The key 15 minute contingency plan before a disaster

        The prophecy of a major disaster has been widely circulated on the internet recently, causing some people to panic. Regardless of the credibility of the prophecy, it is important to be prepared for disaster prevention in daily life so that we can respond accordingly. In this issue of 'Health Column', important concepts related to disaster medicine are shared. Only in the event of a disaster can one have the ability to self rescue and save others.

                Imagine you live in a coastal area and are on vacation at home. Suddenly, your phone alarm sounds loudly. Before you can pick up your phone, you immediately feel the earth shaking and objects falling from cabinets. Finally, the earthquake stops. Unexpectedly, the phone alarm sounds again, warning that a tsunami will arrive in 15 minutes. Residents within 5 kilometers of the coast are advised to evacuate as soon as possible. What should you do at this point?

        Definition and Types of Disasters

        Broadly speaking, a disaster refers to a huge ecological impact that threatens human life or health, making it impossible to respond in a normal way and requiring different behaviors and external assistance to overcome.

        The types of disasters are divided into "natural disasters", "man-made disasters", and "natural and man-made" combined disasters. Among them, "natural disasters" include earthquakes, typhoons, tsunamis, floods, and mudslides, etc; 'Human made disasters' include: fires, explosions, traffic accidents, stampedes during crowd gatherings, terrorist attacks, and wars, etc; As for the merger of natural and man-made disasters, a famous example is the March 11, 2011 Japan earthquake, which triggered a tsunami and caused severe damage to the Fukushima nuclear power plant, as well as the subsequent leakage, spread, and contamination of radioactive materials.

        Disasters can cause injuries, and if the number or severity of these injuries exceeds the capacity of medical institutions to handle them normally, it can evolve into a medical disaster.

        Disaster response management

        The response to disasters is generally divided into four cyclic stages, namely "disaster reduction, preparedness, response, and recovery". The following disaster management methods are not limited to institutions or organizations, and the general public can also establish disaster prevention thinking based on these principles.

        1. Disaster reduction: Disaster reduction refers to reducing the probability of disasters occurring or the likelihood of disasters causing serious harm. In terms of household fires, measures such as reducing the use of open flame heating equipment, replacing aging electrical circuits and wires, and using fire-resistant building materials can be taken to reduce the probability of fires. Additionally, not stacking debris in corridors and lobbies can provide a smooth escape route for fires, which is also an effective disaster reduction measure.

        2. Preparation: Preparing relevant materials or processes in advance can reduce the harm caused by disasters. For example, in the case of a fire, it is important to have fire extinguishers readily available, familiarize oneself with the use of fire extinguishers, understand the community evacuation routes, nearby shelters, or arrange a disaster meeting point with family members.

        3. Response: In the event of a disaster, in addition to applying the pre drilled content (such as using fire extinguishers and escaping the fire according to the pre planned route), one should also adapt to the situation on site. If a group of people are responding together, a commander should be selected and functionally grouped, with the commonly used grouping method being the Incident Command System (ICS).

        4. Recovery: In the later stages of a disaster, when the harm is significantly reduced or there are no new hazards, efforts can be made to restore the building or other hardware equipment to its original state and reflect on how to make the next response better. For example, place the fire extinguisher in a more easily accessible location and familiarize yourself with its usage every six months, returning to the cycle of disaster reduction and maintenance.

        How should we respond when a disaster strikes?

                When a disaster strikes, the first step is to find a way to survive and remain calm, searching for escape routes and shelters. Taking a tsunami as an example, it is advisable to seek refuge in farther and higher places as much as possible, while ensuring external communication capabilities, preparing mobile phones and power sources to obtain the latest shelter information, and contacting family and friends to warn and inform each other of their location. Although during a disaster, the switch may become full and unable to make calls due to the instantaneous transmission of a large amount of messages, or there may be delays in network calls and communication software, if the original tenant's base station is damaged and unable to be used, you can try calling 112.

        If you still have time, remember to bring a pre prepared personal disaster prevention and rescue kit, which should include: emergency food and water, ID card, health insurance card, passbook, radio, flashlight, battery, lighter, Swiss knife, whistle, a small amount of cash, work gloves, rain clothes, etc. Property and jewelry are usually not needed.

        Personal Disaster Prevention Concept

        The concept of comprehensive disaster management can also be applied to personal disaster prevention, such as emergency response to fires and earthquakes, which require evacuation routes and communication, and usually do not require the preparation of two sets of systems. In addition, the concept of hazard vulnerability analysis can be applied to prioritize disaster preparedness for those with the highest probability of occurrence and more severe impact hazards (for example, if living in Nantou, there is no need to consider tsunamis).

        conclusion

        Everyone may encounter disasters, and being prepared in advance is the key to preserving life. When facing a disaster, you should remain calm, search for escape routes and shelters as soon as possible, and use the tools around you that can be used for rescue, while waiting for professional medical personnel to rescue.

        *Dr. Huang Junyan's expertise includes emergency medicine, internal and external medicine, pediatric critical care medicine, trauma medicine, critical care ultrasound, and toxicology.

                *Image source: Freepik

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