As you know things can spiral quickly and right after a natural disaster when food water and shelter is limited people can become desperate and that leads to chaos.

You need to know where you can go to be safe and that is where these FEMA symbols come in. Now, most states have classes that they offer that teach you these things so we would also recommend that you sign up and take one of those classes.

So far here is what we have learned:

As directed in the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National US&R Response System Recue Field Operations Guide, these search assessment markings are completed as such:

1)      A single slash is made upon the entry of the search team into the structure. To the left of the slash, the call sign of the unit as well as the date and time of entry is recorded. This initial marking denotes that a search is ongoing, and a team is currently in the structure.

2)      Upon exiting the structure, a second slash is made, completing the “X” near the door. This signifies to professional passersby that the search has been complete and all members of the team have left the structure accounted for.

3)      The date and time that the team exited the structure is entered in the top part of the X.

4)      The remaining two sections of the X are used for additional information – the right side lists any hazards in the structure and the bottom lists the number of victims/survivors in the structure, specifying how many are alive and how many dead.

For more information, you can check out the FEMA training site on how you can join their classes.