Emergency Action Planning
On the eve of the Unified Safety Day, which this year will be held on September 22, it will not be superfluous to recall the rules that will help you and your loved ones to act correctly in an emergency.
Calm, only calm
Imagine that there is a fire in your house. What will you do first? Grab children, documents, a cat? What if the fire started on the stairwell or at the neighbors' and smoke is rising to you? Will you be able to navigate in the dim light of the smoke, find a way out, open the door, window with a key? Will your loved ones be able to do this?
It is precisely in order not to be confused and panicked in an emergency that rescuers in many countries recommend developing their emergency response plan in advance. And act according to it. In large enterprises and organizations, an evacuation plan is used for this purpose. But even at home, you can navigate according to your plan to save your life.
A bad plan is one that cannot be changed
What to start from? First of all, from what can happen. According to EMERCOM statistics in Belarus, 80% of emergencies are fires in the residential sector. The basis of your plan can be outlined in general terms. What it should include:
- What can happen?
-Where?
-How will I act? How to evacuate if you can't stay?
-Where will we hide?
-What will we do if the first rescue option does not work or the exit is blocked?
-What things should I take with me?
To assess the reality of the plan, your personal experience may not be enough. Here, the advice of those who have faced or fought emergencies will be useful. Instructions, leaflets, brochures from rescuers or other emergency services will help. They will allow you to develop the right approach depending on whether you live in a private house or a high-rise building. In addition to the threat of fire, it is important to know other potential sources of emergencies in your area: are there chemically hazardous objects, large rivers, reservoirs, forests, peat bogs nearby.
Emergency exit
If you live in an apartment building, find out if there are emergency exits from the building, where they are located, how they open.
Always keep necessary items within reach: phone, glasses, apartment keys, hearing aids, medications that you cannot do without (insulin, etc.).
Do not clutter stairwells and keep access to fire escapes open.
If there is heavy smoke in the corridor, assess the situation, whether you can safely leave the building. Do not use the elevator.
If there is too much smoke in the corridor, close the doors tightly and go out onto the balcony. Report your apartment number by calling "101" or "112". Act according to the recommendations of rescuers.
If we are talking about emergencies such as floods, large forest fires, destruction of residential buildings due to man-made disasters, evacuation for a longer period may be required. But even here, time is precious. Therefore, an emergency kit (untouchable reserve) must be compiled in advance and updated periodically. What should be there, based on the calculation for all family members:
-first aid kit;
-canned food, drinking water;
-radio receiver and flashlight with spare batteries;
-matches in hermetic packaging, lighters;
-tableware: knife, forks-spoons, bowls, mugs;
-personal hygiene products.
It is generally recommended to have 2 such kits, the second can be stored in the trunk of the car.
If there is time for evacuation, it is advisable to supplement the kit with spare seasonal clothes and shoes. But whatever you plan to take with you, make sure you can carry it. Place the emergency kit in a waterproof bag, take documents, cash with you.
Follow the news on radio and TV, emergency service messages. Go over your personal plan in your head: it can work in an emergency situation mentioned in the messages. At the same time, check the completeness of your emergency kit and think about what else might be needed. If the media transmits instructions from emergency services, follow these instructions, and coordinate your own plan with them.