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Safety in the After-Disaster Environment

Added Dec 05, 2013 •

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CERT members can prepare to work in a post-disaster area by understanding more about the potential hazards, by preparing their own safety kit and by wearing the right gear. The purpose of this training video is to prepare the CERT members for the kinds of hazards they may experience after a disaster and to help them stay safe as they work in the disaster area. This video will support the materials presented in the CERT Basic Training course Unit 5: Light Search and Rescue Operations. CERT trainers will be able to use the materials presented in this video to start a dialogue about the potential challenges CERT members may face.

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the 13th important to the community because after disaster there's times when the fire department other emergency people are overwhelmed that's her people actually provide care until the professionals can arrive there's a big difference between a amateur rescuer and a professional rescuer an amateur rescuer will think with their part where a professional rescuer is supposed to think with their brain but it's raining a little bit education a little bit of preparation you can minimize casualties and in some cases even completely avoid them need to take care of yourself that's the Golden Rule take care of yourself in your body after this after they just need to know the unexpected after disaster occurs the environment may be dramatically changed chaotic and even change even familiar landmarks in the neighborhood maybe uproot it roads may be washed out nothing is the way it was Master itself whether it's a earthquake or hurricane or flood or something like that the event is an ongoing the event itself may stop but the danger. a very frequently the hours right after disaster as dangerous as disaster itself disasters tend to destabilize the environment and that next familiar areas unfamiliar so it's wise to proceed through the debris of a disaster sort of like someone walking through rattlesnakes slowly and I've seen Devastation total devastation I've seen moderate damage I've seen minor damage that's what we trying to do is we try teach people basic that can be applied no matter what the the system what the problem is  but it's powerful and devastating as the pictures can be experts now know that many injuries and deaths occur after disaster has happened as inexperienced volunteers rush to help out  after faster one thing that's always surprised me was to certain group people's lack of respect from other nature and what she can do out there after pretty much some type of natural disaster things just aren't how they appeared before the disaster and there are ways that people can get injured out there whether it's Play Thor electrocutions because of downed power line so you really have to respect Mother Nature both before and after disasters  Lexapro is a wonderful educational opportunity but it's also an opportunity for us in the emergency services to make sure not only we know what people can do but also people know what they can't do and in rescue operations there's high percentage of people who get hurt or killed trying to help others and so like firefighters and other First Responders cert volunteers need to focus on safety with every task they are involved with  safety to be a priority  certain number safety is of the utmost importance we want them to be safe if they're going to go out there we don't want them risking their lives we want them to be help people safely and not get injured in certainly not get killed and doing their job we want to show them how to do it in the safest manner so they can come be okay after it's all over every disaster brings its own kind of Hazards fast-moving flash flood waters  fires and lightning can all be hurricanes and tornadoes bring torrential rains and wind  what's a chaos resulting from the disasters like down to power natural gas leaks washed out roads  hazardous materials  Sharp and other flying debris can often be more devastating and cause more injuries or deaths than the event itself moving flood waters cause many deaths in communities across the country every year because people underestimate the power and ferocity and fast-rising nature of the farts second only to fires floods of the most common and widespread disaster for example 6 inches of moving water can knock a person over and 2 feet of water can float a car floodwaters can also become quickly contaminated and may contain all kinds of debris including raw sewage and toxic waste for more information on the dangers of flooding please visit the turn around don't drown website at the address shown here a hurricane or tornado can cause massive destruction to buildings homes and even automobiles broken glass falling panels and collapsing walkways stairways are some of the debris that may result and buildings that appear on harm from the exterior can be structurally damaged and unsafe to enter utilities he damaged or shut off fires can be very destructive because they can begin so quickly and cause such devastation what cities have grown into suburbs and suburbs into what was once Rural America more homes in are part of what has been called the wildland-urban interface wildfires can can unnoticed and spread quickly igniting brush trees and homes and resulting in miles of Destruction  hazardous materials and other biochemical spills on roadways waterways and Railways can spread rapidly and produce toxins that can be extremely harmful for miles around debris of all kinds is probably the number one hazard in a disaster area some debris is very visible falling debris from structures is also, and nails and other debris on the ground can also be dangerous and cause injuries  after a major Master buildings that appear on harm from the exterior may be structurally unsound and dangerous buildings may have broken glass falling panels and collapsed walkway stairways utilities may be damaged  to learn more about these and other hazards please visit the website are you ready at the address shown here what were the years experts have learned that wearing the right kind of gear in a disaster area is he Central for safety  search membership are there protective gear for safety in the after disaster environment  the gear includes a helmet  goggles Maps  gloves reflective vest and Light should work you're encouraged to wear work gloves to protect their hands from debris third workers should also wear rubber gloves under their work gloves to protect themselves from contamination by fluids by using his double gloving technique should workers will be able to help the injured by simply removing their work gloves volunteers are also encouraged to purchase a pair of hard toed work boots  experts say it's important people wear all of their gear all of the time when there were a disaster area  important to wear the right gear and keep it together people tend to wear pieces of gear they they partial carnivals in are they don't want to they don't want to wear the whole thing unfortunately when you get out there and you cut your head open and you realize you should have had your helmet on  although some volunteers may be shy about wearing the Garrett first search leaders have noted the most people will become accustomed to wearing it important that they are comfortable because we're going to be in their gear if during a disaster for long periods of time they're going to have to be able to work in it so initially there a little hesitant none familiar with here by the end of our course and in any cert course the very comfortable with working with the helmets in the gloves and the masks and things like that set volunteers may also want to add to the standard equipment bring your backpack or go kid with you when you leave your house or apartment and also bring two bottles of water any prescription medicine you take depending on where you live in the country you should prepare for the kinds of potential disasters that are most common in your area you should also have put together at the Supply kit for your home automobile and workplace the disaster Supply kit should include water food medical supplies State supplies important documents and other basic supplies before disaster occurs take care of your own home and family first see what damage has been done to your home or apartment I make sure everyone is safe before you venture out into your neighborhood and community  when you come out of your house you keep track of your own family members it's not a good time set the dog in the kids was you keep everybody where they're at until you find out what you're dealing with and you proceed carefully too many people go out and start sightseeing or they're over down by the awesomeness of the event and they wind up becoming victims we tend to be distracted when we see something very impressive like a disaster and we don't think makes us very vulnerable to getting hurt check around your house for damage your other Fallen debris next if it is safe to do so and appropriate turn off utilities check the house and they're looking for gas and electrical issues and things of that nature general safety  and where is Major Devastation in your neighborhood literally draw a map of where you are and what your new neighborhood looks like before you venture out  natural disasters tend to do great damage to the geography of an area so. It was very familiar to you around your home before could suddenly become too Peewee alien once buildings are damaged street signs are down trees or down familiar structures are gone you can go a block or two from home and be lost and in fact us stop it in Hurricane Andrew people were lost in their own neighborhoods emergency service workers who do this for a living roll off they couldn't find out where they were so it's important make a map so you can find your way home because you are in an unfamiliar area again  then depending on the severity of the disaster and your Chesapeake you should connect with your cert team members and plan to meet on the way assess the damage to your neighborhood and be ready to report what should sink teams are there to take the lead there there because they've been trained and they're in a perfect position to take the lead and then you'll organize the cert team into a workable unit will decide if you're going to stay in your neighborhood but will report to local First Responders you may be working with your cert team members or with your neighbors hopefully you have your group together your neighborhood group your cert group together and you pre-planned and pre-designated ate a team leader for that you will meet with that team leader in a pre-designated position with your equipment that you've pre-plan and brought with you so that you can go out and do what you've been taught there is no one formula for how a cert team will organize itself or work together ideally the team will have organized itself previously but because this is a volunteer bad because disasters are not planned events the group membership made chain so certain team members are urged to improvise adapt and overcome the 13 comes together someone must serve as the leader  once they mobilize their sir team they put somebody in charge and it's up to that person remain in charge and to give orders and without that that's going to be chaos in some situations the cert team member may become the leader in the neighborhood during a disaster  a good scenario would be let's say that there was no other sir people around but you are the only person train and you got to use other neighbors that had no training you would automatically become the person that was the in command because no one else knows what you're trying to do so they could do the last people that don't even have cert training and being charged and tell them what to do and tell them how to be safe and we do stress that in the class as well to utilize other people utilize your neighbor's you live people that haven't been there and it just gives you more hands more people to help out in the situation everybody that takes a certain Pro can potentially could be a team leader now some people are more prone to do that and that's fine so team leaders are either pre-selected or selected at what we call the Station to take a group or team to us and perform a certain Mission maybe to help at the at the treatment area and maybe to do a search of a neighborhood it maybe turn some utilities off maybe even a fight a small fire with it with extinguishers and though people sometimes are not confident about their abilities experts say that everyone you play a role in these difficult situations a lot of people will say to me I can't do this work no one will listen to me when people are scared when will have had something happen to them where they they need help maybe they don't tell you they need help but you know they need help people will respond to you as long as you're clear as long as you are being understood by them don't listen to you and they'll allow you to guide them in directions will you run into speed bumps or difficulties along the way sure but are there ways to overcome it improvise adapt overcome after the 13 members meet together and become organized wherever they go and whatever the job they are doing they need to assess the situation there in order size up is the same approach used by other First Responders like firefighters to make sure that is systematic approach is used when dealing with the dangerous and unpredictable environment  the steps involved with the size up are gather facts assassin communicate the **** consider probabilities assess your own situation establish priorities make decisions develop plans of action  take action value your progress  secondly we talk about size up and that's the idea that you look before you leap you don't just rush into things you go out you look you think way through thinks you're in an unfamiliar environment even if it's your own backyard so you go out and you pay attention if you find someone who's injured it's wise to stop and at why they got hurt before you write in for example if someone was electrocuted and you rushed in to help them you may wind up being a victim also the house what's normal you walk in but there's a hole in the floor the the smell of gas the sound of gas escaping into this enclosed area you walk outside to take are utilities and you can't this is a hazard back away put some tape up there keep other people from that they're always hazards to be alert overhead can they come down treat every wire like a live wire move around at tape it off or put a rope around it there's always hazards things change so we constantly look because things can shift things can move you have to size up your situation that's the terminology we use they do a good size up they chapter scene before they go in they don't want to rush into a situation cuz we might have somebody looks a injured in a vehicle but if there's an electric line across the vehicle then again we're going to have for patients there going to be a patient during becoming a patient themselves we don't want that if you give a good size up before you start to act and think before you go in there you have a better chance staying safe members are always encouraged to take care of themselves and be safe Above All Else basically the instruction near the people that is curious as you may be to see things be very careful where you go there is no reason to enter a damaged building unless something vital going on there I'll light damaged buildings should be energy carefully heavy damaged buildings should be avoided at all cost because stop the **** it danger involved there there needs to be a reason why you stick your neck out there are situations like with electricity people tend to believe that Powers off from the disaster it's off everywhere we fail to understand that it is the power company's mission to keep power on Nike power off so many systems are developed in the grid systems to keep the power running well these can work against this when power goes out so we have to assume all lines or charge there are many electrocutions in after a disaster situations and so that's a big problem for us  season First Responders always work with a cancer team members are also strongly urge to follow this safety practice and we teach the buddy system so you always want to have at least one other person and really that's for accountability issues if God forbid you and I are working and we're searching a building and I go in by myself or we go in together something happens that there's no way that anyone will know that we need help and it's really accountability and safety because we I want to become part of the problem we want to be part of the solution somebody so this something happened somebody can go for help buddy system has always been there we use it everyone should use it although many people assume that all of the injuries are medical problems occurred during a disaster experts found that fact a large percentage of injuries uneven deaths from a disaster have occurred after the disaster as an experienced volunteers try to help out because this Sears are such Dynamic and unpredictable events and because they can leave the environment in chaos it is easy for volunteers and people who have been involved with a disaster to become change it  where you're going to your going to see the things that you would typically see if you wanted through a construction site  we see things like nails through the feet very common injuries from glass lacerations to feet lot of hand lacerations people reaching down and digging through things and getting cut on Sharp volume sharp objects prizing number of eye injuries and head lacerations because people don't really see what's they look down to they don't look up and there's a lot Bree hanging down we see a fair amount of injuries from power tools that people try to use that they're not used to chain saws and cutting devices set they never use before they pull it out and they borrow it from a neighbor they're going to cut up their tree in the next thing you know we've got another injury then you couple that with people when doing a lot of drinking at the same time afterwards you got kind of all the combinations you need therefore for definitely to have a disaster on a second disasters or in a disaster you can see everything from a patient with multiple fractures abrasions lacerations and they can vary from minor abrasions to the grotesque deformities we see a lot of fractures after after disaster and those can be fractures with just a little bit of deformity to the extremity or the bone to the actual bone ends Port rooting out at protruding out of the skin major laceration do they said people work with a lot of tools we see a lot of injuries digits may be cut off by extremities may have severe last play some those are probably some of the more grotesque injuries electrical injuries occur quite often electrocutions those types of things and we see the sun louder ones people stepping on nails on minor lacerations cutting themselves and those tend to be the majority of a lot of things we see  has a cert safety is your number one priority to protect yourself from being injured you should wear the right protective gear work with your buddy follow correct procedure for a size up and always be aware of what is going on around you realize at the post is aster environment has many hazards including debris on the ground and hanging over Airborne debris and dust that can get into eyes I'm protected by goggles sharp objects  life fallen tree Lynch contaminated water and fires you can also become injured from sing heavy objects incorrectly or from bumping into overhead objects that have fallen  respect your limits  take quick brakes  and stop working if you're too tired or exhausted or overstressed  a drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and remember all of your training's been designed to keep you safe so you can help others  there are some injuries commonly occurring to work there's in the posters Master environment dehydration heat stroke  puncture is to defeat caused by nails or debris back injuries  sprained ankles other Springs injuries caused by Falling debris Cuts lacerations bruises concussions head injuries has a cert team member you'll also get first state or medical assistance to others who have been injured use the skills you practice during the cert training sessions you're going to do it change it and we train you to deal with that if it's bleeding you understand the ways to control that bleeding we teach you many different ways of anything in trees we teach you how to deal with fractures and immobilize those fractures you understand we talked about that because there is she's there with blood-borne pathogens and we want you to set yourself cuz ultimately you need to take care of yourself and your buddy natural disaster has occurred the landscape changes homes and neighborhoods may be in shambles the normal landmarks in the neighborhood maybe gone The Neighborhood Animals may be homeless or traumatized neighbors and volunteers may want to take care of stray animals experts issue a note of caution when you come out to come across an animal that stressed out or promise I often times they're going to shy away from you there's going to be a looker education and whenever you see that if he understand that that dog made by out of fear or that animals saved by that appear over an animal isn't walk turn it up these friendly I would suggest making sure that someone was appropriate equipment it's called in to handle and was that animals  see a stray dog cat note where it is a lot of time to not going to have street signs and things of that nature but do the best that you can and report that information to the animal control thority play come into the area and start working at Animal Control experts know from experience that it is best to be cautious when dealing with an animal that you don't know because disaster they may be traumatized and act out of fear  what I would suggest is just don't try and read the animal just because its tails wagging does necessarily mean that it's happy and friendly most aggressive animals police k9 for example you know whenever you see them being aggressive there what else going to be up there ears are going to be up there till be wagon all indications are you look at them from a distance that looks like a happy dog but if you run into it you find that's not a dog bite you it can be very serious  animal bites are very seriously you'll deal broadcast and any animal carries bacteria in its mouth I want to bite you is that. Put in your body can't carry a high rate of bacterial infection spread drink a wildlife also it's a bit by raccoon you're trying out you could get rabies or you have to go through a series of rabies shots volunteers may also find out it must have been injured during the disaster while your instinct may be to help the animal immediately experts again urge Kosh so often you feel with an injured animal there in that self-preservation mode they do not think that you're there to offer them help they think of you is being somebody that's going to take advantage of it like another Predator would to consequently they bite or scratch whatever it takes to defend themselves so I highly recommend you come across an animal that centered make sure that you turn it over the proper authorities don't try and handle it on your own because it really does require specialized equipment if you do find a neighbor's dog make sure that you give the Animal Control Officers the owner's name and address and other contact information  but besides home Johnson catch experts also caution about other creatures that maybe just plays during a disaster  you can expect the after disaster that everything in that area is going to be displaced and one way or another and you know you've got a lot of water issues so you're going to have a title flow that may bring animals from a different area into your area that you would normally see so whenever you're doing any type of work you've always keep in mind that there could be a venomous snake underneath that piece of garbage that you would take for granted being there's no harm here so yes you definitely have to be on the lookout for things that might not normally be there after disaster you can also expect an animal control off search from throughout the state will volunteer their time you may also work with a variety of rescue groups helping to place animals in shelters while they wait for their owners to return disasters bring chow just to any Community as the professionals know they are unpredictable they tax resources and they change lives as a cert volunteer turn introduced to strategies and techniques that can help your neighbors and your community the best thing you can do to prepare for disaster is trained trained and train some more  sir teams are trained to do just what we do and they're trained very well we share with them just about everything tell relative to the business to help them be able to do that job and so remember that you've been introduced to some basics of disaster management and that you can contribute bring these unexpected times

Uploaded by Ted Ronchetti.

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