Here’s my next group of notes for emergency preparedness on behalf of the CERT personnel.

These are the steps for sizing up an emergency situation:

• Facts: gather the facts
• Anticipate: consider the facts and guess the potential futures.
• Plan: choose a direction before implementing velocity.
• Act: do less talking and more doing.
• Review: continue reevaluating situation and modify actions if needed.

• In an emergency situation the victims usually outnumber the helpers.
• In most likely you will be limited on needed resources
• There are several levels of victims.
• There are those who need immediate attention so that you can save their lives.
• Those who without help will be dead in several hours. This might be due to organ failure
• Those who will die in several days or a week. This might be due to infections etc.

• There are three main killers: airway, bleeding, shock.

When you come upon a victim do these steps

1. Do not approach them directly not from behind
2. Identify yourself and what organization you represent.
3. Asked permission to help them, if a parent or partner, get permission you can offer assistance. If they are unconscious you can help them.
4. Analyze a situation and determine their needs

• Shock means insufficient blood flow. This can result in the failure of cells, tissue and internal organs.
• Ways to determine shock. Look for rapid or shallow breathing.
• Press finger against Palm or fingertips and see if the indent of your finger is replaced by blood flow of the skin. If they are in a cold environment blood flow may not respond well.
• See if they are able to understand and follow your commands.

To take care of someone in shock:

• Lay them down so that the heart is not work so hard.
• If you have a low body temperature you may want to put on a blanket to keep them warm.
• Raise the feet higher than the level of the heart. Anything can be used as a pillow for the feet. Avoid rough handling.
• Do not give them food or drink. If they begin to throw up, sat there body on the side to maintain a clear passage.

• Do not pull out an object is in the body as they can cause more bleeding. The object can plug the hole.
• In a real disaster there will be a lot of noise.
• You don’t necessarily want to attend the people that are yelling. They could be yelling because they have a hangnail.
• As you analyze a new situation you should devote 30 seconds to each individual for initial analysis of their needs and provide be a quick response such as if they have shock or are bleeding.
• If they are bleeding, hold something against the wound to stop the blood. You can also put pressure on the artery points of the body to stop blood flow. Artery points are located inside the arm, in the inside area where your legs attached your body (front of the hip) and behind the knee. You want to press your fingers hard enough that it goes against the bone. This can slow blood flow to a wound away from the artery point that gives it time to clot. You may need to create a pressure bandage to maintain pressure if you don’t have personnel to do it.
• Latex gloves deteriorate after a year.
• In an emergency you want to have some to write with so you can document the actions during triage. I had the idea of having stick it notes and safety pins so I need to write something about somebody I need to remember to write legibly. I could go ahead and put on the stick it note and then safety pin it on their close. The other idea is that some of the trainers has masking tape and a marker and can actually write notes are right on the patient’s four head. They also write notes themselves and put the tape on their legs, such as a head count and to document observations made to triage. You can also use your documentation to identify where people located in case you need to notify investigators.

Triage is when you follow a plan

• Document observations
• Evaluate people saw them according to their designation
• Setup the treatment. Immediate responses or those that or bleeding, have shock, or have difficulty breathing. Those who have lesser problems can become helpers to those that have the biggest problems.
• It’s always important to wear your gear identification and also the eye goggles protect you from flying liquids. You one always maintain high hygiene which includes new gloves for new patients if you have adequate resources.

Steps to triage:

• Stop, look, listen and think
• Give directions such as come to me some people are able to help themselves.
• Evaluate each victim
• Document triage results

Triage pitfalls:

• Somebody who can be really panicking and yelling they bed that does not necessarily mean that they should be prioritized
• Avoid indecisive leadership.. Deliver treatment rather than triage.
• Many people automatically have a bleeding head wound he treated as immediate attention
• Video start triage. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8pQGVvIInA