With the recent terrorist attack in Boston, the explosion at
the fertilizer plant in Texas and the floods in the Midwest, it brings to mind
the importance of learning how to help yourself, your family and those around
you if tragedy strikes. Countless lives were saved in Boston due to the quick
actions of many bystanders (some of whom were professional emergency responders
and some were not).
- Learn CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation). If someone’s heart stops beating or they stopped breathing, the goal is to keep their blood circulating to prevent brain damage and death until professional advanced life support services arrive on the scene. You can take classes either through the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross. Classes are sometimes offered through local hospitals and fire departments depending on where you live. CPR training also includes instruction on how to operate an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) which is used during a Cardiac Arrest.
- Take a First Aid Course. First Aid classes are offered by the American Red Cross. Lives were saved in Boston by bystanders who knew how to apply pressure to bleeding wounds and when and where (on the body) to apply tourniquets to prevent death from massive bleeding. Other skills are learned in a basic first aid class too such as (but not limited to) how to provide initial care for a variety of injuries from burns, broken bones (fractures) and heat sickness.
- Follow the advice of local authorities on the scene. If you’re told to vacate an area due to a bomb threat, rising flood water, an approaching fire or noxious fumes, do so immediately. Follow their instructions and get out of the danger zone (while there’s still time).
Kudos to all those who have helped others in the
past and those who will step up to the plate and save lives in the future. For more tips on emergency preparedness, click here.
