National Preparedness Month

 

September is National Preparedness Month. Here are 10 things that we might do this month to help us become better prepared for an emergency and better able to help others in our communities.


1. Take a CPR/AED class. (https://www.seattle.gov/fire/safety-and-community/medic-ii-cpr-training)
    (https://www.thurstoncountywa.gov/departments/medic-one/thurston-county-medic-one-cpr-class-registration)

2. Complete First Aid for Adults. (https://ifrc.csod.com/client/ifrc/default.aspx) - This 4-hour self-paced course introduces the key concepts and first aid techniques needed to address emergency situations in adults, such as choking, strokes, burns, wounds, and cardiac arrest. The course also teaches protective measures and key adaptations necessary for the delivery of first aid in the context of an infectious disease outbreak, such as COVID-19.

3. Complete Stop the Bleed training. (https://courses.wildsafe.org/courses/stop-the-bleed) - During this hour-long, free Stop The Bleed online presentation you'll learn all about not only how to deal with severe bleeding, but also how to handle an active shooter situation and more!

4. Complete Naloxone (NARCAN) training. (https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/naloxone/training/index.html) - This 1-hour module includes an optional risk factors assessment for opioid-related harms and provides communication tips and strategies for engaging in and conducting a conversation with patients about naloxone. Order and carry naloxone.

5. Complete Psychological First Aid training. (https://learn.nctsn.org/course/index.php?categoryid=11) - Psychological First Aid (PFA) Online is 5-hour interactive online course that helps participants learn the core actions of PFA and describes ways to apply them in different post-disaster scenarios and with different survivor needs. This course also covers provider well-being before, during, and after disasters.

6. Complete Neighborhood Emergency Response Planning (https://medicine.utah.edu/dfpm/occupational-environmental-health/research/outreach/cert) - This 6-hour course trains individuals and communities how to work together in the coordination of responding to an emergency. Based on the FEMA guide, "Are You Ready: A Citizen’s Guide", this course is an excellent resource and can be used with other available materials in planning for any emergency. Perfect for homeowners associations, religious groups, clubs, schools, or other communities.

7. Read the "Rosehip Medic Collective -- 20-Hour Street Medic Training (2020)" - A PDF copy is in the Files section of our Facebook Group. This manual is the result of eight years of work by the Rosehip Medic Collective. It has been through countless revisions, has been printed for many 20-hour street medic trainings, and forms the outline for what you will learn over the course of an in-person street medic course.

8. Sign up for Alert & Warning Notifications for your area. (https://mil.wa.gov/alerts)

9. Assemble a 2-week Emergency Food Supply, tailored to your needs. - The University of Minnesota offers some suggestions on preparing a 2-week emergency food supply. (https://extension.umn.edu/how-prepare/preparing-2-week-emergency-food-supply)

10. Assemble a 72-hour Kit, tailored to your needs, using guidance from Ready.Gov (https://www.ready.gov/kit)