We are used to watching for these things in cases of Hypothermia and High Altitude Cerebral Edema. They are also common signs of CNS effects due to alcohol.

The Backpacker's Field Manual - A Comprehensive Guide to Mastering Backcountry Skills by Rick Curtis, Director, Princeton University Outdoor Action Program

Cave Rescue Organisation UK - The Cave Rescue Organisation is based in Clapham in North Yorkshire and provides the cave and mountain rescue service in the Three Peaks area of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and also extending westwards into Lancashire and Cumbria and eastwards as far as Malham and Gordale.

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