Major incident myths

There are many myths surrounding major incidents

Myth 1: Disasters happen to other people

Disasters don’t just happen to other people. This perception affects people’s attitude to pre-incident preparedness, this means they are less likely to take any preventative action placing them at greater risk of adverse impact in the event of a disaster.

Myth 2: People caught up in a disaster panic and run away

This does not usually happen. In reality people are initially too dazed to know what to do. However, survivors usually calm sufficiently enough to know what action to take so they can effectively be involved in assessing damage and be able to search for others.

Myth 3: Survivors aren’t capable of remaining calm and orderly

Survivors don’t tend to flee the sight of the disaster in panic and aren’t helpless and confused. It is easy to misinterpret exhaustion for confusion. While survivors may experience disaster shock this is generally low level and short lived. The challenge for responders is to ensure survivors follow any instructions issued.

Myth 4: Emergency shelters will be overwhelmed when there is a major incident

The belief that emergency shelters will be overwhelmed when there is a major incident is not generally true, as most survivors seek shelter with relatives, friends or neighbours. This presents responders with the challenge of highlighting that shelters can accommodate more survivors than may be expected.