Survival to Helping?

It would seem to me, that of the posts I've seen, those interested in survival, are also into helping others survive. I would encourage those who don't have training in how to help others, to get more.

For example:

- CPR (Adult and Infant/Child)
- First Aid (Red Cross and "wilderness")
- Community Emergency Response Team (C.E.R.T)
- Amateur Radio (HAM)

I can't give legal advice, but for the most part, where states have good samaritan laws, they will protect you but only up to your LEVEL OF TRAINING. The costs are nominal, and while you have to get recertified to be covered under the good samaritan laws (from what I gather), the information you learn and the confidence you gain will last a lifetime.

Why sit around after a disaster, when you can help?

P.S. I'd be interested to know how many amateur radio operator are here. I've seen about 4 to 5.

I'm all right on the medical stuff (but will never stop training) but I'm little slow when it comes to the radio. Well I just need a good talking to. All the frequencies, knobs and displays are confusing as hell not to mention that I'm a Polak as well <img src="images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I wish I could get involved but time constrains push me back. But I did manage to speak to local HAM organziation during police show but i was too busy with patients to jog down their info. Anyway yes you are right there is no substitution for training and practice and getting involved.

Matt

Got my ham ticket and my ems certs shortly after 9/11. I realized that things could get serious quickly (even tho I live in rural NH, USA - about a pastoral as you can get) Anyhow, my thinking on this particular issue is that survival in a fortified garrison with my family and parhaps a few others on a subsistance basis is much less desirable than survival during the reconstruction and rebuilding of a larger society. We are all sooooo interdependant - and that is not only convenient but also much more safe, comfortable and healthy - that to rationally consider the list of things you would have to forego after even a year of "independance" is frightful. For an easy example, who knows how to make TP? Even lamp oil or candle wax is hard to come by if you don't integrate in a larger society. I'd much rather work towards increasing the resiliency of the society by being prepared to mitigate the effects of disaster than to spend my limited funds preparing a mountain retreat with fortifications and supplies. If I had enough budget to do both I would tho.

Well, I’ve got the Amateur Radio, first aid and CPR stuff covered!

Come to think of it, I'm about due to renew my CPR... <img src="images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Well, I'm a First Aid and CPR instructor, and Wilderness First Aid instructor, with Saint John Ambulance of Canada. I'm going to start a 10-day Advanced First Aid (aka Emergency Medical Responder) course in December, and I'm a Ham Radio operator (VA6UE). I'm also the superintendent of a Saint John Ambulance Brigade (volunteer) division, which provides first aid support to community events, and we have our own emergency/disaster response team of which I am a member. (Three of our youth members volunteered to act as casualties for the simulated MCI that was held at Calgary International Airport earlier this year; as they were all members of their high school drama society, they not only got the day off school, but they got school credit for their work.)

I was a member of the local branch of ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Services) lasr year but I was dissatisfied with the way the organisation was run, so I didn't renew my membership this year.

CPR - Check
RC First aid - Check
RC - Mass care + feeding, shelter ops, shelter sims, Intro to disaster services, etc (the basic 5 to run a shelter) - done that

Ham Radio? I'm the ARES EC and RACES radio officer for Queens County in NYC

73 de kc2ixe

Those who are interested in preparedness usually aquire skills above the average. Maybe this is why they often are able to help others. This is prone to put them in situation where they actually help.
I am an instructor for first aid, CPR and AED. When I can I go as medic to events. I also received training in a technical unit of a rescue squad (volunteers). I helped in the basic training there.
Even those who don´t plan to join a volunteer unit should get some training. If they don´t use it to help others they could at least reduce the load of those who do. Remember that statistics say that your home is the most dangerous place as most accidents happen there <img src="images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />.

I just revisited the St. John Ambulance Canada website and noticed that you offer two CD-ROM computer based training products, "First Aid" & "What Every Babysitter Should Know." Do you know if there are plans to produce the Wilderness First Aid material in a CD-ROM product?

I doubt it; our Wilderness First Aid course tends to be very "hands-on". We try to provide the students with actual scenarios to see how they handle it (this is what makes it so much fun for them, in a lot of cases, especially when you get to teach the kids as we did last month). The Standard First Aid course has videos of most of the modules, acted out by Saint John volunteers, and if you watched those videos you'd get a pretty good idea of what to do in an emergency, but we don't have those for the WFA course and probably won't. (It's desirable to teach it in an actual wilderness setting where you may not have access to a TV and VCR, although realisically you could teach the entire course in the parking lot. <img src="images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> In fact, I know of one case where a fellow instructor did just that. <img src="images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Incidentally, for anyone who works with young children (age 6 to 9), Saint John Ambulance has a course called "We Can Help" which is designed to teach very basic first aid skills to Grade 3 students. If you go to www.cadetsonline.ca ; click on Resources, then on "Online Resources - Youth Related", and then on "Junior Program Resources" there are a number of b&w line drawings that you can download in pdf format and print off for your kids to colour.

It's not the whole course; that includes a comic book - also suitable for colouring - in which the "Junior Jays", having taken a first aid course, then encounter various medical emergencies in their daily lives to which they have to respond. In Alberta, financial support from the Freemasons has enabled us to offer this program free of charge to any Grade 3 class that asks; it's designed to be taught by any teacher with a Standard First Aid certificate. (There's also an Instructor's Guide and Lesson Plan that comes with the package.) Just thought that might be of interest to some of you who work with Boy or Girl Scouts. If it is, message me and I'll see if I can help.

I am also a HAM-N7OYN, CERT, and currently working on my Damage Assessment training as part of my advanced CERT service.

After our earthquake a few years ago I started an organized campaign at home to get my wife her HAM license. Our CERT group sponsored Tech HAM study classes this fall and she studied and passed the test. We are both CERT's and working on the damage assessment training.

I also am a member of Seattle ACS and ESCA, which are HAM based communication groups for Seattle and North Puget Sound communities. My wife is an ESCA member.

Next year we will work on recertification in basic first aid and CPR, plus take refresher CERT skill courses.

I think the 4 skill areas ki4buc outlined are great for both the community and your family, and can be achieved by just about anyone. I totally agree with MiniMe getting involved is probably the best thing you can do to prepare for an emergency...I would rather be assisting at the shelter than bunking at it.

Matt,

Best info source to look into HAM radio is the ARRL site. You can find local clubs, exams, exam questions, books to study....nearly an endless supply of info that can address the basics of getting on the air.

The ARRL is the Amateur Radio Relay League and it has been around for a long time and its mission is to keep HAM radio alive. In the time of near instant communications with computer and cell phones etc HAM radio seems like a dead end, but in time of emergency when all this stuff is inoperable HAM operators are out there communicating for themselves and in many cases communicating for others including emergency responders.

Getting your Technician license requires a several hours of study to answer a 35 multiple choice test covering rules of operation, safety, antennas, electricity, etc. It is not too hard but you have to study or you cannot pass as some of the questions are really esoteric at best. However, it is well worth the time, and you will most likely meet some folks in your area that can both help you getting equipment and teach hands on skills of operation.


So I encourage you to take a look at the club and exam lists for NY and see if anything can work out in your area.

Radio confusion is a state we all dwell in....technology is changing so fast everyone muddles along at first. Once you discover your local services you can do well.

Thanks for the info. BTW, if you ever run a course in Chicago, make sure you let us know.

I'm a ham kc2chx
I'd add be a vol fireman. free training, excellent stuff, great experience

aardwolfe-
i gave up on ares too... too much concern with small junk..not enough real help when it was needed... as a fireman, i have found ares to be dam near usless for big incidents and serious weather...