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Emergency Planning - After an Emergency

Regardless of the type of emergency situation, the key is to remain calm and alert. Knowing what to expect will help you cope with the emergency situation immediately after it happens and in the hours or days that follow.

Common impacts of an emergency
There can be significant numbers of casualties and the safety of buildings and houses may be compromised; rubble may block areas, making it dangerous or difficult to get out or walk around. Health services in hospitals and mental health resources in an affected community may become strained -- maybe even overwhelmed. Know they are doing their very best under extraordinary circumstances. Health care facilities have emergency plans and might access additional resources -- such as mobile hospitals -- or enlist the support of medical staff/facilities from neighbouring communities, provinces or the Government of Canada. Law enforcement from local, provincial and federal levels might be involved following a terrorist attack, due to the event's criminal nature. Extensive media coverage, high public anxiety and social impacts could all continue for a prolonged period. Workplaces and schools may be closed and there might be restrictions on local, domestic and international travel. You and your family or household may have to evacuate an area following routes specifically designated to ensure your safety. Clean-up and recovery operations could take many months.
Expect emotional reactions People caught in a disaster often feel confused. You might not act like yourself for a while. You may tremble, feel numb, vomit or faint. Immediately after the disaster, people often feel bewildered, shocked and relieved to be alive. These feelings and reactions are perfectly normal. Many survivors sleep poorly, have no appetite, are angry with those around them or panic at the slightest hint of danger. Children might start thumb-sucking or bed-wetting. These feelings and reactions are perfectly normal too.
How to get yourself and your family back on track. Talk about your feelings. Talk about what's happened.
Encourage your children to express their feelings. They may want to do this by drawing or playing instead of talking. Understand that their feelings are real. Recognize that when you suffer a loss, you may grieve. (Yes, you can grieve the loss of a wedding photo or your grandfather's favourite ring.) You may feel apathetic or angry. You may not sleep or eat well. These are normal grief reactions. Give yourself and your family permission to grieve and time to heal.
How to help children cope Children exposed to a disaster can experience a variety of intense emotional reactions such as anxiety, fear, nervousness, stomach aches, loss of appetite and other reactions. These are normal and temporary reactions to danger. Parents can help relieve such reactions by taking their children's fears seriously, reassuring them, and giving them additional attention and affection.

After a disaster, children are most afraid that:
  • the event will happen again
  • someone will get hurt or injured
  • they will be separated from the family or
  • they will be left alone.
    • Comfort and reassure them. Tell them what you know about the situation. Be honest but gentle. Encourage them to talk about the disaster. Encourage them to ask questions about the disaster. Give them a real task to do -- something that helps get the family back on its feet.
    Keep them with you even if it seems easier to do things on your own. At a time like this, it's important for the whole family to stay together.
    Additional steps you can take Raw, unedited footage of terrorist incidents and other tragedies -- and people's reaction to those events -- can be very upsetting, especially to children. Talk to your children about what is happening and how you and governments are keeping them safe.
    We do not recommend permitting children to watch television news reports that show images of the same incident over and over again. Young children do not realize that it is repeated video footage and will think the event is happening again and again. Adults might also need to give themselves a break from watching disturbing footage.
    However, since listening to local radio and television reports will provide you with the most accurate information on what's happening and what actions you will need to take, try to make arrangements to take turns listening to the news with other adult members of your household.

    First aid primer
     If you encounter someone who is injured, with the exception of those affected by chemical agents or spills, the following six steps should guide your actions. These principles are the basis of first aid and care in any emergency situation:
  • Survey the scene to make sure it is safe for you and others.
  • Check the victim for responsiveness. If the person does not respond, call for professional emergency medical assistance (call 9-1-1 or other local emergency number).
  • Check and care for life-threatening problems; check the person's airway, breathing and circulation; attend to severe bleeding and shock.
  • When appropriate, check and care for additional problems such as burns and injuries to muscles, bones and joints.
  • Keep monitoring the person's condition for life-threatening problems while waiting for medical assistance.
  • Help the person rest in the most comfortable position and provide reassurance.
    • Always apply the six emergency action principles for any injury or illness. These steps will help keep you and other bystanders safe while increasing the injured person's chances of survival.
    The following section lists some common injuries and the steps to take when providing care.

    Bleeding
  • Cover the wound with a dressing and place direct pressure on the wound.
  • Elevate the injured area above the level of the heart if you do not suspect a broken bone.
  • Cover the dressing with a roller bandage to hold the dressing.
  • If the bleeding does not stop and blood soaks through the bandage, apply additional dressings, pads and bandages without removing any of the blood-soaked dressings/pads.
  • Provide care for shock.
  • Encourage the person to lie down.
  • Help the victim maintain normal body temperature.

    • Burns
  • Stop the burning by cooling the burn with large amounts of clean, cool water.
  • Cover the burn with dry, clean, non-stick dressings or cloth.
  • Do not break blisters.
    • Injuries to muscles, bones and joints
  • Rest the injured part.
  • Avoid any movements that cause pain.
  • Immobilize the injured part before moving the victim and giving additional care.
  • Apply ice or a cold pack in order to control swelling and reduce pain.
  • Elevate the injured area to help slow the flow of blood and reduce swelling.

    • Exposure to chemical agents
     If it appears that chemical agents are involved, do not approach the scene; leave as quickly as possible. Leave this situation to the local authorities, which are better equipped to address and contain this type of accident or terrorist attack.
    People who may have come into contact with a biological or chemical agent may need to go through a decontamination procedure before receiving medical attention. Listen to the advice of local officials on the radio or television to determine what steps you will need to take to protect yourself and your family. Since emergency services will likely be overwhelmed, only call 9-1-1 about life-threatening emergencies.
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