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

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.

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.

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.

A Day That will live

Today is a day that we should all reflect…
Really, most of you know I am a Navy brat; my claim to fame is that I was almost born in Canada… still pretty bitter about not having a dual citizenship.
Maybe today affects me more because of the town I mostly grew up in Vallejo was the home of Mare Island Naval Shipyard. Just about my entire family worked out there at some point. My maternal Grandfather wasn’t allowed to sign up after Pearl Harbor, his job on the shipyard was far too important, that didn’t set too well with him at all. My Grandmother had a cousin that was at Pearl Harbor… He had just gotten off of duty and being a good Irish Catholic went straight to church, that’s where he was when his bunk was blown up. My other Grandfather missed the bombing only because the ship that he was on went out earlier than planed for “maneuvers training” they were several miles the other way and didn’t make it back to pearl until the next day. Something that happened years before my mother and father were even born should affect me is somewhat baffling. I have been to the memorial and it effected me deeply. It’s truly hard to put into words the feeling that you get while out there over the sunken ship… So in honor of the fallen, in honor of the day. Please take a moment.