Disasters claim hundreds of thousands of lives each year. Every disaster has a lasting impact on families and property. They can happen whenever, anyplace, and quite often abruptly. Preparing yourself and your loved ones for medical emergencies can reduce fear and anxiety and save lives during and after an event.
The first line of defense is your prep efforts.
Local emergency services may not be able to help you or your loved ones immediately after a disaster. Therefore, it is recommended that you are self-sufficient for at least 72 hours (3 days).
After considering the needs of your home and the disasters or emergencies that may arise in your area, you may want to use the Increase inventory and extend the duration of your home supply to 2 weeks. This may include water, food, sanitation, first aid, and emergency shelter.
Be aware of the dangers in your area and how to respond while having medical emergencies.
Remember that awareness and preparation can save lives.
In the immediate aftermath of a disaster, there may be brief or prolonged disruption to vital services such as running water, electricity, and communications sources.
Talk to your family about potential disasters that could affect your area and the importance of being prepared.
Involve all family members in risk/hazard identification
evacuation routes from your home and neighborhood and a meeting point to go to if you are separated.
Also, develop a communication plan for how you will communicate if your family members are separated and who will be the point of contact.
Your family may not be together when an emergency occurs, so it’s important to plan how you’ll communicate with each other and get back together.
Some essential health services everyone should know about.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is given when a person’s breathing or pulse stops. When both have stopped, sudden death has occurred. Some causes of sudden death are poisoning, drowning, suffocation, suffocation, electrocution, or smoke inhalation. However, the most common cause of sudden death is a heart attack.
Although CPR has been shown to save lives, patient recovery rates are better when paramedics initiate CPR and have a higher chance of survival with less damage to the patient’s Muscles of the heart and brain; studies suggest that less than a third of people who experience cardiac arrest outside of a medical facility get the help they need.
Take action immediately if you or someone you know has experienced any of the above warning signs. Call Disaster Relief or your local emergency number. If necessary, perform CPR if you are trained, or ask someone trained to do it.
Trauma is the fourth leading cause of death and the number one preventable cause of death from injury.
Although almost anyone can control life-threatening bleeding, you only need your hands and a little knowledge.
Find the source of the bleeding, cover the wound with a cloth or piece of clothing, and wear it directly and evenly, pushing with both hands until help comes. If the person is unconscious, lay them on their injured side if possible.
Once the bleeding is under control, ensure the injured person is breathing well and comfortably. You can apply a tourniquet if you cannot stop the bleeding with continuous, direct pressure.
Applying a tourniquet requires the help of another person and should only be done as a last resort.
In the event of an earthquake, if you are indoors, you must do the following:
- Drop, Cover, and Hold on;
- DO NOT stand inside or walk outside;
- If you get stuck at a table or Desk, stand against an inside wall or inside corner of the building, crouch down, and cover your neck and head with your arms. ONLY use a door as a shelter if it is very close to you and you know it is load-bearing and heavily supported door;
When cooking, turn off the stove before you and release the cover;
- Go outside of your building
- Keep away from buildings, power lines, and utility poles;
- If you are on the coast, go to higher ground immediately.
If you are driving:
- Do not stop at or under overpasses, bridges, or tunnels;
- Do not stop under nearby power lines, utility poles, trees, or signs;
- Stop at the side of the road and apply the emergency brake;
- Remain in your vehicle until the earthquake is finished.
If you are trapped under debris:
- DO NOT light a match;
- No moving or lifting of dust;
- Cover your mouth with a bandage or cloth;
- Rescuers can use a pipe or a wall touch you find. Use a whistle if one is available. Only scream as the last resort.
- Shouting can cause you to breathe in dangerous amounts of dust; Keep calm.
READ MORE:- IN CASE OF HEAD OR SPINE INJURY RESPONSE TIME MATTERS, ACT QUICK!
Every year, fires kill a larger number of individuals than all cataclysmic events consolidated. You shall follow the followings:
Understanding the hazards in and around your home can save your home and family.
Check the smoke detectors in your home every few months.
Remove all dry brushes from around your home and follow the brush cleaning rules of the local fire department.
Before you open a door, feel the door to see if it’s hot. If not, carefully open it and stand behind the door. Prepare to close it quickly.
Do not hesitate, If you are asked to evacuate. Exit routes may be blocked as a result of wildfire.
Know the evacuation routes out of your house and at least 2 routes out of your neighborhood.
Keep fire extinguishers in your home, especially in the cooking area.
Teach everyone in the family how to use them used.
Keep at least half a tank of gas/fuel in your vehicle.
Terrorism is using force or force against a person or property in violation of criminal laws for intimidation, coercion, or ransom.
Terrorist acts include terrorist threats, murders; kidnappings; kidnappings; Bomb and bomb threats, (computer-aided) cyber-attacks; and the use of chemical, biological, nuclear, and radiological attacks.
General safety guidelines, particularly to prevent anything undesirable from happening:
Be careful of your surroundings.
Do you know your neighbors?
Report suspicious activity to the police.
Take precautions when roaming.
Watch out for any suspicious or unusual behavior.
Do not accept anything from strangers.
Do not leave your luggage unattended. You should immediately report any unusual behavior, suspicious or unattended packages, and strange devices to the police or security personnel.
If traveling internationally, do not use the do not disturb sign on your door as it indicates occupancy.
Learn where the emergency exits are located in buildings that you visit frequently.
Plan how you get out in an emergency.
Be ready to disrupt the services you normally depend on electricity, phones, natural gas, gas pumps, cash registers, ATMs, and internet transactions.
Flooding affects every state in the country.No matter where you live; it’s important to be aware of flood conditions and signs and what to do if you are affected by a flood.
If your area is likely to be flooded, you should respect flood guidelines.
Update yourself with the radio or TV for information.
Please note that this is Flash flooding may occur. If there is a danger of a flash flood, go to a higher place immediately. Don’t wait for relocation instructions.
Beware of creeks, drainage canals, canyons, and other areas known for flash flooding. Flash floods can occur in these areas with or without specific warnings, such as rain clouds or heavy rain.
If you need to prepare for an evacuation, you should do the following:
Protect your home. If you have time, bring garden furniture.
Move important items to a higher floor.
Turn off supply lines at master switches or valves when instructed.
Unplug electronic devices. Try not to contact electrical gear when wet or remaining in the water.
Remember these evacuation tips, If you must leave your home:
Don’t walk on running water. Six crawls of moving water can trip you. Assuming you should stroll in the water, walk where the water doesn’t move. Use a stick to test the firmness of the ground to avoid unwanted issues.
Do not drive in flooded areas. If flood water rises around your car, get out of it and go to higher ground if it is safe. Flood water can sweep the vehicle away quickly.
The following are important points to remember when driving in floods:
Six inches of water reaches the bottom of most passenger vehicles, causing loss of control and potential Blocking.
A foot of water floats many vehicles.
Two feet of rushing water can wash away most vehicles, including sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) and pickup trucks.
Everyone reacts differently after a disaster. Most reactions are considered normal and temporary. However, anticipating possible reactions can help you have a successful transition.
As you prepare to go home, consider these common responses:
- Irritability and anger
- Nightmares
- Head and body-ache
- Over alertness
- Overuse of Alcohol or drugs
- Fatigue
- Sleep disorder
- Depression
- Concentration issues
Check out some strategies that can help you deal with reactions:
Nonetheless, talk to someone about your feelings (anger, sadness, and other emotions). It cannot be easy.
Ask professional consultants for help with Stress after a disaster.
Do not take responsibility for the catastrophic event or feel frustrated because you cannot help directly with the rescue work.
Take steps to promote your own physical and emotional healing through healthy eating, rest, exercise, relaxation, and meditation.
Keep a normal family and daily routine, limiting demanding responsibilities for you and your family.
Spend time with family and friends.
Existing care groups of family, companions, and strict foundations.
Helping Children Prepare for Emergencies
Teach them about natural hazards such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, severe storms, and snowstorms and what to do when they happen.
Create a family emergency plan and assemble an emergency kit.
Help your kids what to do in the event of a fire.
Ensure your Kids understand what to do if there should be an occurrence of fire. School when an emergency arises.
Helping children cope
Children, in particular, are particularly vulnerable to stress feel and can react differently. The key to helping your kids cope is to be there and make them feel safe.
View their feelings of dread in a serious way and let them know it’s OK to be terrified.
Explain what happened as best you can and admit how scary it was.
Say, tell your children what to think and feel about. This will make them feel less alone, knowing you have similar feelings as you do.
Keep to family routines like mealtimes and bedtimes.
Although parents can play an important role in helping children deal with anxiety, it can be helpful to speak to a professional, such as a psychologist or social worker, who can help children understand their emotions and deal with them.
Young children may cry, moan, or wet the bed in an emergency. Older children may have an intense fear of injury or separation anxiety.
Other common reactions include fear of the dark, physical pain, and difficulty eating or sleeping.
Teach your children to use the emergency number for disasters:
1) Explain what the emergency number is
First, children should be taught when to call the medical emergencies number must. Tell them they can call this service anytime they think one or more people are in danger or seriously injured.
Judging such a situation may not be obvious to children, so they need concrete examples.
When your children are young, use simple words and avoid medical language. For example, you could say:
If you see someone lying motionless on the floor, seek adult medical attention immediately.
If anyone close to you has a specific medical condition problem, you should explain it to your children. Describe the symptoms and tell them what to do if that person is unwell.
If no one is around, call the emergency helpline number for the details.
2) Assess the risks before calling the emergency helpline number
Children should be able to determine if it is safe to call emergency helpline numbers from their location.
Remind them to be in a safe place before calling the emergency number. For example, tell them that if there is a fire in one room or the whole house, they should leave the house immediately and then call the emergency number.
Remember: Explain to your children that calling a medical emergencies helpline number is not a game or a joke. Tell them that when someone is in danger, every second counts. An unnecessary call could prevent someone in danger from getting help.
3) What to tell the emergency number
Explain to your children what happens when they call the emergency number. Tell them that someone (male or female) will ask them if they need the police, fire department, or ambulance service. Again, if your children are young, use easy-to-understand words (like “ambulance” instead of “paramedic”). If your children are very young, briefly explain what each service can do in an emergency, or tell them to tell the person on the line that they need help right away.
Teach them what they are, describe the situation, and say where they are.
You will always be asked for the location of the emergency first, then the caller’s name, location, and phone number.
It is vital to be pretty much as unambiguous and clear as could be expected.
4) Practice or role-play
Introduce children to medical emergencies to reduce panic or anxiety in the event of an actual emergency.
For instance, you can make a game with situations for your kids to test their insight.
Adapt the scenarios to the age and development of your children.
Exercise twice yearly, so your children are as prepared as possible for medical emergencies.
Remember, awareness and preparedness will save lives!
Make sure you are prepared for future medical emergencies or events by stocking up on disaster kits and upgrading your family disaster plan. Taking these positive actions can be reassuring safety.
