In the wake of the Sichuan quake, Communication University of China students are getting conflicting advice about what to do if another earthquake strikes.

Teachers and TV programs say that when the ground begins to shake, you should hide under a desk or something else solid.

But many students have also seen different advice, called the “void identification method” or “Triangle of Life.”

This method was proposed by the Doug Copp, the so-called rescue chief and disaster manager of American Rescue Team International, a private group. He asserts that people in an earthquake should get next to solid objects such as beds or desks instead of under them for safety.

He says that going underneath objects during an earthquake is very dangerous, and fatal should the building collapse. For this reason he says advising children to get under their desks during a quake is dangerous. He also states that “everyone who gets under a doorway when a building collapses is killed.”

When a quake strikes, Copp advises people to get on the floor beside the bed if they are sleeping, and to lie down and curl up like a baby near a sofa or large chair if they are watching TV. In his proposal, circulating through the Internet, he uses convincing examples from the Taiwan earthquake.

Many Internet users are sharing this information with their relatives and friends, telling them that the methods taught by teachers and TV programs are all wrong. They accept Copp’s suggestions at face value. Some have even criticized the authorities, believing that they are giving them bad advice.

Natasha Wu, a student from CUC, said she was convinced by Copp’s method. “I even argue with people who do not believe it and tell them technologically how it works. I also have sent the information to my friends, and their first reaction to it is that they are shocked by the method. It seems be convincing. ”

But does the Triangle of Life really work?

According to a New Mexico newspaper, the Albuquerque Journal, Copp claims that he has been to more than 100 disasters, crawled through 894 collapsed buildings, saved 125,000 people, and was appointed by the United Nations as its expert in disaster mitigation. But in an article named “‘Knucklehead’ or Hero?” the paper reported, “Many of his stories don’t stand up to scrutiny.” The paper’s investigation found a nearly 20-year history of exaggeration, self-promotion, freeloading and very little evidence of real rescue work.

A look at American Rescue Team International’s Web site seems to support the conclusions of the newspaper report. It is amateurish, alarmist and defensive in tone, and lacks persuasive evidence.

Further confusing matters, a letter posted widely on the Internet purports to be from the American Red Cross, and recommends Americans not be taught Copp’s method. But the origin of the letter is unclear. The American Red Cross Web site has no information.

“I was confused which advice I should take if there is an earthquake. And it sounds like both the authoritative one and Doug Copp’s are reasonable,” says Yuna Wang, a student from CUC.

In a phone interview with the Voice, a man surnamed Wang from the China Earthquake Administration said there is no evidence about whether Copp’s void identification method is right or not. But the traditional “Drop, Cover, and Hold On!” method is especially effective when the object that you are hiding under is very solid and hard to break down, he said.

Wang further added that the appropriate preventive measures depend on the layout of the furniture in your home. Different layouts favor different hiding methods, he said. The most effective method is hiding in a narrow space surrounded by solid objects, such as the washroom, or the space between wall and the solid objects.

Wang’s advice is vague, and parts of it seem to support Copp’s theory. School authorities are of little help to confused students. A man surnamed Huang from the CUC Security Department says the department has not carried out any earthquake safety activities with the students, and recommended talking to the Student Department.

A woman surnamed Wang from the Student Department says that there are no activities about earthquake preventation at the school, other than providing psychological help to the students who have been touched by the Sichuan quake.

When an earthquake strikes, where shall we hide? Perhaps there will be more specific research or information after the most recent devastating cataclysm.

The author, Jacy Li, is a journalism student in Beijing.