Remember to Save Yourself First

When I teach First Aid or CPR, the first American Red Cross mantra you learn is “Check, Call, Care.”  You Check the scene for safety, Call 911 if it seems necessary, then provide Care.  It all seems so simple and logical in the classroom.  But for all that seems to make sense, the reality is that the compassionate urge in us to save others often overrides that sensibility.  Humanity cries out in pain and we respond, often forgetting about what is most important – ourselves.

Tragically, this very scenario played out a few days ago in Los Angeles.  On August 22, a car lost control and hit a light pole, then knocked off a fire hydrant.  The injured driver was in the car when he was spotted by a woman witnessing the event.  Without hesitating, her husband said, the Los Angeles resident hopped out of her car to help him.  Not realizing the situation involved the electricity, she was died immediately as she stepped in the electrified water to rescue the driver.  To compound the tragedy, a second woman was also electrocuted while trying to pull the first rescuer to safety. (1)

Stories such as this are extraordinarily sad.  Here is someone trying to do the right thing, extending a hand to someone in need, then paying dearly for that self-less act.  This is not something that happens only to the untrained, either.  Records show that even highly trained rescuers can succumb to this irresistible urge.  Two years ago in New York, one volunteer fireman collapsed in a manhole when another volunteer fireman noticed and went in to rescue him.  Both men died from suffocation. (2)

We learn and we prepare, but we also need to remind ourselves that our most important asset is ourselves.  Be prepared and be ready to act.  Just make sure the first life you save is your own.  Only then, can you help others.

(1) http://articles.latimes.com/2012/aug/24/local/la-me-0824-electrocution-20120824

(2) http://rocorescue.wordpress.com/2010/09/09/low-levels-of-oxygen-detected-in-manhole-accident/

There's no place like home

Dorothy had to fly, via Whirl Wind Air, I might add, all the way to Oz to realize this.  However, as the Back To School sales pop up everywhere and the once wide-open parking lots begin to fill, we realize that it is that time of year again and that home, the summer hub of activity, changes once again.

Home is where your heart is, where you hang your hat, or any other phrases coined in prose and song.   However, even with its changing titles and roles throughout your life, it is a constant for many.  It’s the place that children drift back to or old friends gather.  Even if it is temporary, such as an apartment or dorm, it is our place of refuge.

Given its esteem, the home should have the honor of being the best place to be should something happen that disrupts the normal.  It could be something fleeting, such as a heavy rain storm, or longer term, such as an extended illness.  Regardless of that unforeseen event, whatever you call home needs to be ready to hold and secure you.

If you live in southern California, the two biggest worries (I should think) would be fire and earthquakes.  Sure, there is that 100-year flood scenario or the more localized, but heart-breaking shooting incidents, but with our seemingly more frequent periods of drought and the San Andreas Fault statistically “ready” to give a good shake, fire and earthquakes are really what we should prepare for.  And when I say “prepare for” I am focusing today on the home.

If one of those events happens and you are not at home, what do you worry about?  Home, of course.  There is no magic bubble to surround your home, although honestly I have not looked at the latest Hammacher Schlemmer catalog..., so you need to do what you can do.  Prepare your home for disasters.

The steps are simple.  Make a list, make a plan, get the stuff, store the stuff, let important people know your plan.  Sure, it will take some time, but the tradeoff is worth it.  Envision – a major earthquake hits and you are at work.  Will you be anxious about your home?  Of course.  But, if you are prepared at home, you will have things set in place to take care of your home and your loved ones.  You will have given a trusty neighbor a key to check your pets.  You will have a plan for where your children will go after school.  You will have a neighborhood plan to shut off your gas line if they smell gas at your meter.  Everyone in your family will have Aunt Bertha’s phone number to call, so she can keep track of everyone.

It’s simple really.  And if you are not convinced, just click your heals 3 times.  I know it works.

Making it Real

Simulations are great events because it allows people to learn something but removes the danger and risk of real injury.  Last Friday, here at Cal State Fullerton, we had such a simulation – a 7.8 earthquake exercise centered somewhere in Southern California.  Any time you either set up or participate in these events, you learn a lot of things.  Here is my partial list:

1.  Planning events of this size are a lot of work.  Maybe it is because I am a detail person at heart, I really want to make sure everything is in place --  Make up and make up person, IDs, forms, maps, food, chefs, permits, radios, vests, handouts, invitations, water, logistics of moving all this stuff.

2.  I found a good recipe for fake blood:  Dark Cherry Kool-Aid (dry kind without sugar) and a little corn syrup and a touch of chocolate syrup.  Stir.  Thin to desired consistency.  Smells great, too.

3.  Fake blood stains everything.  Note to all – if your victim will lie down somewhere, give them a plastic bag to lie on so they don’t stain the floor/carpet/cement…

4.  It costs money.  Granted it wasn’t a lot of money and it takes a lot of labor, but for less than $1000, I was able to create an earthquake simulation involving around 150 personnel from University Police, Parking, Campus CERT team, Campus Medical Emergency Response Team, our University EOC members and a handful of other campus personnel.

5.  People appreciate food.  At the end, I made sure that I fed everyone.  I have two wonderful chefs in our Biology Department who cranked up the grill and made some awesome burgers and hot dogs.  I made sure coffee and donuts were at Briefing and cold water was in coolers around the exercise area.

6.  Having experts around is invaluable.  I had 4 incredibly talented women from the area as event observers.  Their insight really helped to focus our future efforts.

7.  Having lots of people as victims make all the difference.  We challenged our police, medical teams and CERT teams with victims. 

There were many “artificialities” to this event, but for the players it often felt real.  Fortunately, everyone took the event seriously and played their part.  Maintaining character is often not easy, but when done right, these elements make people think about what it would be like when the real thing happens.

Stress is a good teacher, but experience is your life-long friend.  I recommend participating in simulations and other "reality-based" exercises as often as possible.  You learn a lot, you meet great people, your improve your response and survival skills, and, if you are lucky, you get something good to eat.

PS.  I am working on a good checklist for those of you wanting to do your own exercise.  Just email me and I will send you a copy.