Content

• Steps
• Advice
• Warning

An emergency is any situation that poses a direct threat to people's health, safety, property or habitat. Knowing how to evaluate the signs of an emergency situation will help you know how to respond. In addition, your careful preparation will be effective when a real emergency occurs.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Emergency Assessment

1. 

   Keep calm. Emergency situations require quick action, but the most important element of handling a situation effectively is staying calm. If you start to feel confused or panicked, stop what you're doing and take a deep breath. Don't forget that in order to stay calm in a stressful situation, you have to adjust your behavior. Tell yourself that you can handle this situation.
   • Panic in the face of an emergency is caused by the body's production of too much of the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol travels to the brain and slows the activity of the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for controlling complex actions.
   • By controlling your body's responses, you can continue to use your logical thinking. You will not respond emotionally but with rational thinking. Take a look around and assess the situation to see what needs to be done before acting.

2. 

   
   
   Get help. Call 113 (rapid response police), 114 (fire), 115 (emergency medical) if you are in Vietnam. In the US, call 911 for emergency help. Call the appropriate emergency services numbers if you are in other countries. These phone lines will allow you to talk to emergency coordinators; They will need to know where you are and what emergency you need help with.
   • Answer all questions from the coordinator. It is the coordinator's job to respond quickly and appropriately. To do this, they will have to ask you a few questions.
   • If you are calling from a landline phone or cell phone equipped with GPS, the emergency services can locate where you are even when you cannot speak. Therefore, you should still call the emergency services even if you cannot speak; people are more likely to find and help you.
   • You should also be prepared for how to communicate in an emergency situation, especially if you have reason to be prepared for a possible emergency.

3. 

   
   
   Determine the nature of the emergency. What are the signs of an emergency happening? Is it a medical emergency, or is there an asset / building in critical condition that could injure a person? It is important to stay calm and consider the situation before reacting.
   • Car accident injury, burns or smoke inhalation in a fire are examples of medical emergencies.
   • A medical emergency includes sudden physical symptoms, such as heavy bleeding, head injury, unconsciousness, chest pain, choking, sudden dizziness or weakness.
   • A strong urge to harm yourself or another person is considered a mental health emergency.
   • Other mental health changes may also be considered an emergency, such as sudden changes in behavior or confusion, if they occur for an unknown reason.
   • The best way to respond to a behavioral emergency is to stay calm, watch from a close distance and encourage someone in crisis to stay calm as well. That way, you'll be able to react appropriately if the situation changes.

4. 

   
   
   Know that sudden incidents can be considered emergencies. Incidents such as chemical spills, fires, water pipe breaks, power outages, natural disasters like floods or fires are all examples of emergencies that can occur in the workplace. If you have been warned in advance of the danger of an emergency, such as floods, heavy snow, tornadoes, etc., you should be prepared. However, a state of emergency can happen unexpectedly.
   • When assessing emergencies, be aware that situations can change quickly.
   • If you have been warned of an emergency, be prepared to respond most effectively.

5. 

   Beware of human-caused emergency situations. Assault or threats of force at home or at work require a quick response. There are virtually no rules or predictable ways in this emergency situation. Such cases are often unpredictable and can change rapidly.
   • If you find yourself in this kind of emergency, keep yourself safe. Run to a safe location or find somewhere to hide in place. No head-to-head, unless there's no other option.
   • Watch for warning signs in the workplace, including acts of violence (push, push, etc.). Perhaps your office has a workplace violence response process, including a phone number. phone you can call to report the incident. If you are not sure about this process, ask your manager or a trusted colleague.
   • Open and straightforward communication between employees and managers is a contributing factor to a safe and productive work environment.

6. 

   
   
   Assessment of immediate danger situation. For example, if one person is injured, are you or someone else at risk of injury? Assuming someone is stuck in the machine, can you see if the machine is turned off? If there is a chemical spill, is the chemical flow spreading toward someone else? Will people be trapped in the collapsing building?
   • If the hazard is not controlled, it will affect your response.
   • Note that any emergency situation can turn unexpectedly, so you need to constantly observe and assess the situation.

7. 

   
   
   Get out of danger. If you or others are at risk of harm, leave immediately. If you are planning to evacuate, do so right away. Go to a safe place.
   • In a situation where you can't leave, find the safest place possible in the area. For example, hiding under a table-hard surface can be helpful in case you run the risk of getting hit by debris.
   • If you are near a traffic accident, make sure you are not on the road. Step onto the curb.
   • Note that, in an emergency, factors often change very quickly. Pay attention to whether chemicals are volatile or flammable. For example, in a car accident, gasoline can catch fire suddenly.

8. 

   
   
   Help people to leave dangerous places. If you can help someone out of a dangerous situation, help them. If returning to the scene is risky, it is better to let the rescue worker do the work; they are better trained and equipped to save lives.
   • Reassuring the injured person if they are awake also helps the victim, even if you cannot help move them. Let the person know who you are and what is happening to them. Ask the victim to keep them awake.
   • If the situation is stable, stay with the person who was injured.
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Method 2 of 3: Handling an emergency situation

1. 

   Determine if you can do anything to help. The most important thing you can do is to stay calm and collected during an emergency. Sometimes you can't do anything, and that's okay. Don't be bothered by admitting that you are not helping.
   • If others at the scene are confused or frightened, reassure them and mobilize everyone to help.
   • It is better to stay with the person affected by gestures of kindness instead of doing things that could cause further harm. If you are not sure what to do, just stay with the victim. If possible, take the victim's pulse, memorize the events that happened, and ask about their medical history. This is information you may need to know to report to the rescue team.

2. 

   Take some time to think before you act. People often think and act in panic when faced with an emergency situation. Instead of reacting immediately, take a moment to calm down. Take a deep breath before getting into action.
   • Things often change unexpectedly in an emergency situation. Don't be alarmed if things don't go as you planned.
   • Take a break whenever you are overwhelmed, frightened, or confused. Don't be afraid to stop doing something halfway to calm down.

3. 

   Prepare a first aid kit. The first aid kit is a powerful tool in many emergency situations. Each first aid kit should contain bandages, gauze pads, bandages, antiseptics and other necessary items.
   • If you don't have a first aid kit, look for something else nearby that can replace it.
   • You should have a first aid kit at home, and at work must have a prescribed first aid kit.
   • A good first aid kit should have a "space blanket", a lightweight material with a special material to keep the body warm. This is an essential item for people who are cold or trembling, as it can help prevent them from falling into shock.

4. 

   Ask the injured person basic questions. It is important to know the victim's state of consciousness in order to better understand his or her trauma. If the victim seems to be mistaken when asked or answered the question incorrectly, it is likely that other injuries may have occurred. If you don't know if the victim is unconscious, touch their shoulder and ask aloud, "Are you okay?"
   • You should ask questions like: What's your name? What day is today? How old are you?
   • If the victim does not respond, try rubbing their chest or pulling on their earlobes to keep them awake. You can also gently touch the person's eyelids to see if they open their eyes.
   • Once you've identified the person's state of consciousness, check to see if he or she has any medical complications. Ask if they have a health tracking bracelet or medical ID (medical identifier).

5. 

   Avoid moving the injured person. If the victim has a neck injury, movement could damage the spine. You should always call emergency services if someone has a neck injury and cannot move on their own.
   • If the victim is unable to walk on their own because of a leg or foot injury, you can help move them by holding their shoulders and supporting them.
   • If the victim is afraid of leaving a dangerous situation, reassure them.

6. 

   Use your phone only to get help. You need to fully focus on your current situation, and you will be distracted by talking on the phone. Furthermore, if you have an old phone, it may not be possible to receive calls and the lifeguard is trying to reach you. Don't use the phone unless you need to call for help.
   • If you are not sure if this is a real emergency, call the emergency services, and the coordinator will help you find out if rescuers are needed.
   • Do not try to document emergency situations unless you are sure you are out of danger. Taking a "selfie" photo or posting an ongoing situation on social networks can further hurt and lead to legal problems.
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Method 3 of 3: Prepare

1. 

   Have an emergency response plan in place. The best response in an emergency situation is to follow a response plan at home or at work. There may be people trained and assigned to command when an emergency occurs. During an emergency, you will save valuable energy and time by following the commander's plan and control, even if you don't completely agree with them.
   • The response plan should have a gathering place for people to look for until they have evacuated from the home or building.
   • Post the emergency number near where the phone is located.
   • Important medical information should be stored in the phone or stored in a wallet.

2. 

   Know your address. You will need to know where you are to tell the emergency coordinator. Your home address is easy to know, but you also need to remember it at work. Make it a habit to check your address every time you go somewhere.
   • If you don't know a specific address, say the name of the street or any intersections or landmarks you know.
   • If your phone has built-in GPS, you can use your phone to identify addresses. However, this will take valuable time in an emergency situation.

3. 

   Determine the nearest exit. You should always be on the lookout for emergency exits for your building, whether home, office, or public locations. Identify at least 2 escape routes in case one is blocked. In workplaces or public locations, exits are often clearly marked.
   • Choose two locations that you can gather with family or colleagues. One should be outside of the home or workplace. The other location must be outside the area where the incident occurred, in case it is no longer safe.
   • By law, emergency exits must be physically accessible.

4. 

   Take a first aid class. The first aid kit won't help if you don't know how to use it. Learning how to bandage, place a garland and use other tools will help in an emergency. In the US, the Red Cross regularly offers first aid courses in most regions.
   • Many Red Cross courses are also available online.
   • First aid courses can be targeted to specific ages. If you have young children or just want to help children in an emergency, seek first aid courses to help children. If you work with children, you are required by law to take this training.

5. 

   Consider learning cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in addition to first aid skills. CPR is a technique that can save lives of a patient having a heart attack. If you do not know how to resuscitate your heart, you can still perform chest compressions for people who are suspected of having a heart attack.
   • The extrathoracic cardiac compression technique is a rapid pressing of the cage stopping at a rate of 100 compressions per minute, or 1 squeeze per second.
   • CPR technology will be guided by the Red Cross. If you have young children, take a child CPR course to prepare for the emergency response. If your work involves children, you will also be required to take this prescribed training.

6. 

   Know about chemicals in your home or workplace. If an emergency occurs in your workplace, you should know where to find chemical safety signs for all chemicals used. Listing a list of chemicals for use in the home or workplace with first aid measures in case of an emergency will be the most effective way you can prepare for an emergency.
   • Your workplace will have an eye sink if you are constantly exposed to toxic chemicals.
   • Remember to share relevant information about chemicals with the rescue team.

7. 

   Post emergency numbers near where the phone is located. Stick emergency numbers, such as 113, 114, and 115, along with numbers for family members to reach. Poison center, emergency center, and doctor numbers should also be posted next to the contact numbers of a neighbor or nearby friend or relative and your workplace phone numbers.
   • These numbers are required for all household members, including children, in the event of an emergency.
   • For children, the elderly or the disabled, you should consider posting reminder notes to help them remember what to say to everyone when calling. You can even rehearse with them and teach them how to act properly in different emergency situations.

8. 

   Wear a medical ID if you have a chronic illness. If you have a medical condition that the rescue team needs to know, such as diabetes, certain allergies, epilepsy, other seizures or other conditions, the Medical ID will provide you with the information as you go. can't say.
   • Usually, emergency staff will look for the medical ID on the victim's wrist. In addition, the medical ID is often worn as a necklace in the neck.
   • People with disabilities and medical conditions such as Tourette's syndrome, autism, dementia, etc. may need a medical ID card to help rescue workers better understand their needs and behavior.
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Advice

• Make sure everyone in the home or workplace knows where to put first aid kits.
• Keep a first aid kit in the car.
• You may need a contact phone number outside the affected area in case all the phone lines in the area are busy.

Warning

• Never move a person with a neck injury.
• Never leave doors open at work. The exit must be open from the inside to prevent unauthorized people from entering.
• Do not place pillows under the head of an unconscious person, as this can lead to spinal damage.
• Do not hang up when talking to emergency dispatchers until they say you can hang up.
• Never give food or drink to an unconscious person.