Guest Post by Michael Wu: "Knowing What To Do During a Home Emergency Situation"

Guest Post by Michael Wu:

Knowing What To Do During a Home Emergency Situation

Knowing what to do during a home emergency situation can make all the difference in the world in saving the lives or preventing serious injury to family members and yourself. First of all, it is a good idea for every person in the family who is old enough to take a first aid course from the Red Cross, so that they are familiar with commonly accepted procedures of taking care of someone else in the case of an emergency. Most of the time an ambulance is called during emergencies, but there may be instances when an ambulance is not available when first aid knowledge would be necessary.

A good example would be if a family is caught in a tornado or a hurricane and they cannot get out and no one can get in, for perhaps a period of 24 to 72 hours. If a medical emergency were to occur, knowledge of basic first aid could make a great difference if somebody were injured.

Situations such as fire, storms, car accidents, electrical shock, falls, bicycle accidents, hiking and climbing mishaps, and a host of other potential problems all can happen when and where no immediate help is available, so first aid knowledge is valuable to have and can mean the difference between someone surviving and not surviving when trained emergency help is not readily available. If an injured individual can be stabilized and immediate shock can be mitigated until trained emergency personnel can arrive, it can be a difference maker.

Plan ahead and anticipate possible emergency situations and have a plan for dealing with them. If you are going for a hike along a forest trail, pack an emergency kit with first aid supplies, and enough extra provisions that will last for at least 24 hours in case you get lost or stranded. Leave word with someone that knows your expected time of return, so that if you don’t make it back by that time, they will suspect that you might need help and they can then contact the authorities to come and look for you.

If you live in a storm prone area, such as central Oklahoma or the coast of Florida, pre-planning is one of the most effective ways of dealing with unexpected emergencies that are created by storms. If the local authorities and weather personnel tell you to evacuate, you should already have a plan in place where you can just pick up and go. An emergency kit should already be made up for each family member so that no time is wasted wondering what to do or what to take with you.

If you cannot leave, have a plan of where in the house you will go if you need to ride out the storm. If you have a basement in the case of a tornado, or a room in the case of a hurricane, be sure that it is stocked with enough supplies such as food and water to last you a good 72 hours. Being prepared ahead of time is the best method of dealing with many emergency situations.

Michael Wu has been working in safety supplies and emergency kits industry for more than five years. As a product manager for EDisasterSystems, he knows his merchandise and all the requirements from OSHA. He likes to write and share his ideas about the importance of safety and emergency prevention.