EMERGENCYDISASTER RESPONSE
HANDBOOKFor Students

Ritsumeikan Asia Paciﬁc University

I
Making the right decisions
and staying safe

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The basis of risk management is the ability
to recognize, assess and prevent risk
before it happens and to act quickly,
accurately and ﬂexibly to minimize
damage in the event of said risk. Protecting
the life, physical well-being and property
of its students, faculty and staﬀ is a core
mission of the university.
To date, Ritsumeikan Asia Paciﬁc University(APU) has striven to prepare for disasters,
protect the life and physical well-being of
its constituent members and ensure thesafety of university property. APU has also
engaged in risk management to maintainthe safety of the school buildings and APHouse.
Until now, there has been no disaster
preparedness manual for students, so wehave formulated this Emergency Disaster
Response Handbook (For Students) so you
will know how to make good decisions andstay safe in the event of a disaster.
This Handbook provides clear explanationsof how to prepare for earthquakes, storms
and ﬁres and how to act during and after
these kinds of disasters. We hope you will
read this Handbook carefully and use it toenable your ﬂexible and accurate response
in case of an emergency.

N

D

E

X

Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………………………………

01

What if an earthquake strikes? ………………………………………………………………… 0 3 QUAKEQUAKE Exercise caution, act promptly ………………………………………………………………………

05

What if a storm hits? ………………………………………………………………………………… 0 7
STORM

Storm preparation: Typhoons, heavy rains, landslides …………………………………………

STORM

08

What if a ﬁre erupts? ………………………………………………………………………………… 0 9 FIRE
FIRE

Fire! Now what? ………………………………………………………………………………………

10

Evacuation shelter guide
MAP

Ritsumeikan Asia Paciﬁc University evacuation shelters［On campus］ ………………………

1 1 QUAKE STORM

Actions to take after a disaster
AFTER

Post-disaster actions［1］ ……………………………………………………………………………
●Help the injured●Check lifelines

1 2 QUAKE STORM

AFTER

Post-disaster actions［2］ ……………………………………………………………………………
●Using telephones after an earthquake●Rules for living in a shelter

1 3 QUAKE STORM

AFTER

Get information from the university ………………………………………………………………
●Emergency information from the university●Cancellation and resumption of classes

1 4 QUAKE STORM

FIRE

FIRE

Routine preparedness measures●Preparedness in daily life
●Things you should do after coming to APU●Prepare an emergency kit

Ritsumeikan Asia Paciﬁc University

01

Ritsumeikan Asia Paciﬁc University

Disaster Handbook

02

QUAKE

Actions and decisions

Initial action

Initial shaking
subsidesQUAKE

Earthquake

Ensure your own safety

Ensure yoursafetyAre you in a safe location?
Yes

No

Stay still for the time being

Evacuate

If possible, open the door

Depending on the situation
Go to temporary shelter

Go to designated shelter

If you are on campus,
follow the instructions given over the public address system.

Collect accurate information
The university will notify you of the size and scale of the earthquake and its impact on public transportation.

Shaking subsides
completely

Whaatt if an

eaarthrthquaakekeExtinguish ﬁres
Apply ﬁrst aid
Evacuate or go home

Walk home

Go to shelter［Precautions about walking home］●Donʼt walk home until the aftershocks have subsided *Make sure you get home before dark.
●Avoid moving around at night. ●Use main roads.
●If you can, walk home in groups with other people heading in the same direction.
［Using a shelter］
The university will issue a notice about on-campus shelters over the public address system.
The university has a stockpile of food and drinking water.

strikes?

Students at shelters go home

Several days later
2-3 weeks later

Check thehomepage

The university reopens

qua ke!
arth

EEvacuation precautions
Give due caution to aftershocks when you evacuate. Act calmly and do not endanger the safety of
those around you.

If a large earthquake strikes
suddenly, you may get scaredand panic. To ensure you canact calmly, take time to imagine
how you would conﬁrm yoursafety and practice runningmental simulations of the
scenario.

03

Ritsumeikan Asia Paciﬁc University● When indoors, walk along walls but be careful of broken glass. Walk down the center of hallways.
● Always use stairs when evacuating. Never use elevators.
● If you can, open a door. Give priority to injured and disabled persons and help them evacuate.
● Make sure no one is left behind and leave the door open; however, if there is a ﬁre in the room, close thedoor.

Disaster Handbook

04

●Crawl under a desk and hold the legs tokeep your body steady.
●Stay away from bookshelves, windows,
monitors or other objects that could fallor break.

●If youʼre in a wooden house, protect your head andleave immediately; or evacuate into a walled roomwith several pillars and crawl under a strong table.
Avoid spacious rooms that could collapse.
●Avoid furniture that may fall and windows that
could break. Protect your body under a table orchair.

QUAKE

In a classroom or
the library〰〰〰〰〰●●Cover your head with your jacket orother item and protect yourself fromfalling objects.

Inside yourapartment or ●〰〰〰〰〰
AP House●Turn oﬀ the stove immediately and close the maingas valve. Turn oﬀ the circuit breakers.
●Do not walk around barefoot.

●Windows may break and walls may cavein, so if possible, evacuate to the nearestclassroom and crawl under a desk.

〰〰〰〰〰●In a hallway●If there is no classroom nearby, stayaway from windows and light ﬁxtures, orother objects that could fall, and crouch
down covering your head with yourjacket or other item.

●Firmly grasp a strap or handrail and brace for aquick stop. If you are sitting down, ﬁrmly plant yourfeet and lean your body forward. Use yourbelongings to cover your head.
●Even if the vehicle has stopped, do not leave until
the driver tells you to.
＊High-voltage currents ﬂow near railroad tracks, so it
is dangerous to move about without permission.

On a train●〰〰〰〰〰
or bus●If you are on the stairs or a train platform, lower
your stance to keep yourself from falling. Grab ontoﬁxed objects and evacuate.

E xercise caution
A ct promptly●Press your body against a large pillar or wall andwait for the shaking to subside.

On the ﬁeld orin the gym〰〰〰〰〰〰●●Gather in an area where there is little riskof falling objects and crouch down.
●If you are in a place where there is little
risk of falling objects, stay there andcrouch down until the shaking subsides.

●Underground arcades are relatively safe. If thepower goes out, emergency lights will turn on
immediately. Remain calm and wait for instructions.
●If a ﬁre breaks out, use a handkerchief to prevent
smoke inhalation and keep your body low. Walk
along the wall and evacuate to the surface.

In anunderground ●〰〰〰〰〰
arcade●Remain calm. There are exits about every 60m.

●Push all of the buttons and get oﬀ whenthe elevator stops. Elevators equippedwith earthquake sensors willautomatically stop at the nearest ﬂoor.

〰〰〰〰〰●Inside an elevator●If the elevator stops between ﬂoors,press the emergency button or use theinterphone to call for help.
●If you get trapped inside, do not attempt
to escape. Remain calm and wait forassistance.

05

Ritsumeikan Asia Paciﬁc University●Use your jacket or other item to protect your headfrom falling glass, tiles and signs. Evacuate to thenearest open space or sturdy building.
●Never evacuate into wooden buildings, next tovending machines or cinder block walls or against
building walls.
●Stay away from fallen power lines.
●Watch out for cracks, depressions and bulges in the
ground as well as fallen telephone poles, walls etc.

Walking
throughcampus or ●〰〰〰〰〰
down thestreetDisaster Handbook

06

Prepare for typhoons

Actions and decisions

Typhoon intensity
Classiﬁcation
Typhoon
Strong typhoon
Very strong typhoon
Violent typhoon

Prepare the exterior of your home
Secure or remove objects thatmight fall or blow away

Before thestorm

Check storm damage information
Seek the latest information from TV
or radio. Be sure to check the APU
Campus Terminal.

Evacuate swiftly

What if a

sto
sto
st
tor
tor
orm
rm
m

Duringhits? thestorm

If an evacuation order has been
issued or you feel in danger, contact
your neighbors and evacuate quickly.
Make sure your conﬁrm evacuation
methods and shelter locations inadvance.

Every year, there are reportsof massive damage causedby typhoons and torrential
rains throughout Japan. It isessential to routinely takemeasures to prepare fordisasters and to gather thelatest information whendisasters are forecast.

S torm preparation

Typhoons, heavy rains, landslides

Avoid dangerous places

To prevent infectious diseases after aﬂood, sanitize the portions of yourhouse that ﬂooded and any furniturethat got wet.

Conﬁrm danger
Make sure no ﬂammable liquids,
such as kerosene, have spilled.
you ﬁnd any downed electricalwires, call the power company, city
hall, ﬁre department or police
department.

Hourly rainfall and its eﬀects
10 ‒ 20 mm
The sound of the rain makes it hard to hear someone talking.
20 ‒ 30 mm
Soaking rain. Ditches, sewer drains and small creeks overﬂow.
30 ‒ 50 mm
Rain falls like it is being dumped from buckets. Roads ﬂood.
50 ‒ 80 mm
Rain falls like a waterfall. Landslide risk increases. Driving is dangerous.
80 mm+The rain can cause a major disaster. Exercise extreme caution.
JMA weather advisories and warnings (Oita District Meteorological Observatory)
Heavy rain advisory Issued when there is a risk of damage from heavy rain
Heavy rain warning Issued when there is a risk of severe damage from heavy rain
Flood advisory
Issued when there is a risk of damage from ﬂooding
Flood warning
Issued when there is a risk of severe damage from ﬂooding
Gale advisory
Issued when there is a risk of damage from strong winds. Average wind speed: 12 m/s and up
Storm warning
Issued when there is a risk of severe damage from a storm. Average wind speed: 20 m/s and up

RumbleIf an evacuation order is issued

Dangerous
storm!
Ritsumeikan Asia Paciﬁc University

Since torrential rains strike limitedareas suddenly, they are harder topredict than typhoons. Become
familiar with the land near yourhouse and take suﬃcientmeasures.

If there is a cliﬀ with a height of 4
m or more near your house, watch
out for the following signs andevacuate immediately if you feel
uncertain.
Signs of a coming landslideof water keep ﬂowing
even after the rain stops
rocks and dirt occasionally tumble
down the cliﬀ face Streams
suddenly become murky
appear in the groundrumbling sounds

Post-storm disinfection

07

Prepare fortorrential rains

Watch out for landslides

Avoid places where storm surges,
ﬂoods or landslides may occur.

Emergency
measures

Maximum wind speed (m/s)
17 ‒ 32 m/s
33 ‒ 43 m/s
44 ‒ 53 m/s
54 m/s and up

Typhoon intensity and anticipated damage *Wind speed is approximate
10 m/s Umbrellas may break
30 m/s Roofs may be blown oﬀ and houses and telephone poles may collapse or break
15 m/s Poorly attached signs may be blown oﬀ
35 m/s Train cars may be blown over
20 m/s It is hard to stand upright and walk into the wind 40 m/s You will be blown over if you donʼt bend your body 45°
25 m/s Roof tiles blow away and trees break
50 m/s + Most wooden houses will collapse and trees will be uprooted

Prepare for emergency

f necessary, move furniture andcheck dangerous goods

STORM

Typhoons are predictable natural
phenomena. Make sure you checkthe size of the storm and time oflandfall.

It is important to pay attention to the TV or radio during a typhoon or torrential
rainstorm in order to get the latest information. After a certain amount of
rainfall, evacuation orders will be issued, and people will be notiﬁed by way of
media outlets, local government oﬃces, ﬁre stations and police stations. Follow
their instructions and evacuate immediately.

KEY
POINTS

Turn oﬀ the main gas valve and circuit breakers before
evacuating.
Avoid evacuating alone if at all possible. Ask your neighbors togo with you.
Help nearby elderly persons evacuate.
Conﬁrm the nearest evacuation shelter and choose a meeting
place in case you get separated from your family and friends
during the evacuation.
Disaster Handbook

08Warn others

Actions and decisions

Shout loudly to warn
those around you

FireWarn others

Fire!

Remaincalm andcall 119

Clearly and accurately communicate thelocation of the ﬁre.
Ex.: “Iʼd like to report a ﬁre at Ritsumeikan Asia
Paciﬁc University in Jumonjibaru, Beppu.”“The XYZ on the western side of thecampus is on ﬁre.”

FIRE“Fire” to let others know and seek help. If you cannot yell, make aloud noise by banging pots and pans.
ll ﬁres.

Extinguish ﬂames
Make a judgment

Pull the emergency alarm

If a ﬁre has been burning for less than three minutes and the ﬂames do
not reach the ceiling, it can be extinguished. Judge the situation quickly
and act calmly and swiftly. If you determine the fire cannot be
extinguished, evacuate immediately.

If no one has reported
the ﬁre yet, call 119

Precautions
If there is a ﬁre extinguisher, use it. Aim for the source of the ﬁre.

Using a ﬁre extinguisher
How big are the ﬂames?

What if a

fﬁire
re

Up to theceiling

Not up to theceiling

erupts? Extinguish
ﬂames

F ire! Now what?
Evacuate
immediately

Evacuate

Get help andextinguishthe ﬂames

Avoid inhaling smokeand evacuate swiftly
If you can, turn oﬀ the main gas valve
and circuit breakers before evacuating

Emergency
measures

Apply ﬁrst aid to burns
or other injuries

Remember to1) warn others2) extinguish ﬂames and3) evacuate, but most importantly,
keep yourself safe. Do not
attempt anything beyond yourability and evacuate swiftly.

1

2

3

Pull out the safety pin

Detach the hose andpoint the nozzle atthe source of the ﬁre(Eﬀectiv e distance:
About 3m)

Firmly grip the leverand spray theextinguishing agent

Evacuate
If you decide a ﬁre cannot be extinguished, evacuate in a timely manner.

Four “donʼts” of safe evacuation［Donʼt push / Donʼt run / Donʼt talk / Donʼt go back］●Leave your belongings behind and evacuate immediately.
●Help children, the elderly and the sick evacuate ﬁrst.
●Never re-enter a burning building once you leave it.
●If there are people left inside, let the ﬁreﬁghters know.

If you get enveloped in smoke…
Smoke contains large quantities of toxic gas that can knock you
unconscious if you inhale it.
When you evacuate, place a towel over your mouth and nose to avoid
smoke inhalation and keep your face low to the ground. Breathe inthrough your nose and out through your mouth.

Evacuating from a ﬁre
If a ﬁre spreads to within 300m upwind, 150m laterally or 100m
downwind, begin evacuating immediately. Keep an eye on the situationand evacuate along a safe route. Be sure to conﬁrm these distances aspart of your daily routine using landmarks on campus.

09

Ritsumeikan Asia Paciﬁc University

Disaster Handbook

10

MAP

If you are unhurt once thedisaster or ﬁre has subsided,
keep calm and assess thesituation around you.
Consider your priorities andtake action.

safe?

AFTER

Ritsumeikan Asia Paciﬁc University
evacuation shelters

Am I

On campus

Post-disaster actions

Help the injured

Check lifelines

If anyone is injured, help them immediately and conduct ﬁrst aid tothe best of your ability.

Disasters often cut lifelines. Respond calmly until they are restored.

● Stopping bleeding●Gas

Who needs attention?
If someone is injured and losing a large amount of blood from anexternal wound, you must stop their bleeding immediately. First, checkthe type, nature and size of the wound as well as the personʼscomplexion. Make sure he or she does not have any deformed limbs orsymptoms of shock (i.e., cold sweat, facial pallor, cold extremities) andcalmly assess the state of his or her entire body. Arterial bleeding is themost serious type of bleeding because a large amount of blood can belost in a very short period of time and the injured person can bleed todeath. It is characterized by bright red blood spurting out in sync withthe heartbeat. Venous bleeding is typiﬁed by a steady ﬂow ofblackish-red blood, and if left unchecked, it can lead to substantial blood
loss. Measures to stop this kind of bleeding are also necessary.

Direct pressure method
This is a technique for stopping bleedingby covering the bleeding area with aclean towel or piece of gauze andapplying ﬁrm, direct pressure. If you
cannot stop the bleeding with one hand,use both hands and the weight of yourbody to apply steady pressure. Most
types of bleeding can be controlled withthis method.

Be sure to shut oﬀ the main valve. Even if service is restored, do not turnon the valve until a gas company employee inspects your equipment. If
you notice a gas leak, open a window to ventilate the room. Turning on
a ventilation fan could cause an explosion.

●Electricity

Shut oﬀ the circuit breaker. This is the lifeline that is restored thequickest. Inspect your electrical equipment carefully before turning thepower back on as there is a risk of short circuiting or shock.

●WaterGet into the habit of leaving your bathtub full of water. Water from yourapartment buildingʼs water tank and well water can be used as
domestic water.

●Telephone

If telephone service is interrupted, you will not be able to use phones,
fax machines or the internet. You may also have trouble getting
connections on mobile phones. Decide an emergency contact person
in case of emergency. Brieﬂy tell them you are safe and take othermeasures to streamline information ﬂow.

● Broken bones

If you suspect a bone has been broken,
apply splints and immobilize the aﬀected
area. Remember the following points: 1)
Be careful not to move the fractured
bone and the joints above and below it;2) If the area is bleeding, stop the ﬂow ofblood ﬁrst; 3) If the bone has pierced theskin or is otherwise deformed, do not
forcibly try to straighten it; 4) Use splints
to immobilize the joints above and below
the broken bone. Apply ﬁrst aid carefully,
paying attention to the personʼs overall
condition.

● Burns

Immediately run the aﬀected area undercold water for at least 15 minutes but
avoid using high-pressure water. If theperson is wearing clothes, run the waterover their clothes. If the person has
suﬀered a chemical burn, wash theaﬀected area as you cool it in runningwater. To avoid dehydration, let theperson drink water if they ask for it. Do
not apply any medication to the burned
area until the person receives a diagnosis
from a doctor.

11

Ritsumeikan Asia Paciﬁc University

When you are trying to stop someoneʼs
bleeding, make sure their blood does notcomeinto direct contact with your skin.
Stop
Wear rubber gloves, if they are available,
blood-borne or use plastic bags or other items to
infections prevent direct exposure to blood. Make
sure you wash your hands when you aredone applying ﬁrst aid.

*You may use an automatic external deﬁbrillator (AED) even
if you have not been trained, but you should take a BasicLife Support course if you have the chance.

Disaster Handbook

12When there is moredamage than expected, you
may become scared. You
need to allay your fears one
by one as you cooperatewith those around you.

is keyPost-disaster actions*With PIN: Dial 171, press “4”, enter 4-digit PIN, enter
other personʼs phone number, play message（1）Telephone lines have a limited capacity. Keep your calls as
short as possible.

Source: User guides for each disaster message service

Disaster Emergency Message Service Trialsstand 15th of every month

Disaster Prevention Week (8/30 ‒ 9/5)
Disaster Prevention Volunteers Week (1/15 ‒ 1/21)
phone disaster message services (NTT Docomo,au, SoftBank, emobile, Willcom)（3）It is easier to make calls from disaster-stricken areas using
public phones.
（4）It is useful to decide with your friends and family how you
will conﬁrm each otherʼs safety in the event of a disaster.
（5）It is diﬃcult to establish a connection to disaster-stricken
areas immediately after a disaster due to the large numberof calls being made. To ensure that emergency calls within
the aﬀected area can be made smoothly, avoid making
non-urgent calls and using the redial function and try
calling back later.

● Disaster Emergency
Message Dial 171（1）To leave a message about yourself
Dial “171”. Press “1”. Enter your phone number.
Record your message❶Dial “171”❷Listen to the instructions and press “1” (No PIN)
❸Enter your phone number*Trials may not be available if an actual disaster occurs.
(Sponsor: Telecommunications Carriers Association)
Using social networking systems (SNS) to conﬁrm safety via
computers and mobile phones
SNS can also be used to conﬁrm peopleʼs safety in the eventof a disaster.
facebook “kokoiru-net”:
https://www.facebook.com/kokoiru.net
Gather information from reliable sources and do not let
rumors or baseless information sway you.

Rules for living in a shelter
In a shelter, everyone suﬀers some uncertainties andinconveniences. Remember these rules for communal
living and act with empathy.
Do not use ﬁre, smoke, drink alcohol or wear outdoor shoes
inside the shelter.
Cooperate with each other to make life in the shelter easier.
Cooperate as much as possible with recovery eﬀorts aroundthe shelter.

❶Dial “171”❷Listen to the prompts and press “2” (No PIN)
❸Enter the other personʼs phone number❹Play the message

Ritsumeikan Asia Paciﬁc University

Emergency information from the university
If there is extensive damage from an earthquake or ﬂood, take thefollowing actions:● If you are on campus when disaster strikes
Follow the instructions of the university faculty and staﬀ.

● If you are oﬀ campus or overseas whendisaster strikes
Check the Campus Terminal for information.
APU oﬀers scholarships and other kinds of ﬁnancial
assistance to students aﬀected by disasters. You may be
eligible for reduced tuition or delayed payments, so consult
with the Student Oﬃce.
*Please respond to the university when you arecontacted to conﬁrm your security.

Cancellation and resumption of classes
Check the Campus Terminal in the following situations.

Cancellations●When a storm alert (boufu keiho) or other weather-related
emergency warning is issued for Beppu.
●When both Oita Kotsu Bus and Kamenoi Bus completely
stop their service to and from APU.
Time of Decision

Time of Announcement

Response

6:30 a.m.

Approx. 6:45 a.m.

Periods1 and 2 will be cancelled

10:30 a.m.

Approx. 10:45 a.m.

After 10:30 a.m.

As decided

Classes from Period 3
onward will be cancelled
Decisions will bemade as appropriate

If you fall ill, contact the shelter headquarters (oﬃce).

❹Record a message of 30 seconds or less

Dial “171”. Press “2”. Enter other personʼs phone
number. Play message

13

First three days of New Year (1/1 ‒ 1/3)

*With PIN: Dial 171, press “3”, enter 4-digit PIN, enter
your phone number, record your message（2）To play another personʼs message

decisionsGet information from the university

Using telephones after an earthquake（2）If you are having trouble making contact with regularservice, try one of the following options:

Make the right

Follow the shelterʼs instructions for distributing relief supplies,
disposing garbage and using the toilet.

Beppu City Disaster AssistanceIn an emergency
As the saying goes, disasterstrikes when you least expect
it. If you make a routine eﬀort
to ensure preparedness, you
can respond with a little morecomposure.

AFTER

Cooperation

If you know how to collectinformation and make the rightdecisions before a disaster strikes,
you can alleviate your concerns
about student life, classes andthe like. Remember to remain
calm and act appropriately.

Routine preparedness measures●Preparedness in daily life
●Make shelves and dressers fall-proof and brace your lightﬁxtures.
●Conﬁrm evacuation routes and shelter locations.
●Do not place anything near your doors that may hinder
evacuation.
●Decide contact methods and evacuation shelters withyour family and friends.
●Actively participate in disaster prevention drills.
●Store your valuables in a safe place.
●Prepare an emergency kit.
●Check the strength of your house.
●Conﬁrm the regional disaster information.
［Disaster information of Beppu city］
http://www.city.beppu.oita.jp/bousai̲syoubou/bousaijyouhou/●Things you should do after coming to APU●Conﬁrm evacuation routes (including the closest
emergency exit / staircase).
●Conﬁrm the location of the nearest ﬁre extinguisher andunderstand how to use it.
●Conﬁrm the locations of temporary and designatedshelters.
●Conﬁrm the route you would use to walk home.
●Decide on contact methods with your family.

Routine preparedness measures●Prepare an emergency kit
Create a compact kit of the basic necessities you need to stay alive
and inspect it once a year. It is important to keep it somewhere
handy in case you need to leave quickly.

Priority items

Immediate necessities. The kit should weigh about 15kg for men and 10kg for women.

Valuables: Name seals, bank books, health insurance cards, cash (incl. 10
yen coins)
Emergency food: Canned bread, chocolate, mineral water
Emergency medicine: Household drugs, adhesive bandages, cotton gauze,
ointment, eye drops, feminine care products
Clothing: Undergarments, clothes, shoes etc.
Portable radio: Also include extra batteries
Light: Candles, matches, lighters

Secondary items

Daily goods for long-term evacuation.

Food: Rice (retort / pre-cooked), main or side dishes (canned / retort) ,seasoning, candy etc.
Water: 3L per person per day (for drinking)Portable stove: With gas cartridges

Disaster Handbook

14