Saturday was a different story…
Anyone who talked to me on Saturday got the totally hyped up version of how I was feeling. Sorry if I was over excited but it was VERY COOL!!!
The day started at 10:00am at the fire dept’s training grounds. We were briefed on what the emergency was and then we were given a few minutes to get some basic stuff taken care of, who was in charge and who were his minions. I become triage supervisor and Danni was one of the medical personal. My job: place my team with search and rescue teams, make sure that they had all the supplies they would need and help if needed. Danni would be part of the team that would take over as soon as we got them to the ‘hospital area’. Seeing as we found more wounded than we had teams I was called out to do some transporting of people.
We had five boys from St. Pats High school that were given parts to play and lots of really cool makeup to make it real. When the earthquake hit the kids were home alone and had been having a New Years Eve party some were in the house and some were in the abandoned apartment building next door, the kid that was the ‘owner’ of the house also was babysitting his younger sister (CPR Dummy).
The first victim we found was a DOA, (a CPR dummy) he was on the roof when the earthquake hit, we had to black tag him. We moved him later in the drill. I had to move two of the victims. One had an arm laceration LOTS of blood all over the place, I mean I was kneeling in it in order to attach him to the backboard for moving. (It wasn't until later in the day that I looked at my jeans and wondered what I had all over them...it was fake blood) He was a smaller than Brennan and I have to say it wasn’t easy to move him. The second person I had to check (but not move) was a leg injury with protruding bone… (Make up was so cool) Luckily with that one, another person on the team had it all together and all I needed to do was bring some splinting materials. The last move I helped with was a (CPR dummy) guy trapped under a pile of rubble. We were out of backboards so someone from the S&R team found some plywood and we duct taped the patient to the plywood with me wrapping the duct tape around the patient and the plywood, being careful not to put any duct tape on the patients skin but also making sure he didn’t slide around. My Poppop would have been proud of me, he used duct tape the way Greg G. uses glue! We got kudos for that idea as well as me securing pieces of wood to either side of him as bracing for his neck.
The last thing that we had to do before they called an end to the drill was make sure we had all the victims. The kids kept saying that we were missing someone named Matt. Finally we took the one kid who was least injured and had him identify the DOA we found in the beginning… He was a great actor really reacted well when we had to identify ‘Matt’… Yes they named him Matt since he fell off the top of a three-story building and was flat as a mat… get it? There was quite the discussion on weather or not to bring the ‘kid’ over to identify a body. Even though it was a drill and I knew were where going to be showing him a CPR dummy it was still something we in the medical tent talked about before doing it. It really made it real.
The drill was over when the ‘fire dept’ showed up to take over. We ended up with one green tags (walking wounded), two yellow tag (serious) and four red tags (critical) and one black tag (poor Matt). That was what we were supposed to have! Whoo hoo!
Then we debriefed afterwards, what worked, what didn’t… what we could have done better. All in all it was great. The kids took pictures of their makeup, and mourning poor Matt and Capt told them that they did have to take it off before school on Monday.
Then we were sworn in as disaster first responder volunteers. I have to say there was sense of duty to raise my right hand and swear to up hold the Constitution of the U.S and of California. Puts a lot of things into place. I don't know if I feel 100% prepared in the event, and I am not sure you can ever feel 100% prepared. I do know that I have the skills to help if needed and that feels good.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Psychology
The last class not so much fun.
Last Tuesday we had our last class before the drill/test. It was a sobering class. In the other weeks Danni and I came home feeling jazzed and that we learned something new that if needed we could help someone or even just ourselves and our family. Tuesday’s class was different we focused on the psychology of disaster and the reactions that range from just taking it in stride to just completely coming unhinged. There is no “normal” response. We covered everything from how to deal with a dead body to how to protect ourselves from any blood-borne germs (HIV or hepatitis) or even air-borne germs (TB) and even food transferred illnesses like E. Coli.
We also touched on what is terrorism. I say touched because it was a lively discussion one that other people’s political views came into play. After 9-11 the U.S. Government defined terrorism as “the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.” Okalahoma bombing terrorism... Columbine not terrorism… other events were also discussed trying to make us see what is and what is not terrorism. Other things may feel like terrorism or them may cause you to feel terrorized but it doesn’t fall under the definition of terrorism as set by the U.S. Government. It was an emotional conversion one that made you think, debate with yourself. Danni and I talked about it later in the evening and really it is hard to separate the feeling of being terrorized with true terrorism.
They did keep blaming the Irish for the beginnings of terrorism, as we know it today. They were sighting things that happened, about Michael Collins time frame and the beginnings of the IRA, and I really wanted to argue that point but that wasn’t the point of the class. :)
Last Tuesday we had our last class before the drill/test. It was a sobering class. In the other weeks Danni and I came home feeling jazzed and that we learned something new that if needed we could help someone or even just ourselves and our family. Tuesday’s class was different we focused on the psychology of disaster and the reactions that range from just taking it in stride to just completely coming unhinged. There is no “normal” response. We covered everything from how to deal with a dead body to how to protect ourselves from any blood-borne germs (HIV or hepatitis) or even air-borne germs (TB) and even food transferred illnesses like E. Coli.
We also touched on what is terrorism. I say touched because it was a lively discussion one that other people’s political views came into play. After 9-11 the U.S. Government defined terrorism as “the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.” Okalahoma bombing terrorism... Columbine not terrorism… other events were also discussed trying to make us see what is and what is not terrorism. Other things may feel like terrorism or them may cause you to feel terrorized but it doesn’t fall under the definition of terrorism as set by the U.S. Government. It was an emotional conversion one that made you think, debate with yourself. Danni and I talked about it later in the evening and really it is hard to separate the feeling of being terrorized with true terrorism.
They did keep blaming the Irish for the beginnings of terrorism, as we know it today. They were sighting things that happened, about Michael Collins time frame and the beginnings of the IRA, and I really wanted to argue that point but that wasn’t the point of the class. :)
Search and Rescue
I am a little behind with this post:
I was looking forward to this class, what I wanted to be when I grew up was a forest ranger not the one that takes your money as you enter the park but in search and rescue. I know this is a different type of S&R but really all the principles are the same.
In an event we would be required to first see to our family then our neighbors.
We looked at all the different forms of structures found in our fair town… being a lot of it has been around for quite a while some of it would not even make it through a large event. We were shown pictures of buildings and houses around town that may look good on the outside but since they were build 70+ years ago chances are they are not reinforced for earthquakes.
Mostly we were shown what type of things to look for and when it would be safe for someone of our skill level to enter a building and search. What to do after we entered the building, how to search and how to rescue someone trapped. We learned how to ‘crib and lift’ what it would take to get someone out without hurting them more or hurting ourselves. How to mark the buildings so that people would know that we searched it and what we found. When to go for help because the job is too big for us or the building was just too damaged.
We were broken up in to three different groups and each group would ‘rescue’ someone (training dummy) out from underneath rubble. The first group got up and went to work, the second and third groups learned from the first group. I was in the second group while they were setting up our victim we went into the classroom to devise a plan of attack. When we got out there to assess the damage… myself and another classmate looked at the poor victim and how buried he was and pretty much said… “he is too crunched we are black tagging and moving on” we were told no we had to get him free… Of course we were told later on if it had been real life our assessment was correct. Now I didn’t have physics in school, but I understand the basics. We had to stabilize the debris in order to lift it and free the victim. I had my corner to deal with making sure that it was shored up enough to make the lift safe for all involved. It was like stacking blocks to build a tower that wouldn’t fall over. It was good to be hands on about the whole thing I found out what would work and what wouldn’t work.
Danni was in the last group and I am not sure how it happened but she was team leader. She blew Capt away… she went out there the team assessed the damage and she put everyone to work and in record time the team had that guy rescued. It was very cool to watch. She was cool and had a plan and executed it and even with her being the youngest NO ONE in her group questioned what she was telling them to do. One of our classmates told me that they could see her as a firefighter or something along those lines, that she has a presence about her. I was very proud of her.
It was a good class.
http://www.timesheraldonline.com//ci_7683149?IADID=Search-www.timesheraldonline.com-www.timesheraldonline.com
I was looking forward to this class, what I wanted to be when I grew up was a forest ranger not the one that takes your money as you enter the park but in search and rescue. I know this is a different type of S&R but really all the principles are the same.
In an event we would be required to first see to our family then our neighbors.
We looked at all the different forms of structures found in our fair town… being a lot of it has been around for quite a while some of it would not even make it through a large event. We were shown pictures of buildings and houses around town that may look good on the outside but since they were build 70+ years ago chances are they are not reinforced for earthquakes.
Mostly we were shown what type of things to look for and when it would be safe for someone of our skill level to enter a building and search. What to do after we entered the building, how to search and how to rescue someone trapped. We learned how to ‘crib and lift’ what it would take to get someone out without hurting them more or hurting ourselves. How to mark the buildings so that people would know that we searched it and what we found. When to go for help because the job is too big for us or the building was just too damaged.
We were broken up in to three different groups and each group would ‘rescue’ someone (training dummy) out from underneath rubble. The first group got up and went to work, the second and third groups learned from the first group. I was in the second group while they were setting up our victim we went into the classroom to devise a plan of attack. When we got out there to assess the damage… myself and another classmate looked at the poor victim and how buried he was and pretty much said… “he is too crunched we are black tagging and moving on” we were told no we had to get him free… Of course we were told later on if it had been real life our assessment was correct. Now I didn’t have physics in school, but I understand the basics. We had to stabilize the debris in order to lift it and free the victim. I had my corner to deal with making sure that it was shored up enough to make the lift safe for all involved. It was like stacking blocks to build a tower that wouldn’t fall over. It was good to be hands on about the whole thing I found out what would work and what wouldn’t work.
Danni was in the last group and I am not sure how it happened but she was team leader. She blew Capt away… she went out there the team assessed the damage and she put everyone to work and in record time the team had that guy rescued. It was very cool to watch. She was cool and had a plan and executed it and even with her being the youngest NO ONE in her group questioned what she was telling them to do. One of our classmates told me that they could see her as a firefighter or something along those lines, that she has a presence about her. I was very proud of her.
It was a good class.
http://www.timesheraldonline.com//ci_7683149?IADID=Search-www.timesheraldonline.com-www.timesheraldonline.com
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
My Daughter is Florence Nightingale
http://www.timesheraldonline.com//ci_7623671?IADID=Search-www.timesheraldonline.com-www.timesheraldonline.com
Okay not really but we were trained this week how to splint, tape, bandage and even (if we really had to) try and pull a bone back into alignment. ICKY GROSS, so not what I ever want to do and really the only reason we would even attempt anything like that is the absence of a pulse lower than the break.
As far a splinting, wrapping, bandaging, and dressing burns all of that is really just basic. But that isn’t very fair it is basic to me but I have taken first aide classes, helped the girls through the first aide patch for girl scouts, and well I have been hurt so you learn how to do the basics… and really what we learned was an extension of those basics. We also learned how to deal with burns and impaling objects, oh and heat exhaustion, and hypothermia. When she asked for the signs if heat exhaustion both Danni and I raised our hands and gave the signs and different ‘cures’… J How to use what might be in the area for supplies and how to conserve all supplies but still make sure that the patient is taken care of to the best of our abilities. What was also new was how to do a full assessment and when people are in shock/hurt the type of questions to ask, what to watch for in the body language that will help us, help them.
There is a picture of Danni doing a general check on a “patient” while I take notes, those notes would then be passed on to medical personal when they show up. Those notes also would be kept confidential which made sense to me but some people in the class questioned, “why not tell the press, or someone saying they were friends or family?” And it all comes down to privacy where we are not held to the same stringent restrictions as Doctors but we are held to some restrictions. Like I said there were some people in the class that didn’t really understand why we wouldn’t just tell people who we had in our “sick bay” and what injuries they had sustained. Thinking about it from an outside point of view sitting there and watching some disaster on the TV only to be told by a reporter that my family was injured is not the way I want to find something like that out, I think most everyone understood by the time Capt was done explaining.
Of course Capt had us fill out the “patient” forms with names she challenged us to come up with good ones… Mine was Paddy O’Door… he sustained 2nd and 3rd degree burns on his arms, a broken right leg and a head injury… hehehe for those who don’t know Paddy O’Door is DK’s Dickens faire name… LOL! He was very damaged.
Okay not really but we were trained this week how to splint, tape, bandage and even (if we really had to) try and pull a bone back into alignment. ICKY GROSS, so not what I ever want to do and really the only reason we would even attempt anything like that is the absence of a pulse lower than the break.
As far a splinting, wrapping, bandaging, and dressing burns all of that is really just basic. But that isn’t very fair it is basic to me but I have taken first aide classes, helped the girls through the first aide patch for girl scouts, and well I have been hurt so you learn how to do the basics… and really what we learned was an extension of those basics. We also learned how to deal with burns and impaling objects, oh and heat exhaustion, and hypothermia. When she asked for the signs if heat exhaustion both Danni and I raised our hands and gave the signs and different ‘cures’… J How to use what might be in the area for supplies and how to conserve all supplies but still make sure that the patient is taken care of to the best of our abilities. What was also new was how to do a full assessment and when people are in shock/hurt the type of questions to ask, what to watch for in the body language that will help us, help them.
There is a picture of Danni doing a general check on a “patient” while I take notes, those notes would then be passed on to medical personal when they show up. Those notes also would be kept confidential which made sense to me but some people in the class questioned, “why not tell the press, or someone saying they were friends or family?” And it all comes down to privacy where we are not held to the same stringent restrictions as Doctors but we are held to some restrictions. Like I said there were some people in the class that didn’t really understand why we wouldn’t just tell people who we had in our “sick bay” and what injuries they had sustained. Thinking about it from an outside point of view sitting there and watching some disaster on the TV only to be told by a reporter that my family was injured is not the way I want to find something like that out, I think most everyone understood by the time Capt was done explaining.
Of course Capt had us fill out the “patient” forms with names she challenged us to come up with good ones… Mine was Paddy O’Door… he sustained 2nd and 3rd degree burns on his arms, a broken right leg and a head injury… hehehe for those who don’t know Paddy O’Door is DK’s Dickens faire name… LOL! He was very damaged.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Medical Training
Last week we started in on the medical part of the training... both of us, Danni and I, managed to get mentioned in the paper. Of course our names are spelled incorrectly (well my last one is just WRONG)
http://www.timesheraldonline.com/ci_7561625
It was strange to go through the whole tagging people. Capt had cards out with situations like: 30 year old women comes running to you with a baby in her arms she is screaming. Bleeding slightly from legs. At the bottom of the card has her vitals. From that information you are supposed to tag: green (walking wounded), Orange (wounded but not critical), Red (critical), Black (can't be saved). Well as a first responder you sometimes try to up grade people to a higher "tag". Because of age, mental, or physical state. If they were unable to walk before the accident and still can't walk it doesn't but them at higher 'risk'. One of the cards had a 12-year-old girl bleeding profusely, unresponsive and breathing at only 4 breaths per minute. We had to black tag her... not an easy thing to do. Luckily in the 20+ years that the Capt has been doing rescue she has never had to "black" tag anyone.
Danni is thinking, she is wondering if we have radios between Grandma's house and our house if that would work for communications, in the event. I told her we might have to look into CB radios just to be sure. We have list going know of things to do and things to get for "in the event" its not an earthquake box it will be an "event box"... 'cause you never know what is going to happen but you can be ready for anything. One of the main statements that Capt has said is no matter what is happening you deal with it mostly the same way. Earthquake: you have lost power, lost water, maybe lost place to live. Flood: you have lost power, water, place to live. Fire same thing, terroist attack, explosion all the same. You need a safe place to stay, food, water, clothing and medical care. Those are the things that we are being trained to help with and my friends you too will be bugged about putting together an "event box" and a plan.... Everyone must have a plan.
http://www.timesheraldonline.com/ci_7561625
It was strange to go through the whole tagging people. Capt had cards out with situations like: 30 year old women comes running to you with a baby in her arms she is screaming. Bleeding slightly from legs. At the bottom of the card has her vitals. From that information you are supposed to tag: green (walking wounded), Orange (wounded but not critical), Red (critical), Black (can't be saved). Well as a first responder you sometimes try to up grade people to a higher "tag". Because of age, mental, or physical state. If they were unable to walk before the accident and still can't walk it doesn't but them at higher 'risk'. One of the cards had a 12-year-old girl bleeding profusely, unresponsive and breathing at only 4 breaths per minute. We had to black tag her... not an easy thing to do. Luckily in the 20+ years that the Capt has been doing rescue she has never had to "black" tag anyone.
Danni is thinking, she is wondering if we have radios between Grandma's house and our house if that would work for communications, in the event. I told her we might have to look into CB radios just to be sure. We have list going know of things to do and things to get for "in the event" its not an earthquake box it will be an "event box"... 'cause you never know what is going to happen but you can be ready for anything. One of the main statements that Capt has said is no matter what is happening you deal with it mostly the same way. Earthquake: you have lost power, lost water, maybe lost place to live. Flood: you have lost power, water, place to live. Fire same thing, terroist attack, explosion all the same. You need a safe place to stay, food, water, clothing and medical care. Those are the things that we are being trained to help with and my friends you too will be bugged about putting together an "event box" and a plan.... Everyone must have a plan.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
What to do on a Tuesday Night
A few weeks ago while talking with some of the local Firefighters they told me about this program in Vallejo called ALERT. http://www.timesheraldonline.com//ci_7441308?IADID=Search-www.timesheraldonline.com-www.timesheraldonline.com
So Danni and I signed up, Capt Cavanaugh is so excited to have her first Mother/Daughter team! Anne was involved in Danni's (and Froggy’s) fifth grade class and was happy to hear that Danni is 18 and the youngest to go through this class.
The first week we went through how to be prepared, for fire, earthquake, flood, and even terrorist attacks. Things that we can do around the house now in order to help ourselves, family, friends and neighbors not if this happens but when. And how to deal with the first 72 hours. It made me go home and look out the very out of date earthquake box I have, there are still diapers in it for youngest… NOTE: she has been potty trained since she was 2 ½. So our homework was to update and create an emergency box, and plan. Who would be your out of state contact? Do you have food? Water? Clothes? Chocolate? For the first 72 hours? Also for those who have special needs: heart, asthma, diabetes, or even blood pressure meds, do they have a supply that could get them through the first week? Tuff stuff we are still complying.
The second week, last night, we got to play with FIRE… they taught everyone how to use a fire extinguisher… on two types of fires. This being the fire department they of course had this nifty BBQ looking thing that was fueled by propane and with a flip of the switch they could start a fire and in groups of two we went in to put out said fire. Now Capt Anne said that humans have a natural fear of fire that it is hard to overcome… yeah must have missed our genes. I have a cousin that is a fire fighter and most everyone knows that my all time fav holiday is the 4th of July! My grandfather was the king of blowing things up! Needless to say we (Danni and I) were one of the first people on line and we were not afraid of the fire and both of us managed to put the fire out in record time (10.4 secs for me and 8.5 secs for her)! Danni was so jazzed that she help discharge the fire extinguishers after the class (by using them up on more fire) then she had to call her cousin to tell him how much fun it was to do this!
Next week is Medical stuff basic to advance first aide and the week after will be search and rescues.
So Danni and I signed up, Capt Cavanaugh is so excited to have her first Mother/Daughter team! Anne was involved in Danni's (and Froggy’s) fifth grade class and was happy to hear that Danni is 18 and the youngest to go through this class.
The first week we went through how to be prepared, for fire, earthquake, flood, and even terrorist attacks. Things that we can do around the house now in order to help ourselves, family, friends and neighbors not if this happens but when. And how to deal with the first 72 hours. It made me go home and look out the very out of date earthquake box I have, there are still diapers in it for youngest… NOTE: she has been potty trained since she was 2 ½. So our homework was to update and create an emergency box, and plan. Who would be your out of state contact? Do you have food? Water? Clothes? Chocolate? For the first 72 hours? Also for those who have special needs: heart, asthma, diabetes, or even blood pressure meds, do they have a supply that could get them through the first week? Tuff stuff we are still complying.
The second week, last night, we got to play with FIRE… they taught everyone how to use a fire extinguisher… on two types of fires. This being the fire department they of course had this nifty BBQ looking thing that was fueled by propane and with a flip of the switch they could start a fire and in groups of two we went in to put out said fire. Now Capt Anne said that humans have a natural fear of fire that it is hard to overcome… yeah must have missed our genes. I have a cousin that is a fire fighter and most everyone knows that my all time fav holiday is the 4th of July! My grandfather was the king of blowing things up! Needless to say we (Danni and I) were one of the first people on line and we were not afraid of the fire and both of us managed to put the fire out in record time (10.4 secs for me and 8.5 secs for her)! Danni was so jazzed that she help discharge the fire extinguishers after the class (by using them up on more fire) then she had to call her cousin to tell him how much fun it was to do this!
Next week is Medical stuff basic to advance first aide and the week after will be search and rescues.
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