Safety First

• In a disaster, the first step is to assess the safety of your surroundings. If your surroundings are unsafe or unstable, exercise the utmost care in evacuating. The tragedy of a disaster is compounded when those who have survived the initial event are casualties of unsafe surroundings created by the calamity. This advice also holds true for first responders to a disaster, such as emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics. First responders must enter a disaster situation carefully to ensure their own safety while saving the lives of others.
  
  

Taking Care of Yourself

• Before a disaster situation even takes place, individuals need to be prepared for the worst. Being prepared to deal with an emergency situation of any type can save lives. Families and individuals must formulate plans of action for how to behave in emergencies. These plans should include meeting places for families in case someone gets lost or separated. In addition, food and other necessities should be gathered well in advance of an emergency situation. Food items should be nonperishable, as electricity might not be available for days after the disaster. Other supplies should be gathered as well, such as a first-aid kit, blankets and a battery-operated radio.
  
  

Setting Up a Command Center

• It might seem as though setting up a command center is a waste of time and resources during a disaster situation. However, the opposite is true. A command center is a necessity during a disaster. Disasters of all kinds create total chaos. Command centers, staffed by capable, trained professionals, create a sense of order. These emergency management professionals can introduce a plan of action, which eventually brings back the stability and calm that existed before the disaster.
  
  

Assessing and Treating Casualties

• When entering the disaster field, first responders and civilians must scan the area for casualties. There are priority levels of treatment for casualty victims. First responders can clearly discern those who are already dead and cannot be treated. The first priority is to treat those who are unconscious but are still breathing or have a pulse. Victims who are conscious with severe injuries are the next highest priority. Those with less-severe injuries are attended to last. This hierarchy of treatment ensures that the victims who need care the most are the first in line to receive it.
  
  

Mindset

• While the right mindset might not seem particularly important to first aid in a disaster, staying calm in a chaotic situation can save your life. In mass-casualty events such as natural and man-made disasters, people often become frantic and do not think clearly. Based on this fear, they make foolish and sometimes fatal decisions. However, clear thinking and following the instructions of trained emergency management personnel can help you survive the situation. In addition, it is important to stay positive. Even though the situation may be bleak, believing that you will survive gives you hope and courage.