A lot of discussions on this forum revolve around apocalyptic, off-grid, surviving hungry hordes of zombies type of situations. While I keep chipping at preparedness for those long term events, I feel quite comfortable training and equipping myself and my family for every day emergencies.
Today, driving on a busy street a block away from a fire station, I witnessed two cars colliding at about 60Mph (I'm in America now Eh?!) right in front of me. One car on it's side the other upright, 4 people involved, 3 hurts, 2 of them trapped inside the upset vehicle. A lot of good intentioned bystanders stopped to help and rushed to those trapped in the vehicle.
I became concerned of everyone's safety when bystanders started attempting to climb in the upset vehicle that hadn't been stabilized yet. So, I rallied everyone to the back of my truck. After confirming that 911 had been called (no less than 5 people did - thanks to cellphones - poor dispatchers!), I started assigning duties:
1) Sir, take this reflective vest and direct traffic please, no point of having more people hurt;
2) Ma'am, please grab this fire extinguisher, stand about 20' away and let us know if you see smoke of fire somewhere (there was quite a bit of fluids spilling);
3) Ma'am, take this blanket and first aid kit with you, I'll be there in 1 min.
Then I tied a tow rope between the upset vehicle and the hitch of my large SUV; this was to prevent the vehicle from rolling on bystanders or first aiders (and me...)
Of course, when seconds count, rescue services are just minutes away (even with the firehall 1/2 mile away!) It took about 5 minutes for 2 police cruisers to arrive, another 3-4 for a fire/rescue truck and the first ambulance arrived about 10-12 minutes after 911 was called.
Morale of the story:
1) I've had tons of people laughing at me over the years for all the stuff I carried in my truck... It all came in handy today!
2) Well intentioned people can get hurt, imagine if the car had rolled over on them. Remember the first steps in first aid courses : Take Charge, Call for Help (911) and Assess Hazards!
3) Speaking of first aid courses... Are you up to date? This incident happened in a location where first responders should have been on scene in 5 mins or less but it took much longer than that. Thankfully, no one was severely injured.
4) Thanking all that stopped to help (I made an habit of doing that when working on ambulance before), a lot of people asked why I carried all that stuff in my truck (see point 1 but without laughing). I explained that it is good to be prepared for emergencies, just like we carry insurance for our vehicles and house. I'm not sure that the 6-7 people I interacted with today will all turn into preppers or go equip their vehicles with emergency gear, but I'm sure a couple may seriously take some steps in the right direction.
5) I had a wayyyy stronger tow-strap but forgot I had it tucked neatly away in the truck : keep a regular inventory of your stuff, make sure it is serviceable and that you know how to use it.
6) I may keep a set of coveralls in the truck. I was glad I didn't have to crawl inside the vehicle (glass and all) as shorts, t-shirts and sandals aren't ideal pieces of attire for this! (As a side note, I carry boots, rain gear and a spare of clothes for just in case, but I couldn't have seen myself changing into a pair of jeans, socks and boots roadside today)
Have a safe weekend!
Thanks for that Helicopilot. No one asks why I keep my truck so full of materials because I'm in the trades and there is an expectation for safety and hazard equipment. Still, it's great to see that you were on site and able to assist in such a competent way. Thanks also for the reminder to update the first aid training - I have been remiss.
Antsy
Needs must when the devil drives.
Anyone who says they are a survivalist but can't handle a job loss or a flat tire is just kidding themselves. Your post shows what real survival prepping is for.
Why did I join Canadian Preppers Network?
Well I was going to join the UK Network but those bloody Brits don't know how to speak proper English! 😉
Kudos to you Helicopilot, for having the skills, tools and the wherewithall to put them to use. Those people were lucky that someone took a leadership role in that situation.
HopeImReady
"The thing about smart mother f*ckers, is that they sometimes sound like crazy mother f*ckers to dumb mother f*ckers." -Abraham .”
Ditto on the kudos.
Appreciate the accolade folks, but the main reason I posted this is to reiterate that "everyday emergencies" are common. I echo HaliBoy comment. It may be cooler to buy 25 year freeze dry food, but is your vehicle ready for a flat tire, getting stuck in the snow/mud and do you have an appropriate change of clothes with you if stranded or wet? The 100 rolls of silver coins are nice feel good, but do people also have $200 in $20/$10 in their wallets to buy stuff if the power or phone lines are out?
It's nice to have 50 gallons of kerosene, a kerosene heater and oil lamps, but do people also have a fire extinguisher out and ready in case the cat knocks something over?
I can go on a rant, like this (a peeve of mine is people wanting to learn IVs and sutures and not even having a current basic first aid course) but again, the goal here is to remind everyone that we may in all likelihood experience the whole TEOTWAWKI experience in our lifetime (I hope anyway), but that we're all likely to experience those little, everyday, emergencies.
in the past couple of weeks have had minor injuries/incidents happen. in one a friends kid got a small burn and she asked via Facebook what 1st aid.. some folks gave dumb answers, some gave wrong (eg ice, butter etc). my bro in law was able to reply b4 me and gave a good answer which I echoed (cool water 1stly- running or soaking in) 20 mins or so then assess. Aloe gel etc afterwards. Since then I have put together a small 1st aid kit for her (inc Burn gel) and a goodies bag with some other items like hand sanitiser, torches, candles etc.
Also both my father and sister sliced / knocked their hands when visiting me (separately), so I first aided them. my sister reminded me how at a house she cleans she had sliced her little finger.. she joked how the house had 2 nurses living in it with kids.. and they had no 1st aid supplies. she had to use a cotton ball and sticky tape. After that had happened I had given her a boo boo kit, and she had started carrying a little container with pain meds, batteries, a torch on her keychain etc based on my having stuff all the time.
no where near the level of what helicopter encountered, but as we know.. stuff happens.
I semi joke with people how I have enough 1st aid supplies for a small school. and I have given small kits to several family and friends, both 1st aid and blackout/emergency kits.
I grew up on Looney Tunes, Marx Brothers mvies and Robin Williams, Enter my mind at your own risk
"everyday emergencies" are common.
You are SO right. And we are usually blindsided by the unexpected. Being somewhat prepared is better than nothing. Don't forget supplies/spare parts to fix what you're counting on to keep you safe and alive. Cash is king when the power goes out - we learned that during the 1998 Ice Storm. Small bills are best.
I still think you deserve credit for keeping a cool head during an emergency.
You did good
the stuff i use to, carry just the same
at work as first/r
but had to compute their for on scence before any one else
still been called about the freedom of infonation act for many active groups and their behaves
I had chap stroke out last friday at work on us ,just joined the plant 3 months ago they didn;t i was trained
carry a stethoscope and vent mask with me every day in lunch pack
every one should carry some first aid ,learn first aid
Iv did did first/r for many years in many places my car kit better then most rigs,but the training only thing backs ups the tools.
underwater is safer than land