Emergency guide for bad situations: Courtesy: Carlos Gaspar, At Ease Building Inspections Inc. Its an abbreviated emergency guide for bad situations that could happen at any time in your own home. Its recommended you print out these instructions to reference later. However, the time to read this is now. Dig the well before you need the water, as the saying goes. Its also critical to remember the following three things for the next time any emergency situation arises (and it will): Stay Calm. Panicking never helps anyone, but it can make a bad situation much worse. Adapt. No two emergencies are alike. You must be able to improvise and substitute when you dont have the proper materials (like a first aid kit) at your immediate disposal. Prepare. There is a saying from the ancient Greek Soldier and Poet Archilochus. It applies to every aspect of life: We do not rise to the level of our expectations. We fall to the level of our training. In other words, dont expect to perform flawlessly if you didnt practice beforehand. Reading and internalizing the following instructions is helpful, but its no substitute for proper training in first aid by a skilled and authorized instructor. So without further ado, the following are three emergencies and what to do - when every second matters. CHOKING When a person swallows, the food goes through the esophagus which is connected to the stomach. Choking happens when food goes down the wrong pipe. That wrong pipe is the trachea, which is connected to the lungs. Its an accident that can happen to anyone of any age. STEP ONE: If you suspect a person is choking, do not interfere by slapping them on the back. Quickly ask them if they are choking*. STEP TWO: If they are unable to speak or nod yes, have someone call 911 and begin the Heimlich Maneuver. If you are alone, help the victim. STEP THREE: Stand behind the choking victim. With your arms around his midsection, make a clenched fist and thrust it, thumb knuckle inward, at a spot slightly above the naval and away from either side of the rib cage. STEP FOUR: Hold your fist with the other hand and, using your elbows, pull both hands toward you with a quick upward and inward motion. This movement is intended to elevate the diaphragm so that the air being pushed out dislodges the obstruction. To treat children and babies, please follow the instructions here. * The person could be suffering from a stroke. See below for instructions on how to treat stroke. BURST PIPE This emergency involves a pipe of a different kind. When water is pouring through your ceiling, its likely a burst pipe. Heres what to do: STEP ONE: Close the main shutoff valve. Youll find it in the basement close to the water meter. If you get your water from a well system, its on the supply pipe. STEP TWO: Once you closed the main shutoff valve, go to the lowest part of the house (you may already be there) and open a faucet to drain the water from the pipes. When water stops flowing from the faucet, the leak will stop. STEP THREE: Place a bucket beneath the ceiling where the leak occurred. Also have plenty of spare buckets on hand. If the ceiling plaster is bulging, take a screwdriver or other sharp object (be careful!) and pierce a hole in the plaster. Now get out of the way, as more water may pour down! When you pierce the bulging plaster, you limit the amount of damage done to your ceiling to the one area. STEP FOUR: Call a plumber. HEART ATTACK OR STROKE Symptoms of a stroke are more varied than a heart attack. A stroke may manifest itself via a headache, acute confusion, paralysis on one or both sides of the body or difficulty swallowing and speaking. Heart attack symptoms are a sudden crushing pain in the chest. If you see someone suffering from the above symptoms, do the following: HEART ATTACK / STEP ONE: If the person is conscious, place them in a half sitting position with something soft like pillows and cushions. Place another cushion under the knees. STROKE / STEP ONE: If the person is conscious, place them in the recovery position shown here or lay them down with head and shoulders slightly raised and supported with something soft. Place the head to one side to prevent saliva from choking the victim. FOR BOTH / STEP TWO: Call 911. FOR BOTH / STEP THREE: Loosen clothing around the neck, chest and waist. Do not give the victim anything to eat or drink. Ensure they do not move unnecessarily. FOR BOTH / STEP FOUR: If the person becomes unconscious, place them in the recovery position. Wait for the ambulance to arrive. Emergencies happen, they are the unfortunate, darker side of life, but they neednt end in tragedy. Stay calm, adapt to the situation and be prepared by becoming informed on proper CPR practices.
Posted on: Thu, 07 Nov 2013 15:38:55 +0000
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