The article below is very helpful in knowing how we can better react to emergency situations including safety and health emergencies.<\/p>\n
What do you do?<\/p>\n
Well, that depends. Every one of us is at risk for these kinds of unexpected intrusions into our day-to-day lives. What you do about it depends on whether or not you\u2019re prepared \u2013 not just physically, but also mentally.<\/p>\n
In any situation, some things are likely to be out of your control: the size of the fire; who\u2019s flying the plane; what\u2019s wrong with the woman. Some things, however, are up to you. Being aware of how you might react can go a long way toward making a bad situation better.<\/p>\n
In a crisis, your brain is going to want to make decisions, and not always the best ones. The good news is there are steps you can take to be a better decision-maker in emergencies. There is science behind the way people react to stressful situations, and we can use it to our advantage.<\/p>\n
Science tells us that people behave in high stress incidents in certain ways. What you do will be dependent in large part on what your stress level is. If your heart rate soars above about 175 beats per minute, you\u2019re more likely to go into shutdown mode and not be able to think clearly or act. A technique called \u201ccombat breathing\u201d (inhale through your nose, hold, exhale through your mouth, hold) has been shown to reduce your heart rate by 20-30 beats per minute. Controlling your emotion and stress level will help as you go through the decision-making process.<\/p>\n
During the decision-making process, your mind will most likely move through three stages:<\/p>\n
Knowing these stages \u2013 and preparing for them ahead of time \u2013 can help you recognize and deal with what\u2019s going on around you more effectively.<\/p>\n
Have you ever heard gunfire in your neighborhood and blamed it on a firecracker? That\u2019s denial. And it\u2019s perfectly normal. We don\u2019t want to believe bad things are happening. We don\u2019t want to panic or look silly.<\/p>\n
In emergencies, we often look to people around us for cues about what we should do. (Is everyone else running and screaming, or are they sitting quietly in their chairs? Are others stopping to help?) This is known as\u00a0social proof.<\/strong>\u00a0Social proof is a psychological phenomenon that happens whenever people aren\u2019t sure what to do. We assume others around us know more about the situation, and so we do what they do, whether it\u2019s the right thing or not.<\/p>\n We also know that a person is less likely to take responsibility when others are present. We assume that other people are responsible for taking action, or that they\u2019ve already done so. This is called\u00a0diffusion of responsibility<\/strong>, and it means you\u2019re actually more likely to get help when you\u2019re with a single person than when you\u2019re in a large group of people.<\/p>\n We are all susceptible to believing these things, which make it easy to deny that 1) an emergency is really happening, or 2) we need to do something about it.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve recognized the emergency, you\u2019ll begin to consider your options. If you\u2019re smart, you\u2019ve already started this process before the emergency happens. Maybe you participated in a fire drill at work, or you counted exactly how many rows there are between you and the emergency exit on the plane, or you took a first aid class in your community. The more you\u2019ve prepared, the more options you\u2019ll have to work with.<\/p>\n One thing you can do to prepare everywhere you go is called\u00a0scripting<\/strong>. All it requires is a little bit of imagination. Pay attention to your surroundings and see what\u2019s available to you. Check for exits (and consider windows as possible exits). Be nosy, especially when it concerns your safety. Then run different scenarios in your head. Where would you go if you had to get out? Who would you call if you needed help? What will you do if there\u2019s a fire? A robbery? A bomb threat? Think about the possibilities ahead of time.<\/p>\n Everybody hates the idea that we practice for emergency events. Fire drills\u2026 ugh. But it\u2019s practice, and practice helps you understand what to do or how to react when you don\u2019t have a lot of time. Not only can practice save your life, but if you know how to save yourself, emergency responders on the scene can use their time and effort to save others. You\u2019re one less person who needs saving, and that saves lives.<\/p>\n You\u2019ve acknowledged there\u2019s a problem. You\u2019ve considered your options. The next step is to take decisive action. With all the information you have, what are you going to do next?<\/p>\n Before you take action:<\/p>\n Now is the time to put your plans into motion. Go to the exit, call for help, take cover, give CPR\u2026 whatever you\u2019ve decided to do.<\/p>\n In most crisis situations, there is no definite right or wrong. There is no perfect way \u2013 only the best we can do. The most important thing is to do\u00a0something<\/em>. In almost every case, an imperfect plan is better than no plan, and action is better than inaction.<\/p>\n Remember, if you depend on everyone else to take care of you, you\u2019re leaving the most important person out. Don\u2019t wait to make a plan. Know yourself, know your situation, and be prepared to save your own life.<\/p>\nDeliberation: What are my options?<\/h3>\n
Decisive action: It\u2019s go time!<\/h3>\n
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